Most people think of thin, dried out pieces of meat when thinking about pork chops, but these quick brined pork chops smoked on the Traeger will have you begging for more. These Traeger pork chops are reverse seared, which means they’re smoked low and slow first and then finished with a hot sear to add a nice crust to the outside. Juicy, tender, flavorful, and budget friendly!
Ingredients Main
- 4 thick cut bone-in pork chops, AKA rib chops
- 2 tablespoons Traeger Pork & Poultry rub, substitute favorite pork rub
- 1 tablespoon high smoke point oil, like canola
Brine
- 4 cups water
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
Helpful Tools
- 1 ThermoPro Instant Read Thermometer, completely optional
Steps Brine the pork chops
In a medium sauce pan add the brine ingredients plus a few pinches of the Traeger Pork & Poultry rub. Bring to a simmer over medium heat until the salt, sugar, and rub have dissolved. Remove the pot from the heat and cool completely. Once the brine is cool add the pork chops to a large container or zip top bag and pour in the brine. Add the pork chops and place in the refrigerator. Make sure to completely submerge the pork chops. Brine up to 4 hours. smoked pork butt
Season the pork chops
After 4 hours, remove the pork chops from the brine, rinse thoroughly, and pat dry with paper towels. Apply a generous coating on all sides of the pork chops with the Traeger Pork & Poultry rub and let rest for 30 minutes to an hour on the counter. This will allow the rub to adhere and the pork chops to come to room temperature. smoked turkey
Preheat the Traeger
Preheat the Traeger smoker to 225°F. If your Traeger has the "Super Smoke" setting turn it on. This will add more smoke flavor to the traeger pork chops.
Let's get smoking
Place the pork chops on the smoker and continue smoking until they reach an internal temperature of 130°F. If you Traeger has a meat probe, insert it into the thickest part of one of the smoked beef short ribs. Set the probe alarm to 130°F to ensure you don't overcook them. smoked salmon
Crank up the heat while pork chops rest
Once the pork chops reach the desired temperature, place them on a carving board and tent loosely with aluminum foil. While they're resting, increase the heat of the Traeger to its hottest setting and place a cast iron skillet or griddle on the grill. Close the lid. Alternately, you can sear the pork chops in a piping hot pan on the stove top. If using a smaller plan, work in batches to not overcrowd the pan. brisket style tri tip
Sear the pork chops
Once the grill reaches its hottest temperature, add a tablespoon of oil to the pan and once shimmering add the pork chops and sear for 2-3 minutes on each side to form a nice crust. smoked chicken
Let the pork chops rest smoked meatloaf
Remove pork chops from pan, place on the cutting board, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and rest for 10-20 minutes. The ideal finished temperature for these Traeger pork chops is 145°F. smoked jalapeno poppers
Notes Do you have to brine the pork chops before smoking?
Brining isn’t strictly necessary, but it has some great benefits. Pork is a milder flavored meat on its own, so brining the chops before cooking them will give you another opportunity to inject flavor. The brine also adds moisture that will be retained during cooking to keep the chops juicy. The extra moisture also helps prevent the pork chops from overcooking. smoked pork loin
