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    Home » Recipes » Pork

    Molasses Marinade for Grilled Pork Chops

    UPDATED Sep 23, 2022 · PUBLISHED Aug 4, 2018 BY Marjory Pilley · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    Best Pork Chops Marinade Pinterest

    The BEST Molasses Marinade for Grilled Pork Chops is thick and sweet from molasses and zesty from cider vinegar and spices! Use this popular recipe for boneless or bone-in pork chops at your next backyard bbq.

    4 pork chops with molasses marinade on a plate.

    This versatile sauce is truly one of the best grilling marinades around and a favorite cookout recipe. It leaves a tasty glaze on the meat.

    Freeze uncooked meat in the sauce for no-fuss grilling.

    Don't want to pull out the grill? See the directions for baking pork chops. It's also fantastic with pork tenderloin or chicken.

    No matter what you cook, it's sure to become your signature sauce!

    Jump to:
    • Molasses Marinade
    • How to Freeze Pork Chops
    • Cooking Tips
    • More Marinade Recipes
    • 📋 Recipe

    Molasses Marinade

    Molasses? Yes, that super thick, dark syrup you may have used when baking cookies at Grandma's house is also the secret ingredient in this tasty sauce.

    This by-product of sugar processing is the star of the show. I typically buy the jar below. But, you'll find many options:

    • light vs. dark vs. blackstrap - with each boiling of the sugar syrup, the molasses becomes darker, thicker and has a deeper flavor. 
    • sulphered vs. unsulphered - refers to whether sulpher dioxide has been added to clarify and lighten the color.

    I use the entire 12-ounce jar of unsulphered, light-colored molasses shown below and double the recipe. Each batch makes more than enough to marinate 6 pork chops.

    To make it, combine molasses, brown sugar, cider vinegar, allspice, red pepper flakes, dried onion, salt, and pepper. That's it!

    Pork chops turn are moist and juicy with a thin coating of glaze.

    Looking for a substitute for molasses? Check out Molasses Substitutes by Food 52 and start experimenting.

    Jar of Grandma's Molasses

    How to Freeze Pork Chops

    If you want to make the recipe ahead of time and freeze it, place the desired number of uncooked pork chops in a bag that seals, pour in the marinade and turn to coat the meat.

    The chops will freeze nicely and the marinade infuses beautifully as it undergoes the freezing and defrosting process. It's the same process we use for The Best London Broil Marinade.

    Another method is to freeze the molasses marinade without the meat. Add to containers for lots of flexibility. This marinade is great on pork tenderloin and chicken too.

    4 small containers of Molasses Marinade for pork chops.

    Cooking Tips

    Marinate meat for 2 - 24 hours for a nice deep flavor.

    Grill pork chops over medium heat for about 4-5 minutes, depending upon the thickness of the chop.

    Or, use the broiler for about the same length of time with the rack about 3-4 inches from the heating element.

    Tip: When raw meat is removed from the molasses marinade, discard it. Alternatively, the leftover marinade can be brought to a full boil for at least 1 minute and then used as a finishing glaze.

    Grilled Pork chops on a plate.

    More Marinade Recipes

    All of these marinades are perfect on pork too!

    • Red Wine Marinade
    • Blackberry Barbecue Sauce
    • Bourbon Marinade 

    Please rate this recipe if you make it and tag @DinnerMom or #DinnerMom on social media. We love to see and SHARE what you are cooking up!

    📋 Recipe

    4 pork chops with molasses marinade on a plate.

    Molasses Marinade for Grilled Pork Chops

    Molasses Marinade for Grilled Pork Chops is thick, sweet and zesty and is sure to become a highly requested signature sauce for cookouts and backyard bbqs.
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Marinate time: 2 hours
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 406kcal
    Author: Marjory Pilley

    Ingredients

    • ⅔ cup molasses
    • ½ cup brown sugar packed
    • 2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
    • ½ teaspoon allspice
    • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
    • 2 teaspoons dried onion
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon pepper
    • 30 ounces Pork chops approximately ¾ inch thick, each

    Instructions

    • Combine all of the ingredients, except for the pork chops, in a bag that seals.
    • Add pork chops to bag and turn to coat all sides. Alternatively, marinate pork chops in glass baking dish.
    • Marinate pork chops for at least 2 hours or overnight.
    • Remove pork chops from marinade and discard excess.
    • Grill for approximately 4-5 minutes on each side, depending upon the thickness of the meat. Or broil for about the same amount of time with rack about 3-4 inches from the heating element.

    Notes

    Note that the nutritional estimates assumes ALL of the marinade is consumed. 
    Make ahead and freeze by adding uncooked pork chops to marinade in a bag that seals. Turn to coat. Store up to 2 months for best quality. Make two batches to use up a 12 ounce bottle of molasses. Another option is to make up the marinade without adding the meat. Nice on pork tenderloin and chicken too.
    Grab 5 Low-Carb Saucesand get more easy, healthy recipes! JOIN HERE

    Nutrition

    Calories: 406kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 284mg | Potassium: 1127mg | Sugar: 46g | Vitamin A: 50IU | Vitamin C: 1.2mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 2.6mg
    Nutritional and Food Safety Disclaimer

     

     

     

    More Pork Recipes

    • Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Tenderloin in Blackberry BBQ Sauce
    • Monte Cristo Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipe (with Jam!)
    • Cajun Cauliflower Rice with Andouille Sausage
    • Red Wine Marinade for Pork Tenderloin
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      Recipe Rating




    1. Laura Burns

      June 23, 2014 at 3:15 pm

      I worked for you and John back in your melbourne store when you guys first opened it, and I was so sad when it was gone because I loved loved loved these pork chops....Ive been trying to repeat the recipe on my own for years and Im so happy I found not only the recipe but you!

      Hope all is doing well!

      BEST PORK CHOPS EVER!!

      Laura

      Reply
      • Marjory

        June 23, 2014 at 3:35 pm

        Hi Laura! It is wonderful to hear from you and hope you are super fantastic!!! This is one of my favorites too!

        Reply
    2. Lizzy

      February 08, 2018 at 5:13 pm

      5 stars
      Made this at your Meal Assembly Store! It's the best!

      Reply
    3. Renee

      August 04, 2018 at 10:07 am

      5 stars
      You wouldn't need to ask me twice when it comes to these molasses marinade grilled pork chops. I love the sweet tang that these chops have.

      Reply
    4. Denay

      August 04, 2018 at 5:26 pm

      5 stars
      Oh my goodness, this marinade was super scrumptious! Your recipe is the secret for making yummy grilled pork chops.

      Reply
    5. Diann

      April 06, 2019 at 8:46 am

      Would this work for a roast pork then make it into pulled pork?

      Reply
      • Marjory

        April 07, 2019 at 1:32 pm

        It is nice on roast pork too! The sauce is on the thick side, but you should be able to shred the pork as well. Great idea!

        Reply
    6. Renée

      May 10, 2020 at 6:16 pm

      5 stars
      Excellent marinade! We grilled thick chops tonight....very tasty. Flavor was thru out the meat...meat was tender and not dry. Will be my go to pork chop marinade for now on!

      Reply
      • Marjory Pilley

        May 11, 2020 at 7:22 am

        I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for commenting!

        Reply

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