Smoked Boneless Pork Chops

Pork chops dry out fast on the smoker, especially thin ones. Start with thick-cut chops and you get juicy pork with light smoke flavor and a faint blush center instead of dry, chalky meat.

This recipe is written for thick-cut boneless pork chops, which cook evenly and are easy to manage on the smoker. You can use bone-in chops if you prefer, just plan for a slightly longer cook time. All you need is steady heat and a reliable thermometer.

These Smoked Pork Chops Belong on Your Weeknight Rotation

These smoked pork chops deserve a spot in your weeknight rotation because they are fast, predictable, and require very little prep. Our simple homemade pork chop seasoning of salt, pepper, brown sugar, and dried mustard gives you a balanced flavor without a long marinade or brine.

Cooked low and pulled at the right temperature, they develop a lightly caramelized crust while staying juicy in the center. In about an hour, you have real smoked flavor without committing to an all-day cook.

Serve with our Southern-style Coleslaw and our Smoked Mac & Cheese for a perfect meal.

Ingredients you’ll need

• Pork chops –  for this recipe, I used boneless pork loin chops, but any pork chops will work fine. Just keep in mind that you want to find thick-sliced pork chops that are at least 1-½” thick to prevent them from drying out on the smoker. 
• Pork chop seasoning – my homemade pork chop seasoning is perfect for this recipe. It’s a combination of salt, pepper, sugar, and mustard that brings a wonderful flavor to smoked pork. If you prefer a store-bought pork rub, choose something with salt and brown sugar. 
• BBQ sauce – optional, but I like to serve my smoked pork chops alongside BBQ sauce. My East Carolina Vinegar sauce is perfect for pork chops. 

What internal temperature is best for smoked pork chops? 

The key to a tender, juicy smoked pork chop is all about temperature. They can overcook quickly, and as soon as they do, they dry out. 

The USDA now recommends cooking pork to a 145°F internal temperature.

Growing up, you may have heard that pork needs to be cooked to 165°F, but that’s no longer the case. The USDA revised its recommendations for cooking pork because the quality and safety of our pork have improved significantly. 

If you’ve never tried cooking pork to 145°F, the difference is like night and day!

How to make smoked pork chops

1. Season 

For this recipe, I like to use my homemade pork chop seasoning. It’s a flavorful blend of salt, pepper, dried mustard, brown sugar, and aromatics that pairs perfectly with the flavor of pork. 

If you prefer to use a store-bought seasoning blend, I recommend finding a pork rub that contains a good amount of salt and brown sugar. 

You want to season your pork chops liberally on all sides with the pork chop seasoning. You can also roll the ends of the chops in the seasoning to ensure you have flavor in every bite.

Once your chops are seasoned, you can let them rest at room temperature while you fire up your smoker or pellet grill. 

2. Fire up the smoker

Preheat your smoker to 225°F. I like to smoke my pork chops at a low temperature to prevent them from drying out. I also like to make sure they can get a good amount of smoke flavor during the cooking process, so I find that 225°F is the best bet. 

As I mentioned, you can use any smoker or pellet grill for this recipe as long as it maintains a steady temperature of 225°F. I used my Traeger Ironwood XL and the Bear Mountain Gourmet BBQ pellets for this recipe. 

You can use any type of wood you prefer, but I recommend oak, hickory, or pecan for pork. These are milder wood choices that won’t overpower the pork’s flavor. 

3. Smoke

Once your smoker is preheated to 225°F, place your pork chops directly on the grates of the smoker. You’re going to let them smoke for about 30 minutes, then open up the smoker and give them a flip.

After you’ve flipped your chops, you can close the smoker and let them smoke until they’ve reached an internal temperature of 145°F. 

The key to tender, juicy pork chops is not to overcook them. You want to ensure you pull them off the smoker at 145°F.

Depending on the thickness and size of your chops, this can take an additional 15 to 45 minutes. I recommend starting to check the temperature about 15 minutes after flipping them and continue to check every 10 minutes or so. 

6. Rest

Once they reach 145°F internally, you can remove them from the smoker and let them rest for 5-10 minutes.

You can tent them in foil while they rest to keep the heat in, but you want to let them sit for a minute before slicing in to let the juices redistribute throughout the meat. 

Smoked Pork Chops Recipe

With the right seasoning, a little smoke, and a watchful eye on the temperature, these pork chops will out juicy, tender, and packed with flavor every time. Be sure to give this recipe a star rating so more people can try it!