Affiliate links are used in this post.

Looking for something different for dinner tonight?  Your family is going to LOVE these moist and juicy grilled pork chops!  

You will want to check out our signature Family Favorites Menu Plans for even more delicious and easy recipes your family will love!

Grilling pork chops is an entirely different experience than grilling red meat. While steaks can be charred on the outside and a delicious shade of pink inside, pork needs to be more uniformly cooked throughout. Therefore, use a medium direct heat while grilling pork so the inside cooks evenly with the outside.

Keep in mind when assembling the ingredients for the herb rub that it is more of a template than a hard-and-fast rule. We aren’t going for dainty precision with this technique, just a uniform infusion of robust herbal flavors.

Ingredients

• 2 T. Kosher salt
• 6-8 large fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces
• 2 stems fresh rosemary, leaves stripped from stems and crushed
• 2 T. fresh thyme leaves, crushed with fingers
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 T. black Hawaiian salt 
• 4 thick-cut bone-in pork chops, approximately 1” thick
  
  

Directions

Combine salt, basil, rosemary, thyme, garlic and pepper thoroughly in a small bowl. Rub mixture over all sides of pork chops until thoroughly covered.

Scrub grill grates with a wire brush prior to starting. Preheat grill to medium before adding pork chops over direct heat. Cook for 7-8 minutes, turn once, but otherwise keep the lid closed as much as possible.  If your chops are thinner or thicker than 1”, adjust cook time accordingly.

Remove chops from heat, cover and let rest for 3 – 5 minutes before serving. Serve with a grilled summer vegetable medley and top with a pat of compound butter seasoned with the same herbs used in the rub.

Know what goes great with this recipe?  These grilled veggies!

Are you a member of our “Refer A Friend” program? If not, click this link for details! ?

 

This dish is perfect for those busy weeknights when you want something quick and satisfying that won’t dirty every dish in your kitchen.  This recipe pairs bone-in chicken thighs with lemony orzo for a hearty meal you can have on the table in just over half an hour. 

If you enjoy this dish,  you will LOVE our Family Favorites Menu Plan.  Get a full year of our best family friendly weekly menu plans for around $5/month!

For this recipe, the chicken thighs are cooked with skin on to impart extra flavor, but removed for serving to save a few calories.

Ingredients:

• 4 bone-in chicken thighs
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 3 T. olive oil

• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 c. orzo pasta
• 3 c. organic chicken broth
• 1 T. lemon zest
• ½ organic lemon, thinly sliced and seeds removed
• 
½ c. fresh parsley, chopped, plus some whole sprigs for garnish
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to serve

Directions:

Pat chicken thighs with a paper towel to remove excess moisture, then season with salt and pepper.

In a large skillet with deeps sides, heat olive oil and garlic over medium-high heat. When garlic turns brown, remove chunks from pan and discard.

Place chicken, skin side down, in the heated pan and cook for approximately 4 or 5 minutes, or until nicely browned. Turn and repeat on the other side. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and keep warm.

Pour off excess fat in pan, while reserving approximately 2 tablespoons. Reduce heat to medium and add the orzo to pan. Stir until orzo is coated and slightly toasted. Add chicken broth to skillet and stir to scrape up brown bits from bottom of pan.

Increase heat to medium-high and bring broth to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Return chicken breasts to skillet along with lemon zest and slices. Simmer, covered, for approximately 10 minutes or until the orzo is tender. Keep an eye on it during this time to make sure there is enough liquid in skillet to keep orzo from sticking to the bottom. Stir occasionally.

Uncover and continue simmering until most of the excess liquid has been absorbed, approximately 2-3 minutes. Stir in chopped parsley and season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.

Serve immediately with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.