Grilled Tomahawk Pork Chops – This stunning cut of pork deserves royal treatment! Using a 5 ingredient dry rub and a compound butter to seal the deal, this easy recipe feels gourmet with every bite. It’s simple enough to make any night of the week!
My husband was craving a hearty meat-and-potatoes style dinner, and that’s exactly what he got. Sometimes he really is a great source of inspiration when I’m creating recipes! We found these gorgeous tomahawk style pork chops and I had to find a way to make them shine.
Since we’re right in the middle of grilling season, I thought it would be a shame not to utilize the summeriest of cooking appliances. I have, however, included instructions for cooking these pork chops in a skillet so that you can make this recipe any day of the year. No one wants to grill in the rain! Or worse yet, brushing snow off your grill, even though we do.
What are tomahawk pork chops?
These aren’t just your ordinary bone-in pork chops. These include a large piece of the rib protruding from the chop, resembling a tomahawk axe. You may have seen a similar cut with rib eye steak! The chops I found are considered minis as they’re only 3/4 lb per chop. If you get a full sized chop, you can simply increase the cooking time.
This particular cut isn’t found just about anywhere. You can always go to a specialty butcher to see what they have, or even have the butcher cut some tomahawk pork chops for you. If all else fails, you can use regular pork chops. Bone in or bone out; it’s up to you!
Ingredients
Keep scrolling down to the recipe card for a list of FULL ingredient amounts and instructions or click the “Jump to Recipe” button at the top of the page!
- Pork chops – I used bone-in tomahawk pork chops. You can use regular pork chops either bone-in or bone-out, however cooking time can vary.
- Salt & pepper – Season to taste.
- Chili powder – Any type you like best. Even homemade!
- Onion powder – You can use more or less as you prefer.
- Sugar – This will give you a gorgeous caramelized sear.
How to grill tomahawk pork chops
- Marinate: Combine all the seasoning ingredients together and generously rub over the pork chops on both sides with half the rub. Refrigerate for a couple hours before grilling.
- Prep: Fire up the grill and bring the heat to a medium (350F°). Remove the chops from the fridge and let them set at room temperature, covered, for about 20 minutes. Pat the chops dry with paper towels and re-season with remaining spice rub.
- Grill: Spray the chops with a little bit of cooking oil and place them on the grill. Grill on both sides until the internal temperature reaches 145F°-150F°.
- Finish: Transfer the pork chops to a cutting board and let them rest for 15 minutes before slicing. Serve them with some garlic compound butter, mashed potatoes and peas.
How to cook tomahawk pork chops in a skillet
If the weather isn’t cooperating with you or you just aren’t in the grilling mood, you can make this recipe in a skillet no problem. Follow steps 1 and 2 as per the recipe instruction, then continue as follows:
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook for 4-6 minutes per side, or until well seared and with an internal temperature of 145F-150F.
- Let the pork chops rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
You can also sear them first and if the internal temperature isn’t hot enough you can finish them in the oven at 375F for a few more minutes. I do this often with steaks and since these chops are bigger than regular chops, this method works perfectly.
What to serve with grilled pork chops
We ate our pork chops with my favorite mashed potatoes and some peas tossed with a the leftover compound butter I had. Let me tell you, this was a dinner made in heaven! I would be proud to serve this to any guest, even in-laws. Here are some more of my favorite sides you can serve with your pork chops:
Salad
Veggies
Potatoes
- Easy Potato Salad
- Parmesan Garlic Roasted Potatoes
- Rosemary Smashed Potatoes
- Cheesy Mashed Potatoes with Bacon and Chives
How to store leftovers
Transfer the pork chops to an airtight container and store for 3-4 days in the fridge. You can also keep pork chops in the freezer for 2-3 months. If frozen, I suggest letting the pork thaw fully the fridge overnight before reheating.
How to reheat pork chops
Much like other types of meat, making sure your pork doesn’t dry out when reheating is certainly a hurdle. Here is my favorite reheating method:
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Add the pork chops to a roasting pan with a rack. Pour 1/2 cup of water or broth into the pan, then cover the pan well with foil.
- Transfer the pan to the oven and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until heated through.
Did you love this recipe? Try these:
- Grilled Pork Chops with Quinoa
- Mustard Balsamic Pork Chops
- Honey Garlic Pork Chops
- Pork Chops with Pistachio
- Italian Breaded Pork Chops
- Ranch Pork Chops and Sheet Pan Dinner
- Korean Style Pork Chops
- Pan Seared Pork Chops with Gravy
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Grilled Tomahawk Pork Chops
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 tomahawk pork chops mini (3/4 lb each)
- 1 tbsp kosher salt or to taste
- 2 tsp pepper or to taste
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp sugar
Instructions
- Combine all the seasoning ingredients together and generously rub over the pork chops on both sides with half the rub. Refrigerate for a couple hours before grilling.
- Fire up the grill and bring the heat to a medium (350F°). Remove the chops from the fridge and let them set at room temperature, covered, for about 20 minutes. Pat the chops dry with paper towels and re-season with remaining spice rub.
- Spray the chops with a little bit of cooking oil and place them on the grill. Grill on both sides until the internal temperature reaches 145F°-150F°.
- Transfer the pork chops to a cutting board and let them rest for 15 minutes before slicing. Serve them with some garlic compound butter, mashed potatoes and peas.
Recipe Notes
- Grilling time can vary depending on the thickness of the chop. A 1-inch thick pork chop can take 12-14 minutes, a 1 1/2 inch pork chop can take about 20 minutes. Best way to tell when your chops are done is to use a instant meat thermometer.
- Transfer the pork chops to an airtight container and store for 3-4 days in the fridge. You can also keep pork chops in the freezer for 2-3 months. If frozen, I suggest letting the pork thaw fully the fridge overnight before reheating.
So good! My “hard t0 try new things” husband liked them a lot! Said “you don’t need to make chops any other way”. Even told a coworker about them.
So glad you like them! 🙂
One of the best grilled pork recipes ever! Super easy to make too. Looked like something you’d get in a high dollar restaurant. Will be a staple at our house.
Looks very good well try this on my smoker.