Why reverse sear works for pork chops

Smoking at 225 for 90 minutes cooks the inside slowly and pulls in pellet smoke. The sear at 450 at the end takes just 60 to 90 seconds per side and gives you the brown edge without overcooking the inside. We tested this against straight grilling and the reverse sear version came out with more smoke and juicier every time, especially with bone in chops at least one inch thick.

Overhead image of grilled smoked pork chops with a spatula under one this recipe

Featured review

These are amazing. My family loves them. Very easy to make and pretty well cook themselves. Definitely recommend them.

GP

How to make Traeger smoked pork chops (step-by-step)

First, heat your Traeger (or any smoker/wood pellet grill) to 225° Fahrenheit. Then, follow these steps:

overhead shot of seasonings in a ramekin
Mix up the easy seasoning mix.
Close up angle of a hand sprinkling seasoning on raw pork chops
Sprinkle the seasoning on both sides of the pork chops.
Raw seasoned pork chops on a grill
Place pork chops on the grill to smoke at 225° for 90 minutes.
Hand holding a plate and tongs and pulling smoked pork chop off the grill
After 90 minutes, remove the pork chops and crank up the heat to 450°
Hand holding tongs and placing a pork chop on the grill
Once the grill is hot, place the pork chops on the hottest part to sear.
Overhead shot of traeger smoked pork chops on a pan with seasoning and spatula under one chop
Sear the chops on both sides for 1-2 minutes to get a nice outer crust.

Related ->> More pork worth smoking: smoked sausage, smoked pork shoulder, and Traeger pulled pork.

Close up angle of 2 smoked pork chops on a sheet pan

What works (and what doesn’t)

  • Our testing has found that this recipe works best with thick cut, bone in pork chops for the juiciest chops.
  • Thin chops did not work as well. We tried this method on half inch chops once and they overshot temp before the sear. If thats all you have, smoke 45 to 60 minutes max, then sear short. Our oven baked bone in pork chops handle thin chops better.
  • Internal temp of 140 is the right pull point. The chops carry to 145 during the 10 minute rest. Pulling at 145 means they are served at 150, which is borderline dry territory.
  • For the reverse sear step, find the hottest part of your grill and do a very quick sear. I’ve found that this is the very back of my Traeger grill.
Close up angle image of single smoked pork chop with a spatula under it

Which Traeger pellets to use for smoked pork chops

My favorites are:

  • Hickory – More of a bold, assertive flavor that pairs well with the homemade pork chop seasoning.
  • Apple – Have a subtle touch of fruitiness that goes well any pork.
  • Cherry – A hearty pellet that stands up to the flavor of any meat and is great for grilling.

We default to hickory for the bolder smoke and apple when we want it lighter. Cherry sits in between and works on most things we put on the Traeger.

Prefer a different setup for pork chops? We grill them in our grilled pork chops and sear them on the griddle in our Blackstone pork chops.

Overhead shot of traeger smoked pork chops on a pan with seasoning and spatula under one chop
4.68 from 34 ratings
Get the Recipe:

Traeger Pork Chops (Smoked, Reverse Sear)

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 1 hour 40 minutes
Resting time: 5 minutes
Total: 2 hours
Servings: 2
Thick bone in pork chops, a simple six ingredient rub, and a reverse sear at the end. We smoke them at 225 for 90 minutes and finish hot for the crust. No brine, no marinade, and the bone keeps them from drying out.
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Ingredients

  • 2 Bone in pork chops, (about 1 inch thick)

Pork chop seasoning:

  • 1 tsp sea salt, (use 1/2 tsp if subbing kosher or table salt)
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp ground pepper
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp ground mustard
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder

Equipment

Instructions
 

  • Preheat smoker to 225° Fahrenheit
  • Prepare the pork chop seasoning by adding all of the seasoning ingredients to a small jar and mixing well.
    1 tsp sea salt, 1 tsp brown sugar, 1/2 tsp ground pepper, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp ground mustard, 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • Add a generous amount of seasoning to both sides of each pork chop.
    2 Bone in pork chops
  • Transfer pork chops to the smoker. Smoke for 90 minutes. NOTE: This is for thick pork chops (around 1 inch or thicker). For thinner chops, smoke them for about 60 minutes and continue with the next steps.
  • Remove the pork chops from the smoker and turn the heat up to high (about 450°). Let it heat up until it reaches high heat (10-15 minutes).
  • Reverse sear – Once the smoker grill is at high heat, add the pork chops back on to sear quickly on both sides. Ensure they have reached an internal temperature of at least 140°.
  • Remove pork chops from smoker and allow them to rest for 10 minutes before serving. They will continue to cook to 145° while resting.

Last Step:

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Notes

Nutrition estimates are per serving and an estimate provided for reader benefit. See our full nutrition information disclosure here.  
Calories: 301kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 35g, Fat: 16g, Fiber: 1g
Course: Main Course
Author: Justin Winn
Cuisine: American
Did you make this recipe?Tag @realsimplegood with hashtag #realsimplegood on Instagram. We love to see what you make!
Close up angle of smoked pork chop with text at top of "Traeger smoked pork chops"
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