Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Grilled Pork Chops with Quinoa
A browned pork chop with savory quinoa and mushrooms makes a generous plate. The quinoa has a smoky, lightly spicy edge, with asparagus bringing a little green alongside. Give everything a scattering of parsley and enjoy a forkful of quinoa between slices of warm pork.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Original yield
- Serves 6
- Ingredients
- 18 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Dinner · Main course
- Primary protein
- Pork
- Cuisine
- American
- Cooking method
- Grilling
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 31–60 minutes
A few quick notes
1. Toast quinoa without burning
Stir the quinoa into softened onion and garlic and toast briefly before adding wine and the other liquids.
2. Cook vegetables while quinoa simmers
Use that covered cooking period to brown mushrooms in the separate skillet before adding asparagus.
3. Season both sides of the chops
Salt and pepper the pork generously before grilling uncovered over medium-high heat until browned on both sides.
Get to know the ingredients
Chopped asparagus
Trim asparagus ends and chop into the small pieces listed before adding to the browned mushrooms.
Quinoa choice
You can use any quinoa type; use it uncooked for the brief toasting stage before the covered simmer.
Broth options
Use your preferred stock for the quinoa, including the listed low-sodium beef or chicken broth.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 6. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 5 steps completeMake room for Grilled Pork Chops with Quinoa
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Bring the whole plate together
Serve chops with quinoa, mushrooms and asparagus, finishing with chopped parsley over the plate.
A little more help as you go
Butter goes on hot pork
If using the optional butter, add a little to each chop while it's still hot from grilling.
Wine can be replaced
You can use more stock in place of white wine if you'd prefer not to use alcohol.
A few questions you might have
Can I use a grill pan?
Yes, you can cook the chops on a grill pan or an outdoor barbecue.
What tells me the quinoa is finished?
It should be tender with all its cooking liquid absorbed at the end of the covered simmer.
Do mushrooms and asparagus start cooking together?
Brown the chopped mushrooms first, then add asparagus and season, cooking briefly until the asparagus softens a little.
Is Sriracha required for the hot sauce?
Sriracha is mentioned as the sauce used, with hot sauce listed generally for seasoning the quinoa.
How should cooked quinoa and vegetables be stored?
Keep it in a sealed container in the refrigerator for three to five days. Cooled portions can also be frozen.
Any more cooking tips?
I used a grill pan for the pork chops but if the weather permits, you can use your barbecue. Any type of quinoa will work. I used beef stock to cook the quinoa but you can use any type of stock that you prefer. If you don’t want to use alcohol then replace the wine with more stock. Store the pork chops in an airtight container or ziploc bag. Make sure the pork chops have cooled down before storing them. They will last 3-4 days in the fridge or 2-3 months in the freezer. To reheat, you can either heat on the stovetop in a skillet over medium heat or in the oven at 375F. Keep in mind that reheating cooked pork will cause it to dry out and it is best served fresh. Store cooked quinoa and veggies in a sealed container and place in the fridge for 3 – 5 days. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months, be sure it’s properly cooled before placing in the freezer.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: jocooks.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
