Low FODMAP Grilled Pork Chops with Lemon and Sage (Paleo, Whole30, Keto)

Grill lovers - get your grill on with these easy low FODMAP Grilled Pork Chops with Lemon and Sage! This low FODMAP pork chops recipe comes together easily and gives your pork chops a punch of earthy, zesty flavor that's perfect for summer! The pork chops can be grilled on an outdoor grill or on a grill pan indoors and are also Keto, low carb, Paleo, and Whole30 compliant. Serve with my Broccoli Salad with Bacon, Carrot Salad with Raisins, or Pork and Beans Recipe (if not needing low FODMAP) which compliment the pork chops so well and makes for an even more enjoyable meal. Top with Pineapple Salsa with Jalapeño for a sweet and spicy flavor boost!

Jump to:

• The Grill, Low FODMAP Pork Chops, and Me
• Why Low FODMAP Pork Chops with Lemon and Sage?
• Necessary Equipment
• Low FODMAP Grilled Pork Chops with Lemon & Sage: Ingredients & Success Tips
• Related Recipes
• Low FODMAP Grilled Pork Chops with Lemon and Sage (Keto, Paleo, Whole30)

The Grill, Low FODMAP Pork Chops, and Me

I'm not a huge fan of summer as I don't like being hot, but one of the things I look forward to is using my outdoor natural gas grill. It is one of the few cooking gadgets for which I will happily set aside my Instant Pot to use. I grew up eating grilled meats thanks to my late Dad, who loved grilling. I have expanded upon that in adulthood, grilling a larger variety of meats as well as veggies.

Pork chops are one of my favorite proteins to cook and eat, so we eat them often at our house. During the cooler months, we enjoy my Instant Pot Pork Chop One-Pot Meal recipe or these low FODMAP pork chops grilled on a grill pan on the stove. I received a new reversible grill pan / griddle for Christmas last year and have had fun experimenting with that. However, nothing compares to meat cooked on an outdoor grill.

Why Low FODMAP Pork Chops with Lemon and Sage?

Last summer I started an herb garden. In order to learn how to keep the herbs alive, I watched many a YouTube video. One of the videos mentioned that sage is a must for an herb garden and goes particularly well with pork chops.

I don't cook with sage often and rarely come across recipes that include it as an ingredient, so I thought, why not develop a pork chop recipe that highlights sage in the best possible way?

Since sage has some lemony notes to it, lemon juice was a likely choice to complement the herb, with a couple of teaspoons of lemon zest added to give it a further boost. Complete with garlic-infused olive oil, dried chives (my most favorite low FODMAP ingredient ever), salt, pepper, and a smidgen of cayenne powder, and KAPOW! You have an an incredibly flavorful, well-balanced low FODMAP pork chop marinade that's easy to throw together and doesn't contain harmful additives or high FODMAP ingredients.

Necessary Equipment

The equipment I use to make these low FODMAP grilled pork chops with lemon and sage includes:

• Measuring cup or small bowl
• Whisk
• Measuring spoons
• Cutting board
• Chopping knife
• Citrus juicer
• Citrus zester
• Gallon-sized plastic bag
• Outdoor grill (I use a natural gas grill) or a grill pan
• Grill tongs
• Instant read thermometer
• Meat tenderizer hammer and plastic wrap (optional, if grilling particularly thick pork chops)

Low FODMAP Grilled Pork Chops with Lemon & Sage: Ingredients & Success Tips

Pork Chops

For grilling, I typically prefer bone-in pork chops, but you can use boneless pork chops if you prefer. The pork chops I used in this recipe are cut around 1-inch thick and take about 5-6 minutes per side to grill to 145°F (63°C).

When I use boneless pork chops, they are typically pretty thick, so I first pound them with a meat tenderizer hammer (with a piece of plastic wrap on top) to ½-inch thick prior to marinating them. This makes the meat more tender, and they require less time to cook.

Update 5/17/24: ½ hour prior to marinating, I season the pork chops with sea salt and allow them to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. This enables them to be seasoned all the way through and helps make them more tender and moist.

Low FODMAP Pork Chop Marinade

The low FODMAP pork chop marinade ingredients are as follows:

• Garlic-infused olive oil - adds garlicy flavor without adding FODMAPs. Also, adds fat to the marinade, which is necessary to keep the marinade from drying out the meat.
• Extra virgin olive oil - increases the amount of oil without adding too much garlic flavor and using up more precious garlic oil than necessary.
• Lemon juice, freshly squeezed - adds citrus, acidity and a little more liquid to the marinade to ensure it covers all of the chops.
• Lemon zest - intensifies the citrusy flavor of the chops. I do not recommend leaving it out!
• Dried chives - add more garlicy and oniony flavor to the marinade without adding FODMAPs.
• Fresh sage, finely chopped - brings an earthy, zesty flavor to the marinade.
• Sea salt and ground black pepper - enhance all the favors.
• Ground cayenne powder (optional) - brings a little extra zing to the chops without being too spicy. Can be omitted by those who don't tolerate spicy food well.

I find it's easiest to add the low FODMAP pork chop marinade ingredients to a measuring cup and use a small whisk to mix them together. Then, you can easily pour the marinade into the plastic bag with the chops. Seal the bag, and then shuffle it around with your hands until the pork chops are evenly coated. Stick it in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours prior to grilling but preferably overnight for the best flavor.

Once you're ready to grill, preheat your grill or grill pan on medium high heat. I allow my outdoor grill to reach a temperature of 350°F (177°C) prior to adding the chops to the grill. Grill pork chops for 2 minutes per side, reduce grill heat to medium, and grill for another 2-4 minutes on each side until the internal temperature of the pork chops reach 145°F (63°C).

Remove from heat and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. This prevents the chops from losing their juices when cutting into them too soon after grilling.

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