This Marinated Maple BBQ Pork Loin Steaks recipe is a savory-sweet combo of tangy lemon and maple flavors. The marinade takes about 5 minutes to put together and works its magic while you go about your day. It's one of our family's favorite summer grilling recipes because it's so easy and loaded with flavor! You can even make the marinade in advance and freeze it.
The end result is a Grilled Maple Pork that's perfect for Father's Day or any summer BBQ and Weight Watchers Friendly at 3 WW points. And you barely have to do anything. It pairs well with my Twice Baked Caesar Potatoes and Green Beans with Mushrooms. Or try it with my Healthy Mexican Street Corn Salad!
🥘Ingredient Notes
I love this maple syrup marinade for pork because it's a great way to infuse a ton of flavor into your pork loin, pork tenderloin, or pork chops, without a lot of work.
And if you're a fan of lemon and maple, this marinade creates a symphony of delicious infused flavor that will soon become one of your summer grilling favorites! And if you love delicious and easy pork marinades, be sure to try my Soy Ginger and Lemon Marinade as well.
For this maple pork marinade, you will need:
- Pork. I usually buy a whole pork loin and cut it up and freeze it. It's very easy, economical, and delicious, and I use it for so many dishes, like my Pork with Creamy Mushroom Salsa. But it's really ideal for grilling. Although you could use any type of pork with this recipe. I have used pork chops and pork tenderloin as well.
- Maple syrup. I use low-sugar.
- Lemon juice (fresh) and lemon zest. Lemon not only adds a welcome citrus punch, it helps to tenderize meat as well.
- Thyme. Thyme has an earthy, herby, and bittersweet flavor that really adds to this dish.
- Dijon mustard. Dijon mustard adds a spicy and tangy zip!
*See recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities
📖Variations and Substitutions
- Pork - you can use any cut of pork for this recipe: bone-in or boneless pork, pork chops, pork loin, or pork tenderloin.
- Thyme- you can use fresh thyme, but you'll need double the amount.
- Garlic - fresh garlic is best, but you could use minced garlic in a jar (I always keep a jar in my fridge in case I run out of fresh)
- Maple Syrup - I use a low-sugar, but you could use (pure) real maple syrup or sugar-free, if you prefer.
- Canola Oil - you can use vegetable oil or olive oil.
🔪How to Make Maple BBQ Pork Loin Steaks
Heads up: There is a minimum 6 hour marinating time with this recipe!
PREP: Pat meat dry with a paper towels, then score pork by simply poking holes in it with a fork- I do this 5-6 times for each piece.*This allows the marinade to be absorbed.
- Step 1: Add all the Marinade ingredients to a bowl.
- Step 2: Whisk the Marinade ingredients together.
- Step 3: Score the pork with a fork. Pour the marinade over pork loin steaks in a container or large Ziploc bag (shown).
- Refrigerate for a minimum of 6 hours, but I usually refrigerate overnight or while I'm working all day.
- Remove the meat from the marinade and reserve marinade.
- In a small saucepan, bring marinade to a boil, reduce heat and and cook for 5 minutes. Keep warm.
- Cook time: Preheat grill to medium-high and grill for about 7-8 minutes, then turn. (*This will depend on the type of pork you use and how thick the cut is. You may need a little more or a little less time.) Cook until no longer pink (brushing occasionally with warm marinade). Remove when internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F. *Alternatively, you could cook this in a large skillet on the stovetop or in the air fryer.
- Remove meat from the grill and serve.
- Garnish: Garnish with thyme and fresh lemon wedges, if desired.
Expert Recipe Tips
- Use a meat thermometer. Pork should reach an internal temperature of 145°F for safe consumption without overcooking.
- Score the pork with a fork. This helps the marinade penetrate more deeply and evenly into the meat.
- Marinate overnight. Longer marinating time enhances both flavor and tenderness, especially for thicker cuts.
- Boil the marinade before reusing. Bringing it to a full boil ensures it's safe to use as a glaze or sauce after contact with raw meat.
- Cut your own pork loin. Buying a whole loin and slicing it yourself saves money and lets you control portion size.
- Let the pork rest after grilling. Resting for 5 minutes keeps the juices in the meat, resulting in a more tender bite.
- Use fresh lemon juice and zest. Fresh citrus adds brighter flavor than bottled lemon juice.
- Choose low-sugar or sugar-free syrup. This keeps the recipe Weight Watchers friendly and reduces overall sugar content.
- Grill with the lid closed. This maintains even heat and reduces the risk of flare-ups.
- Brush with boiled marinade near the end. This adds extra flavor and helps caramelize the outside of the pork.
👪 Serving Size
This lemon maple marinade recipe makes 6 servings. However, you can half, double, or triple the recipe by clicking on the serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust.
🎥 Video: How to cut a pork loin
Cutting a pork loin is simple, but if you've never done it, then check out this video showing you how to cut pork loin. *Note he cuts his pork steaks thicker than I do
🔢WW Points
This maple pork recipe is Weight Watchers friendly @3 WW points.*NOTE: This recipe is calculated using every drop of the marinade. If you use less, then the calories, fat, etc.. will be reduced.
Pork Loin is a great choice if you're following the Weight Watchers weight loss plan.
Top Tip
Did you know that temperature is the BEST way to check for doneness? No more cutting into your meat mid-grilling, guessing, or hoping it's done.
This thermometer (affiliate link) is a game changer!
- But it's more than just a meat thermometer! I use my Thermapen for everything from baking pie and bread to eggs, casseroles, candy making, and more!
- This amazing little tool instantly and accurately measures temperature with a quick poke. And it's not just for the grill, it's the go-to kitchen instrument trusted by the world's most acclaimed chefs and BBQ champions (it's one of Alton Brown's 'favorite things')!
- And it comes with a handy little chart that gives you chef-recommended temperatures, as well as the minimum done temps for food safety.
If you love cooking, baking, or grilling, this tool is a must-have!
Click HERE to buy the Thermapen (affiliate link)
🥗 What to Serve with Maple BBQ Pork Loin Steak
Grilled Maple Pork pairs well with just about any type of salad, such as this 4 Ingredient Macaroni Salad (with Tuna, Healthy Potato Salad, or these Onion Soup Mix Baked Potatoes (shown -which can also be made on the grill) and Strawberry Spinach Pecan Salad.
Looking for more sides? Check out these 15 Summer BBQ Side Dishes !
🌡️Storage
Store leftover maple pork chops or pork loin in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge. This can be frozen for up to 3 months in a sealed container.
The Marinade an also be made a day or two in advance and refrigerated or frozen for up to 3 months in a Ziploc freezer bag.
❔ Recipe FAQs
While 6-24 hours is ideal, you can marinate for up to 36 hours if needed. Any longer and the texture may start to break down due to the acid in the lemon juice.
Yes there is a difference between pork loin and pork tenderloin. A pork loin is wider and flatter, and can be a boneless or bone-in cut of meat. A pork tenderloin is a long, narrow, boneless cut of meat that comes from the muscle that runs along the backbone. Pork tenderloin has less fat, so it's leaner, smaller, and a little more expensive. You can read more about the difference between pork tenderloin and pork loin HERE,
Yes, I often use frozen pork. However, you'll need to thaw it completely before marinating to ensure the marinade penetrates properly. Marinating frozen meat won't give the same depth of flavor.
Only if it's boiled first. As noted, bring the marinade to a boil and simmer it for at least 5 minutes before using it as a glaze or sauce. This kills any bacteria from the raw pork.
If you're looking for a delicious pork steaks on the grill recipe, you'll love this Grilled Maple Pork Recipe!
📋 More Pork Recipes!
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📋Maple BBQ Pork Loin Steaks Recipe
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb boneless pork loin slices (about 6) * You can use pork loin, pork chops or pork tenderloin, with bone or boneless
Maple Lemon Marinade
- 4 tablespoon maple syrup * I use low sugar
- 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon canola oil
- 2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
Instructions
- Heads up: There is a minimum 6 hour marinating time with this recipe!
- Score pork by simply poking holes in it with a fork- I do this 5-6 times for each piece.*This allows the marinade to seep inside.1.5 lb boneless pork loin slices (about 6)
Marinade
- Whisk all marinade ingredients together in a small bowl and pour over meat. Turn to coat.4 tablespoon maple syrup, 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 2 tablespoon canola oil, 2 teaspoon lemon zest, 2 cloves garlic, crushed, 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Refrigerate for a minimum of 6 hours, but I usually refrigerate overnight or while I'm working all day.
- Remove meat from marinade and reserve marinade.
- In a small saucepan, bring marinade to a boil, reduce heat and and cook for 5 minutes. Keep warm.
- Preheat grill to medium-high and grill for about 7-8 minutes, then turn. (*This will depend on the type of pork you use and how thick the cut is. You may need a little more or a little less time)
- Cook until no longer pink (brushing occasionally with warm marinade.)
- Remove meat from grill and serve.
Garnish:
- Garnish with thyme and fresh lemon wedges, if desired.
Notes
-
- Use a meat thermometer. Pork should reach an internal temperature of 145°F for safe consumption without overcooking.
-
- Score the pork with a fork. This helps the marinade penetrate more deeply and evenly into the meat.
-
- Marinate overnight. Longer marinating time enhances both flavor and tenderness, especially for thicker cuts.
-
- Boil the marinade before reusing. Bringing it to a full boil ensures it's safe to use as a glaze or sauce after contact with raw meat.
-
- Cut your own pork loin. Buying a whole loin and slicing it yourself saves money and lets you control portion size.
-
- Let the pork rest after grilling. Resting for 5 minutes keeps the juices in the meat, resulting in a more tender bite.
-
- Use fresh lemon juice and zest. Fresh citrus adds brighter flavor than bottled lemon juice.
-
- Choose low-sugar or sugar-free syrup. This keeps the recipe Weight Watchers friendly and reduces overall sugar content.
-
- Grill with the lid closed. This maintains even heat and reduces the risk of flare-ups.
-
- Brush with boiled marinade near the end. This adds extra flavor and helps caramelize the outside of the pork.
Terri Gilson
This Marinated Grilled Maple Pork is a summer favorite in our house. The marinade infuses so much flavor into the meat with minimal effort. I love that I can prep it quickly and then let it sit in the fridge while I do other things. It works great with different cuts of pork, so it's a versatile option for grilling season.