Easy Grilled Pork Chops with Cherry Couscous
This easy grilled pork chops recipe is delicious and family friendly. The simple grilled pork chops are paired with a delicious simple cherry couscous recipe that your family will fight over.
When it comes to easy summer dinners, grilled pork chops are a classic. But pair them with a bright, flavorful cherry couscous, and you’ve got something a little unexpected—something that feels special, but still simple enough to pull off on a weeknight.
This dish has quickly become a favorite at our house. The pork chops are juicy and satisfying, but the real star here is the cherry couscous. Sweet-tart cherries, crunchy almonds, zesty lemon, and fresh green onions come together in a quick side that you’ll find yourself going back for again and again. It’s easy to make, easy to customize, and the perfect balance to the smoky richness of grilled meat.
What You’ll Love About This Recipe
- It’s full of flavor and contrast—savory grilled pork next to sweet, citrusy couscous
- It’s simple and satisfying, but feels elevated enough for sharing with guests
- It’s a great way to highlight seasonal cherries in a fun and unexpected way
- It’s easy to prep ahead—the couscous is just as delicious at room temperature
- It’s a perfect recipe for getting kids involved in the kitchen, from measuring to mixing
How to Make Cherry Couscous
Cherry couscous is one of those recipes that looks and tastes impressive but comes together in minutes. While the pork chops are on the grill, just cook your couscous according to the package instructions. Below is a brief overview for informational purposes only – for the full set of directions please scroll down to the recipe card below.
- Cook couscous according to package directions.
- When cooked, add in olive oil, cherries, green onions, sliced almonds, lemon zest and juice, and then fluff and toss with a fork!
- That’s it!!
How to make the perfect grilled pork chops
- For perfect grilled pork chops, start with quality and thick cut pork chops – I like bone in chops or loin chops for this recipe that are about 1.5″ to 2″ thick.
- Bring the pork chops to room temperature before grilling. Take them out of the fridge about 20-30 minutes before grilling.
- Brush the pork chops with olive oil on both sides before grilling (or give them a spray of cooking spray), this will help to create gorgeous beautiful grill lines.
- Preheat your grill to 350 F before you place the pork chops on.
While grilling your pork chops, you should also make some grilled corn on the cob!
How to get your kids involved in the kitchen:
- Kids aged 1-3 can help you measure out ingredients for the couscous, stir the final cooked couscous together and set the table.
- Kids aged 4-6 can help you do everything above, plus help remove the cherry pits, slice the green onions, zest and juice the lemon.
- Kids aged 7-10+ can help you do everything above, plus help you grill the pork chops.
If your family loves flavorful pork chops, there are plenty of other simple, globally inspired recipes to explore. Try grilled pork chops with orange and grape salsa for a fresh, citrusy twist, or cocoa-spiced pork chops with berry compote for a bold and unexpected flavor combination. My braised pork chops with cherry sauce are another great option when you want something a little cozier, perfect for cooler evenings or Sunday dinners.
Pork Chops with Cherry Couscous
Ingredients
- 3 TBSP olive oil divided
- 4 6 ounce pork chops
- 1 tsp salt divided
- ¼ tsp pepper
- cooking spray
- 1 cup uncooked couscous
- ¾ cup boiling water
- 1 cup coursely chopped pitted cherries
- ½ cup sliced green onions
- ⅓ cup dry roasted almonds chopped roughly
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 2 TBSP lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat your grill to medium-high heat.
- Brush 1 TBSP of olive oil evenly over both sides of the pork and sprinkle evenly with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.
- Place the pork on the grill rack and grill 4 minutes per side or until done. Let pork stand for 5 minutes.
- Place the couscous in a large bowl and add 3/4 cup boiling water.
- Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.
- Uncover, fluff with a fork, and stir in the remaining 2 TBSP of olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, the cherries, green onions, almonds, lemon zest and juice.
- Serve with the pork.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
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Thanks for providing the tips for making the pork chops. It definitely helped! Love the cherries in the couscous too. Thanks again!
Pork and cherry – sounds fab. Have a great week.
PS No doubt you have been busy but it would be super if you followed Carole's Chatter back.
I love fall too! And this cherry couscous is totally calling to me.
I LOVE autumn/fall! It's still very warm here (by British standards anyway)(and I'm actually wearing a cardigan, haha), but I'm anxiously checking for signs of autumnal light or a cold nip in the morning air.
What a beautiful dish! The cherry couscous sounds outrageously good. Must give it a go. 🙂