Spicy rosemary lime compound butter melts into every bite of these keto grilled pork chops — 0.3g net carbs and 23.1g protein. I add it while they finish over indirect heat: twenty minutes, zero sugar, all flavor.
I have grilled a lot of pork chops over the years, and the ones slathered in sugary marinades were never the best ones. The best ones were always the simplest: well-salted meat, screaming hot grill, and a compound butter that does all the heavy lifting. That is exactly what this recipe is.
The rosemary lime butter is the whole point here. I mix softened butter with fresh rosemary, lime juice, garlic, thyme, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Half goes on the chops while they finish cooking on indirect heat (so it bastes into the meat, not just sits on top), and the other half goes on right when they come off the grill. Two applications, two different jobs: the first one seasons from the inside, the second one gives you that glossy, herby finish.
If you have tried other grilled pork chop recipes and ended up with dry, rubbery meat, the fix is not a longer marinade. It is a better technique. I sear on direct high heat for 2 minutes per side to get those grill marks, then move the chops to the cooler side of the grill to finish gently. Pull at 145 degrees (not the old 160 that everyone used to recommend) and let them rest a full 10 minutes. That rest time is non-negotiable. The internal temp climbs another 5 degrees and the juices settle back into the meat instead of running out onto your cutting board.
One thing I have learned from a reader, Rosa I., is that 30 minutes of salting is not enough for thick bone-in chops. She was right. I went back and tested it side by side: 30 minutes versus a full hour. The hour-salted chops were noticeably more seasoned all the way through, not just on the surface. If you are using 1-inch bone-in cuts, give yourself that extra time.
These are low carb without even trying. No breading, no sugar, no flour. Just meat, butter, herbs, and heat. I make a double batch of the compound butter and keep it in the fridge for the week. It is just as good on keto grilled marinated chicken or melted over grilled flank steak.
If you want more pork recipes in the rotation, my bacon wrapped pork chops are a different vibe (oven-roasted, wrapped in bacon, completely over the top) and the air fryer pork chops are what I make on nights when I do not feel like firing up the grill. And if you have leftover pulled pork from the weekend, my keto pulled pork reheats beautifully.
Two minutes per side over direct high heat gives you the grill marks before the chops move to the cooler side.
How to Tell When They Are Done
Look for firm chops with clear grill marks. At 145 degrees the meat is juicy, and a little pink in the center is fine. I always check with a probe thermometer because it is the only reliable way to know they are done.
This is the indirect heat stage, with the first half of the rosemary lime butter melting into the chops as they finish.
A Carnivore Version
If you eat carnivore, pork chops are a nice break from all the beef. Season with just salt and finish with plain butter if you are strict. Skip the herbs and lime in the compound butter unless you allow a little seasoning. Another carnivore friendly pork recipe is my slow cooker pork ribs.
How to Grill Pork Chops with Compound Butter
The technique that makes these keto pork chops different from most recipes is a two-zone grill setup. On a gas grill, turn one side to high and leave the other off. On charcoal, bank all the coals to one side. You sear the chops over direct heat for 2 minutes per side to build that crust, then slide them to the cooler zone to finish cooking through without burning the outside.
I add the compound butter during the indirect phase, not at the end. The butter melts slowly and bastes into the meat as it finishes cooking, which gives you deeper flavor than just plopping a pat on top at the table. The second round of butter goes on after the chops come off the grill, right before the 10-minute rest.
I use the same two-zone approach for my grilled flank steak. Once you get comfortable with it, you will never go back to single-zone grilling for thick cuts.
Keto Grilled Pork Chops with Rosemary Lime Butter Ingredients
Step by Step Instructions
1
Preheat grill
Preheat the grill. If you have a gas grill, turn it to high heat. If you have a charcoal grill, set the grill for partial direct high heat. Once the grill is hot, clean the grates by wiping the grates with cooking oil.
2
Season pork chops
Generously season all sides of the pork chops with salt and pepper at least 30 minutes prior to cooking.
3
Make compound butter
Prepare the rosemary lime butter. Add all remaining ingredients to a small bowl. Mix to combine.
4
Grill chops
Place the pork chops on the hot side of the grill (spacing about 3 inches apart) and grill over direct heat for about 2 minutes each side.
5
Add butter
Once seared on both sides, move chops to indirect heat (the colder side of the grill), top with half of the rosemary lime butter and let cook for 5-6 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chops reaches 145 degrees.
6
Let rest
Remove from the grill. Flip pork chops over, top with remaining butter and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Per serving: 1/4 of recipe
Calories
319
Fat
23g
Protein
23.1g
Total carbs
0.4g
Net carbs
0.3g
Nutrition is an estimate calculated from the ingredients listed. Brands vary, so check labels if you track closely.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between bone-in and boneless pork chops for grilling?
I almost always go bone-in for grilling. The bone acts as an insulator, so the meat closest to it cooks more slowly and stays juicier. My bone-in chops consistently come out more forgiving on timing. Boneless cook faster (shave off about 2 minutes on indirect), which means the window between perfect and overdone is smaller. If you are newer to grilling, bone-in gives you more room for error.
Should I grill pork chops with the lid open or closed?
I keep the lid open during the direct-heat sear (2 minutes per side) so I can watch for flare-ups. Once I move the chops to indirect heat with the butter on top, I close the lid. That traps the heat and turns the grill into an oven, which lets the compound butter melt slowly and baste into the meat. If you leave the lid open during the indirect phase, the butter just sits there and the chops take forever.
Can I make this on a stovetop grill pan if I don't have an outdoor grill?
I have done it on a cast iron grill pan and it works. Get the pan ripping hot, sear 2 minutes per side, then drop the heat to medium-low and add the butter. You will not get the same smoky char, but the compound butter still does its thing. If you like indoor cooking, my creamy pork chops are designed for the stovetop from the start.
Can I use dried rosemary and thyme instead of fresh?
I have made this with dried herbs when my garden was not cooperating. Use about a third of the amount (1 teaspoon dried rosemary, a pinch of dried thyme). The flavor is more concentrated but less bright. Reader Jen confirmed dried works well for her family. I still prefer fresh when I have it because the lime juice wakes up fresh herbs in a way it does not with dried.
Does salting the chops longer actually make a difference?
Yes, and I tested this after a reader pointed it out. With 30 minutes of salting, the seasoning stays mostly on the surface. A full hour lets the salt penetrate deeper into thick bone-in cuts, and you can taste the difference in every bite. I now salt mine the moment I start prepping everything else. If you have thinner boneless chops, 30 minutes is still fine.
What should I serve with keto grilled pork chops?
I usually keep it simple since the compound butter is already rich. A crisp green salad or grilled vegetables are my go-to sides. When I want something heartier, keto BBQ chicken makes a great second protein if you are feeding a crowd. For a full cookout spread, I fire up multiple things on the grill at once and call it done.
Can I prepare the rosemary lime butter ahead of time?
I make a double batch almost every week and keep it in the fridge for up to 7 days. Roll it into a log in plastic wrap so you can slice off rounds as needed. It also freezes for up to 3 months. Just let it soften for about 10 minutes before topping the hot chops so it actually melts into the meat instead of sitting there in a cold lump.
How do I reheat leftover grilled pork chops without drying them out?
I reheat mine in a skillet over medium-low heat with a small pat of butter and a splash of water. Cover the pan so the steam keeps the meat moist. It takes about 4-5 minutes to warm through. The microwave works in a pinch, but I find it toughens the edges. Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Annie, been meaning to say your grill recipes never steer me wrong. The crust crackled when I cut into these, which I didn’t expect since I figured salting a half hour ahead was fussy overkill. It’s not. Every other pork chop I’ve grilled came out drier than this one, and the wait was the only thing I did differently.
0.3g net carbs for a full dinner is what locked this into my Sunday rotation. I make the compound butter in a double batch, roll it in plastic wrap, and slice off a coin when I need it through the week. Chops hold three to four days fine. Cast iron on medium-low, two minutes per side with a splash of water and the lid on. They come back without drying out.
Want to make this tonight but I don’t usually keep fresh rosemary on hand. I know the 3:1 fresh-to-dried swap, but rosemary can get really piney when dried, especially in a compound butter. Would cutting it down to about a teaspoon still work, or is fresh doing something here that dried just can’t match?
A teaspoon will work. Dried rosemary in fat concentrates and goes more resinous though, not the bright, floral thing you get when fresh melts into the butter. Extra squeeze of lime helps balance it out.
Had a lime on the counter so I squeezed it into the butter and threw in the zest too. Smelled completely different, better, more layered. Once it started melting over the chops I got why. Zest carries something the juice alone doesn’t. Doing it every time now.
The oils in the zest do something the juice can’t, especially once they hit hot butter. I left it out of the original because I didn’t want to ask people to zest a lime just for compound butter, but you made the better version. I’m adding zest to mine now.
Ran a two-zone setup Sunday and moved these to indirect heat after the sear. My son orders everything plain, no sauces, no condiments, nothing. Caught him dragging his chop back through the pooled butter between bites without a word. Doubling it next time.
Made it the night before and the lime and rosemary was way more pronounced than when I throw it together right before grilling. Resting time really lets it meld. Now I keep a double batch in the freezer.
Resting in cold fat overnight does something to the herbs that same-day can’t. I tested both once and the lime especially gets sharper, more settled into the butter. I slice rounds off the log from frozen straight onto the chop.
First time grilling pork chops and I was nervous about drying them out, but moving to indirect heat after the sear made a real difference. The rosemary lime butter practically disappeared into the meat. Do you season the butter with salt too, or just the chops?
Made the compound butter the night before and stored it rolled in plastic wrap so I could just cut coins off onto the hot chops straight from the grill. Way cleaner than scooping from a bowl outside. Also bumped the red pepper flakes up to a full teaspoon and the heat level was exactly where I wanted it without drowning out the rosemary and lime. These are going into the weeknight rotation.
Made these last weekend. Solid overall, but the rosemary lime butter just pooled at the bottom of the grates instead of melting into the chops. Tried moving to indirect heat with the butter on top, and it slid right off before they were done. Any trick to getting it to actually absorb, or did I pull them too early?
Lid matters a lot here. Butter goes on the second I move them to indirect heat, lid closed right after – that 8 minutes of sealed heat is what melts it in. If you’re adding it near the end there’s just not enough time.
My son scraped the grill grates clean for that rosemary lime butter. Indirect heat kept the chops from drying out. Nothing else I’ve tried manages that.
Used dried rosemary because I was out of fresh and braced for it to taste flat. Bloomed it in the softened butter for a few minutes first and the herb flavor came through completely. Beginners, do not skip that step.
Yeah, blooming it first is what makes dried herbs usable here. Without that step they just taste flat on the butter. I’ve made that shortcut more than once.
Used lemon instead of lime and it actually works better with the thyme, for what it’s worth. The indirect heat step is where the compound butter does its thing. I split mine, half on during grilling and the other half right before serving, and the chops stayed way juicier that way. Doing the same thing next time I make bone-in chicken thighs.
Lemon and thyme tracks. Hadn’t thought to split the butter but a hit right before serving would keep more of it from cooking off. Trying that next time.
My husband watched me mix the butter and said ‘lime on pork chops?’ with that face. Twenty minutes later he was pressing his finger into the grill grate trying to get the last bit that dripped off. That rosemary lime combo is not playing around.
My dad grilled pork chops every weekend through my entire childhood, always with some herb butter situation that I haven’t thought about in years until I made these. The rosemary lime combo is close enough to make me nostalgic, different enough to feel like mine. Four stars, and I’d probably give it five if I had a charcoal grill instead of gas.
Made these on a Tuesday night when it was too cold to do much of anything, and I wasn’t sure about the rosemary lime butter. My husband took one bite, went quiet, then asked if I had the recipe saved because he wanted to make them himself. He has never once offered to cook anything. That says it all.
The rosemary lime butter is where this recipe earns its stars, but if you’re using 1-inch bone-in chops, 30 minutes of seasoning isn’t enough. Salt that meat for a full hour and you’ll actually taste the difference. Four stars because the fix matters.
