What Is a Tomahawk Pork Chop?
A tomahawk pork chop is a thick, bone-in pork chop cut from the rib section with the rib bone left long, resembling the beef tomahawk steak it’s named after. It’s typically 1.5 to 2+ inches thick — much thicker than a standard grocery store chop — which means it needs a different approach than a quick sear. Cook it like a thin chop and you’ll burn the outside before the inside comes up to temperature; this is the one cut in our pork cluster that’s grilled rather than smoked, using a two-zone fire to cook it through gently before finishing with a hard sear.
What You’ll Need
- Tomahawk pork chop — 1.5 to 2+ inches thick, bone-in
- Binder — oil
- Rub or seasoning — a simple salt, pepper, garlic (SPG) blend or your favorite pork rub
- A grill capable of two-zone heat — charcoal, gas, or pellet, as long as you can create both a hot and a cooler zone
- Meat thermometer
How to Grill a Tomahawk Pork Chop (Two-Zone Method)
Season
Pat the chop dry and coat lightly with oil. Season generously on all sides with your rub, pressing it into the meat and fat cap.
Set Up Two-Zone Heat
Arrange your grill for two-zone cooking: coals or burners on one side for direct high heat, and an empty zone on the other for indirect cooking. Preheat until the direct side is hot and the indirect side sits around 300-325°F.
Indirect Heat First
Place the chop on the indirect side and close the lid. Cook for 15-20 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches about 120-135°F. This is the stage that gently brings a thick chop up to temperature without charring the outside.
Direct Sear to Finish
Move the chop to the direct heat side and sear for 4-6 minutes total, flipping every 1-2 minutes, until you have a well-browned crust on all sides.
Rest
Pull the chop at 135-140°F internal if you want carryover to finish it at 145°F, or let it go to 145°F directly for fully cooked. Rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing or serving whole.
How Long to Grill a Tomahawk Pork Chop?
Total time using the two-zone method runs about 20-25 minutes for a typical 1.5-2 inch chop.
| Chop thickness | Indirect stage | Direct sear | Approx. total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 inches | 12-15 min | 4-5 min | 16-20 min |
| 2 inches | 15-20 min | 4-6 min | 20-25 min |
| 2.5+ inches | 20-25 min | 5-6 min | 25-30 min |
As with every cut in this cluster, these are planning estimates — pull based on internal temperature, not the clock.
Is 20 Minutes Long Enough to Cook Pork Chops?
For a standard, thin grocery-store chop (under an inch), 20 minutes is too long and will dry it out — those cook in more like 8-12 minutes total over direct heat. But for a genuinely thick tomahawk chop, 20 minutes is right in the expected range using the two-zone method above, and often close to correct. The key isn’t the number of minutes on its own; it’s matching the method (indirect-then-direct) and the thickness to that timeframe, and confirming doneness with a thermometer rather than assuming 20 minutes is automatically enough or automatically too much.
What Is the 6-2-2 Rule, and Does It Apply Here?
The 6-2-2 rule is a low-and-slow ribs method — 6 hours unwrapped, 2 hours wrapped, 2 hours unwrapped with sauce, all at a low smoker temperature. It has nothing to do with a tomahawk pork chop, which is a quick-cooking, thick-but-single-portion cut finished in 20-25 minutes on a grill, not a smoker. If this question brought you here, you’re likely thinking of ribs or a shoulder cut — see our smoking pork steaks at 250°F guide, which addresses the same question for a shoulder-based cut, where it’s a closer (if still imperfect) fit.
Best Way to Cook a Tomahawk Pork Chop: Grill, Reverse Sear, or Smoker?
- Two-zone grill (this method) — the best balance of speed and control. Total time 20-25 minutes, with a well-developed sear.
- Reverse sear — essentially the same idea using an oven or smoker for the indirect stage (250°F until 120-135°F internal) before finishing on a screaming-hot grill or cast iron pan. Slightly more hands-off but takes a bit longer overall.
- Straight smoker — cooking the whole chop low and slow (225-250°F) until done gives more smoke flavor but no sear unless you finish it over direct heat afterward, and risks drying out a chop this size if left too long at low heat with no fat cap to protect it the way a shoulder cut has.
For most home cooks, the two-zone grill method is the simplest and most reliable option, and it’s what this guide covers above.
FAQ
What internal temperature should a tomahawk pork chop reach? 145°F, per USDA guidelines for whole cuts of pork. Pulling at 135-140°F and letting carryover heat finish the job keeps the chop juicier than cooking straight to 145°F on the grill.
Do I need to trim the fat cap? Leave it on — it helps baste the meat during the indirect stage and crisps up nicely during the sear. Score it lightly if it’s especially thick so it renders more evenly.
Can I cook a tomahawk pork chop on a gas grill? Yes — turn on burners on one side only to create the indirect zone, and use the lit side for the direct sear.
How is this different from a regular bone-in pork chop? Mainly thickness. A tomahawk chop is cut noticeably thicker, with the rib bone left long for presentation, which is why it needs the two-zone approach instead of a quick direct sear.