Baked Pork Chops
Updated May 29, 2024
- Total Time
- 4 hours 25 minutes
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 20 minutes, plus at least 4 hours’ dry brining
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 2teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
- 2teaspoons brown sugar
- 2teaspoons sweet or smoked paprika or a combination
- 1teaspoon garlic powder
- 1teaspoon ground mustard
- ¼teaspoon black pepper
- 4boneless pork chops (about 1½ pounds) or bone-in pork chops (about 2 pounds), ¾- to 1-inch thick (see Tip)
- 1tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more if needed
- 1tablespoon butter (optional)
- Chopped fresh parsley, for serving (optional)
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
457 calories; 27 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 12 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 47 grams protein; 556 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a medium bowl, combine salt, brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, ground mustard and pepper. Mix with fingers, breaking up any clumps, until blended.
- Step 2
Pat pork chops dry with paper towels then place in the bowl. Rub all over with the spice mixture, turning a few times to make sure the chops are evenly coated. Cover bowl with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. (Alternatively, transfer pork to a large resealable plastic bag, if needed for fridge space.) About 30 minutes before cooking, remove pork from the fridge to take off the chill.
- Step 3
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat a large (12-inch) cast-iron or oven-safe skillet over high heat. When hot, add the oil. Add the pork chops to the skillet and cook until browned on the first side, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook for 1 minute, adding more oil or butter if the pan is dry, then transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake until the pork reaches 140 degrees, 4 to 6 minutes. Using an oven mitt, carefully remove the skillet from the oven and transfer the chops and any pan juices to a platter or individual plates to rest for 5 minutes; the temperature will increase to 145 degrees. Garnish with parsley, if using, and serve immediately.
- If using bone-in pork chops, make sure they’re ¾- to 1-inch thick (not thick-cut pork chops). These are sometimes called rib-cut chops (not center-cut) and are often found alongside boneless pork chops.
Private Notes
Comments
Using a small amount of Baking Soda in your dry rub, (salt, pepper, & herbs), will guarantee these Pork Chops will be tender.
Made this tonight—absolutely delicious, and I’ll make it again. After the chops came out of the oven there wasn’t much in the way of juices left in the pan, but there were lots of nice savory bits. While the chops were resting I deglazed the pan with some white wine and swirled in a half tablespoon or so of butter once the liquid had reduced. I poured that over the rested chops and—just wonderful. I used half sweet/half smoked paprika. The chops were about 3/4 inches thick. So good.
Since I have heard the ads touting "the other white meat", I wondered whether pork was considered red or white. The USDA answered this for me: "Pork is classified a red meat because it contains more myoglobin than chicken or fish. When fresh pork is cooked, it becomes lighter in color, but it is still a red meat. Pork is classed as 'livestock' along with veal, lamb, and beef. All livestock are considered red meat.
Made as in recipe with the addition of a little baking soda in the rub and deglazing the pan with butter and wine as suggested by other readers. Very tasty. It's important that the steaks not be too thin or else they will dry out. Mine were about 3/4", just perfect.
A simple way to create juicy, deeply flavor-saturated chops. I took another’s suggestion and omitted mustard powder, swiped them with some Dijon before pressing the brine onto both sides and rested them on a plate. Absolutely did not expect a 10/10.
Followed the recipe to a T. Pulled the chops out of the oven when my instant read was over 140, then rested. Cut open the chops... to find that only one of them had cooked through. The others were overcooked on the top, perfectly done in the middle, and RAW on the bottom, with just the seared part cooked. When we tried the properly cooked chop, the flavor profile was deemed disgusting by every member of the family, with descriptions ranging from "boiled hot dog" to "doritos."