Many people love these oven baked pork chops because they are incredibly tender, juicy, and flavorful. With just a handful of basic ingredients and pantry staples, you can whip up this amazing dinner in no time.
These delicious Baked Pork Chops is one of the best baked pork chops recipes I’ve ever made. You can pair it with Mashed Potatoes, Avocado Tomato Salad and Roasted Cauliflower. If you would like to try other pork chop recipes try this Air Fryer Pork Chops or this Pork Chop with Apples and Onions.
I’ve been making this recipe for years now and my family really love it. I’m sure, you’ll make this baked pork chop recipe many times too since it’s the fastest and easiest way to make pork chops in the oven. In only 5 minutes, you’ll prep everything, and in 10-12 minutes, this baked pork chops will be done and ready to eat.
And the butter sauce is super easy to make as well. Once you melt the butter in the microwave, simply add the minced garlic and chopped thyme, and give it a good stir. Then, pour this sauce over the pork chops, and bake it.
This sauce is definitely the queen of this recipe because it keeps the pork chops very juicy, tender, moist, and delicious. This recipe is also low-carb, whole30 (use ghee instead of butter), and gluten-free.
Recipe Ingredients
What I love most about this baked pork chops is that it requires simple ingredients, yet it’s so flavourful. You need:
- Good quality butter
- Garlic – fresh is always best! You can use garlic powder, but I prefer and recommend fresh garlic.
- Fresh thyme – again, I highly suggest fresh thyme..
- Salt and ground black pepper – You can rub the pork chops with salt and pepper, but you also can use other spices like paprika and onion powder if you prefer. I prefer just salt and pepper because the garlic butter sauce is already very flavorful.
- Pork chops – Try to pick an evenly thick cut, so you don’t end up with overcooked tips. I like to buy at least 1 to 2 inches thick. Also, you make this recipe with boneless pork chops (loin chop or pork loin) or bone-in pork chops and even with thick cut pork chops. This recipe also works well with chicken breasts (see my baked chicken breast recipe for reference.)
- Brown sugar (optional): I know many of you like to add a little bit of brown sugar in your seasoning mixture. I don’t add it, because I want to reduce the amount of sugar a consume. However, you can totally do it if you prefer.
How To Make Baked Pork Chops
- First, preheat the oven to 425°F. Pat dry the pork chops with a paper towel to remove any leftover moisture from the packaging. Then, season both sides well with salt and pepper. The amount of salt and pepper depends on your taste.
- Prepare the butter sauce by melting four tablespoons of butter in the microwave or stove. Once it’s melted, add the chopped thyme and garlic. Stir well, and set aside.
- In a cast iron skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, and when the skillet is really hot, add the pork chops, and sear them until they have a nice golden brown look, about 2-4 minutes per side.
- Pour the garlic butter mixture over the pork chops, and place the skillet in the oven. Cook until the pork chops reach an internal temperature of 145ºF. Don’t overcook them to avoid having dry pork chops.
- Remove the skillet from the oven. Drizzle some of the tasty butter sauce from the skillet over the pork chops. Do this before serving. Enjoy!!
How Long to Bake Pork Chops
We recommend to bake your pork chops in the oven at high temperature to avoid them from drying out.
We bake ours at 425° F. At this temperature, 1-inch thick boneless pork chops take about 15 minutes to cook. Again, I recommend you use a meat thermometer to determine doneness and not rely on the general cook time.
Olivia’s Recipe Tips
- Freshly garlic will provide the best flavor. Sauté it in butter until fragrant before adding it to the pork chops.
- Allow the baked pork chops to rest for a few minutes after cooking. This lets the juices redistribute and keeps them moist.
- If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, you can sear the pork chops in any skillet. After searing, transfer the pork chops to a baking dish to finish cooking in the oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can still make baked pork chops without a cast iron pan. Just use any oven-safe skillet or baking dish you have on hand.
For this oven baked pork chop recipe, you don’t need to cover it. But once you do it, remove and cover them with aluminum foil. Let them stand three minutes before serving.
This sear and bake method is a great way to keep pork chops from drying out. But, why sear pork chops before baking? Searing the pork chops helps build a beautiful golden crust as well as helping lock in the moisture for when it bakes in the oven.
Trimming the fat off pork chops is a personal preference. It depends on your taste and dietary preferences. If you prefer a leaner dish, trim the fat; if you enjoy the added flavor and texture, leave some on.
Letting pork chops rest before serving helps the juices spread out, making the meat moist and tasty.
Yes, you can use thin pork chops. Just keep in mind that they’ll cook faster, so be sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly to avoid overcooking.
How To Store Leftovers
To Store: These baked pork chops are great as leftovers. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.
To Freeze: Let the baked pork chops cool down to room temperature. Place them in a freezer-safe container or bag. Include any liquids, like the garlic butter sauce, in the container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
To Reheat: When ready to enjoy this baked pork chops, thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat leftovers on the stove or in the microwave.
What To Serve With This Recipe
- Cauliflower in any form makes a great side! Try my golden cauliflower rice, avocado cauliflower salad, mushroom cauliflower rice skillet, roasted cauliflower.
- Potatoes, potatoes, potatoes! If you’re not looking to keep things low-carb, serve your chops with some starchy root veggies. Potatoes au gratin, mashed sweet potatoes, regular creamy mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes or air fryer baby potatoes are some of my favorites.
- Other vegetables like roasted green beans, roasted brussels sprouts, air fryer asparagus, grilled corn on the cob or this butternut squash mash.
- Any side salad! A simple arugula salad or spinach fruit salad would pair really nicely with these pork chops. You could also do corn salad, asparagus pasta salad, quinoa salad, couscous salad, broccoli salad or some fresh, creamy coleslaw.
- Bread is always a winner. Add some low-carb dinner rolls and garlic butter to your spread. Crunchy garlic bread or some cornbread with honey would also be super yummy!
More pork recipes to try:
- Instant Pot Pork Chops: Got an Instant Pot? Well, try this restaurant-quality pork chop with a gravy sauce in an Instant Pot! Ready in under an hour.
- Garlic Butter Baked Pork Chops: Check out my web story on how to make this garlic butter pork chop recipe.
- Pork Tenderloin Recipe: Perfectly cooked in a garlicky butter sauce, this garlic butter pork tenderloin is going to have you reaching for seconds.
- Balsamic Roast Pork Tenderloin: This balsamic roast pork is made with a savory balsamic glaze that is absolutely perfect for the holidays or a weekend dinner.
Garlic Butter Baked Pork Chops Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 medium-sized pork chops
- Salt and pepper
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper, and set aside.
- In a cast iron skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, add the pork chops. Sear until golden, about 2 minutes per side.
- Pour the garlic butter mixture over the pork chops. Place the skillet in the oven, and cook until the pork chops reach an internal temperature of 145ºF, about 10-14 minutes. The time depends on the thickness of your pork chops.*
- Remove from the oven. Using a spoon, pour some of the butter sauce left in the skillet onto the pork chops before serving.
Tips
- Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the pork chop.
- Make sure to give your pork chops a few minutes to rest before cutting so they can redistribute the moisture.
- Thick cut pork chops are ideal as they won’t overcook as easily.
- When using a cast iron skillet in the oven, use a heat-resistant glove or oven mitt to safeguard your hands when handling the skillet. It gets extremely hot and can cause burns if touched without protection.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
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Maria says
Excelent
Olivia says
Thanks!
sagatoto says
Thank you, I really like it!
Olivia says
You’re welcome!
Diane Goodhart says
Haven’t cooked in awhile decided I needed to get with it. Having surgery gives you an excuse to put it off. Found this recipe and loved the whole meal. Looking forward to trying more from Primavera Kitchen/Olivia
Olivia says
That sounds fantastic! It’s great to hear that you’re diving back into cooking and enjoying it.
Tara says
My hubby spent the day sick so at work I requested he get chicken out from the deep freezer. He pulled out Pork Chops. I dreaded supper especially after a 10 hour work day plus extra curriculer activities.. how could I ever make a delicious dinner last minute that would be quick with pork chops? I always end up over cooking them, they are tough and dry and unpleasant when I cook them. My husband on the other hand, marinates his porkchops over night and then grills them the following day. His pork chops are juicy and full of flavor however it takes a day!!! But today, I stumbled upon this recipe. This life saving and most brilliant recipe!!! I added a touch of my favorite spices after drying the meat and then after adding them to a baking dish in the oven, I put foil over the top and closed it firm but lightly and I set my timer to 25 minutes. I went back and checked the temperature when I had 6 minutes left to cook.. they were done! I pulled the foil off and let the meat sit for 20 minutes before serving. This was the hands down best pork chops I have had ever! I cut some pieces for my elderly aunt who no longer has teeth. She said it she couldnt believe that she had no trouble eating the meat, it was so soft and so juicy. I have never had pork this good! The fact that it was so easy to make, and although a little bit of hands on, the oven does most of the work while giving you a much needed break yet still comes out tasting like a 5 star restaraunt. Oh i also added yellow onion slices under the meat because I didnt have thyme… carmalized onion with the meat.. so good! Best recipe I have found hands down! Thank you for sharing!
Olivia says
I’m so glad you loved the recipe! It sounds like you nailed it, and I love the addition of caramelized onions—such a great touch! Thanks for sharing your experience, and I’m thrilled it made dinner easier after such a long day.
Karen Elaine Mack says
Thank you so much!
Olivia says
You’re so welcome!
Linda says
A great way to cook thick pork chops.
Make extra garlic butter because you’re gonna want to pour it on!
Olivia says
Sure thing!
Marie C says
Love this recipe because it is easy, quick, and my husband loves it!! Thank you for the dinner win!
Olivia says
You are very welcome!