Garlic Butter Baked Pork Chops are juicy, tender, and super-flavourful thanks to the amazing butter sauce. You need less than 20 minutes to make this recipe. If you like healthy pork chop recipes, this garlic butter baked pork chops recipe is for you.
You and your family will love these delicious Baked Pork Chops because this recipe is one of the best baked pork chops recipes I’ve ever made. These baked pork chops are super juicy and tender thanks to the garlic butter thyme sauce. Mm… It’s so good that the pork chops will melt-in-your-mouth. Trust me when I say this!
You’ll make this recipe many times 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 recipe 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 garlic butter sauce is the queen of this baked pork chops recipe because it keeps the pork chops very juicy, tender, moist, and delicious. This recipe is also low-carb, paleo, whole30 (use ghee instead of butter), and gluten-free.
ingredients to make this Baked Pork Chops
What I love most about this recipe is that it requires simple ingredients, yet it’s so flavourful. You need:
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- Good quality butter – if possible organic or grass-fed or ghee
- 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 – I recommend purchasing pork that has no antibiotics or added hormones. ButcherBox has some great pork options as they source their pork from cage-free farms. If you are picking pork chops up at the stores, try to pick an evenly thick cut so you don’t end up with overcooked tips. I like to buy at least 1-inch thick pork chops. 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 garlic butter 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 do I 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 the pork chops 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, and using a spoon, pour some of the delicious butter sauce left in the skillet onto the pork chops before serving. Enjoy!!
What’s the best way to cook pork chops?
In my opinion, the best way to make juicy and tender pork chops is by searing them on the stove using a cast iron pan and then finish cooking them in the oven.
The reason is that the pork chops will have more flavor and a nice, brown, and beautiful crust on the outside, and they will be very juicy and tender inside. See how I do it down below!
Of course if you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, sear the pork chops in whatever skillet you have and transfer them to a baking dish to finish in the oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
This sear and bake method is a great way to keep pork chops from drying out. But, why sear pork chops before baking? Because 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.
Also, due to ovens sometimes not being accurate or our pork chops being different sizes, the best way to cook pork chops without drying them is by not overcooking them. Use a meat thermometer and stop cooking them once they’ve reached an internal temperature of 145ºF at the thickest point.
We recommend to bake your pork chops in the oven at high temperature to avoid them from drying out. We bake our pork chops 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.
You can definitely make this ahead of time for meal prep or as a way to quickly get dinner on the table during the week. To reheat these garlic butter baked pork chops without losing moisture, I suggest you use to oven to reheat them. Bake them for 5 to 10 minutes with a splash of stock in a 350F oven, covered with aluminum foil.If you are at work or in a rush and need to reheat the pork chops in the microwave, you will have to add the pork chop and some stock to a microwave safe bowl, cover, and microwave for 1 to 2 minutes. The extra liquid and the cover will build steam and help keep the pork chop from drying out.
Pork chops are lean red meat and they are consider a good and healthy protein choice. Many cuts of pork are as lean or leaner than chicken, for example. They have nutrients like protein, selenium, zinc, and iron too.
Pork Chops are keto-friendly and can be prepared in many different ways, just don’t cook it with sauces that contains sugar.
For this recipe, you don’t need to cover the pork chops. But once the pork chops are done, remove and cover them with foil. Let the chops stand three minutes before serving.
My favorite herbs and spices to season a pork chop are thyme, cumin, garlic, paprika, chili powder and of course salt and pepper. You can also play around and use sage, rosemary, and coriander.
Storage
You can freeze cooked pork chops. Once these easy baked pork chops have cooled to room temperature, transfer the pork chop along with any liquids (the garlic butter sauce) into a freezer-safe container or bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
When ready to enjoy, thaw it in the fridge overnight and then reheat as instructed up above. They are great as leftovers. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. You can serve them with these side dishes: roasted potatoes, carrots, Brussels sprouts or a side salad.
Sides that go well with baked pork chops:
- Golden Cauliflower Rice
- Crispy Roasted Green Beans
- Garlic Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Mushroom Cauliflower Rice Skillet
- Whole30 Mashed Cauliflower
- Creamy Avocado Cauliflower Salad
More pork chop recipes to try:
- Easy Oven Pork Chop Recipe: A quick and easy 20-minute pork chop recipe!
- 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 webstory on how to make this garlic butter pork chop recipe.
- Garlic Butter Pork Tenderloin Recipe: Perfectly cooked in a garlicky butter sauce, this garlic butter pork tenderloin is going to have you reaching for seconds.
- Pork Chops with Apples and Onions: This quick and easy meal is perfect for a weeknight dinner and especially if you’ve got apples on hand and would like to use them up!
- 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.
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Garlic Butter Baked Pork Chops Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 medium-sized pork chops (I like to recommend pork chops from ButcherBox because it's heritage breed pork)
- salt and pepper
- 4 tablespoons melted butter use ghee if you're doing whole30.
- 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 small bowl, mix together the butter, thyme, and garlic. Set aside.
- In a cast iron skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the skillet is really 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.
- To store: Store leftover pork chops in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- To reheat: You can reheat leftovers on the stove or in the microwave.
- To freeze: Freeze the cooked pork chops in an airtight bag for up to 3 months.
Video
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
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WenofSF says
I made these pork chops the other night and I have to say that for the first time in my 56 years of life I made deliciously juicy pork chops! This recipe is so easy and so tasty that even my picky 11 year old had seconds. A total win and I will be making these again soon.
I served these with mashed sweet potatoes with steamed broccoli & green beans. YUM!
Olivia says
Your comment made my day! Thank you so much for your lovely comment. I am so happy you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you so much.
Morgan and Margaret Evans says
One of our favorite recipes for pork. Didn’t make any changes as comes out perfect each time. Juiciest pork chop u can make. I don’t usecsst iron but have pan that I can transfer to oven.
Olivia says
So very happy to hear that!
Joanie says
Delicious! The seasonings and browning in the pan first before putting in the over made these chops juicy and tasty!
Olivia says
Happy you liked it.
Amy says
Simply delish!!
Olivia says
Thank you!