The best baked pork chops! This recipe makes healthy, flavorful, and juicy pork chops every time! A quick and easy dinner recipe ready in less than 30 minutes!
Easy weeknight dinners are my favorite types of recipes. From using my meal-prep recipes like Shredded Chicken for Chicken Enchiladas and more to freezer-friendly meals like my Classic Chili, and cranking up my slow cooker, I’m always experimenting with recipes to make comforting, delicious meals without sacrificing flavor!
Take this baked pork chop recipe, for example. Ready in less than 30 minutes, this recipe gives you tender, delicious, and juicy pork chops packed full of flavor in every bite! I’ll share my tips for making this delicious dinner that my family proclaims as the best baked pork chops ever, along with how you can also make this a quick and easy one-pan meal! ❤️
Table of Contents
How to Make the BEST Baked Pork Chops
Ingredients
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.
- Pork Chops – center-cut, boneless pork chops are what I generally use. I like to select a pork chop about 1 inch to 1 1/2 inches thick. You can also use a bone-in pork chop if you prefer. It will increase the baking time by an additional minute. Other names include: center-cut rib chop or rib pork chop.
- Olive oil – Use good quality olive oil in this recipe.
- Stone House Seasoning – my family’s favorite house seasoning blend (my last name is Stone 😉). It is the perfect ratio of salt, pepper, and garlic that we use in so many of our dishes.
- Brown sugar – Optional. You can omit the brown sugar if you prefer. It does give the pork chops a hint of molasses flavor as it bakes.
- Optional Garnish: chopped fresh rosemary and/ or parsley make a beautiful and delicious garnish.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prep. Preheat the oven to 400º F. Coat the baking dish with olive oil. Set aside.
Prepare the pork chops. While the oven preheats, pat the pork chops dry with a paper towel. Brush the pork chops with olive oil and sprinkle with brown sugar (if using) and Stone House Seasoning. Arrange in the baking dish and allow the seasoned pork chops to rest for about 10 minutes before placing them in the oven.
Bake. Cook the pork chops for 7 minutes per 1/2-inch thickness until the internal temperature reaches 145º F when checked with an instant-read thermometer, about 14 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, spoon any pan juices over the baked pork chops, and sprinkle with chopped rosemary and fresh parsley if using. Tent with foil and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving for extra juicy pork chops.
Optional Pork Chop Brine
Mix together 4 cups COLD water and 1/4 cup kosher salt (or 2 tablespoons table salt) in a large glass bowl or a baking dish until dissolved. The water will be slightly cloudy from the salt. Add the pork chops and cover the bowl with wrap. Refrigerate and allow the pork chops to brine for 2 to 12 hours. Rinse in cold water when removed from the brine.
Storage Tips
To make ahead. Prepare the pork chops without baking, cover tightly with wrap and store in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. Additional baking time may be needed when baking from the refrigerator.
To freeze. Prepare the pork chops without baking. Store in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bake according to the directions. Additional baking time may be needed when baking once chilled.
To store leftovers. Baked pork chops should be covered tightly or stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
Pork Chop Side Dishes
How to Make One Pan Pork Chop Dinner
To turn this recipe into a One Pan Pork Chop Dinner recipe and to make dinner even easier, here are a few tips:
- Use a rimmed baking sheet rather than a baking dish.
- Preheat the oven to 400º F.
- Arrange the pork chops in the center of the baking sheet and add the vegetables in a single layer at the ends or around the edges of the baking sheet.
- Vegetables that work well are squash and zucchini cut in half and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces, broccoli cut into 1-inch pieces, asparagus with the woody ends broken off, and pepper slices.
- Check the internal temperature of the pork chops (145º F) as well as the doneness of the vegetables before removing them from the oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
While you do not have to brine the pork chops, it does help. Brining pork chops allows the meat to be more juicy, flavorful, and tender. The meat absorbs the salty liquid, allowing the salt to change the texture of the meat, making it much more tender.
In my baked pork chops recipe, I include seasoning the pork chops and allowing them to rest before baking. This serves as a quick dry brining of the pork chops rather than soaking them in the brining liquid. However, you can absolutely do both! I recommend rinsing the pork chops once they are removed from the brining liquid to prevent the pork chops from being overly salty since you’ll add the Stone House Seasoning to the pork chops before baking them.
Here’s my Juicy Baked Pork Chops recipe. I hope you love them as much as we do!
Juicy Baked Pork Chops Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 pork chops, center-cut, boneless, about 1-inch thick
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for coating the baking dish.
- 1.5 teaspoons Stone House Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar, or coconut sugar (optional)
Pork Chop Brine (Optional):
- 1/4 cup kosher salt, or 2 tablespoons table salt
- 4 cups water, Cold
Optional Garnish:
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Brine the pork chops. (Optional) Mix together ingredients for pork chop brine in a large glass bowl or a baking dish until dissolved. Add the pork chops and cover the bowl with wrap. Refrigerate and allow the pork chops to brine for 2 to 12 hours. Rinse the pork chops in cold water once removed from the brine.
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 400º F. Coat the baking dish with olive oil. Set aside.
- Prepare the pork chops. Pat the pork chops dry with a paper towel. Brush the pork chops with olive oil and sprinkle with brown sugar (if using) and Stone House Seasoning. Arrange in the baking dish.
- Bake. Cook the pork chops for 7 minutes per 1/2-inch thickness and until the internal temperature reaches 145º F when checked with an instant-read thermometer, about 14 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, spoon any pan juices over the baked pork chops, and sprinkle with chopped rosemary and fresh parsley, if using. Tent with foil and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Make Ahead, Freezing and Storage Instructions:
To make ahead. Prepare the pork chops without baking, cover tightly with wrap and store in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. Additional baking time may be needed when baking from the refrigerator. To freeze. Prepare the pork chops without baking. Store in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bake according to the directions. Additional baking time may be needed when baking once chilled. To store leftovers. Baked pork chops should be covered tightly or stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Recipe time does not include brining time.Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
That Pork Chop Recipe I follow to the Tee the only thing different is I used a can of CAMBELLs Cream of Chicken covered them while they Baked at 400hundred degrees for 20 minutes. They literally fell apart when you took them out of the baking dish. Thank You for all your hard work preparing all these Recipes!
I’m happy you enjoyed these pork chops, Randy. Thanks!