Baked Pork Chops

By Melissa Knific

Updated May 29, 2024

Baked Pork Chops
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
Total Time
4 hours 25 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes, plus at least 4 hours’ dry brining
Rating
4(122)
Notes
Read community notes

For the juiciest, most golden pork chops, a few things need to happen. Dry brining, or rubbing the meat with salt (and in this case, spices) at least 4 hours ahead of cooking, results in deeply seasoned chops that won’t be dry. Here, a mixture of common pantry spices make for a flavorful, barbecue-inspired blend. A little brown sugar in the brine, a pat of butter in the skillet and a quick high-heat sear ensures a browned crust. From there, the pork chops are baked just shy of doneness; they’ll come to temperature as they rest. Use bone-in or boneless chops that are somewhere between ¾- and 1-inch thick. Serve these alongside classic mashed potatoes, applesauce and a simple green vegetable, such as green beans.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 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)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
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

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

Tip
  • 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.

Ratings

4 out of 5
122 user ratings
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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Noel Rodriguez

Using a small amount of Baking Soda in your dry rub, (salt, pepper, & herbs), will guarantee these Pork Chops will be tender.

Ted S

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.

J. Clarke

This was simple and quite delicious, especially with high-quality pork from a local farm. If you use Morton's kosher salt, definitely only use half the listed amount (if not less - I like things salty and half was right on the edge of too much). Will be making this again, for sure. (It would be delicious with some pierogies on the side...)

Maureen

Cooked in two batches: one batch after 4 hours in the fridge and the other the next day (22 hours in the fridge). Used 1 teaspoon of Morton Kosher salt. Cooking was so quick and so easy. Chops were tender and well-flavored.

Jim Lambert

Reduce the salt in half for this recipe. Next time I will try the baking soda to the dry rub.

Kaden

This is honestly the best pork I've ever made in my life. Granted, there were a couple of changes on my end, but minor. I had bone-in rather than boneless chops. Something happened and it ended up sitting in my fridge for 24 hours rather than 4. I had a smaller cast iron pan than stated, so I had to do 2 batches. That being said, still restaurant quality, and I'll definitely come back to this one.

Noel Rodriguez

Using a small amount of Baking Soda in your dry rub, (salt, pepper, & herbs), will guarantee these Pork Chops will be tender.

Lynne T.

I cut the salt in half (used David's kosher) and added a bit more paprika. So moist and juicy!

KJ

Brining causes meat to retain more moisture - basically it swells up...Just like your ankles when you eat too much sodium. Keep in mind that you are basically turning your premium pork chop into the equivalent of deli lunch meat. If you have any issues with managing your blood pressure, you should not be brining your meats. There are other ways to cook tender pork.

PonderThis

Since I'm having to reduce my red meat intake, I think I'll use turkey cutlets instead. They should be baked until the internal temp is 160. Not everyone can eat pork, so I think using turkey cutlets would be a good substitute.

Ted S

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.

Lynne

Is ground mustard powder or stone ground?

Sandra

Great recipe.

Joyhobb

What would be a good wet brine for 4 pork chops? Would love to know other options

RogerG

Sam Sifton's Anise Brine is excellent.https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014391-star-anise-brine

M.

Could somebody tell me why the pork gets black (burned) almost as soon as I get it in the pan? Taste is delicious though.

Lisa

It's the sugar.

Jeff

Too much salt.

RT

Definitely take in to account how thick your chops are when you're baking/roasting. Thick chops are just fine for this recipe (and very delicious) but extend the oven time to about 9-10 minutes in addition to the rest time. Love these.

Sue Cohen

Decrease oil. Stay with the suggested time. 10 min total.

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