Our oven baked pork chops recipe guarantees juicy, tender, golden brown results. It’s one of my favorite ways to cook pork chops.
I do bake the chops, but the secret to that color and flavor is starting them on the stove in a hot skillet (you’ll see a cast-iron pan in the photos). It adds a small extra step, but it’s completely worth it. The oven alone can’t create that deep, golden sear.
Even with the searing step, these baked chops are still very simple to make. If you’d prefer to cook everything on the stovetop, try our juicy skillet pork chops. And if you’re looking for a flavorful marinade, our favorite pork chop marinade is a great option.
Key Ingredients
- Pork Chops: First, the thicker, the better. Pork is easy to overcook, so I prefer chops that are at least 1 inch thick. Also, if you can find bone-in chops, use them! The bone helps reduce the chance of overcooking, and bone-in pork chops simply taste better than boneless. If you have really thin chops, I highly recommend this pork milanese instead.
- Seasoning: In the video and photos, I keep my pork simple and use salt, pepper, fresh thyme, and lemon. You can use our flavorful seasoned salt or your favorite spice blend.
- Oil: I quickly sear my pork chops before baking them (so worth it). So, we need a little high-heat oil. I usually have avocado oil on my counter.
- Lemon and Herbs: I love finishing my chops with fresh flavor from lemon wedges and fresh herbs (I love dill and parsley).
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Bake Juicy, Tender Pork Chops
Tip 1: Salt the pork chops and let them rest. Season the pork chops with salt and let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before cooking. This quick dry brine helps make the pork chops more tender and flavorful, and bringing them closer to room temp means they cook more evenly in the oven.
Tip 2: Sear before baking. For truly juicy pork chops in the oven, sear them first. A few minutes in a hot skillet creates a deep golden crust that the oven alone can’t achieve. I use a cast-iron skillet so I can go straight from the stove to the oven, but any skillet works. If yours isn’t oven-safe, transfer the seared chops to a baking dish before finishing them in the oven.
Tip 3: Finish in the oven and rest. Loosely cover the skillet or baking dish with foil or parchment and bake for 10 to 20 minutes, depending on thickness. You will know when to take them out of the oven when an internal thermometer reads 140-145°F when inserted into the middle.
The cover creates a lightly steamy environment, keeping the chops juicy and tender. When they’re done, move the chops to a plate and let them rest for a few minutes so the juices settle back into the meat.
Tip 4: Make a quick pan sauce. Don’t let the flavorful browned bits in the skillet go to waste. After removing the baked pork chops, return the skillet to the stove and stir in some stock. Add a teaspoon or two of brown sugar or maple syrup, let the sauce reduce slightly, then swirl in a bit of butter to finish. I like placing the pork chops back into the glossy sauce for serving.
Serving Suggestions
These are incredible with so many side dishes. Some of my most made are mashed potatoes and roasted green beans. The mashed potatoes are perfect for soaking up some of that pan sauce. We also love honey roasted carrots, sautéed Brussels sprouts, or this quick sautéed cabbage with lemon.
For something lighter, try a salad. We have lots of simple salad recipes on the blog, but I especially love a bowl of greens tossed with our tahini dressing or this green goddess dressing. I also love homemade sauerkraut!
More Pork Recipes
- Baked Pork Tenderloin with Apples
- Stuffed Pork Chops – with apples and cheese
- Crispy Pork Milanese
- The Best Pork Loin We’ve Made
- Or, see 20 of our Most Loved Pork Recipes!
Juicy Baked Pork Chops
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
We love this method for baking pork chops. The sear adds a lovely caramelized crust that you won’t ever achieve without starting the chops on the stove. I use salt, pepper, and herbs for these, but feel free to use your favorite seasoning blends or substitute the salt with homemade seasoned salt for added flavor.
I often serve these baked pork chops with a side of mashed potatoes (or mashed sweet potatoes) and sautéed cabbage, but I have added a few more side dish suggestions below the recipe.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
For the pork chops4 pork chops, about 1-inch thick and 6 to 7 ounces each
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon avocado oil or high-heat cooking oil
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1 lemon, cut into wedges
Handful of fresh herbs like parsley or dill, chopped
Optional Pan Sauce1 cup chicken stock (236ml)
2 teaspoons brown sugar, maple syrup, or honey
1 tablespoon butter
Directions
1Bring pork chops to room temperature and season: Season both sides of your pork chops with salt and pepper. I recommend using just under ¼ teaspoon of salt per pork chop. Set the chops aside on the counter to rest for 30 minutes.
2Preheat the oven: About 15 minutes before you’re ready to cook the chops, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
3Sear the chops: Set a large oven-safe skillet (such as a cast-iron pan) over medium heat and allow it to heat for 2 to 3 minutes. While the pan heats, pat the pork chops dry.
4Add the oil, and when it is hot and shimmery, carefully place the chops into the hot pan. If your chops have a fatty edge, use kitchen tongs to hold them fat-side-down until the edge sizzles and browns slightly, about 30 seconds. Then, lay the chops flat and sear undisturbed until golden brown on the first side, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the chops, and cook until the second side is golden brown, another 2 to 3 minutes. After flipping to the second side, scatter all of the fresh thyme over the chops.
5Bake the pork chops: Arrange lemon wedges around the pork chops, and then loosely cover with foil or tuck parchment paper around the pan. Slide the skillet into the oven to finish cooking. (If you do not have an oven-safe skillet, transfer the pork chops to a baking dish.)
6Bake for 8 to 15 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chop reads at least 145°F (63°C). Cooking time varies by thickness, so start checking for doneness at 8 minutes, then check every 2 minutes thereafter.
7Let them rest: Once cooked, transfer the baked pork chops to a plate and then loosely cover them with aluminum foil. Let the pork rest for 5 minutes. Serve with additional fresh herbs, roasted lemon wedges, and a spoonful of pan juices on top (or make the optional pan sauce below!).
8Make the optional pan sauce: While the pork chops are resting, place the skillet over medium-high, then add 1 cup of chicken stock, 2 teaspoons of brown sugar (or maple syrup or honey), and the juice from the roasted lemon wedges. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan so that any stuck bits of pork come up.
9Bring to a simmer and cook until it has reduced by half. Taste, then adjust the seasoning with salt or more sugar. Slide the skillet off the heat, and when the sauce is no longer simmering, swirl in a tablespoon of cold butter.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Baked pork chops last in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months. I prefer to wrap them in foil and then place them into freezer-safe bags or containers. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheating: Reheat leftover pork chops in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of water or liquid to keep them from drying out. Cover the skillet with a lid and cook for a few minutes or until heated through.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
Yum! Moist and delicious My previous pork chop recipes ended up dry. Not these! Will make again and again!
Wonderful recipe!! Mine took a little longer in my stove so I did a low broil for last 5+ min keeping a close watch to get to about 143 degrees. I love lemon with pork and so I was attracted to this recipe. It came out so tender and juicy! Thank you!!
Tried this recipe and it’s Amazing!! Best pork chops I’ve eaten in a long time. Juicy, flavorful, can’t say enough and my husband agrees.
Well done was what my family told me. Cooked then oven baked my pork chops and boy was it 😋 delicious. Thank you for your help. Looking forward to more wonderful things to cook and eat. Scotty Lee From Hawaii
Made this pork chop recipe tonight for dinner and everyone loved it!
Perfection! And delicious. I wouldn’t have thought to use lemon with pork chops, but it adds just the right notes. Family raved, and this will be my go to pork chop recipe from now on. Although, admit: I am looking for a tender Smothered Pork Chop recipe too! Your webswite is really great, and I look forward to trying more of your recipes. Thank you!
That’s wonderful, Mary! So happy you gave our recipe a try.
I made your corn salad last night, it was so delicious. Didn’t have fresh corn but a quality canned corn. Will make it many times this summer.
These were the most moist pork chops we’ve had! We used to do crockpot pork chops. They were way too dry and hard by the time they were finished. These weren’t hard at all! They were juicy and cooked through, and the lemon wasn’t overpowering at all! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Amazing! So happy you tried our recipe. Thank you for coming back.
They look delicious, but way too much sodium , I’m a dialysis patient and I have to keep my sodium down, could I make these without salting them first?
Hi Meri, Yes, the salt does add flavor, but since you need to reduce for health reasons, you can absolutely reduce it in our recipe. You may consider one of the salt-free seasoning blends as a substitute.
Help please! My chops were juicy but definitely not tender. Would baking in the iron skillet make a difference? And…I wasn’t at home and used an electric oven not gas. Thank you!
I had just signed up Was looking for a pork chop recipe. Thank U for some interesting ideas.
You are so welcome. So glad you found us and we are thrilled that you signed up 🙂
The oven baked chops were delectabomundo! The sauce you suggested hid my overbaking of chops I’d cut too thin. The honey roasted carrots were a unique addition with my bride’s added addition of some leftover beets. I am thrilled to have found your site. The videos are a great help.
So glad you found us and loved the recipe 🙂
I just found your website.I made the pork chops tonight.My family loved them.I also sauteed zucchini,onion, mushrooms for the side.Delicous😋
Yes, it works very well for me!!
These pork chops and the sauce were outstanding!!! We loved them! Will definitely make again.
There are lots of food blogger like this but the best food recipe “Juicy Oven Baked Pork Chops” is yours. Thanks for giving me this wonderful blog. I will try to make it like you.
I have prepared these two times. The pork chops were thick so I expected them to take a few minutes more to cook. Both times, the thermometer took forever to reach 145, like 30 minutes. Otherwise, the chops were delicious and the recipe is super easy.
best pork chop recipe! Mine were always super dry but not anymore! Thanks so much!
I am making these now, but wondering if you could please give some tips for reheating them later in a way so they won’t be dry?
If you need to reheat we would recommend that you gently reheat in an oven or skillet.
Your recipes sound delicious, looking forward to cooking them.
I cooked the chops according to your instructions and they were perfect. I’ll definitely make this again.
Thanks again! This tastes amazing! Do juicy, and best pok chops I have ever baked!
Brilliant recipe , tips and instructions. Have not been a fan of pork chops as they always seem dry and sometimes tough. Our thick chops were tender and delicious. Definitely a ‘go to’ recipe. Maybe the previous problems were down to my cooking the chops for too long and not preparing, searing etc Thanks
We gave up on pork chops for awhile as they were always dry. I decided to give this a try and were pleased we did. These were very moist delish and easy. Go for it
Wow, can’t believe how tender these came out. Incredible flavor too.
I’m trying your pork chop recipe tonight. Thank you.
I used 1 1/2 inch bone-in chops. Used cast iron skillet. Browned 3 minutes per side, then baked for 7 minutes, flipped and baked for additional 7 minutes. They were perfect.
I am so grateful that I came across this page. I used these directions to cook some very thin pork chops tonight and my family is begging for these to be on the menu again soon! Thank you for the info!
I made this as the recipe instructed and they were juicy and so flavorful. I sliced the chops into strips and poured some of the pan sauce over them. I also made your mashed cauliflower, and along with some sugar snap peas, this made a beautiful dish. My boyfriend was super impressed! Your “Tips” section after each recipe makes this a great blog. I keep coming back to it.
Delicious!! Easy to make. Do it!
I’m saving the recipe, looks great. Best of all is the tips, great tips.
My go-to is, brush on olive oil, sprinkle chops with salt/pepper,garlic powder, onion powder and a hint of cinnamon. Search the chops in a (cast iron) skillet to a perfect amber color and lay them out on a baking sheet. Drape a sheet of parchment over the chops. No need to fuss or tuck, just lay it on top. You will get the juiciest chops ever! Also, if you skip the search, you can high broil the chops for a few minutes, um yeah, remove the parchment first.
Wonderful. My husband said it was the best. pork chop he’s ever had! The recipe and comments are going in my keeper binder. I used orange marmalade in the sauce (and added a bit of butter). I’ve always had a problem with pork chops. My mama floured and fried them, then made gravy, but they were never this tender. This also would be a pip for guests. Bravo on the methods and recipe. BUT … I understand why I had to wade through all the pitter-patter before finally getting to the specifics, but I still don’t like it.
I have struggled with getting oven back pork chops to come out moist. I followed the recipe – and wow… My family loved them. I made 6 boneless in my Red Copper pan (perfect for searing and baking), started testing temperature at 8 min, ended up taking 12 min. Let them sit as directed, and they really were fantastic. My family loved them. Looking forward to trying other recipes.
Just tried this recipe and it was a hit! I’ve never taken all the steps you used for cooking pork chop, but it makes a huge difference. My wife said it’s her favorite meal of mine (and I’m a pretty good cook). We squeezed lemon over the chops as well as put slices on each chop, then used thyme, rosemary, and garlic (as well as the salt). I will definitely use this recipe again with different seasonings.
Has anyone used the chili based season as suggested in the recipe and, if so, is it applied as a rub before searing the pork chops or is it added after the searing but before the pork chops are put in the oven to bake? Thanks!
For once in my life I actually cooked a pork chop that was not dry as a bone. Thank you. I tried the pan sauce method for me I think the problem was I don’t really know how long it takes to reduce a sauce so it was a little thin but it still tasted really good! I put over the pork chop and then over some left over rice I had and it made the rice taste really good as well! Thanks!