When it comes to easy and delicious weeknight dinners, these baked pork chops are a game changer. With just a handful of simple spices, you can transform boneless pork chops into a juicy, tender, and flavorful meal. The best part? This recipe is incredibly easy to follow for perfect results every time.
Why Our Recipe
- Simple seasoning with a few pantry staples.
- Juicy and tender pork chops every time.
- Easy, no-fuss preparation and cooking.
Pork chops are one of those underrated dishes that can truly shine when cooked correctly. By using pork chops that are about 1 inch thick, you ensure they stay moist and flavorful throughout the baking process. No more dry, tough pork chops! Plus, with the option to add vegetables to the baking sheet, you can create a complete one-pan dinner with minimal cleanup. It’s a versatile recipe that’s perfect for any occasion, from busy weeknights to casual family gatherings.
Ingredient Notes
- Boneless Pork Chops: Look for pork chops that are 3/4 to 1 inch thick. Thicker chops stay juicier and more tender during baking.
- Olive Oil: Helps the seasoning stick to the pork chops. You can use any other cooking oil you have on hand.
- Salt: Essential for bringing out the natural flavors of the pork. Pork needs salt!
- Black Pepper: Adds a mild heat and enhances the overall flavor profile.
- Smoked Paprika: Provides a smoky flavor, but you can use regular paprika if you don’t have the smoked kind on hand.
- Onion Powder: Adds a little more variety to the flavor.
Choosing the Right Chop
When choosing boneless pork chops at the store, aim for ones that are 3/4 to 1 inch thick to ensure they stay juicy and tender during baking. Look for pork chops with a pinkish-red color and some marbling, as these will have the best flavor and texture. A bit of fat around the edges is beneficial for keeping the meat moist, so don’t trim it all off before cooking. Last, be sure that all four pork chops are similar in size and thickness to ensure they all cook at the same rate and are done at the same time.
Adding Veggies
Green beans, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and baby carrots are perfect for adding to the sheet pan with your pork chops!
Toss veggies in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Add garlic powder, thyme, or rosemary for extra flavor, if you want.
Spread veggies around the pork chops in a single layer on the baking sheet and bake everything in the preheated oven. The pork juices will also flavor the veggies.
Add a Carb
Bread: You can easily make it a meal by picking up a loaf of bread from the bakery at the grocery store or try our easy 45-minute beer bread or Irish Soda Bread, both of which take very minimal effort. They don’t even require a stand mixer.
Pasta: Everyone always loves our olive oil pasta and brown butter garlic angel hair pasta. If you want to introduce one of the easiest carb sides ever to your life, use our couscous recipes!
Rice: Plain steamed rice will always work, or you can switch things up with our family’s favorite cheesy rice pilaf or go with a totally different vibe with our easy coconut rice.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheating in the oven is the preferred method for leftover chops as the chops will retain more moisture. Place on a baking sheet and bake in a 350-degree oven until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. Begin checking the temperature after 15 minutes as reheating times may vary.
Avoid microwaving as it can make them dry out.
More pork chop recipes…
Watch the video below where Caytlin will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we’ve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes on YouTube, Facebook Watch, or our Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.
Served mine (bone in) with a sauce made from reducing about a half cup of cream with some sage leaves and real maple syrup, adding the pan drippings in after they baked. Had maple butternut squash, sage rubbed baby potatoes, and apple sauce on the side. ?
…just prepared this recipe & the chops (which wete 2″ thick) were delicious, very tender & flavorful..I .served with rice & green beans! I WILL make again…very simple prep…! Thank u 4 the recipe!
Attempted to make exactly as directed, but forgot to oil the pork chops first-oops. We did add a bit of garlic because, well, garlic 😀 I had some super thick chops, some nearly 2 inches, and the chops weren’t consistent thickness either so I used my oven safe instant read thermometer in my thinnest chop and when it hit 145 I checked the chops near the same thickness and just kept popping them in until they were all at 145. Took about 4 attempts for a total of 6 chops.
I noticed several commented on how salty these were. Granted, these were super thick and might have made a difference, but we thought they were perfect. Since we made 6 chops, we used 1.5x the spices as was directed for 4 and it was perfect.
Serving idea. We love roasted vegetables so I took out my biggest sheet pan with a huge silpat sheet and arranged sliced brussel sprouts and cauliflower that had been seasoned with plenty of turmeric, cumin, garlic (of course), and salt. While we were prepping those chops, the veg was roasting away happily with a couple tablespoons of coconut oil at 400 degrees. We turn the veg every 10-15 minutes and add sliced almonds during the last 20 minutes or so. Perfect timing to push the veg to one side of the sheet and add the chops right after adding almonds and giving it a stir. Worked great this way 🙂
I’m new to cooking meat. Realize this may sound crazy to most, but will making this recipe make a mess of my oven, i.e. with oil and port juices/fat splattering all over the place? These sound fantastic but the hassle of having to clean my oven upon completion is not worth it in my mind. Thanks or any thoughts.
It shouldn’t!
I make my pork chops similar. I use salt, pepper, oregano, and parsley. They always taste great!!
I love this recipe. It’s my go-to I don’t want to think about what to make for dinner. Thanks for an easy, tasty recipe where I already have all the ingredients!
Wow, Rachel! These were excellent. I baked 12 thick chops, cut from a large pork loin. I didn’t brown them, though I will next time, just to bump up the flavor even more. I figured it would take a little longer to do so many, all on one half sheet pan, and they registered 145° at 25 minutes. Succulent & tasty. A big hit for our Easter dinner. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
Can you use bone in pork chops too?
This is the recipe I’d recommend for bone-in chops https://thestayathomechef.com/perfect-thick-cut-pork-chops/
I cut the salt down to a sprinkle, added some onion powder and Tony Chachere’ s Creole seasoning. This time I baked, next time I will sear and put the cast iron skillet in the oven. We have smoked paprika, and it is worth it.
Great and easy recipe. Only needs 1/4 tsp salt. I topped the chops with a mango salsa and it was a great combo between the sweet and spice.