The Best Juicy Skillet Pork Chops
Main
Ingredients
4 pork chops, about 1-inch thick and 6 to 7 ounces each, see notes
Salt, to taste
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon chili powder, see our homemade chili powder recipe
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon neutral oil like avocado oil or vegetable oil
1 cup low-sodium chicken stock, see our homemade chicken stock recipe
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons honey or brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, optional
Directions
PREPARE PORK CHOPS
Take the pork chops out of the refrigerator and season on both sides with salt — we use just less than 1/4 teaspoon of fine salt per pork chop. Set the chops aside to rest for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the spice rub. In a small bowl, mix the flour, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper.
After 30 minutes, use a paper towel to pat the pork chops dry, then rub both sides of the chops with the spice rub.
Heat the oil in a skillet (with a lid) over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot and looks shimmery, add the pork. Cook until golden, 2 to 3 minutes.
Flip the pork so that the seared side is facing up. If there is a fattier side of the pork, use kitchen tongs to hold the chops, fat-side-down until it sizzles and browns slightly; about 30 seconds.
Reduce the heat to low, then cover the skillet with a lid. Cook 6 to 12 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer reads 145° F when inserted into the thickest part of the chop. Cook time depends on the thickness of the chops, so check for doneness at 5 minutes, then go from there, checking every 2 minutes after that. If you do not have a thermometer, you will know they are done, if, when cutting into the chops, the juices run clear.
Transfer pork chops to a plate, then cover loosely with aluminum foil. Let the pork rest for 5 minutes.
MAKE PAN SAUCE
While the pork rests, make the pan sauce. Increase the heat to medium-high, then add the chicken stock, vinegar, and honey. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan so that any stuck bits of pork come up.
Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook until reduced by half. Taste, then adjust the seasoning with additional salt, vinegar, or honey.
Slide the skillet off of the heat and when the sauce is no longer simmering, swirl in the butter.
Slide the pork chops back into the pan and spoon some of the sauce on top. Alternatively, slice the chops, then place them back into the pan. Scatter fresh parsley over the pork, and then serve.
Notes
Tip #1: Don’t cook chops straight from the refrigerator. Thirty minutes before you plan to cook, take the chops out of the fridge.
The time out of the refrigerator lets you bring the meat up to room temperature, which helps the pork cook more evenly throughout. Use this trick for other cuts of meat like pork tenderloin or steak.
Tip #2:Season the chops with salt half an hour before cooking. This way, the salt has a chance to improve the flavor and texture of the meat.
Pork chops are pretty lean, so seasoning with salt before cooking is essential for making the most flavorful chops.
Tip #3:Rub the chops with spices and a little bit of flour. Here’s where your favorite spice rub can come in. Alternatively, you can use our spice blend in the recipe below. Whichever you choose, add a little flour to it.
Rubbing a small amount of flour over the chops helps to add a flavorful crust. We use this trick a lot. When cooking scallops, we add a little flour to the outside so that they brown evenly.
Tip #4: Sear on one side, flip then cover with a lid. We use this trick a lot, it’s how we cook chicken breasts so that they are juicy and use the same concept when grilling meat.
First, we sear one side of the chops until browned then we flip them, turn down the heat to low and cover the skillet with a lid.
The second side will slowly turn golden brown, and since we added the lid, the heat from the pan will gently cook the middle. By gently cooking the chops this way, they remain juicy and become tender.
This is the same method we use when making our favorite recipe for stovetop chicken breasts!
Tip #5: Let the cooked chops rest. The moment they are cooked, transfer them to a clean plate and cover with foil. After 5 minutes all the juices inside the chops will have distributed around the meat.
Nutrition
PER SERVING: Serving Size 1 pork chop / Calories 369 / Total Fat 14.3g / Saturated Fat 5.1g / Cholesterol 138.8mg / Sodium 767mg / Total Carbohydrate 11.6g / Dietary Fiber 1.4g / Total Sugars 4.4g / Protein 46.1g