Baked Pork Chops – this ultimate Baked Pork Chop recipe is packed with flavor and made extra-juicy with our quick pork chop brine (and optional pork chop seasoning)! So easy to make and perfect for a busy weeknight. Make it a meal with our easy instant pot mashed potatoes or our yummy parmesan broccoli.
Juicy Baked Pork Chops
When you need something quick and tasty, look no further than our flavorful oven baked pork chops. Using a handful of spices that you probably already have on hand, this recipe is easy to whip up on your busiest nights.
We included an option to brine your pork chops ahead of time to add some extra juiciness, but feel free to scrap this step if you want to be as efficient as possible. Your pork chops will still be flavorful thanks to our robust seasoning. And you can always smoke, pan fry, or grill pork chops if you’d rather not fire up the oven.
Love pork chops – make sure you try our 4 Favorite Pork Chops Marinades!
What You Will Need
- pork chops – Try to select pork chops with similar thickness to ensure equal cooking time for all. We recommend one-inch thick, bone-in pork chops, but thicker or thiner varieties are okay too.
- brine: a combination of water, kosher salt, onion, peppercorns, apple and herbs – this quick pork chop brine is optional BUT is so worth the extra time!
- seasoning: instead of just your typical salt and pepper we amped up the flavor with our homemade pork chop seasoning (included in the recipe card below).
Why Should I Brine My Pork Chops
Place your pork chops in a quick brine (you can use this one for as little as 30 minutes) will increase the juiciness of the pork chop, the tenderness and the flavor!
What Kind of Pork Chop Do I Need for this Recipe
We recommend using an approximately 1 inch thick pork chop that is bone-in. We prefer bone-in because there is so much for flavor! Of course, boneless pork chops work here too!
How Long To Bake Pork Chops
While there are lots of variations on cooking temperatures and duration, we’ve found that high heat with a quicker cooking time yields the best tasting pork. It results in a caramelized outside with and a juicy inside. Plus this shorter cooking time allows you to quickly get dinner on the table while providing time to focus on side dishes while your main dish bakes.
If you’re using thicker pork chops, expect to add additional cooking time to ensure the final internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F (recommended by the USDA). Make sure you use a meat thermometer to check that internal temp.
How To Bake Pork Chops
Start by making this optional brine to create the juiciest pork chops. Add 1 cup of water and salt to a small saucepan and bring to medium heat on the stovetop. Stir until the salt has dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
Next, pour the cooled salt mixture over the pork chops in a food safe container and then add the remaining ingredients (onion, peppercorns, apple, thyme, rosemary and bay leaf). Stir to fully combine and to ensure pork chops are fully submerged. Cover and place in refrigerator for a minimum of 30-45 minutes or up to 2 hours.
While the pork is brining, combine the pork seasoning ingredients (smoked paprika, lemon pepper, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and ground mustard). Stir to combine. When pork chops are done brining preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Remove pork chops from the brine and pat dry with clean paper towel, no need to rinse.
Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle the season all over with the homemade seasoning.
Spray a baking sheet with olive oil (you can line with parchment paper, if you want). Place in the oven, middle rack, and let bake 13-17 minutes (11-14 minutes for 1/2 inch pork chops) or until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees F. Flip pork chops about halfway through cooking.
Pork chops are fully cooked when they reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. We are pulling these from the oven when they reach an internal temperature of 140 degrees F. and then let them rest 5 minutes (leave them on the baking sheet) – the internal temp will continue to rise an additional 5 degrees during this time.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
Baked Pork Chop Internal Temperature
Baked Pork Chops are fully cooked when the internal temp reaches 145 degrees F. We pull ours from the oven a bit early as they will continue to cook as they rest after cooking.
Baked Pork Chops Side Dishes
Thanks to its mild flavor, pork is one of those proteins that’s easy to pair with a variety of sides. Some of our favorite quick side dishes for baked pork chops are…
Recipe FAQs
- bone-in vs. boneless – this cooking process works for both bone-in pork chops and boneless pork chops, but we find that bone-in pork chops have the most flavor!
- optional brine – While it adds juiciness and tenderness, taking the time to brine your pork chops is optional. The seasoning will still add tons of flavor even without the brine. If you chose not to brine, increase the salt in the seasoning mixture by 1/2 a teaspoon.
- marinade – if you are looking for more great flavor, you should checkout our pork chop marinades – there are 4 options!
- pork chop thickness – Adjust cooking time depending on the thickness of your pork chops; shorter time for thin pork chops and a bit longer for thick pork chops, and keep an eye on the internal temp to track doneness.
- seasoning after brining: you don’t have to season your pork chops after brining if you don’t want to! But we like to add a little extra something on top!
- storage – Store pork chops in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
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Other Pork Recipes You Might Like
Baked Pork Chops
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner/Entree
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
Baked Pork Chops – a simple, delicious baked pork chop recipe that turns out juicy and delicious (so easy too!). Perfect for a busy weeknight!
Ingredients
Brine (optional):
- 4 cups water
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 2–3 slices onion
- 5–6 whole peppercorns
- 1 apple, sliced
- 2–3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1–2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
Seasoning:
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt*
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
Pork Chops:
- 4 1-ich thick pork chops*
Instructions
- Make Pork Chop Brine: Take a small saucepan and add 1 cup water and salt. Place on stovetop and bring to medium heat. Stir until the salt has dissolved (the water shouldn’t need to get TOO warm to do accomplish this). Remove from heat and let cool completely.
- Prep Pork Chops: Meanwhile, place pork chops on a plate and pat dry with a clean paper towel. If you are using a thicker pork chop feel free to score the fat so the pork chops don’t start curving or buckling during the the cooking process. Place the pork chops in a food-safe container (a reusable silicone bag, casserole dish or mixing bowl will work.)
- Brine Pork Chops: Pour the cooled salt mixture over the pork chops and then add the remaining ingredients into the same container (onion, peppercorns, apple, thyme, rosemary and bay leaf). Stir to fully combine and to ensure pork chops are fully submerged. Cover and place in refrigerator for a minimum of 30-45 minutes or up to 2 hours.
- Other Prep: Meanwhile, combine the seasoning ingredients (smoked paprika, lemon pepper, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and ground mustard). Stir to combine. When pork chops are done brining preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Season + Bake Pork Chops: Remove pork chops from the brine and pat dry with clean paper towel. Drizzle with a little olive oil and season all over with the homemade seasoning. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil (you can line with parchment if you want). Place in the oven, middle rack, and let bake 13-17 minutes (11-14 minutes or 1/2 inch pork chops) or until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees F. Flip pork chops about halfway through cooking.
- Let Rest: Pork chops are fully cooked when they reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. We are pulling these from the oven when they reach an internal temperature of 140 degrees F. and then let them rest 5 minutes (leave them on the baking sheet) – the internal temp will continue to rise an additional 5 degrees during this time.
- Serve: Serve immediately – we love serving these with mashed potatoes and parmesan lemon broccoli!
Notes
- Salt in Seasoning: if you are NOT using the quick pork chop brine then feel free to increase the salt in the seasoning by 1/2 teaspoon.
- Thicker Pork Chops: you can definitely use thin pork chops or thicker pork chops here, make adjustments to the cook time, as necessary (shorter time for thin pork chops and a bit longer for thick pork chops) and keep an eye on the internal temp to track doneness.
- Brine Optional: you definitely do not have to brine your pork chops prior to baking – they will still turn out without it! But the brine adds that extra bit of flavor AND increases the juiciness and tenderness of the pork chop.
- Storage: store leftover pork chops in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 ounces
- Calories: 68
- Sugar: 0.2 g
- Sodium: 391.2 mg
- Fat: 4.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 2.2 g
- Protein: 5.1 g
- Cholesterol: 13.1 mg
Gerri says
Made this for dinner tonight. Very good and juicy. But I cutback on the smoked paprika quite a bit. That was the right amount of spice for us.
Erin says
So glad you enjoyed these, Gerri! Glad you cut back on the paprika to meet your preferences! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a review and rating – I so appreciate it!