Quick Look at these Easy Oven Baked Pork Chops
- Ready In: 30 minutes!
- Optional Brine Time: 30 minutes – 2 hours
- Serves: 4
- Main Ingredients: pork chops, olive oil, homemade seasoning, and an optional pork chop brine.
- Dietary Info: Whole30, Paleo, Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free
- Best For: easy weeknight dinners, family dinners
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Why You’ll Only Make Baked Pork Chops From Now On
- Monitor the internal temperature for the most juicy, tender pork chops EVER!
- 7 ingredient homemade seasoning brings the best flavor!
- No need for special equipment (like grilled pork chops), just pop them in the oven.
- Use the optional brine to make the meat even more tender!
- Dinner on the table in under 30 minutes – serve with your favorite sides!
Key Ingredients + Substitutions
Be sure to see the recipe card below for a full listing of ingredients, instructions, and estimated nutritional information.
- Pork Chops – highly recommend 1-inch thick, bone-in pork chops for the best flavor. Boneless pork chops or thinner pork chops can also be used, but cook times will vary.
- Pork Chop 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).
How To Make Oven Baked Pork Chops
Optional Step 1 – Brine pork chops from 30 minutes – 2 hours.
Step 2 – Mix the seasoning spices together.
Optional Pork Chop Brine
A simple pork chop brine is a great way to add even more tenderness to your meat, but it does take more time. If you are short on time, simply pat them dry, add the seasoning, and bake. They will still be delicious!
Step 3 – Pat the pork chops dry with paper towel.
Step 4 – Cover pork chops with the seasoning.
Step 5 – Place the pork chops in a single layer on the the prepared sheet pan.
Step 6 – Bake for 13-17 minutes or until their internal temperature is 140°F.
Perfectly Cooked Pork Chops – Never Dry!
Monitor the internal temperature! Pork chops dry out when they cook for too long. It is best to pull them out of the oven at an internal temperature of 140°F and then let them rest for 5-10 minutes. During this rest time the internal temp will keep rising to 145°F and it allows the juices to redistriburte.
Baked Pork Chop 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…
Oven Baked Pork Chops FAQs
Place your pork chops in a quick brine (you can use this one for as little as 30 minutes) will allow the salt to penetrate the meat and therefore increase the juiciness of the pork chop, the tenderness and the flavor.
For best results, use bone-in 1-inch thick pork chops. Bone-in pork chops tend to have much more flavor! Boneless, thinner, or thicker pork chops would also work.
Simply place them in a single layer on a sheet pan, no need to cover it.
Gradually warm them in the microwave or place them back in a warm oven. They key is to warm them gradually to prevent them from getting tough.
Other Simple Pork Recipes For Dinner You Might Like
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Equipment
Ingredients
Brine (optional):
- 4 cups water
- ¼ 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
Pork Chop Seasoning:
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- ½ tablespoon lemon pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard
Pork Chops:
- 4 pork chops, 1-inch thick
- olive oil
Instructions
- Optional Brine: Take a small saucepan and add 1 cup water and ¼ cup kosher 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 (add ice cubes, if needed).
- Prep Pork Chops: Meanwhile, place 4 pork chops on a plate and pat dry with a 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 (if using): Pour the cooled salt mixture over the pork chops and then add the remaining ingredients into the same container (2-3 slices onion, 5-6 whole peppercorns, sliced apple, 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme, 1-2 sprigs fresh rosemary and 1 bay leaf). Stir to fully combine and to ensure the pork chops are fully submerged. Cover and place in refrigerator for a minimum of 30-45 minutes or up to 2 hours.
- Dry Rub: Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, ½ tablespoon lemon pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon onion powder, and ½ teaspoon ground mustard. Stir to combine. When pork chops are done brining preheat the oven to 425℉.
- Season + Bake Pork Chops: Remove pork chops from the brine (if used) and pat dry with paper towel. Drizzle with a little olive oil and season all sides with the homemade dry rub. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil (or line with parchment paper). Place in the oven, middle rack, and let bake 13-17 minutes (11-14 minutes for ½ inch pork chops) or until the internal temperature reaches 140℉. Flip pork chops about halfway through cooking.
- Let Rest: Pork chops are fully cooked when they reach an internal temperature of 145℉. We are pulling these from the oven when they reach an internal temperature of 140℉ 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 yukon gold 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, just make adjustments to the cook time as necessary. Shorter time for thin pork chops and a bit longer for thick pork chops – keep an eye on the internal temp.
- Brine Optional: you definitely do not have to brine the pork chops prior to baking – they will still turn out! 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.
Sakala says
These were delicious! I brined them for about 2 hours and baked them in my air fryer. I could not believe how juicy they were! I can’t wait for tomorrow to warm them up.
Bridget Montag says
Yum – so glad you liked them! Thank you for leaving a review!
Don says
Terrible recipe you don’t even state to preheat the oven or what temp.
Erin says
See Step 4 – it says to preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
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!