Oven Baked Pork Chops

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One of my favorite things ever here at Wholesome Yum is to show you the basics of how to cook everything in the oven — from chicken legs to steak to even lobster tail — and now, how to cook pork chops in the oven. While not quite as fancy as stuffed pork chops or smothered pork chops, this oven baked pork chops recipe is a simple, healthy dinner you’ll come back to again and again. It’s so juicy… and so easy!

Ingredients & Substitutions

This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for oven baked pork chops, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.

• Pork Chops – You can make baked boneless pork chops (sometimes called “pork loin chops”) like I did, or use bone-in ones. This recipe has been tested for both! If possible, choose at least 1-inch thick chops, as these are easier to cook without drying out, but I have bake times for various thicknesses below. Always thaw them first if they are frozen. Learn more about choosing pork chops in my post about pan seared pork chops. If you want to pick up some other cuts of pork at the same time as your pork chops from the butcher, you might want to get some pork belly, pork tenderloin, or pork loin.
• Seasoning – While you can use simple olive oil, salt, and pepper, in my experience the best seasoning is a pork chop marinade! Don’t worry, you need only 5 ingredients: Olive oil, coconut aminos (or soy sauce), lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and minced garlic (or garlic powder)… plus salt and pepper. It can be made in advance, and you probably have what you need to make this at home already. Alternatively, you can make baked pork chop recipes with pork chop seasoning (made with garlic powder, smoked paprika, dried thyme, dried oregano, cayenne pepper, sea salt, and black pepper) as a dry rub, or brine them like I do for baked chicken breasts.
• Butter – Just a bit for flavor! If you prefer to avoid it, you can use olive oil or avocado oil.

How To Bake Pork Chops In The Oven

This section shows how to cook pork chops in the oven, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.

1. Pat dry. Use paper towels to pat the pork chops dry. (This will help them get a nice sear and also keeps them juicy when cooking.)
2. Season or marinate. For the marinated baked pork chops option, make the 5-minute pork chop marinade here in a small bowl. Pour it into a zip lock bag, add the pork chops, and marinate in the fridge. (Take the chops out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.) Alternatively, season the chops with pork chop seasoning, or simply salt and pepper.

3. Sear. Preheat a large cast iron skillet (or a cast iron grill pan if you want grill marks) over medium-high heat. Melt the butter (or heat the oil), then add pork chops in a single layer. Sear, without moving, until browned with grill marks. Flip and sear the other side.

FYI: The outside may look done at this point, but at just a couple minutes per side, the inside is not.

Baking the pork chops in the oven in the next step will finish cooking them.

4. Bake pork chops in the oven. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the chops are cooked through. (See cooking times and temperature info below.)
5. Rest. Remove chops from the oven, transfer to a plate, and tent the top with aluminum foil. Rest for 3-5 minutes before serving. I liked to garnish with fresh parsley.

How Long To Bake Pork Chops?

The best way to make juicy baked pork chops is to sear them for about 2-3 minutes per side, then bake for 3-10 minutes. Pork chop bake time varies depending on their thickness and whether they are bone-in or boneless, so use the following time chart.

On average, for the same thickness, baked bone-in pork chops will take 1-3 minutes longer than boneless.

For best results, use a meat thermometer to test for doneness. Oven baked pork chops are done when the internal temperature at the thickest part reaches 145 degrees F. However, because the temperature rises as they rest, it’s best to remove them at 140 degrees F. (It doesn’t matter if they are pink inside or not — this is not a good indicator for pork.)

I recommend a probe thermometer like this, so you don’t have to monitor (it will beep when it reaches the right temperature!). A regular instant read thermometer will work, though, as long as it gives instant readings. Or just use the chart above as a guide.

Tips For The Best Baked Pork Chops

Cooking pork chops isn’t hard, but use these tips for the best baked pork chops in oven!

• Choose pork chops of a similar size and thickness. This will ensure that they cook at the same rate, so you don’t have ones that are overcooked or undercooked.
• Marinate for as long as you have time for, but no more than 24 hours. After that, they will start to get mushy.
• Bring chops to room temperature before cooking. This helps them cook evenly, and helps keep them nice and juicy.
• Sear in a hot cast iron pan first. This creates a delicious crust, so I don’t recommend skipping this step. Still, if you want to simply cook them in a baking dish, add about 10-12 minutes to the pork chop cook times listed above.
• Be careful not to overcook. Overcooking oven baked pork chops will make them dry and tough. Use a meat thermometer to cook them perfectly each time.
• Resting baked pork chops is important. Cutting into the pork chops straight from the oven will cause all of the juices (i.e. flavor and moisture!) to run out. Just like a good sirloin steak or filet mignon, letting the pork rest before cutting into it allows the juices to redistribute into the meat.

Storage Instructions

• Store: Keep leftover pork in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. You can also slice leftovers to use in sandwiches, tacos, on top of salads, or toss them in a soup or casserole.
• Meal prep: Portion into individual containers with your favorite healthy side dish for quick lunches all week.
• Reheat: Reheat any leftover pork in a hot skillet or in the oven. If you want the absolute juiciest, best baked pork chops after reheating them, use my method for reheating reverse sear steak here (see the section about reheating instructions).
• Freeze: You can freeze oven baked pork chops for up to 3 months in a zip lock bag or airtight container, or freeze raw chops for up to 12 months. However, do not freeze raw pork chops in marinade — they will become mushy.

What To Serve With Baked Pork Chop Recipes

Baked pork chops in the oven just need a side or two for an amazing weeknight meal. (You can also add a pat of compound butter on top.) Here are a few ideas:

• Vegetables – Vegetable recipes like roasted asparagus, air fryer green beans (pictured above), smashed brussels sprouts, or sauteed broccoli all pair well with this recipe for baked pork chops.
• Salads – Make a fresh meal by adding a simple salad! Try light salads like Greek salad or arugula salad, or creamy ones like radish salad or wedge salad.
• Starches – Roasted potatoes or rice make good pairings, or sub them with healthier mashed cauliflower (pictured above) or cauliflower rice instead.

More Easy Pork Chop Recipes

If you’re looking for more delicious, easy pork chop recipes, try these:

Air Fryer Pork Chops

Smothered Pork Chops

Pan Seared Pork Chops

Stuffed Pork Chops

4.97 from 26 votes

Oven Baked Pork Chops (Juicy In 15 Minutes!)

Learn how to bake pork chops in the oven perfectly in just 15 minutes! This oven baked pork chops recipe is juicy, flavorful, and so easy.

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 10 minutes

Total: 15 minutes

Author: Maya Krampf from WholesomeYum.com

Servings: 4 (adjust to scale recipe)

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Ingredients

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• 1 recipe Pork chop marinade (or 2 tablespoons pork chop seasoning) ▢
• 4 8-oz Pork chops (boneless or bone-in) ▢
• 1 tbsp Unsalted butter ▢

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.

1. Use paper towels to pat the pork chops dry.

2. Prepare the pork chop marinade here. Marinate the pork chops for at least 1 hour, up to 24 hours (but not longer). Alternatively, you can season with pork chop seasoning (link in ingredient section above), or simply season generously with salt and pepper and skip the marinade, but the marinade makes them so juicy!

3. Remove the chops from the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking.

4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C). At the same time, preheat a cast iron skillet (or a cast iron grill pan) on the stovetop over medium-high heat, about 2-3 minutes.

5. Once the oven is just a few minutes away from being preheated, add the butter and heat until melted, tilting the pan to coat. Add the pork chops in a single layer. Sear for 2-3 minutes, without moving, until browned on the bottom. Flip and sear for 1-2 minutes on the other side.

6. Transfer the pan to the preheated oven. Bake pork chops until their internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F (63 degrees C), or 140 degrees F (60 degrees C) for juicier pork chops. (The internal temperature will rise another 5 degrees while resting later.) Use a probe thermometer for best results, but here is a guideline for pork chop baking times:

   * 1" thick boneless pork chops: 6-8 minutes

   * 1/2" thick boneless pork chops: 3-4 minutes

   * 1" thick bone-in pork chops: 8-10 minutes

   * 1/2" thick bone-in pork chops: 5-6 minutes

7. Remove the pork chops from the oven and transfer to a plate. (Do not leave them in the pan or they will be overcooked.) Tent the top with foil and let the chops rest for 3-5 minutes.

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Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1 pork chop

Only 1/4 of the marinade is included in the nutrition calculation, as a lot is discarded after marinating the pork chops.

Nutrition Facts

Amount per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.

Calories 282

Fat 10.1g

Protein 50g

Total Carbs 0.8g

Net Carbs 0.7g

Fiber 0.1g

Sugar 0.8g

Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keywords: baked pork chops, how to cook pork chops, pork chop recipe, smothered pork chops in the oven

Calories: 282 kcal

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