Smothered Pork Chops – Bone-in pork chops are lightly fried and then smothered in a creamy onion pan sauce to make for an exciting escape from boring dinners!
Mmm mmm. I just love a comfort meal I can easily make during the week. With all the savory meals I’ve been posting in the last month, I’m sure that’s no surprise by now.
Welp, today I’ve got one more to add to the list! This time it’s a recipe for a pork chop. I have yet to feature a pork chop recipe on this blog because we typically prefer pork tenderloin. But recently, we were reintroduced to it through Hello Fresh and now we have it a few times a month.
When I saw a yummy pork chop recipe on Instagram, I had to give it a try. It was for these Smothered Pork Chops covered in an onion gravy. Yummm. I loved how simple the recipe was – no slow cooking, no fancy ingredients. So I gave it a shot.
Oh my goodness, ya’ll. Not only does it smell heavenly, but that flavor is unmatched to any gravy I’ve ever made before. That fresh thyme really sets it off.
The great thing about this recipe is that it only uses one pan. And it’s all done on the stove! No oven or fancy appliances required.
To make the pork, it’s done in two main steps:
- Lightly fry the pork chops
- Make the gravy
Frying the pork
The pork is lightly fried to help the gravy adhere to it. But don’t worry – it’s not a thick batter that would make these chops super unhealthy. All we do is covered in some spices, then dip in flour and finally fry in some butter in oil to get it slightly crispy.
After the pork is browned on the outside, it’s removed and set to the side while we make the gravy.
Making the gravy
Here’s where most of the work happens. The butter and oil from the first step remains in the pan. The onions are added to cook them down a little before we make the gravy. The garlic and flour are added to absorb the excess butter and oil. Now add in the fresh thyme leaves.
Next, chicken stock and cream are added to the pan and whisked together. Bring it to a simmer and watch it thicken before your eyes. Finally, add back the chops and cover them in gravy. Allow them to cook through and then turn off the heat. Serve immediately.
Tips and Tricks
- When buying the chops, the thicker the better. Since these chops are fried and then cooked in the sauce, the thicken chop will hold up better. Just make sure it’s cooked through at the end by using a meat thermometer and ensuring the internal temp is 145 degrees.
- The easiest way to remove thyme leaves from their stems is to turn them upside down and run your fingers up the stem to release the leaves. They’ll come right off.
- If you use salted butter and salted chicken stock in the gravy, taste it before adding any more salt. You may not need much!
Smothered Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 6 medium bone-in pork chops (about 2.5-3 pounds)
- paprika
- garlic powder
- salt
- pepper
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion sliced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 2 cups chicken stock
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Place butter and oil the largest skillet you have and set over medium high heat. Place pork chops on a baking sheet. Pat them dry with a paper towel and rub with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.
- Place flour in a shallow plate. When butter has melted, dip a pork chop in flour, flip, and then remove, shaking off excess flour. Gently place into hot skillet. Repeat with remaining pork chops until the skillet is full but not crammed. You may need to cook pork chops in batches. Cook chops until browned but not completely cooked, about 3 minutes on each side. Remove from hot oil and place on clean plate. Reserve excess flour for later.
- Once pork chops are cooked, it's time to make the sauce. Add sliced onions to hot pan over medium heat. Cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Sprinkle in 2-3 tablespoons of flour and stir. The flour should absorb most of the flour. Add in the thyme and stir.
- Gently add in stock and cream and stir together. Bring the mixture to a slow boil and then reduce heat to a simmer over medium low heat. Once the gravy starts to thicken, add back pork chops and cover them in sauce. Cook for about a minute to heat through the chops. Turn off heat and season some more. You will probably need to add about ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper.
- Serve over mashed potatoes and your favorite veggies. I suggest peas and carrots!
Notes
Pin for later:
More recipes you’ll love:
Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken
Sirloin with Creamy Onion Blue Cheese Sauce
Irish Beef Stew
These smothered pork chops look so tasty AI Photo Editor
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These smothered pork chops look so tasty! Perfect family friendly meal.
You had me at smothered. Nothing like a good pork chop in an amazing sauce!
Love the photos – the dish looks sooooo appetizing! Bookmarking this as my girl loves pork 🙂
We love pork and I never have found a recipe I loved the gravy I will make these often and this was a great find!
I just love a comfort meal I can easily make during the week. This is a perfect dinner recipe. Make it, eat it and remember it 🙂
I just bought pork chops! I need to make this recipe!
This looks delicious I wish I ate more pork chops now, but I have never really been a big fan of pork.
YUMMM! I love smothered pork chops, but have never tried this recipe. Definitely adding it into our meal rotation.
Oh, this looks soo good! Honestly, I find with pork chops it really is all about the sauce!
Such a delicious treat! It’s perfect for dinner
I used to make something similar but yours is much healthier version. I like the use of heavy cream. I will be adding this to my meal plan!