Braising is the best method around to ensure your pork chops will be fork-tender and delicious. After a quick sear, these Skillet Braised Pork Chops are cooked low and slow in a balsamic pan sauce to create an incredibly savory meal.
Pork chops can be a tough bugger…literally. Without the correct cooking method, they can end up as tough as shoe leather. But with the proper technique, you can turn this inexpensive cut into a tender, flavorful, family-pleasing meal. I attempted to eat these incredibly tasty chops with the manners my mama gave me – lady-like and with a knife and fork – but in the end I was compelled to pick the thing up and go after it until I had every last bit of meat off that bone.
Yeah, that happened. Sorry Mom.
Pork chops were on regular rotation on our dinner menu when I was a kid. My mom cooked them frequently and only one way – pan fried with mashed potatoes and creamy mushroom gravy. You know, the kind of gravy made with good old-fashioned Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup. It was that recipe that was the inspiration behind my Crock-Pot Pork Sirloin Tip Roast recipe and I still love those pork chops dearly to this day. But I’ve branched out from my pork chop beginnings and I’m here today to share a great method and a delicious recipe that is a big departure from Mom’s 1970’s style chops.
First, we need some chops! I picked up this package of four bone-in pork loin chops for just a tad over $10.
Grab a large, heavy skillet – I’m using a nice quality non-stick pan here. Add a couple of tablespoons vegetable oil and place it over high heat. You might need to add more oil if you’re not using a non-stick pan. Add the chops and cook them for several minutes until nicely browned on one side.
As they cook, season both sides of the chops with some salt, fresh ground pepper, and fresh thyme. We aren’t concerned with cooking the chops through at this point, we just want to get a nice sear on them. Once browned, transfer the chops to a plate and set aside.
After I remove the chops from the pan, I like to pour off any pork grease, quickly wipe the pan down with a paper towel, and add some additional vegetable oil to help prevent the braising liquid from being too greasy. It’s not a required step but I recommend it. Reduce the heat to medium and add some chopped onion and minced garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, until the onion is softened and the garlic is fragrant.
To the cooked onion and garlic add some chicken broth, Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, a little brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook and stir for about a minute until the sauce is combined.
Add the browned chops back to the pan, nestling them down into that flavor-packed sauce. Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for at least 45 minutes to an hour, until fork-tender. This part can happen in the oven if you’d like. See the printable recipe below for the oven braising directions.
And that, my friends, is that. Plate them up, spooning some of the sauce and onions over the top, and serve them with your choice of sides. I feel like it’s almost required to serve Skillet Braised Pork Chops with potatoes of some sort and this time I went with my Lemon and Garlic Roasted Potatoes. Those carrots up there are out-of-this-world-good and I’ll be sharing them with you soon. Update – you can see those tasty carrots HERE.
For a great resource on this cut of meat, including a comparison of alternate cooking methods, be sure to check out The Food Lab’s Guide to Pan Seared Pork Chops on Serious Eats.
Now, go forth, and eat pork chops!
Skillet Braised Pork Chops
Braising is the best method around to ensure your pork chops will be fork-tender and delicious. After a quick sear, these Skillet Braised Pork Chops are cooked low and slow in a balsamic pan sauce to create an incredibly savory meal.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided ( or as needed)
- 4 bone-in pork chops
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1 cup diced onions
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons light-brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat, add the pork chops. Cook the chops for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until nicely browned, seasoning both sides with salt, fresh ground pepper, and fresh thyme. Transfer browned chops to a plate and set aside.
- Drain grease from pan and add remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Reduce heat to medium and add onions to pan. Cook and stir for about a minute and then add garlic. Cook until onions are softened and lightly browned, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the chicken broth, Dijon, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce to the pan and cook, stirring for about a minute. Add the chops back to the pan, nestling them into the sauce. Increase heat and bring mixture to a boil. Cover the pan tightly, reduce heat, and cook over low heat for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the pork chops are fork-tender.
- If you prefer to use the oven, cover the skillet (ovenproof) or transfer to a baking pan and cover tightly with foil. Braise the pork chops at 325 degrees for about 45 to 55 minutes, until tender
- Adapted from About.com
Chris says
I do not have broth of any kind, would water work as well?
Valerie says
I think the result would be lacking in flavor without the broth.
Karen says
Hi Valerie, I bought 3 pork chops from the butcher that were a little thicker than your average chop. I made the dish according to the recipe. I put the chops in the oven at 320 degrees for 50 minutes. The sauce was delicious, especially over the brown rice that I cooked. However, the pork chops were tough and dry, not moist at all. The meat did not fall away from the bone either. Did I over cook or under cook the chops? What would you suggest for a second go of it? I seared each side in the beginning for about 4 minutes in the beginning. Thanks
Valerie says
Hi Karen. Thicker chops can be a bit tougher and might need additional liquid and cook time in order to get tender. For this recipe I prefer the thinner cut.
Jojo says
My friend shared the braised pork chop recipe, needless to say, it was the best tasting pork chop recipe I have ever cooked. Your ingredients are easy to find, I am not running from store to store to find specialty products, the recipes are simple and come out incredible. Thank you for your wonderful recipes.
Amanda Newingham says
Hi Valerie! I don’t usually leave comments on recipes, but I must give credit where credit is due on this one. My entire family devoured these pork chops! Sooo incredibly delicious!! Thank you for sharing. This will most definitely be a repeat meal in our home. 😊
Valerie says
I’m so glad you took the time to leave a comment, Amanda. I’m happy your family loves the chops!
Sharon says
Hi Valerie, this sounds amazing. If I wanted to add sauerkraut and apples, how much additional braising liquid would you suggest. I have 5 bone in center loin chops. Also can this be prepared in a Crock Pot and for how long.
Thank you
Sharon
Valerie says
Hi Sharon. I’m afraid without recipe testing I can’t be sure on either of these questions. I do think it would be delicious with sauerkraut and apples but the amount of liquid will depend on the amount of ingredients but basically I’d say to add enough liquid so the ingredients are at least half way immersed.
Cheryl says
Can you use regular mustard in place of the Dijon? Forgot that when I went shopping and with the freezing rain coming down don’t want to go out again.
Amanda Newingham says
Hi Cheryl, I had to use yellow mustard too and we all loved it! I hope you’ve given it a try by now. I doubt you’ll be disappointed. I will try Dijon next time.
Nita Douglas says
This was AMAZING! My husband and I agreed it easily has joined the top 10 recipes I make. It was so simple, used pantry staples and tasted better than any pork chop either of us has had…including my MIL’s famous braised chops. I’m so glad I found your blog while searching for braised pork chops. I can’t wait to try more!!
Valerie says
I’m so glad you found my blog too, Nita! Thanks so much for the feedback on the chops 🙂
Lynne Kay says
This was delicious – three of us gave it a thumbs up and will make it again. I had some thick boneless pork loin chops on hand & wanted to try something new. Followed the recipe exactly up until the last; simmered to perfection for less than 30 min over the lowest heat my glass cooktop provides. Served it with pan roasted potato and carrots. Yum.
First time visit to your website – its nicely done and I love how easy it was to find the PRINT button! Have downloaded a few other recipes to try. I am wondering if our email addresses are shared with any other entity(s)? Thanks for the share!
Valerie says
Hi, Lynne.
So glad to hear you loved the chops. Your email address will NOT be shared anywhere when you leave a comment here. The same goes for subscribing to my email list. No worries there.
Sue Martin Tebbetts says
I wanted to try something new.
It was an easy recipe and it smelt fantastic
While cooking.
I’m going to use it again.
Leslie says
Pork chops took quite a bit longer to cook and were not very flavorful considering all of liquid used in the cooking of it.
Valerie says
So sorry it didn’t work out for you, Leslie.
Cynthia Owens says
Hi this recipe sounds truly amazing but I do not have chicken broth on hand. I have beef broth, would that work? And also I only have thin sliced top loin boneless pork chops, would this recipe still work with that combo?
Valerie says
I think the beef broth will be just fine. I haven’t tried it with boneless chops but please let me know how it works out for you if you do try it.
Andi says
I found this recipe last minute while I was grabbing dinner stuff. What I loved was that I had everything to make it and had already decided on pork chops for dinner. 5 STARS to you! It was easy and my family asked why we hadn’t been making them all along. I served them with brown rice, a veggie medley and garlic knot rolls. It will be added to my go to recipes.
Valerie says
Very happy to hear it worked out so well for you, Andi. Thanks so much for your comment!
Becky says
Do you think bonless sirloin chops would be ok to use instead of bone-in? Bonless is on sale, but I am leaning towards bone-in because that’s what your recipe calls for. Just wondering if there would be much of a difference. Let me know your thoughts.
Thanks,
Becky
Helen Stubbee says
Tried this recipe today. There was a fantastic sale on pork sirloin chops that I couldn’t pass up. We don’t eat a lot of meat or pork in our home so I looked up some recipes . I landed on this one and gave it a try. OMG, it was tender, moist and the sauce was delicious. I coupled them up with mashed potatoes and green beans. My husband, who does really care for pork, loved it. I will use this recipe again. AMAZINGLY good!
Corilee Williams says
Made this last night. Only difference, is that I had two thick bone-in pork chops instead of the four recommended. Otherwise I made it just like the recipe. Can I just say, YUMMM! They were so tender and delicious. I only plated one between my granddaughter (age 12) and I, but we both wanted more, so we ate the second one as well! Easy and delicious, just like I like to cook!
Dedra says
Made Thise tonight for supper and let me tell you my husband ate 2 pork chops!!! My kids demolished their plates!!! It was a huge hit in our house. Will most definitely be saving and reusing this recipe!!! AMAZING!!!
Vic says
These were terrific. I usually avoid braised dishes, but this recipe dealt with tough chops and was very flavorful. Will definitely do it again.
Tammie Joleen says
Wow! Just wow! Especially the sauce. No talking at the table tonight. Everyone was too busy eating. There was a lot of moaning and grunting going on from the men folk. It was like eating dinner with a baboon😊 However, that is when I know dinner turned out really good.
Valerie says
This is wonderful to hear, Tammie! So glad you all enjoyed the chops 🙂
Nikah says
This pork chop recipe is sooo good. I made it almost exactly the way you said. The only thing I didn’t do is drain the grease from the pork chops!!! That is where all the flavor is and it’s crazy to drain it out only to put more oil in the pan!! I left the grease and cooked my onions right in it. Definitely a great recipe.
Bj says
Made your chops they were a hit
Will be making them again.
Handful says
May I say… WOW! I made this last night for dinner with some modifications. I added tater and carrot chunks with the onion and used whole cloves of garlic, because…. GARLIC! I sprinkled rosemary on the veggies and steak, doubled the broth and fixin’s and added a splash of liquid smoke. We ate until we were bursting and I still wanted MORE!
I think this would be awesome with chicken as well and I will try it with a tough cut of beef without my rosemary addition too. Very good, thank you for sharing!
Ann says
I’m scared to cook pork chops because I always mess them up. This recipe was easy and the pork chops came out delicious! Hubby and I had enjoyed and will make again. Thank you! 5 stars from me ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Melissa says
Loved this recipe! Usually my pork chops come out really dry so I rarely make them but they were tender and moist using this cooking method. The sauce was really good too. I did make a few changes. I only used 2 TBS of brown sugar and added 2 Tbs of red wine. I also added a cup of chopped mushrooms and half a shallot. It was excellent! Will totally make this again.
Roxanne says
I made this for my picky-eater husband and he absolutely loved it. The meat was tender and moist and well-flavored. I also added sliced mushrooms with the onions. This recipe is a keeper—and it was easy enough to make. 5⭐️‘s. Thanks!
Donna Travers says
Sorry, Valerie, but this was not a winner for me. Too sweet. Even though I reduced the amount of brown sugar by half, it tasted more like a dessert than an entree! I guess I’m just a “savory” person. The basics were there and the pork was very tender. I’m going to try it again, leaving out the brown sugar and adding more herbs – rosemary & sage. BTW, love you, just not a fan of this recipe. xxoo Donna
Valerie says
Sorry to hear it didn’t work out for you, Donna. I love what brown sugar does to balance the balsamic in this recipe and feel it works really well with pork but you could definitely reduce the amount to suit your taste. It really shouldn’t seem very sweet at all if you reduced the brown sugar down to 1-1/2 tablespoons but maybe this flavor combo is just not for you. I hope your next attempt is more successful 🙂
Peter Gussert says
I made this recipe once and I used leeks instead of onions. It turned out amazing!!! I credit it to your simmering sauce and cooking method. I forget to bookmark the recipe and after searching for 2 days, I am happy to say I found it again. Bookmarked and ready to go. Thank you, Valarie!
Valerie says
Fantastic! Thanks, Peter 🙂
Chuck says
I had previously emailed you regarding my first couple tries on your pork chop recipe. They were very good but made with cider vinegar. You encouraged me to try the Balsamic and I did today for Sunday dinner. Very well received by my wife and I also thought they were great. We also use the braising liquid with onions as a sauce and for dipping. Excellent! From now on I will follow the recipe precisely.
Valerie says
I’m so glad to hear you tried the balsamic, Chuck! Now that you’ve got that bottle in your cupboard you can hunt around for some other ways to use it. Here are a few of my recipes that include it – Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic Glaze, Balsamic Herb Grilled Chicken, Balsamic Grilled Zucchini, and if you happen to have a bottle of whiskey on hand you might want to give my Whiskey Balsamic Steak a try!
Kim says
Do you think I could add cabbage and some apples with the pork chops when they are covered and braising? I have a recipe that includes them but the reviews of that recipe said it was kind of bland – the flavors in your recipe sound great.
Valerie says
I love the sound of that, Kim. I think it might work well. My only concern would be that there is enough liquid for the chops after you add the other items so you might want to try to increase the amount. Please let me know how it turns out if you try it.
Kim says
I added about a half pound of thin-sliced cabbage, and ended up adding about a half cup or so of water. It was fabulous. Even my ultra-picky teenage daughter, who balked at the idea of pork chops for dinner, liked this meal. It’s a keeper!
Valerie says
Fantastic! I’m so glad to hear this worked and it really does sound fabulous. Thanks so much for the update and the great suggestion 🙂
Bill Wexler says
Well what a surprise! A complete and enjoyable different taste to pork chops. Me, I always have apple sauce when having pork but did not miss or need it this time. Also did the potatoes and carrots and the meal came out exactly as per your photo, very tasty. The wife was impressed, thanks
Valerie says
Fantastic! I just love the balsamic with pork. Such a good flavor combo. I love to hear there are men out there cooking for their wives. That’s a beautiful thing! Thanks for your comment, Bill.
Lindsey Hudson says
Hi I rarely leave comments but these are fabulous!!! And also it was super easy to pin it to Pinterest, sometimes it’s hard to get recipes to pin but I was super happy that it was a cinch here! So thank you for both the tastiest pork chops I’ve ever eaten and for the super easy pinning! You’ve made my day!
Valerie says
Well, you’ve made my day too, Lindsey! Thank you so much for your wonderful comment and I’m so glad the pork chops worked out so well for you. I need to add these to my menu next week!
Kathi says
Wished it were more printer friendly—I got the whole spiel! But I’m looking to cooking this for my hubby!
Valerie says
Hi Kathi. The recipe card is printable. Look for the button that says “Print”.
Kristen says
I’m going to be making this soon and wasn’t sure if the liquid should cover the chops or sit just below them ? Can’t wait to try it, Thanks !
Valerie says
Hi Kristen. If you use the amounts called for in the recipe and a 12″ skillet (or close) it should work out just fine. The sauce will not completely cover the chops. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Lisa says
This recipe looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it but I had to comment about how totally annoying it is to have advertisements that you cannot close float directly over the recipe making it impossible to see all the ingredients. I suggest a reader version be made available.
Valerie says
I’m so sorry this happened! Please let me know how you are viewing the site – on mobile or desktop? It should not happen and I want to be sure it doesn’t again. Thanks, Lisa.
RoadLord says
Mmmmmm, love the color, can just about taste the porky goodness from the pix. Can’t wait to try these, got some chops somewhere in that freezer………
cece says
Looks wonderful & I will be making that this weekend. Do you have a recipe for those wonderful looking carrots???? I have a ton of carrots to use & they look AWESOME too!!! Thanks!!!
Valerie says
Hello Cece 🙂 I will be sharing the carrots soon! Enjoy the pork chops!
Trina says
looks good Val! My mom always served pork chops fried with a egg and flour batter, with fried potatoes and maybe fried okra, with biscuits and maybe gravy. .can you say southern? It was delicious! I tend to serve pork braised, at least once or twice a week, love this recipe!
Valerie says
Definitely southern and definitely delicious! I love southern cooking. Thanks Trina 🙂
Karen @ The Food Charlatan says
These look great Valerie! My mom made pork chops a lot too, she made it out to be a big “special occasion” kind of meal. When I left and started making it on my own I realized it’s basically a can plus some ketchup, lol! Um, I still love it though.
Valerie says
Funny how those recipes we grew up with are always the best!