Braising is the best method 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.
More of our favorite pork recipes include Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic Glaze and Pork Loin Roast with Gravy.
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.
Cream of Mushroom 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. I still love those pork chops dearly to this day.
I’ve branched out from my pork chop beginnings with these Skillet Braised Pork Chops. This delicious recipe is a significant departure from Mom’s 1970s-style chops and has earned loads of 5-star reviews since I first published it back in 2015.
I always plan to eat these incredibly tasty pork chops with the manners my mama taught me – lady-like and with a knife and fork – but in the end, I’m compelled to pick the thing up and go after it until I’ve had every last bit of meat off that bone.
Table of contents
Ingredient Notes
- Pork chops: You’ll need four bone-in pork loin chops. The bone provides more even heat distribution during cooking, which helps the meat stay moist and juicier when compared to boneless chops. This cut is easy to find and exceptionally budget-friendly. 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.
- Fresh produce: Yellow onion, minced garlic, and fresh thyme.
- Braising liquid: The flavorful pan sauce consists of low-sodium beef broth, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, and a little brown sugar.
How to Make Skillet Braised Pork Chops
- In a large heavy skillet, quickly sear the chops in olive oil. 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. Remove the chops from the pan, pour off any excess grease, and quickly wipe the pan down with a paper towel. This will help prevent the braising liquid from being too greasy. It’s not a required step but I recommend it.
- Add a little additional oil, if needed. Reduce the heat and the onion and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, until the onion is softened and the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the broth, Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, 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 and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat, 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, spoon some of the sauce and onions over the top, and serve them with your choice of side dishes.
Serving Suggestions
I think it’s pretty much required to serve Skillet Braised Pork Chops with potatoes of some sort. This time I went with my Lemon and Garlic Roasted Potatoes. You could also do them with my Greek Potatoes or Parsley Potatoes. Pork is absolutely delicious with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Bourbon Glazed Carrots too.
A green veggie is a great way to round out this meal. Try my simply Sautéed Green Beans, Green Beans Almondine, or Sautéed Broccolini.
Storage Tips
Store any leftover pork chops along with the sauce in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 to 3 days for the best quality.
Gently reheat the chops and sauce in a covered pan on the stovetop with a bit of added liquid like broth or water, if needed. To reheat in the microwave, use a microwave-safe cover or lid to prevent the pork from drying out.
More Pork Recipes You’ll Love
- Southwestern Pork Tenderloin
- Pork Chops with Apples and Onions
- Juiciest Baked Pork Tenderloin
- Tender Baked Pork Chops
- BBQ Country Style Ribs
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Skillet Braised Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided ( or as needed)
- 4 bone-in pork loin chops
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1 cup diced onions
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 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 broth, brown sugar, balsamic viengar, Dijon, 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, reduce the heat, and cook over LOW heat for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the pork chops are fork-tender.
Notes
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Follow the recipe as directed, using an oven-proof skillet with a lid. After adding the pork chops back to skillet with the sauce, cover the skillet and transfer it to the oven. If you don’t have an oven-proof skillet with a lid, you can transfer the pork chops and braising liquid to a baking pan and cover it tightly with foil.
- Braise the pork chops in the oven for about 45 to 55 minutes, or until tender.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
More Meaty Main Dish Recipes
This post was originally published on February 10, 2015. It has been updated with new text and images.
This recipe was AWESOME! My family was fighting over the last chop! I had to remake it the next day!
The flavor was very good and the sauce was delicious. However, 45-55 minutes in the oven was waaay too long. I took them out after 35 minutes and the temperature was 190° They were so dry. I will make them again but I’ll start checking them after 20 minutes.
Linda, we made these last night and the same thing happened to us! And I bought the thickest bone-in pork chops the store had. We have an electric range, not a gas so my husband said it just took too long to go from the high heat to the low. But we loved the sauce. I’m going to try the oven method next time instead…we think that will work better than using our stovetop for these!
Our sister Back b made this recipe for Dad, Marj’ and Ernie and it was a big hit. The pork was so tender and delicious. This is a great recipe. It was delicious!!!
OUTSTANDING RECIPE
I’ve made this recipe several times and they have been delicious every time! Thank you for the great recipe.
Also, if you find chops are still tough after simmering for recommended time, just keep simmering until they are tender. It varies greatly.
Definitely entertaining worthy dish.
I’ve made this recipe several times and it’s delicious! I would be very comfortable serving this at a dinner party as well. Perfect balance of flavors. Thanks for sharing!
Delish! Very different from my mother’s shoe leather chops. I made with boneless pork chops and it was tender and oh so tasty. Definitely on my rotation.
Would this work with boneless pork chops? Thats all I currently have in the house
Hi Sandy. I haven’t tried this with boneless chops so I can’t say for sure if it would work well. I believe that the bone does help keep the meat moist and tender.
I made this tonight with boneless chops- I’d have to say – they were not as tender and juicy as bone in would have been- however they were extremely good- I made the dinner pretty much as pictured- the bourbon glazed carrots were next level, the best I have ever tasted in a carrot.
My family’s favorite way to eat pork chops now! I used to hesitate to buy pork chops, they were always tough. This way ensures they are tender and delicious! Thank you for sharing!
Hello! I have a couple questions. 1. Can I do these in my dutch oven? and 2. Will this recipe work in an instant pot?
Yes on the Dutch oven but without testing I’m afraid I can’t say how it would work in an Instant Pot. Typically you need quite a bit more liquid in Instant Pot recipes so I would not recommend trying it.
It turned out pretty good, definitely not as good as with the chops tho.
Have you ever tried this with chicken? I what really good with the chops!
I haven’t but I do think the flavors would be great with chicken. Let me know how it turns out if you try it.