Juicy Pan Fried Pork Chops Recipe

Pan Fried Pork Chops with nicely browned exterior ready to serve.

Juicy Pan Fried Pork Chops Recipe

Course: Main

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Comfort Food, Easy, Family Friendly

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 25

Servings:

Calories: 363kcal

Author: Marilyn

Pan frying pork chops is an incredibly easy and delicious way to prepare pork chops. A little bit of seasoning, a good hot skillet, and our cooking tips will make juicy, tender pork chops with a glorious sear.

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Ingredients

4 bone-in pork chops about ¾-to 1-inch thick
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic about 2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon dried shallots about 1 small fresh shallot, minced
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1-¼ cups low-sodium chicken broth
¼ teaspoon white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 3 tablespoon size pieces

Instructions

Using a paper towel, pat the chops dry. Season the chops with the salt and pepper.
In a cast iron skillet over medium heat, add the oil and heat until shimmering. Add the pork chops and cook, turning once, 10 minutes or until nicely browned on each side. Transfer pork to a plate. Tent with foil to keep warm.
Pour off all but 1 teaspoon of oil from the pan. Add garlic and cook over medium heat, stirring, 1 minute or until fragrant. Add thyme sprigs, broth and vinegar, scraping the skillet to loosen browned bit from the bottom of the pan.
Cook, stirring often, 6 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Remove from heat. Remove thyme sprigs. Whisk in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer sauce to a serving container.
Serve pork chops with sauce on the side.

Notes

Tips For Outstanding Pork Chops

Have all your required ingredients measured out and ready to go. The pork chops and the sauce gets done very quickly. You don’t want to be scrambling to get the next ingredient ready or risk overcooking the chops or scorching the sauce. This step is called mise en place – a really great preparation step to do with all your recipes.
Pat the chops dry with a paper towel.
Season pork chops and pat the seasoning. It isn’t necessary to rub the pork seasoning in.
Cut a small slit every inch or two in the fat trim around the edge of the pork chop to prevent the edges from curling. The chops will then touch the pan evenly.
Use a large enough skillet so your pork chops aren’t crowded. This will help the pork chops turn golden brown and not steam.
Heat the skillet over medium heat until the oil is shimmering. The pork chops will immediately start to sear and not soak in oil.
When frying, wait until the chops easily release from the skillet before turning. If you have to pry them off the skillet, they aren’t seared enough yet.
Cook pork chops until an instant-read thermometer registers 145°F when inserted horizontally into the chop.
If your chops are thicker and the outside is getting done faster than the inside, cover the pan and cook 2 more minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145°F and just a hint of pink remains in the pork.

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