Juicy Baked Pork Chops
Baked pork chops are one of my favorite weeknight dinners. A quick sear, then baking them in a 400°F oven for 10 minutes, produces reliably juicy, flavorful chops.
Servings 4 servings
Calories 302kcal
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ tablespoon paprika or smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 4 pork chops (½ to 1 inch thick, 6-8 oz each)
- Cooking spray (I use avocado oil spray)
Instructions
- If your chops are around 1 inch thick, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, mix together the kosher salt, black pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. Rub the mixture on both sides of the pork chops.
- When your oven has reached 400 degrees, sear the chops: Heat a large, oven-safe, heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat, about 3 minutes. Spray it with cooking spray. Add the pork chops. Sear 2 minutes per side, without moving the chops, until well-browned, even charred in spots.
- If your chops are ½-inch thick, they should be ready now (check with a thermometer - internal temperature should reach 145 degrees F). Transfer them to a platter, loosely cover with foil, and allow them to rest for 3 minutes before serving.
- If your pork chops are ¾ to 1 inch thick, place them in the oven and bake to a slightly rosy internal temperature of 145 degrees F. This should take between 8 and 10 minutes, depending on your oven and on the thickness of the chops.
- Transfer the chops to a platter, tent them with foil, and allow them to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition info is from fitday.com for "Pork chop, broiled or baked, lean and fat eaten," plus 1g carbs added for the spices.
It's best to choose bone-in pork chops for maximum juiciness. Boneless chops can dry out more easily. But since more often than not all I can get is boneless ones, I use the same method and they turn out just fine.
Nutrition
Serving: 16-oz pork chop | Calories: 302kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 484mg