Description
Succulent skillet pork chops deliver restaurant-quality comfort right in home kitchens, promising golden-brown perfection with minimal effort. Rich herbs and precise searing technique guarantee juicy, flavorful meat that will make you crave another bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Protein:
- 4 bone-in pork chops (about 1 inch thick)
Seasonings and Herbs:
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
Cooking Fats and Liquid Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) olive oil
- 1 tablespoon (14 grams) butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) chicken broth (or white wine)
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) Dijon mustard (optional)
Garnish:
- Fresh thyme or parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Remove pork chops from refrigerator and allow them to reach room temperature for 30 minutes, enhancing even cooking. Season both sides generously with salt and pepper, ensuring complete coverage.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Carefully place seasoned pork chops into hot skillet, searing for 4-5 minutes per side until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 145°F.
- Transfer cooked pork chops to a plate and loosely tent with foil to retain warmth. Reduce skillet heat to medium and add butter, allowing it to melt smoothly.
- Add minced garlic and thyme to melted butter, stirring quickly until aromatic, approximately 30 seconds. Pour chicken broth into skillet, using a wooden spoon to deglaze and scrape up flavorful browned bits from pan bottom.
- Incorporate Dijon mustard into sauce, stirring to blend completely. Simmer sauce for 3-4 minutes until slightly thickened and reduced.
- Return pork chops to skillet, gently coating them with sauce and warming for an additional 2 minutes. Garnish with fresh thyme or parsley if desired.
- Plate immediately, drizzling remaining sauce over pork chops for maximum flavor and moisture.
Notes
- Choose bone-in pork chops for maximum flavor and juiciness, ensuring they are about 1-inch thick for even cooking.
- Pat the pork chops completely dry with paper towels before seasoning to achieve a perfect golden-brown sear and prevent steaming.
- Allow the skillet to get truly hot before adding pork chops to create a beautiful caramelized crust that locks in moisture.
- For gluten-free adaptation, replace Dijon mustard with gluten-free mustard and ensure chicken broth is certified gluten-free.
- Consider using a meat thermometer to guarantee precise doneness without overcooking, pulling the chops off heat at 135°F and letting them rest to reach 145°F.
- Swap butter with olive oil or ghee for dairy-free options while maintaining rich flavor profile.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 0g
- Sodium: 400mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 1g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 90mg