The Best Juicy Pork Chops • Keeping It Simple Blog

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If you are looking for a way to make juicy pork chops, this is it! These juicy boneless pork chops are loaded with flavor on the inside and outside and it only involves following a few simple steps. They are quickly seared on the stovetop and then baked in the oven until juicy perfection.

juicy boneless pork chops after pan sear — Juicy Boneless pork chops cooked to perfection! No sauce is needed.

Now you may become accustomed to having to make a sauce when cooking pork chops because they either lacked flavor on the inside or because they were too dry. Maybe you just gave up altogether on boneless pork chops thinking they just can't be amazing.

This juicy boneless pork chops will change all of that. This is my husband's tried and true boneless pork chops recipe and it is amazing. These tender pork chops are so full of flavor and so easy to make.

I will walk you through all the steps to making the most amazing juicy pork chops, from seasoning them the right way to baking them in the oven so they come out juicy and delicious.

All you need to do are a few simple things to treat this cut of meat right. Gone are the days of dried-out meat.

For this boneless pork chops recipe, you will want to make sure you have an oven-proof pan since you will sear the pork chops before finishing them in the oven. I use a cast iron pan for this pork chops recipe but any heavy-bottom oven-proof pan will work.

finished boneless porkchops — Juicy pork chops.

Ingredients Needed

All simple ingredients to make this recipe. Here is what you need:

Thick boneless pork chops between at least 1-inch thick.
Brine (water, black pepper, dried rosemary, brown sugar, and kosher salt). More on this below. It is very easy!
Pork Chop Seasoning. I use a mesquite rub mixture (my tried and true spice blend) made up of garlic powder, onion powder, brown sugar, and a few other spices. You can use your favorite seasoning for this recipe or you can buy a mesquite seasoning at the store (easiest) or follow my recipe in the recipe card below to make your own. This can be made ahead of time!

Notes about the ingredients

To make these delicious juicy pork chops you will want to follow all the steps in this recipe. You may think you do not have time to let your pork chops sit in brine but it only needs 30 minutes.

The brine for the pork chops can also be made ahead of time so your dinner is not slowed down by this step.

If you made it here and are looking to cook dinner (like right now) without having time for the brine, you should check out our seared pork chops recipe. If you have bone-in pork chops, you might like my grilled pork chops recipe.

How To Make Juicy Pork Chops

The first couple of steps in this boneless pork chops recipe are making the brine and adding the pork to the brine for a short time. This is one of the steps to making juicy pork chops.

Make your brine and let it cool. This is just heating water, salt, and spices until the salt dissolves.
Add your pork chops to the brine and let it sit for 30 minutes.

Add your seasoning (dry rub) to the pork chops. Mix your seasoning in a small bowl. Pat dry the thick chops with a paper towel then add the spice blend and make sure to season all sides.
Sear Pork Chops. Add your pork chops to your pre-heated pan over medium-high heat then give them a quick sear (I use a cast iron skillet) and sear for 1-2 minutes a side.

Once the pork chops are done sitting in the brine, they are ready for seasoning and cooking. Make sure you properly pre-heat your pan so you end up with a nice sear on the pork chops before they go into the oven.

Sear all sides: Make sure you sear all sides including the fat on the outside of your pork chops. You can see how I use the edges of my pan to hold up the chops to do this step.
Bake in the oven: Once the pork chops are seared on all sides it is ready to be finished off with some baking in the oven until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer reads 145 F degrees. The cooking time is only 6 minutes. Not long at all!
Rest: Once those boneless chops are out of the oven, let them rest under some aluminum foil for a few minutes. When you let the meat rest, it will continue cooking with carryover cooking from the residual heat and also continue to get more tender.

Tips

To save time making this boneless pork chops recipe, you can make the brine the day before and keep it in a covered container in the fridge until you are ready. If you make the brine right before you are ready to use, you will need to cool the brine down. To do this quickly, place your pot of brine inside a large bowl full of ice and water until it becomes cool.

If you want to save time on making the seasoning, store-bought mesquite seasoning will work great. I have used this many times with great results.

If you are using a cast iron pan to make these pork chops, for the best results make sure you pre-heat your pan in the 375-degree oven for at least 10 minutes. Cast iron is slow to pre-heat so pre-heating on the stove can take a while. Once cast iron is pre-heated it keeps its heat better than any other pan. The key is to pre-heat it.

Faqs

Why are my pork chops dry?

Because they really need a brine. Boneless pork chops do not have lots of fat so they will dry out very quickly if cooked for too long. Brining will help that.

Why do my pork chops come out tough?

Boneless pork chops that are not brined before cooking will tend to be tough. Over-cooking will also cause the chops to toughen up.

What temperature to cook boneless pork chops

Pork does not need to be cooked to pure white anymore like it used to be many years ago. Pork only needs to be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees.

How do I make juicy pork chops?

Letting the pork rest for a little bit after cooking will help the juices redistribute into the pork making it more juicy.

Storage Instructions

These pork chops store really well and make great leftovers! All ow them to cool then place them in a container with a lid in the fridge and store for up to one week.

This juicy boneless pork chops recipe will take care of all of these issues you may have had when making boneless pork chops. You will fall in love with these tender boneless pork chops after trying this recipe.

What to serve with Pork Chops

There are so many great sides to go with this easy pork chop recipe. Here are some ideas:

More Pork Recipes

If you love these juicy boneless pork chops, you may also like these:

Print Recipe

5 from 33 votes

Juicy Pork Chops Recipe

If you are looking for a way to make amazing boneless pork chops, this is it! These juicy boneless pork chops are loaded with flavor on the inside and outside and it only involves following a few simple steps.

Cook Time15

Brining Time30

Total Time45

Servings: servings

Author: Melissa Oleary

Equipment

cast iron pan or heavy bottom sauté pan that is oven proof

Ingredients

4 boneless pork chops about ¾ to 1 inch thick
1 tablespoon olive oil for pan

Brine

4 cups water
¼ cups kosher salt
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
black peppercorns (Optional) about ½ tsp
1 bay leaf optional

Mesquite Seasoning

1 ½ tablespoon brown sugar
½ tablespoon smoked paprika if you do not have smoked paprika you can use chipotle powder, ancho chili powder or just regular paprika.
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon sweet paprika
½ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon chili powder

Instructions

Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees.

Make your Brine

Add the water, kosher salt, brown sugar, dried rosemary and peppercorns to a small sauce pan over medium heat.
4 cups water, ¼ cups kosher salt, 2 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, black peppercorns, 1 bay leaf
Heat until the salt dissolves.
Remove the pot from the heat and let cool completely. This step can be done ahead of time.

Seasoning

Add all of the spices for the seasoning to a small bowl and mix well.
1 ½ tablespoon brown sugar, ½ tablespoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon sweet paprika, ½ teaspoon cumin, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon chili powder
Set aside for later.

Pork Chops

Add your cooled brine to a large bowl and place your pork chops in it for 30 minutes.
4 boneless pork chops
While pork chops are brining, place your cast iron pan in the oven to pre-heat for 10 minutes. If you are not using cast iron, you can skip this step.
After 30 minutes, remove the pork chops from the brine. Pat dry with paper towels and set aside.
Remove your pan from the oven (be careful as the pan will be very hot) and place it on the stove over medium heat. If you are not using cast iron, let your pan pre-heat for a few minutes on the stove.
Add your seasoning to the pork chops on all sides.
Add olive oil to your pan.
1 tablespoon olive oil
Place the pork chops in the pan and sear for 3 minutes per side. Make sure to also get the fat sides of the pork chops.
Once the pork has been seared on all sides, place the pan into your pre-heated oven and let the pork chops cook for 6 minutes.
After 6 minutes, remove the pork chops from the oven and place them on to a plate and cover with aluminum foil to rest for about 3-5 minutes. The pork Chops should be 145 degrees when you take them out of the oven.
Serve the pork chops immediately and make sure to pour any remaining pan juices over the top of them.

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