Southern Smothered Pork Chops are high on my list of the best comfort food recipes. Pan-Fried and perfectly seared, these tender pork chops, smothered in a rich onion gravy, are a meal the entire family will love.
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If you’re a fan of pork, these delicious juicy pork chops are in a creamy gravy that’s so flavorful it’s almost sinful. This Southern Classic will definitely change how your family feels about pork chops, and I promise they’ll love every bite of our smothered pork chops.
Our Smothered pork chops are a one-pot meal that is easy to make and definitely an upgrade from the tired old pork chops most of us serve. The chops stay tender and juicy, and lots of creamy onion gravy helps make them even more delicious.
If you love pork as much as I do, check out my Oven Roasted Rack of Pork. It’s amazingly delicious and easy to make.
Ingredients
Gather the ingredients to prepare our smothered pork chops recipe. Culinary professionals call this the “Mise en Place,” which means “everything in its Place.”
Setting up your ingredients not only helps speed up the cooking process but also ensures you have all the necessary ingredients on hand to make the recipe.
I use bone-in pork chops for this recipe. I love the flavor that the bone imparts to the pork as it cooks. You can use boneless pork chops, but they won’t be as flavorful.
Instructions
Follow along with my simple step-by-step instructions to learn how to make smothered pork chops in your home kitchen.
- Pat the pork chops dry on both sides using a paper towel.
- Generously season both sides of the pork chops with salt, black pepper, sweet paprika, and garlic powder.
- Gently rub the seasonings into the chops and set aside until needed.
- Add the flour to a shallow bowl or plate, and dredge the seasoned pork chops in the flour, thoroughly coating both sides of the pork (save the flour, it will be used later).
- Add the butter and olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. As the butter melts, swirl the mixture until well blended.
- Add the floured pork chops to the skillet when the pan and butter/olive oil mixture is hot.
- Cook the pork chops for 4-5 minutes, letting a dark golden brown crust develop on the chops. Turn the pork over and sear the other side for 4-5 minutes until you get the same beautiful brown crust.
Remove the pan-fried pork chops from the pan and place them on a baking sheet or platter. Loosely cover the chops with aluminum foil and set aside until needed.
- In the same pan with the remaining oil/butter mixture over medium heat, add the onions and cook for 8-10 minutes. During the cooking process, the onions will break down and caramelize. You want them to get a deep brown color, almost to the point of turning black. If they start to burn, reduce the heat to low to finish the caramelization of the onions. Stir the onions throughout the cooking process.
- Add the garlic to the pan, stirring it into the onions, and cook for one minute.
- Add two tablespoons of the reserved flour to the onion mixture. Stir the flour into the onion mixture until all the flour has been incorporated. Then let it cook over low heat for 2 minutes to cook the raw flavor out of the flour. This is the roux that will thicken the sauce.
- Add the chicken broth to the pan, and use a large metal spoon to scrape up all the tasty brown bits stuck to the pan’s bottom. Let the mixture cook for 2-3 minutes until it thickens.
- Add the heavy cream and fresh thyme to the pan. Mix to incorporate, and let the mixture come up to a simmer. Taste the onion gravy and reseason as needed with salt and black pepper.
You can use light cream or whole milk if you prefer. - Add the pork chops to the pan with any juices that may have been released as they rested. Spoon the onion gravy over top of the pork chops, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer the pork uncovered in the onion gravy for 12-14 minutes.
The gravy will continue to thicken, and if it gets too thick or it starts to separate, add a little water to the pan as needed.
Remove the pan from the heat and let the pork chops rest in the creamy gravy for 5 minutes before serving. Serve the Smothered Pork Chops with mashed potatoes and green beans or your favorite green vegetable, and enjoy!
Cook the pork chops fully, and if you’re unsure, use an instant-read or meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature has reached at least 165 degrees.
Recipe FAQs
Overcooking is the most common reason pork chops turn out tough. Searing them at too high a temperature can cause the muscle to tighten up, making the chops tough.
Use an instant-read thermometer to make sure the chops don’t overcook. Even an extra minute can make a difference.
Start with bone-in pork chops, and avoid thin-cut pork chops if you want to sear them.
Let the chops come to room temperature before cooking.
Season the pork chops generously and let them rest for 5 minutes before cooking.
Sear the pork chops over medium heat, not medium-high or high.
Let the pork chops rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Serving gravy with the chops keeps the chops from drying out.
Yes, you can. The USDA recommends cooking pork chops to an internal temperature of 145°F, followed by a three-minute rest. This guideline ensures the meat is safe to eat while still remaining juicy and tender. At this temperature, it’s perfectly normal for the center of the pork chop to have a slight pink hue, which doesn’t indicate undercooking, just proper doneness.
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Smothered Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 2.25 lbs bone-in pork chops 2¼- 2½ pounds
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour -save after coating chops, needed to thicken sauce.
- 4 tbs unsalted butter
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1 ½ cup sweet onion -1 medium onion cut & sliced into half moons.
- 1 tbs garlic -finely minced (3-4 cloves)
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme -finely chopped
- 3 cups chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Pat dry the pork chops on both sides using a paper towel.
- Generously season both sides of the pork chops with salt, black pepper, sweet paprika, and garlic powder. Gently rub the seasonings into the chops and set aside until needed.
- Add the flour to a shallow bowl or plate, and dredge the seasoned pork chops in the flour, completely coating both sides of the pork (save the flour, it will be used later).
- Add the butter and olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. As the butter melts, swirl the mixture until well blended.
- When the pan and butter/olive oil mixture is hot, add the floured pork chops to the skillet. Cook the pork chops for 4-5 minutes, letting a brown crust develop on the chop.
- Turn the pork over and sear the other side for 4-5 minutes until you get the same beautiful brown crust.
- Remove the pan-fried pork chops from the pan and place them on a baking sheet or platter, and loosely cover the chops with aluminum foil. Set aside until needed.
- Using the same skillet with the remaining oil/butter mixture over medium heat, add the onions to the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes. During the cooking process, the onions will break down and caramelize. You want them to get deep brown color, almost to the point of turning black. If they start to burn, reduce the heat to low to finish the caramelization of the onions.*Stir the onions throughout the cooking process.
- Add the garlic to the pan, stirring it into the onions and cook for one minute.
- Add two tablespoons of the reserved flour to the onion mixture. Stir the flour into the onion mixture until all the flour has been incorporated, then let it cook over low heat for 2 minutes to cook the raw flavor out of the flour. *This is the roux that will thicken the sauce.
- Add the chicken broth to the pan, and use a large metal spoon to scrape up all the tasty brown bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan. Let the mixture cook for 2-3 minutes until it begins to thicken.Stir as needed.
- Add the heavy cream and fresh thyme to the pan, mixing to incorporate, and let the mixture come up to a simmer. Taste the onion gravy and reseason as needed with salt and black pepper.
- Add the pork chops to the pan with any juices that may have been released as they rested. Spoon the onion gravy over top of the pork chops and reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the pork uncovered in the onion gravy for 12-14 minutes.
- The gravy will continue to thicken. If it gets too thick or starts to separate, add a little water until you have the desired consistency and the sauce comes back together.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let the pork chops rest in the onion gravy for 5 minutes before serving.
- Serve the Smothered Pork Chops with mashed potatoes and your favorite green vegetable, and enjoy!
William Scull says
Very Good and tender.
Chef Dennis Littley says
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the pork chops, its one of my wife’s favorite dishes.
Brenda Turner says
I grew up eating smothered pork chops, when we had leftovers we would eat them for breakfast,in black families,no food is wasted. I’ll try your recipe, because it looks delicious and you have a few different ingredients. This the reason I love all foods and recipes
Scott says
Made this last night and it was fantastic. Couldn’t stop eating anything that had the gravy on it. Will definitely make this again.
Chef Dennis Littley says
Happy to hear you enjoyed the pork chops, Scott. That gravy is pretty darn delicious!
Tammy says
This looks so comforting and delicious! That sauce is perfection, Dennis! Great meal for the family this week 😀
Enriqueta E Lemoine says
Now that Lent is over, I’m making these yummy pork chops asap. Thank you for the recipe and inspiration, Chef.
Hayley Dhanecha says
What a comfort and delicious recipe, my friend loved it! So tender and flavourful pork chops are.
Debbie says
These smothered pork chops came out so tender and flavorful . This was so easy to make and my husband has already asked for them again.
Lisa says
You had me at smothered! Perfect cooked chops with a delicious gravy!!
Veronika says
What an amazing recipe! I made it yesterday and my whole family loved it! They asked me to make it again next week 😉
Elizabeth says
This is such a classic, comfort recipe. I like to make my smothered pork chops in the slow cooker.
Ann says
You really can’t go wrong with this recipe! Very simple to make, and very delicious! Everyone loved it!
Marta says
These smothered pork chops are straight-up comfort food! I made these for Sunday dinner last night and the family tore through them. They’ll be a frequent meal in our home from now on.
Bernice says
I cannot wait to give this pork chop recipe a try… we have some beautiful thick locally raised pork chops in the freezer and this is how I’m going to cook them. Grabbing them out of the freezer ASAP
Larry says
Looks outstanding and must try