Sheet Pan Italian Pork Chops Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to making tender pork chops? ›

Do Baked Pork Chops Need to Be Covered? Some baked pork chop recipes do require that the pan is covered with either foil or a lid. It creates steam and ensures that the meat is tender and juicy.

While there are a number of ways to cook pork chops for dinner, baking is arguably the easiest path to perfection. The hands-off cooking method cooks pork chops gently and evenly without the need for extra fat, resulting in juicy, healthier pork chops that pair well with practically any side dish.

High-heat frying sears them to a golden brown; and a moderately hot oven (400 degrees F) bakes the pork chops gently enough to keep them from drying out. This "sear-roasting" method is a great way to cook pork chops in the oven: Fry one side to golden brown, then flip, and place the chops directly in the oven.

Brine the pork.

Brining involves soaking your meat in salt water to increase the tenderness and moistness of the final dish. Brines always contain salt and water, but can also include other ingredients for added flavor like apple cider, brown sugar, rosemary, and thyme.

First, we sear one side of the chops until browned, flip them, turn the heat to low, and cover the skillet with a lid. The second side will slowly turn golden brown, and since we added the lid, the heat from the pan will gently cook the middle. By gently cooking the chops this way, they stay juicy and become tender.

I find that boneless pork chops can cook quicker and become dry easier. I suggest you cook them around the 375 degree temperature or even 400 for a crispier skin. See below for how long to cook them based on their thickness.

Depends on the cut and cooking method. Pork shoulder can be cooked low and slow for a good amount of time but not pork chops or pork loin. Pork can get dried out and tough pretty easily. Ribs do well low and slow as well.

I use both! At the same time! The butter helps achieve that golden brown color and adds more flavor, but you need the oil, too, because it has a higher smoke point and keeps the butter from burning. How long do you cook pork chops in a frying pan?

Can pork chops be a little pink? ›

That color doesn't indicate anything nefarious—at 145°F, your pork is at a “medium rare” temperature. You would expect to see some pink in a medium-rare steak, so don't be surprised to find it in your pork chops! If the pink color freaks you out, you can continue cooking it until it reaches 155°F.

To bake pork chops without breading, sear them in a cast iron skillet before baking. The brown crust that develops when searing is where the great flavor comes from. Sear on each side for 2 to 3 minutes. For easy clean-up you can bake your chops right in the pan you used for searing.

We call this cross-contamination. While washing meat and poultry to remove dirt, slime, fat or blood may have been appropriate decades ago when many slaughtered and prepared their own food, the modern food safety system doesn't require it.

Bake your pork chops at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. If you want to add an extra step, sear your pork chops in a pan first and transfer to a baking sheet to cook for about 6-8 more minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees.

A brine is essentially just salt and water. It helps prevent moisture loss during cooking, and the salt also helps tenderize the meat from the inside out. If you want an extra juicy piece of pork, brine it before cooking. You can make an effective brine just with salt and water, but additional seasonings do help.

Too thick means on the grill longer with higher chance of drying out. Last night I followed Kent Rollin's approach to tender pork chops, which was to marinade in lime juice for 4 hours, along with a little bit of Adolph's meat tenderizer. Then place in foil with butter and grill over direct heat 3min on each side.

Because pork chops are such a lean cut, they are relatively quick-cooking and prone to overcooking. When they're cooked for even a few minutes too long, whether it's in the oven or on the stovetop or grill, they're quick to dry out, and — you guessed it — become tough, chewy, and less than appealing.

Marinating the pork chops in milk make them very juicy and tender. To save time prepare the applesauce ahead of time and serve it at room temperature.