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My Easy Baked Pork Chops are so tender and juicy, and the brown sugar spice rub gives them a ton of flavor! These boneless pork chops are sure to be a new family favorite.
For more delicious baked pork chops, try my Shake and Bake Pork Chops and easy Braised Pork Chops.
Pork is often overlooked as one of the tastiest and most versatile meats. This baked pork chop recipe will change all of that. With tender, juicy meat and tons of flavor, this recipe is the best way to cook pork chops!
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Why I Love This Baked Pork Chops Recipe
I’ll be the first to admit, I’ve never really been a fan of boneless pork chops. They always seem like a good idea, but they come out of the oven dry and tough.
But you know what I figured out? It wasn’t the pork’s fault! It was mine. I finally figured out that I was cooking the poor pork chops to death, and it was slow and painful. Finally learning how to cook pork chops in the oven was life changing!
These baked pork chops are:
- Tender and juicy. A little bit of olive oil rubbed all over the meat before cooking helps to lock in the juices and keeps the meat so tender and moist.
- Perfectly seasoned. My All Purpose Seasoning has the best flavor!
- Quick and easy. Simple seasoning and a fast bake time make this an easy dinner that’s ready in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients for Baked Pork Chops
- Pork chops – I like to use a nice, thick boneless pork chop for this recipe – about an inch to an inch and a half thick is perfect. Thicker chops will take longer to cook, and thinner chops will take less but also run the risk of drying out.
- Olive oil – Rubbed all over the meat to help keep the meat nice and juicy by locking in the moisture.
- Seasoning blend – Salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder (or paprika).
- Brown sugar – Added to the seasoning blend, the brown sugar caramelizes and helps to create a nice crust around the meat.
How To Bake Pork Chops
See recipe card below for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Mix the rub. In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder.
Dry and oil. Pat the pork dry with paper towels. Place the pork chops in a large baking dish and rub with a little bit of olive oil. Rub the spice blend all over the meat.
Sear. This step is optional but I’m including it here because it’s really a valuable step toward getting a golden brown crust on the pork. Heat some oil in a skillet and press the pork into the skillet for a couple of minutes per side, until a golden brown sear is achieved.
Bake. Arrange the pork chops in a baking dish or on a covered baking sheet and bake in a 400℉ oven for about 15-20 minutes. If you have a meat thermometer, it will come in handy here. You want the pork to register about 140-145℉ for medium rare.
Let them rest. Now, it’s tempting to cut into the pork chops to see if they’re done – resist! Cutting right away will let all of those juices out, negating all of your hard work. Cover the chops with foil and let them rest for 5 minutes first.
How Long To Cook Boneless Pork Chops
The best way to keep boneless pork chops from drying out is to bake them at a high temperature for a short amount of time. Rubbing a little oil on them also helps to lock in the moisture, similar to my Baked Chicken Breasts.
I bake my chops at 400℉ for about 15-20 minutes. The thicker the meat, the longer it will take to cook. I recommend choosing a thicker cut of meat – at least 1-inch thick – for the best results. If you opt for searing the chops first, you can shave at least 5 minutes off the bake time.
According to the FDA, pork is safe for consumption when the internal temperature registers 145℉. The cook time can vary based on the thickness of the meat, so keep a digital meat thermometer handy so you can check, and keep from overcooking.
FAQs
Pork pairs well with sweet sides like Honey Roasted Carrots and of course pork chops and Slow Cooker Applesauce is a classic. We love to serve this pork chops recipe with Easy Baked Potato Wedges, Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes, or some simple Garlic Bread and a copycat Olive Garden Salad.
Actually, it’s the opposite. Pork Chops are very lean and therefore can dry out easily as they cook. They only take about 15 minutes to bake at 400℉.
Pork chops are a lean meat and it is so easy to overcook them. You want to cook them to just a tad under because they retain heat and will continue cooking even after you remove them from the oven or skillet.
Pork is safe to eat once it reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit. I recommend cooking it just shy of that if you can since pork chops do continue cooking a tad after you remove them from the heat.
Expert Tips
Here are a few tips I’ve learned about keeping this cut of meat super tender and juicy without drying it out:
- Oil and season. Rub the pork chops with a little bit of olive oil before adding the seasoning. This will not only help the seasoning stick to the pork, but it adds a little flavor and lock in moisture to keep the pork moist.
- Don’t overcook it. People tend to think that pork takes a long time to cook, but with boneless pork chops this rule just doesn’t apply. A good rule of thumb for baking pork chops is 7-8 minutes per half inch of meat in a 400℉ oven. Pork roasts and bone-in pork is a different story and will take much longer.
- Let it rest. This is true for any meat that you’re cooking, from chicken to steaks to pork. I cannot stress this enough! When meat cooks, all of the juices inside rush to the center. Resting allows those juices to redistribute throughout the meat resulting in a tender and juicy pork chop.
- Resist the urge to cut. Do not cut before serving. Cutting into them too soon lets all of those juices out and the meat becomes dry very quickly.
- Sear the chops first to lock in that sweet and spice. This will also give the pork a nice golden crust. Or, you could flip on the broiler during the last few minutes to caramelize the top.
What To Do With Leftovers
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Or freeze for up to 2-3 months.
Reheating: Pork can be finicky to reheat, so I’ll sometimes eat it cold. One great way to reuse leftover pork is to add it to my Egg Fried Rice which is something I do often. Make sure to dice the pork up into small, bite-sized pieces and saute them in a little butter to heat them before adding them to the rice.
More Pork Recipes
- Lemon Herb Pork Tenderloin
- Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Chimichurri Sauce
- Slow Cooker Barbecue Pulled Pork Sliders
- Pan Roasted Pork Tenderloin
- Pan Seared Pork Chops
- Pork Schnitzel
- Homemade Pork and Beans
Easy Baked Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 4 boneless pork loin chops about 1-inch thick
- 3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a large, 13×9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a small bowl combine the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder and brown sugar.
- Lay pork chops in the prepared baking dish, side by side but not touching. Coat both sides of each chop with the olive oil.
- Sprinkle half of the seasoning blend over the tops of the pork chops and rub into the meat with your hands. Repeat on the flip side of the meat.
- Slide the dish into the preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until pork registers 145 degrees F on a meat thermometer.
- Tent with foil and let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Simple ingredients. Easy to prepare. Perfect outcome. These pork chops were so juicy and delicious. I’ve never been able to cook moist pork chops without covering them with soup or heavy marinade. This recipe is a definite keeper!
Thank you Doris! and thank you for sharing your experience.
Really easy and yet delicious! Thank you
Thank you Margo! and thank you for your feedback.
Can you cook this recipe in a Dutch Oven?
If you are baking it in the oven, yes.
This was one of the first recipes I found when searching for baked pork chops and it turned out excellent! We all loved it!
So glad you enjoyed it Chris!
Thank you, Kristin! I made these for Christmas dinner and they are, apparently, foolproof. And delicious. Thank you for the additional advice on pork choppery, in general. I served these with baked potatoes and a variety of toppings, so the whole meal didn’t involve a lot of last minute prep.
I’ve never really liked pork chops bc they’re always so dry and I didn’t have olive oil today, so I used vegetable oil, but followed the rest to the letter!! It was absolutely amazing!!! My kids love pork chops but loved these more and I can’t thank you enough for helping me to finally enjoy pork chops!!!
Thank you Melissa! I love that you were able to make it work for you!
I had issues with the getting mine to brown like the photo. I doubled the seasoning recipe, because I doubled the meat, and they still came out white. How are you getting yours to come out with this golden brown color?
They browned like that just in the oven. I may have broiled them for a minute or two, I’ll add that option to the notes.
Hi . I tried these. Very good recipe. Thank you Kristen. Before your recipe, I would just pound the boneless pork chops and bread them and bake. Rather bland. This is much better!??
Thank you Gregory and thanks for stopping by!
Unfortunately, I followed the recipe exacrly but my porkchops were tough to cut and tough to eat. The taste was great – as far as the spices were concerned. But I will not make this again. Back to searching for tender, tasty porkchop recipe.
Depending on the thickness, pork chops can be difficult to get just right and very easy to overcook. I’d urge you to try again, and just reduce the cooking time.
I made these tonight, and I too had trouble getting mine to brown. The rub was delicious, and the pork chops were juicy. I did not find them to be exceptionally tender though. They were more tender though then when I usually cook them to death. I expected to be able to cut into them with a fork. A knife was needed too. I checked the temperature after 15 minutes, and they were not yet up to 145 degrees…so I cooked for an additional 5 minutes. Next time I may try using the convection setting on my oven. Maybe that would brown things up. Your’s look crispy.
I used the broil setting on mine to brown them during the last 5 minutes, as mentioned in the notes. Pork chops don’t typically come out fork tender, but tender enough to cut easily I hope! 🙂
Tried your recipe tonight. Nice and tender. Thank you. Did not have brown sugar nor the other spices except salt/pepper. Still very tasty.
Glad you still gave it a try – it’s a simple method, and so juicy and tender!
Do you have nutritional information for this recipe?
No, I’m not able to provide nutritional information for each recipe. However you can find good information at myfitnesspal.com
I made these using the same ingredients, but didn’t measure them, just added the amounts that looked good. I baked them for 15 minutes at 400 degrees but I could tell without cutting into them they weren’t ready, so I put them back in for another 5 and they were perfect.
I resisted cutting into them and I let them rest for a full 10 minutes, they were wonderfully juicy and tender! The flavor was a nice sweet with a little spice, will definitely be doing this again, thanks for the recipe!
Hi Sandy,
I love that you were able to make it work for you!
I never leave comments but want to thank you. I improvised with what I had but followed important stuff & my husband who has no teeth could eat them & loved them. Helps our budget & gives me another option that is a whole lot healthier than hamburger helper. Thanks again! Made my day lol
Really enjoy your recipes. Thank you.
Thank you!
Just made these tonight and they were delicious and very easy!! Thanks for sharing your recipe
Can you cut them in half before you oil and season them?
You could cut them so they are thinner, but it would really reduce the cooking time so you’d want to take that into account.
Loved, loved, loved this recipe. Absolutely delicious! My husband loved it, too.
Are the chops in the oven for long enough to brown them or should they be browned in a frying pan first (especially the fat round the edge)?
They do brown a bit in the oven, but you could brown them first if you like. You’ll want to be careful to adjust the baking time and not overcook them though.
Thank you for telling me how to cook boneless pork chops as I had no idea and would have killed them by cutting and not letting them rest. The ones I bought have a bbq rub on them but your brown sugar one sounds much better so I’m going to wash this one off and try yours. Wish me luck??!! ?
Excellent recipe for easy basic pork chop cooking. As we avoid sugar, I only used olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic for the rub and sprinkle with tarragon. I also baked them in casserole dish with a lid to keep the juice from the meat in the dish.