Juicy Baked Pork Chops (easy recipe that always turns out tender)
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These oven baked pork chops are the most popular baked pork chop recipe on the internet for good reason: they’re easy to make, tender, super juicy, and flavorful. A few simple ingredients and pantry-staple spices are all you need to make this incredible dinner.
I’ve been told I’m an expert at making pork chops and have more than 16 pork chop recipes for you. Try these smothered pork chops and pan-fried pork chops next. Or go for my popular baked pork tenderloin!
Let’s give it up for easy and delicious pork chop recipes! This is one of my family’s favorite dinner recipes, and we go back to it repeatedly. The flavorful pork chops always turn out tender and juicy. After you make these baked pork chops, you’ll make them again and again. The recipe is speedy and easy to prepare and is a great one to keep in your back pocket for when you need dinner stat or can’t figure out what to make tonight. You can use boneless or bone-in pork chops – it’s your choice!
In this recipe, I keep it simple and don’t sear the chops on the stove. Instead, they go straight into the oven. From my experience, this makes the chops more tender and saves an extra step of work. And with the gorgeous color of the spices, you won’t miss the sear. Serve these with a big salad and some potatoes roasted in the oven at the same time as the pork chops. It makes for the best dinner.
Why you’ll love these baked pork chops
- 100% juicy pork chops. ← truth!
- With these chops, in just over 20 minutes you can be sitting down to a delicious dinner.
- The easy spice rub, made with spices you probably have in your pantry right now, makes the chops taste amazing.
- Pork chops are a budget-friendly protein option. Knowing how to cook them so they don’t dry out will make your dinners less expensive and more delicious.
- The kitchen-staple ingredients mean you shouldn’t have to run to the grocery store to make our recipe.
- Easily made with bone-in or boneless pork chops. Choose whichever you like best!
How long do pork chops take to bake at 400 degrees?
The biggest trick to making oven-baked pork chops is not overcooking them. Since pork chops are lean, they will dry out if left in the oven for too long. But don’t worry, here’s an easy way to know exactly how long you should cook your chops.
Boneless pork chops should cook for 7 minutes per ½-inch of thickness in a 400-degree Fahrenheit oven. If you use bone-in pork chops, cook them for 8 minutes per ½ inch.
- Boneless pork chops 1 ½ inches thick should be baked for 21 minutes.
- Bone-in pork chops 1 ½ inches thick should be baked for 24 minutes.
If you’re new to roasting pork chops, using an instant-read meat thermometer is the best way to determine whether they are fully cooked. Pork should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit. We use our meat thermometer to make sure the meat doesn’t overcook.
What spices are the best with pork?
This spice blend is made with simple ingredients and you can use it on both chicken and pork. It’s a delicious way to create flavorful pork chops. It’s my go-to recipe and I’ve made it so many times and never get tired of it. Here are the pantry staples it is made with:
- Paprika
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Oregano – you can substitute Italian seasoning if you’d like
- Salt – sea salt or kosher salt
- Black pepper
It’s a basic spice rub that takes only a couple of minutes to make and has so much flavor. I recommend doubling (or tripling) the amounts so you can have some on hand for other dinners. Try sprinkling a little bit on some potatoes or sweet potatoes and baking them at the same time as your chops.
Pork recipes often call for brown sugar, but it is really not necessary. There is no reason to take a lean cut of meat and add a bunch of sugar. These chops are sugar-free and delicious.
What to serve with your oven baked pork chops
I like to serve these with a simple green salad and a veggie side that gets roasted on a baking sheet in the oven alongside these delicious pork chops. For a great meal that the whole family will love, try adding one of my favorite side dishes:
- Crispy Roasted Potatoes
- Roasted Asparagus or Roasted Broccoli
- Basmati Rice or brown rice
Store and Reheat
Store: I love a good pork chop sliced over a salad for lunch, so sometimes I make extra to have leftovers. They will keep for 3-4 days in an airtight container in your fridge.
Reheat: I like to slice them thin and warm them briefly in a pan over medium heat. You can also use a microwave.
Freeze: Yes! If you’d like to meal-prep, these baked pork chops will keep for at least three months in the freezer.
Watch how to make baked pork chops:
Juicy Baked Pork Chops (easy recipe that always turns out tender)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
- 4 boneless pork chops
Instructions
- Turn your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Measure the thickness of your pork chops so you know how long to bake them – see notes.
- In a small bowl, mix together the paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and oregano.1 tablespoon paprika, 2 teaspoons onion powder, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon salt
- Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over both sides of the pork chops. Sprinkle the spice mix evenly over both sides of the pork chops, then place them in a baking dish – see notes. Drizzle them with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.2 tablespoons olive oil, 4 boneless pork chops
- Bake the pork chops uncovered for 7 minutes per ½ inch of thickness, or until they reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit – for 1 ½ inch pork chops, you'll bake them for 21 minutes. Once you remove them from the oven, let them rest in the pan for 5 minutes before serving.
Last step:
- After you make this recipe, take a picture with your phone and share it in the comments section below. I love seeing it when you make my recipes!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
Delicious! Made this exactly as instructed. So tasty and juicy. Husband loved it and wants it again very soon. Thank you for sharing this. Definitely a keeper!
My family loved these! Could this recipe be used
In the crock pot you think?
I work nights and sleep during the day and love crock
Pot meals because they can cook all day and have a
Good meal for my family and not lose sleep ?
I’m not sure about using a crockpot for this exact recipe. But I’ve been recipe testing a slow cooker pork chop recipe. Stay tuned!
These were so juicy and delicious. I always overcook pork, but not this time! Hooray!!! Thank you for the recipe!
I made this for my parents today and they absolutely loved it. It came out so darn juicy. Since my pork chops are only 1 in thick, I cooked it for 14 minutes only as recommended. Definitely a recipe to save!! Thank you for sharing.
Great, basic pork chop recipe! Anyone who is finding the chops are not cooking anywhere close to the estimated time, be sure you have fully preheated your oven. Every oven I’ve had has required at least 15 minutes past when the timer beeps to actually get to 400 (or 425, which is what I use for this recipe. Once I got an oven thermometer, almost every recipe came out so much better!
Delicious. But I used boneless sirloin 1 and 1/4 inch thick and they were perfect at 10 minutes. I used a meat thermometer.
Do you cover the pork chops while baking?
No, leave them uncovered. 🙂
I made this for dinner last night. I give it a five star rating. It was the most delicious pork chops I have ever had. The seasoning was excellent. I made a big batch of the seasoning for use with other meats. Thank you. This recipe will stay in my book
I’ve tried 400 degrees for 7 minutes per 1/2 inch on at least three occasions. It’s taken over twice that amount of time for the chops to be cooked through. I would be curious where you’re cooking your pork chops. However, the rest of the recipe sounds delicious.
We live just a few meters above sea level. Are you at a higher elevation? While I’m not familiar with cooking at elevation, I do know that the higher the elevation you’re at, the longer things take to cook.
My husband said these pork chops remind him of Outback’s. I have never had them so I will take his word for it. We loved them. Both my kids loved them too. I tweaked things just a little. I only did 6 cloves of the garlic. I chose to sear them first then bake, only because I have been practicing that little art with little success. I put the olive oil on and rubbed on the seasonings. Seared in olive oil over medium-high heat for 3 minutes a side. The seasonings turn black, but it does not burn chop itself, nor did it have a burnt flavor. After searing each side, I put in a dish basically just big enough to fit all 4 chops. I baked in a 375 oven for 6 minutes. My chops were boneless and an inch thick. I have never been able to make chops as tender as they were tonight. The seasoning was really great too! Will be keeping the recipe!
Fantastic!!! Thank you! When baking the pork, if one does not feel comfortable cooking it to 140, leave it in the oven longer and bake to desired doneness – which is what we did. And if a more crispy finish is preferred, put under broiler for a minute or two, which we did not do. Ours had a nice finish. Again, the dish was fantastic!
Fat is a very important part of a diet. Don’t be afraid of it!
Did not come crispy. Came more wet like a soup meat. Made it twice and same both times
Very disappointing
This is not a crispy pork chop recipe! If you’re crispy chops, you’re better off breading and frying them.
Something is either missing from the recipe or the timing is just off. I cooked 1 inch thick pork chops for 14 minutes. They were still raw inside and at just 100 degrees.
I had the same problem. My chops were a little shy of 1″, even. They probably took more like 30 min….25 if I hadn’t been opening the oven to check them after 18.
Solved my problem of pork chops being too dry!
Yummy! Family loves them too!
Easy peasy! And they are tender, juicy, and delicious!
Very good !