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!
I never write reviews or send this kinda stuff to friends because everyone has their own taste. You have me wanting to open a restaurant to serve this type of food. Please keep updated on new recipes if they are as on par as this recipe
That makes me so happy to hear! Thank you for coming back to comment!!
Two night in a row. That is how much we loved this recipe. Bone in or Pork Lion Chops 20-25 minutes perfect. I gave up on making Pork Chops years ago because they were always dry. New found love for this tasty meat.
I love it! That makes me so happy to hear!
So juicy and moist!. Not dry at all.loved the spices as recipe indicated and they were so favorable. Will make again Yum!
Thank you so much for coming back to let us know!
I have been looking for a simple recipe for Oven Baked Porkchops…I have found it. I have used this recipe for both Bone less and Bone in chops. We loved the tenderness and taste. The juice from it was awesome. THANK YOU! We will enjoy this for a LONG TIME! Cheers
Gerald
Cedar Falls, Iowa
That truly makes me so happy to hear. Thank you for taking the time to come back and let us know!
Do you bake these covered or uncovered? You
I bake them uncovered! 🙂
I made these pork chops tonight, and they were delicious. Baking them in the oven like this is perfect — juicy and tender. My family loved them. Thank you so much!
I’m so happy to hear that you and your family loved the recipe! Thank you for letting us know. 🙂
turned out great!! i had thin cut of pork chop and cooked them for 15 minutes and it was perfect 😀 very tasty and not too tough to chew
That is so great to hear! Thank you for taking the time to come back to let us know!
While the recipe says 145 for pork, closer to 155 will not affect the flavor, and it will reduce the pink for people serving those who dont like their pork pink when they bite into it. Other than that, good recipe. Cook time vary a bit. But overall ok.
Yes, you can definitely cook it a little longer if you prefer your pork closer to well done. 🙂
Super easy. The rub is VERY Tastee. Did this last minute,directions were great. Had potatoes and broccoli. I didn’t usesmall pan because I roasted some potatoes so the juice was absorbed in the potatoes. Made the potatoes great tasting too. But next time I’ll just do the chops by themselves as was recommended.
I bet those were some yummy tasting potatoes!!
These pork chops were not fully cooked! None of my guests would not eat them. They were very pink and didn’t look cooked through.
I had to put them back in the oven for another 10 minutes and they were still pink. I cooked six chops about an inch thick about 17 minutes and temp said 120. Maybe they would not kill anyone, but if your dining companions won’t eat them, what’s the point?
Pork chops need to be cooked to 145 degrees Fahrenheit to be safe to eat, as stated in the post. So I’m glad that you put them back into the oven! 145 degrees is medium-rare and will be a little pink in the middle. While it is the temperature the USDA recommends for pork, if you prefer your meat well done, obviously you can cook it longer. Just be aware that pork that is cooked to well done will be chewy.
Absolutely delicious. Quick, easy. I loved the recipe; my husband ate it, which means he loved it, too.
I’m so happy to hear that both you and your husband loved the recipe!
Oh my! This was the best baked pork chop recipe! My husband wanted pork chops for dinner tonight & I rolled my eyes but I found this recipe & thought I give it a try! So tender & moist & very delicious. My husband loved them!
Hooray! That’s so great to hear!
I don’t make pork chops very often (maybe 5 times max in my life), but they were BOGO at Safeway so I figured I’d try them. This recipe was perfect. The chops were really flavorful and the timing was perfect for them to not be dry. My husband loved it too.
That is wonderful to hear! So happy they were a hit with you and your husband!
Would bone in chops cook for same amount of time?
For bone in pork chops, you’ll want to cook them for 8 minutes per 1/2 inch. 🙂
This was the first time I tried this recipe I absolutely loved it. I always struggle with trying to make pork chops different ways without making them dry so when I found this recipe I was so excited to try it out. I have a 16 year old boy and a 13 year old boy who are very picky on how their meats are prepared however with that said they absolutely love these pork chops and want me to make them every day. Thank you again I enjoyed and loved this recipe.
That makes me so happy to hear! Thank you for coming back to let us know the pork chops were a hit with the whole family!
interesting, because I had a negative review, my comment stayed available for about 10 seconds
All comments on my site are manually reviewed (so I can respond to them!) before they are posted. Sometimes it takes me a day or two to respond to the comments which is why yours wasn’t posted immediately. Thank you for your patience.
Why even be nasty? You left a rude comment and then got upset that it wasn’t immediately responded to. You can give corrective criticism without being rude Larry.
~Stacy~