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!
How long to cook them if from frozen?
Thank you?
Please thaw the chops before cooking them!
Made this tonight – passed the test with my picky boyz! Thank you!
Best pork chops I have ever made!
These pork chops were the best I’ve ever made. They were juicy and absolultely delish!! Thanks for the recipe!
question-do we cook for 18 minutes or 7 minutes per 1/2?
It’s best to measure the thickness of your chops before you start cooking them. For chops that are 1 ¼ inch thick, you’ll cook them for 18 minutes.
You’re not consistent with your timings. In your explanations you call for them to be roasted for 7 minutes for a half inch roast, and an extra minute for each half inch more. So for 1 inch pork chops it should be cooked for 8 minutes, right? However in your recipe you call for them to be roasted for 18 minutes. Please settle this mix-up for me soon, as I have inch thick chops thawing for dinner.
A 1″ pork chop should be cooked in 15 minutes. 🙂
Loved this !! My pork chops r always so dry or over cooked, but these where so juicy n delicious ! Def will become a repeat receipe!
I make this dish every week and love it every time. I make them so often that I’ve combined all the dry spices and stored them in an air tight glass container so I don’t have to measure and mix each time! The pan juices after baking are delicious on baked potatoes.
Good call on making a big batch of the spices! It’s great on chicken and salmon, too. 🙂
Made these tonight so good… Family of 5 hard to cook for picky eaters and everyone loved them!
Hi! Do you cover these when cooking? Thanks
Nope! We leave them uncovered. 🙂
Nice and juicy pork chops. Turned the oven off at 18 minutes since my family was late getting home from work. Thank you for the yummy recipe.
Is this baked pork chop recipe with paprika rub spicy or hot?
I use sweet paprika so it’s not spicy at all. But if you use spicy paprika, then it will be hot. Your choice!
I had some smoked paprika and used it. Also added a little sage. I have always seasoned pork with sage. Old habits die hard. Haven’t cooked them yet but getting ready. I made some stuffing, just throw that calorie friendly business out the window. I have been in a 1000 calorie per day diet since Feb. I eat between 400 and 700 per day and last month I lost 2.5 lbs and 2 days l gained back 1. So I give up. Bring in the bread, the carbs, the sugars, the fat. I want it all. It’s a medical issue and my doctor tells me he’s really worried about my weight. Well, so I. I’m doing my part so maybe he could give me a little help, him worrying about it isn’t helping.
Cooking meals for my elderly parents this New Years Day and fixed this recipe. My mother loves to cook pork chops that are like shoe leather when she is finished. She was unsure about this recipe because it looked so nice and juicy. It’s in the over cooking now so I’ll let you know the verdict in about an hour. lol
Haha well maybe you could sneak out your chop before it turns to leather!
Hey Lance, I have the same kind of mother who prefers pork jerky. I’m immunocompromised so I have to eat my meat well done too, but I was able to modify the cooking a little so we were both happy:
I cooked the chops to a safe iternal temp of 170°, then for my mom I broiled at 525° for a minute on each side and sliced thin. It had a bit of the well done chew, but still left plenty of pan juice.
Great idea. Delicious and easy. Thank you.
Very disappointed. Sorry, but I’ll go back to the way good restaurants cook their pork chops, simply salted, cooked over smoking high heat on stovetop to get a crust on top, bottom, and especially fat on all sides of the pork chops. Add a little butter or olive, some garlic and voila!
Wowww the best!!!