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!
Hi I found your recipe making it now-my son will be coming home from school soon-I hope the aroma brightens his day!
These were sooooooo good!
Delicious, quick and simple!
I made four thick boneless chops. found the pepper and paprika to be a bit much so next time I will reduce. I found these to be moist and had great flavor. I used a meat thermometer, but they were done in 19 to 20 minutes. Will definitely make again! Thanks.
I never comment on articles like this telling them how it came out but this is hands down the best pork chop recipe I’ve ever made. It was so, so easy and was honestly the most tender pork chops I’ve ever made. Not only were we more than full by the end, but I was so proud of how it came out!
Thank you so much for commenting, Kimberly! I really appreciate it!
I have been cooking for over 50 years. I have, nor my husband ever like pork chops. Believe me, I have tried lots of recipes over the years. We both agreed, that this was a keeper. The only thing I did differently was in a recipe before reading this one, it called to put the chops in one-quart water with 1/4 cup kosher salt and let it sit for 15 min. Pat dry. Thank you for this wonderful, very tasty recipe.
I made these during a snow storm when grilling was undesirable. I used boneless pork loin chops. They were delicious!! I thought the amount of seasoning was going to be too much for 4 chops but the flavor was so good and went well with the fresh spinach and couscous I made for sides. The chops were not dry and done perfectly in 20 minutes. Easy, tasty and quick!!
Too much paprika.
I used center cut boneless pork loin chops about an 1″ thick. They were juicy and tender. I changed the amount of paprika to 1 tsp and used crushed rosemary instead of oregano. Came out great.
This was a good recipe but we didn’t really care for the oregano. May try the rosemary.
My son is a very picky eater and I made these pork chops and he literally ate 3 of them( he’s 14 lol.)Thank you for the recipe. Julie
Love, love, love this recipe. Super easy and my family raved about it. I tripled the spices as I was using boneless pork chops from Costco so I had 12 to cook. I ran out of oregano, so I used Italian seasoning. Used a meat thermometer to make sure I cooked it to 140F for the allotted time, then placed the broiler on to make the seasoning crisp for 1 minute. WOW. I was skeptical at first as this is the first time I have baked pork chops (usually BBQ) but I will definitely be using this recipe again. Thank you. I also served it with the Basmati Rice and mixed veggies,
I am no cook and these pork chops came out perfectly juicy and tender . Having them again tonight ! Thank you for I now have 4 recipes I can actually make !!!
Love so much the flavor and tenderness is so tasty
Covered or uncovered? Trying these tonight!
Uncovered!
I’m recently divorced and learning to cook simple meals. I’ll be making this tomorrow with mixed frozen veggies. I can’t wait. Thank you!
My husband and I both like the combination of spices, not only because they taste so good but because I always have them on hand. The quantity of them seemed to me to be extra generous so I might lessen the amount by 1/4 each next time to see if it doesn’t just taste equally good but milder.
We both agree that this recipe is a definite keeper.
Kristen, this recipe was AWESOME! Thx so much! Sincerely, Will