Juicy Baked Pork Chops (easy recipe that always turns out tender)
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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!
Should that casserole dish be covered while baking??
Nope – uncovered!
This receipt is a keeper . Enjoyed it very much 5 star
That was about 4x more spice than they needed, but not terrible. I’ll try it again, but with less paprika and zero oregano.
I’ve made these twice, and now going for my third time! I love these so much; however, I do not put in the onion powder (we don’t like each other). Great recipe!
I accidentally printed a doubled recipe with the option on this site, and then doubled the printed spices in my head. Oops! However – ohmigosh – the BEST pork chops I’ve ever made…and maybe ever tasted! YUM. Highly recommend this recipe! And – I’m sure it would be great as printed. lol!
Forgot to mention that it took a bit longer than printed time – maybe 10 minutes. After reading the comments, I anticipated this and made it at a flexible end time.
juiciest chops i ever made. the rub spices were delish. next time i will experiment with spices might add some heat. had to use themometer. cooked at 400 degrees for about 30 min. will make again!
I was genuinely surprised at how juicy these chops came out. Very much so. I do admit that I poured in about 3/4 cup of chicken broth. I used paprika and Italian Seasoning on them. Very, very good.
I just took these pork cops out of the oven….you cannot even imagine how good they are! I am all about cooking less especially for one… this recipe is top notch!!
Delicious!!
Amazing! I used this recipe last night and was shocked how delicious they turned out! Probably the juiciest chops I’ve ever had. Ever. I had 8 chops, kind of thick, so I cooked them at 400 for 40 minutes. Perfect! 😉 Thank you for this. This is now my go-to for pork chops. 😀
Did not cook pork chops all the way. Chops were still pink in the inside.
The color of the chops is actually not a reliable way to tell if they are cooked. Pork cooked to 145 degrees (140 + it increases 5 degrees after it rests for a few minutes) will still be a little pink inside. The best way to tell if your chops are safe to eat is to use an instant read meat thermometer.
This was the first time I ever tried cooking my pork roast this way it came out tender and juicy just like you said and I will try it again my family loved it thank you
Put the chops in a corning dish and it took 30 minutes for them to cook at 400.
Sounds like you had some thick chops!
I had thick pork chops with bones. I followed your directions to roast them and they were not done in 25 mins. I had to recook them in the stove for another 15 to 29 mins. Packing them close together and cooking them 7 mins per 1/2 doesn’t work for 1 1/2 inches.
Hey Tammy. I would suggest checking your oven temperature with an oven thermometer. 1 ½ inch chops should never take 54 minutes to cook in a 400 degree Fahrenheit oven, even if you like your pork well done.
Made this today and it was excellent!
This had a very nice flavor & I will make it again with just one change. I will cut the salt in half but keep the rest as it is. Very simple to make with a good flavor.