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!
Would a cast iron pan be a good vehicle for the chops? Seems ir would be the perfect size.
That would work well!
Overall they were tasty. I did add a few things to the pan before cooking. I added a splash of Worcestershire, white cooking wine, minced garlic and topped the chops with a little Dijon mustard. I’m not the biggest fan of how strong the oregano is with this dish, so I’ll probably skip it next time. The cooking time and temp were pretty accurate, I had to go a touch longer than recommended, but nothing too crazy! Thanks for the info about using a smaller pan to keep all the juices in! Will definitely Use this again in the future!
Easy, juicy and delicious!!
I want to double the pork chops shall l double the pork chops and all the rest?
Yes! You’ll want twice the seasoning, too. 🙂
This recipe is super simple yet very juicy and flavorful. I’m not a big fan of pork chops but my husband is so when I came across this recipe I had to try it for its simplicity and short prep/bake time…… I’m glad I did!
I was looking for a good boneless pork chop recipe and can I say we loved it just as you said juicy
A very tender and tasty chop. The best I have ever made. To reach 145 degrees in the center, my boneless 1/2″ chops baked 28 minutes in a 400 degree oven. Thank you for the recipe! It will become a favorite of my family. My daughter NEVER eats baked pork. She says it is too dry and hurts her teeth to chew it. She loved this recipe. Kudos to KRISTEN STEVENS!
My pork chops were dry and tough I baked them just like the recipe said and they were tough. Sorry, but, I want use this recipe again. I’m sorry.
These pork chops were the best! I used bone-in chops and followed the recipe except that they took a bit longer to bake as I was roasting a vegetable at the same time. Great seasonings, easy to prepare and juicy just like the recipe states. I’ve tried several baked pork chop recipes and this is the one I’m keeping! Thank you!
I love this super simple & flavorful recipe. We raise pigs for consumption, I will be using this method regularly. Ty.
Do I cook the pork chops for 18 minutes at 400 or 7 minutes for each 1/2 inch ? I must’ve missed something in the recipe .
It depends how thick your chops are!
I love this flavorful, yet simple recipe😊
4.25 actual
Basically ideal for this cut. Spices are common, and excellent base could use different herbs and spices to make your own of you chose to. Cooking time and temps are also ideal.
Thanks for sharing. This is a crowd pleaser, and appreciate you included instructions for bone in. My new go to!
Made pork chops with spices,,and olive oil. My chops were thick,so followed directions. They turned out so good,have never cooked chops this thick and were worried they would be dry. Very good tips on how to cook them,,thanks.
That worked nicely thank you. Some times it’s not about the spices you need to put on but the WAY to cook it. though the spices were nice too.. 😀
Absolutely Delicious!