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!
Couldn’t believe how delicious this meal was. My wife just loved it. Cooked it for an extra 5 minutes, which seemed to be perfect. At 145 degrees it was a bit pink on the inside so kept going for the extra 5 minutes until it reached 160. Took the fat off the juices and used the juices as a gravy. Just amazing. Served the pork chops with new potatoes, steamed beans and mangetout.
The best pork chops I’ve ever eaten! No fail recipe. My pork chop’s weren’t quite an inch thick and cooked at 400 for 16 mins. Sooo good.
I have been making these for two or three years now. They are a family favorite. They taste fantastic and they never come out dry, and are so easy to make. I would suggest for anyone to try them.
1/2” pork chops were raw after 7 minutes
Hi Lulu. For thin pork chops, this recipe works great: https://www.theendlessmeal.com/how-to-cook-thin-pork-chops/
I misunderstood also. But reading more it says 18 min bake time. Above the recipe and in comments. So adj time to double i guess. Recipe doesnt say per side either so who knows
No need to flip the chops over!
We got one inch thick pork chops from Omaha Steaks, and I made them exactly as recommended in the recipe but, because we’re at 4,600 ft., I added 5 minutes to the cooking time. Perfect!
Totally legit recipe! Wifey and the boy are out of town and had to cook off some pork chops, ended up crushing three of them by myself!
Delicious. I left out the paprika and it was very juicy.
These turn out perfect every time!
I have fried my chops in different ways before and baked them in different ways before but never used a rub! I decided reading others and I liked yours so I tried it tonight! It was a delicious rub that added just enough flavor for us! I will start out frying it 1st with the rub on it for a few minutes, so it stays on the meat better during the baking to see what I think too but they were delicious and will add it to my set of recipes adding your website to the author spot! I will try other ones from your site too! You are a good cook! Thanks!
Have used this recipe many times and always love it. I use Hungarian paprika and cayenne for a little extra spice.
Best pork chop recipe, ever! I use Trader Joe’s bone-in Frenched pork chops…very thick!) I cook them for25-30 minutes and they come out tender and juicy every time! I sometimes opt for smoked paprika for a richer flavor.They are in the oven right now and smell great!
Smoked paprika is my favorite!
This was so easy and delicious! I baked in a toaster oven, which took less time, so I suggest you closely monitor the meat.
Perfection every time!
making these right now but used Epicure spices…3 onions and garlic n herbs…smells terrific in here…doing 15 minutes as i have 8 small chops about 3/4″ thick…ill come back with results…tender but will try with your spices next time…Epicure spices were not salty enough…for my taste…
The seasoning was very good, but my pork chops were only a half-inch thick and were nowhere near done in seven minutes. They ended up taking about 20 minutes to reach 145 degrees. I also covered the pan loosely with foil to keep the juices in the pan and not spattering into the oven. Lesson learned – go by your thermometer not by a ruler and timer.
Delicious! Very tender