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!
Very tasty
Thanks, Christie!
Amazing flavor, quick and so easy! The best part was that they fit my temporary strict diet so I didn’t have to make a separate meal for my family. I did have to bake longer than 7 minutes per 1/2” to get to the 145* temp.
I’m so glad it worked with your diet—and even better that the whole family could enjoy it too! Thanks for the note about the bake time—ovens and chop thickness can definitely vary. So happy you loved the flavor! 😊🍽️
Amazing… finish the chop with the oil. Cooked in a quiche dish… Sirloin pork chops are the best for this method.
Your dinner looks fantastic!
very good, I pounded the chops flat and stuffed them, Im not a cook just an experimenter. yum yum……..
Being an experimenter is the best!
Wow! Amazingly good and so tender! I would give it more than 5 stars if I could! Such an easy recipe, to boot!
I’m thrilled to hear that! Thanks, Marie!
I’m sorry. I hate to leave a bad review. But I followed the instructions to the letter, even though I wasn’t excited about the oregano. First, my 1″ pork chops were not done at 21 minutes. Second, after 30 minutes . . . they were juicy, but they were not tender. The flavor was just okay.
Hi Cynthia. A per the notes in the recipe, this works best with chops that are at least 1 ½ inches thick. For tender thin chops, this is the recipe to use.
Apparently I misunderstood . . . I thought you said this recipe was for chops at least 1″ thick. Anyway, I continued cooking the 3 other pork chops – they were in the oven closer to 1 hour. And the one I ate today for lunch was much more tender. Thanks!
I’m happy it worked out in the end!
If you use a small cast iron frying pan, should it be up to temp before you start, or can you place the chops in a lubed room temp pan and proceed?
If you add them to a room temperature cast iron, that will mimic the baking dish best.
Do you flip these chops while baking?
No need to flip them!
Very good! I had very lean boneless loin porkchops. They were about 1 1/2″ thick and needed to be cooked almost 30 minutes. We enjoyed the spices. I will definitely use this recipe again with a little less salt.
They looks delicious!
Fan-freaking tastic. Easy peasy with amazing results. On our rotation now. Thank you!
Thanks Jackie! You made my day!
WAAAAYYYY too much paprika and salt for my taste.
I’m sorry the recipe wasn’t a hit for you.
Great! But don’t forget to wait the 5 minutes before serving.
Yes!
Can you brine it before putting it in oven
I haven’t tried that. If you decide to give it a go, I would omit the salt in the recipe.
Oh my goodness! These came out great! Finally, a fabulous way to make our chops. Thank you!!!!!!!!!
You’re very welcome, Cindy!
Exactly as described! Juicy and tasty!
Thanks, Karen!
Hello!!!! Have you tried putting this recipe in the oven longer on a lower temperature or can I do a Lower cooking temperature in the crockpot method for all day??
I haven’t tried that but I think it would likely dry out the chops. I’ll let you know if I come up with a crockpot version, though!