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!
I’ve never been able to make a juicy pork chop, this recipe was awesome! Husband told me don’t change a thing next time!
That’s amazing! So great to hear!
I wasn’t a big fan of the seasoning mixture. But, more importantly, there was no way the pork chops were near 140 degrees in the time given.
Thanks for the feedback, Debi. It is always best to check with a meat thermometer as oven temperatures can vary. Sounds like yours may register on the cooler side, or that the pork chops used were more than 1 ¼ inches thick.
Wow! Juiciest pork chops I’ve ever had cooked in the oven! We loved them and will make again soon.
Hooray! Thanks for coming back to let us know, Joan!
Dinner for two and neither one of us liked them. The rub was too salty and spicy. Granted, the boneless pork chops were tender, a little juice, but ended up actually rinsing the rub off with hot water to salvage the Dinner! ?☹
I’m sorry to hear that you found the recipe too salty. We use Himalayan sea salt in our cooking, which is a less salty tasting salt. It’s definitely ok to reduce the salt next time you make it so that it suits your taste. 🙂
i dont have olive oil what do i use, also i have oregano leaves they are tiny tiny, is that ok to use im new to cooking lol
You can use whichever cooking oil you have on hand – canola, avocado, grapeseed, etc. And yes, oregano leaves will work just fine! So happy to know that you’ve started cooking. I hope that you find some recipes here that you love!
Did you cover the pan with foil for the chops
Nope! I bake them uncovered. 🙂
First time ever commenting on a recipe site…..this is THE BEST, most juicy pork chop recipe ever. Definitely my new go to! ❤️
Wow! Thank you so much for coming back to comment! I’m really happy to hear that you loved the recipe!
I made this recipe last night for dinner and the pork chops were so tender and delicious.
That’s so wonderful to hear!
This turned out great! Didn’t have paprika so I used about 1 1/2 tsp of cayenne. Served with a fried egg on the side. Yum!
I bet the bit of spice was delicious!
Made these pork chops tonight. They were very juicy and good.
Thank you so much for coming back to let us know!
I just made these and they turned out really good. Stayed moist and everybody enjoyed them!
That’s wonderful to hear!
So easy and really good!
So happy that they turned out for you!
I’m getting ready to make these pork chops, they were frozen, do I need to bring them up to room temperature first?
They should be thawed before cooking. 🙂
This is a very easy recipe. We loved the juicy& flavorful pork chops!
That’s wonderful to hear! Thank you for coming back to let us know!
I have always cooked pork forever, like my mom, with a somewhat dry outcome. However, when I see 400 degrees and 18 minutes or 140 degrees internal temperature I panic that the meat will not be cooked enough. Can you encourage me to try this juicy sounding recipe and change my old ways of cooking pork
The best thing to do is to invest in an instant-read meat thermometer. You can usually get them for under $10. That way you can check and know for sure and feel safe eating it. I use mine all the time! Just make sure to check the thickest part of the pork chop and make sure it reads 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
The National Pork Board recommends that chops be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 followed by a 3-minute rest. And that is for medium rare … for medium it should be more like 150-155.
You’re right. And if you take the pork out of the oven at 140 degrees Fahrenheit it will raise to 145 by the time it’s served and brought to the table. You can, of course, cook it to any temperature that you like. But if you cook it to 150-155 then it will not be juicy. If you prefer well done pork, I’d recommend skipping pork chops (which will turn tough and dry) and opting for a pork roast or pork belly instead.
super easy very tasty very juicy , i made them for my wife one night and we both loved them in fact she wants me to make them tonight so i’m writing my review only thing i did was 1/2 the salt because of her kidneys
I love hearing that you’re making them again. Hooray!
Made these and they were wonderful.
That is so great to hear!