Wondering how to cook thin pork chops so they're caramelized on the outside but still tender and juicy? We've got the secrets! This recipe seasons the pork chops with a spice blend made from common kitchen staples, then finishes it off with a luscious honey garlic butter!
Ingredients
4thin pork chops - 3 ounces each, see notes
½ teaspoonEACH: sweet paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and sugar
1tablespooncooking oil
Honey Garlic Butter
1tablespoonbutter, softened
1teaspoonfinely minced parsley
1teaspoonhoney
1small garlic clove, very finely minced
Instructions
Turn your cooking element to medium-high and let it heat up while you get your pork chops ready. (If you have a gas or induction cooktop, wait until you're ready to put the pan on the element before turning it on.) In a small bowl, mix the honey garlic butter ingredients until they are well combined.
½ teaspoon EACH: sweet paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and sugar
Dry the thin pork chops with paper towels and then sprinkle the spices evenly over both sides.
4 thin pork chops - 3 ounces each
Drizzle the oil over the top of the pork chops and use your fingers to spread it around. Place the pork chops, oiled side down, into a cold frying pan - cast iron works great.
1 tablespoon cooking oil
Place the frying pan onto the hot element and wait until you hear them start to sizzle. Once they do, press them gently into the pan. Cook the pork chops without moving them for 4-5 minutes, until they look nearly cooked. They will be opaque all the way up the sides and just a bit red on top.
Flip the nearly cooked pork chops over and finish cooking for 1 minute on the other side. They are done when they reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
Let the pork chops rest for 5 minutes and then serve them with a dab of the honey garlic butter on top.
Notes
You'll find thin pork chops in your grocery store that are between ½-inch to 1-inch thick. If you can't find thin pork chops, you can buy thicker pork chops (usually 1 ½ inches) and cut them in half. The easiest way to do this is to partially freeze them before you cut them. In recipe testing, we found rib chops stayed the juiciest. Look for thin pork chops that have some marbling in them as this will help prevent them from drying out.