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This easy and perfectly juicy baked pork chops recipe is quick and super simple to prep! There’s no messy frying involved, and it makes a fantastic elevated weeknight dish.
You may also enjoy my Easy Pan Seared Pork Chops or Easy Grilled Pork Chops next.
Why you’ll love it
This easy baked pork chop recipe is ready in just half an hour. Since it’s so hands off, you’ll have plenty of time to do other things while it’s cooking away. These oven pork chops come out melt-in-your-mouth tender, and the spice rub complements the pork so well!
The smoky and slightly sweet homemade spice rub is based on the one in my reader favorite Easy Baked Pork Tenderloin recipe. A little bit of magic happens in the oven when the flavors of the seasoning, pork juices, and butter meld to create an irresistible pan sauce.
What you’ll need
- Pork chops – use either bone-in or boneless pork chops, whichever you prefer or are on sale at the store! We’re not searing them here, but they are ridiculously easy and juicy nevertheless.
- Seasoning – my delicious spice rub blend includes brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, Italian seasoning, and salt & pepper
- Butter – for added richness in the sauce
Pro tip
Timing is accurate as tested in my oven at sea level, so keep in mind that much higher altitudes may need a longer cooking time. As always, a meat thermometer is your best friend with recipes like this.
How to bake pork chops
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Preheat the oven. In a small bowl, mix together the spice rub ingredients. Place the pork chops in a baking dish, and coat them evenly all over with the seasoning.
Place the butter pats on top. Bake until cooked through to 145F (timing may vary whether they’re bone-in/boneless, how thick the chops are, altitude, etc.). Let the pork rest for a few minutes to redistribute the juices.
Helpful tips
- Pork chops are easy to overcook, so using an instant read thermometer with an external probe is the best way to guarantee accurate results every time. You insert the probe in a pork chop while it’s in the oven, and then the reader outside the oven beeps when it reaches the temperature you set it to.
- Pork is safe to eat at 145F and pink inside, but I prefer mine slightly more cooked, so I recommend setting your meat thermometer to 145F, and the temperature will continue to rise a bit when you let it rest for a few minutes.
- Resting meat ensures that the juices redistribute and it remains tender and juicy, which is super important with pork chops!
Substitutions and variations
- I recommend trying my special homemade spice rub as written the first time, but you can definitely tweak it or use a different seasoning altogether with this technique.
- Olive oil should be an ok sub for butter if you really need to, but I love the flavor the butter adds to this dish!
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- I highly recommend this dual probe meat thermometer so your pork isn’t overcooked.
- This is the 9×13 casserole dish I use.
- I love this butter dish because it has markings right on it to easily measure it out.
What to serve with baked pork chops
- The buttery sauce is great over my Easy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, or serve with my Brown Gravy (No Drippings Needed) or rice. These Quick and Easy Garlic Butter Noodles are another great option.
- For veggie sides, try my Easy Glazed Carrots or Stovetop Asparagus.
- A bright salad rounds out the meal. My zesty homemade Olive Garden Salad Dressing is so good.
Leftovers and storage
- Store leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
- Pork chops are best warmed up low and slow so they don’t dry out. Try a covered saucepan on a low heat.
- You can freeze leftovers as needed for up to 3 months, but keep in mind pork can dry out in the freezer.
If you made these oven baked pork chops, please leave a star rating and review below! I’d love to hear from you. Tag me on Instagram if you made this or any S&L recipe.
Easy Baked Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 4 pork chops boneless or bone-in
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper or to taste
- 1/4 cup butter cut into pats
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400F and move the rack to the middle position.
- Add the spice rub ingredients (brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, Italian seasoning, salt & pepper) to a small bowl and mix together.
- Add the pork chops to a 9×13 baking dish and coat them all over with the spice rub, then place the butter pats on top.
- Bake, uncovered, for about 20-23 minutes or until the pork chops have reached 145F. If your pork chops are thin (less than 3/4"), check around 18 minutes, and pork chops over 1" may take longer than 25 minutes. Keep in mind ovens vary and altitude can change cooking time, and bone-in pork chops can take a bit longer to cook than boneless.
- Let them rest for 5 minutes before serving so they remain juicy. Serve with the pan juices poured over top.
Notes
- For the most accurate results, use an instant read thermometer with an external probe. It has a separate attachment that goes into a pork chop while it cooks, and then the reader that sits outside your oven will beep when it reaches the temperature that you set it to (I recommend 145F and it will rise a few more degrees while it rests)! Easy peasy.
- Farming practices have changed over the years, and there is no need to overcook pork. Pork that’s 145F minimum temperature and a little pink inside is safe to eat, but this recipe does cook it a little more. If you do prefer it to have a final cooked temperature of 145F, set your meat thermometer so it alerts you at 140F.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Absolutely delicious!
Thanks so much, Mattie! 😀
I wasn’t expecting these to turn out as good as they did! I made sure to bookmark, print and save this recipe, it’s so good!
That’s great to hear, Brenda!! 😀 Thanks for taking the time to write me a review!
Easy and tasty
Very happy you enjoyed the recipe, Sharon!
This is a great recipe for pork chops!! Super delicious!!
Thanks, Cynthia!!
Tried this last night for Sunday dinner. All commented how wonderful the flavor was and how tender and juicy the chops remained. We all eat keto, so I did have to easily swap the brown sugar for a keto friendly sweetener, but I don’t think it changed the outcome, as it was still delicious. Husband has requested I make them again soon. Thank you for a crowd pleasing recipe.
I’m so glad it worked out!! You’re very welcome! Thanks for your review.
Hi there!! What sweeter did you use?
Super easy and quick meal to make after work. The sweetness of the brown sugar mixed w the smokiness of the paprika and chili powder is delicious and the butter makes them super juicy! So good
Thank you, Traci! I’m thrilled you enjoyed them!
I’ll admit I was a bit hesitant how these would turn out because the recipe was TOO easy but I’ve never had a bad meal from Natasha. This rub was perfect! We devoured it! My husband usually loves some kind of sauce with his pork chops but between the juices and butter, it made a great amount of sauce on its own. Our pork chops were really big and there was plenty of rub with this recipe. I adjusted the cooking time per her suggestion and they turned out so juicy and delicious. I sent the recipe to my mom immediately! This will be a regular because it was literally the easiest, tastiest recipe and I had everything on hand!
Aww thanks so much, Lindsay!! I’m so glad they were a hit!! 😀
Great! But is all the rub in the recipe intended to be used on just four chops? It was too strong. But I love the rub. Just won’t use as much next time.
Yes. You could definitely reduce it next time if needed! Glad you enjoyed the flavors! 🙂