Creamy Smothered Pork Chops seared and cooked in a rich onion gravy. A delicious and easy dinner recipe perfect for tonight!
Smothered Pork Chops are not for the faint hearted. If you love juicy, succulent pan-fried pork chops, you will LOVE this tasty recipe! So versatile, you can serve them with anything… think mashed potatoes or white rice to soak up the delicious sauce… OR roasted veggies to make a complete meal!
SMOTHERED PORK CHOPS
A Southern classic comfort food, crispy coated pork chops smothered in a rich onion gravy makes this a feast you will keep coming back to! The BEST way to eat a chop is with sauce, and this recipe has PLENTY of gravy.
If you LOVE pork and you’re always on the hunt for a lip-smacking recipe, then THIS recipe is for you! Serve them over a pile of hot mashed potatoes, or even our buttery mashed cauliflower, maybe throw some sautéed green beans or snap peas on the side for some greens, and you’ve got yourself a complete dinner! Watch them ask you for seconds!
HOW TO MAKE SMOTHERED PORK CHOPS FROM SCRATCH
SEASON bone-in or boneless pork chops and dredge each in flour. Keep about 1-2 tablespoons of the flour to use later in the gravy.
FRY chops in oil and butter to get the best, golden brown coating and flavours. If they don’t all fit in your skillet to cook them in a single layer, you will need to cook them in batches.
REMOVE chops from the pan and tent with foil to keep warm so you can make your oven gravy!
ONION GRAVY
SAUTÉ onion slices until soft and caramelized. This takes about 10 minutes. If the pan becomes too dry, add in about 1 tablespoon of chicken broth.
ADD garlic, thyme AND 1 tablespoon of the remaining flour to the pan. Cook the flour in the pan to toast it and dissolve it, which ensures your gravy doesn’t have a floury aftertaste.
POUR in some chicken broth, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan = FLAVOUR!
WHISK in the buttermilk or heavy (thickened) cream. If you don’t have buttermilk, mix 3/4 cup milk with 3 teaspoons white vinegar and let it sour for 5 minutes so it looks a bit curdled.
SIMMER and return your chops to the pan, then SMOTHER them in the sauce and let it all simmer together until the pork is completely cooked through and the gravy is beautifully thickened.
WHAT SIDES GO WITH PORK CHOPS
Cornbread is always a tasty pairing with anything that features pork. Or crusty French baguette or a slice of Artisan bread for a milder flavour. Add a cooked green veggie like broccoli or baked asparagus to your plate and you have a hearty, balanced meal.
Even though pork is a mild protein, smothered pork chops in this rich onion gravy calls for bold flavoured wine. Try a pinot noir to refresh your palate.
HOW TO STORE LEFTOVERS
Cool pork chops completely and store in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
MORE PORK CHOP RECIPES
Easy Honey Garlic Pork Chops
Spinach Stuffed Pork Chops
Pork Chops With Creamy Mushroom Sauce
ENJOY!
Smothered Pork Chops
Ingredients
PORK CHOPS:
- 1 pound (500g) bone-in pork chops,* about 3/4-1 inch thick.
- 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
FOR GRAVY:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- pinch of salt
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme
- 1/2 cup chicken broth, divided
- 3/4 cup buttermilk or heavy cream
- Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
Instructions
FOR PORK CHOPS
- Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels to remove any moisture. Season pork chops with garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, seasoning salt, pepper and olive oil.
- Dredge each chop in the flour; shake off the excess and KEEP THE REMAINING FLOUR.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet or pan over medium heat. When hot, fry the pork chops in a single layer on each side until golden browned, about 3-4 minutes per side.
- Remove pork chops from the pan and keep warm.
FOR GRAVY
- In the same pan, heat 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat.
- Add in sliced onions and add a pinch of salt. Cook while stirring occasionally, until soft and caramelized, about 10 minutes. (Add in 1 tablespoon of the chicken broth if the pan becomes too dry.)
- Add the garlic and thyme; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add 2 tablespoons of the remaining flour to the pan. Mix the flour into the onions and cook to dissolve, about 2 minutes.
- Pour in the chicken broth, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the liquid reduce and thicken slightly, about 2 minutes.
- Whisk in the buttermilk (or cream) and simmer for 1-2 minutes until thick and creamy.
- Return the pork chops to the pan. Coat them in the sauce and let simmer until the pork is completely cooked through, about 5 minutes (or until the pork is cooked to your desired doneness). (The sauce will continue to thicken due the coating on the pork. If too thick, add a little cream or broth to thin out until reaching your desired consistency.)
- Taste test and season with salt and pepper, if needed. Garnish with the chopped parsley before serving. Serve warm.
Michell Franklin says
I am extremely picky and fussy about food and I absolutely loved this recipe!!! I ate my entire dinner which I rarely do. This will be another recipe that I will start using frequently!!! I will also send it to my brothers!!! Thank you!!
Zina says
SO GOOD! Used boneless pork chops. The onions are what makes it so delicious!
Janice says
Made this tonight didn’t have thick cream so I used a can of mushroom soup , pork chops were so moist and yummy whole family loved it ! Did have to use a little flour to thicken the gravy but so good !
Leslie says
Delish! Very flavorful. Thanks!
Foonme says
Made the pancakes this morning, and they were unbelievably delicious and fluffy. Will never go to IHOP again
Myoshia says
I was never successful with multiple attempts to smother meat. UNTIL NOW! I tried this recipe and it turned out delicious. I did have to add more chicken broth and water. Family enjoyed this comfort dinner served with rice and green beans.
Kiya Daniels says
This was so good, I also added half of a bouillon cube to gravy and used buttermilk.
Stephanie Heffner says
I just made this and it is my new favorite pork chop recipe. Thank you for sharing. Was so good.n
Dawn Galuska says
Made this tonight for dinner. Doubled the gravy because I am a gravy freak. I used half chopped onions and half sliced onions. I had some beef broth in the fridge so I used that instead of chicken broth. Didn’t have buttermilk so soured half and half. Served with mashed potatoes. I also just seasoned the flour instead of seasoning each chop separate. My husband and I both absolutely loved it. Used boneless chops that came out melt in your mouth. AWESOME recipe. Thank you!
Megan Duncan says
These are the best pork chops EVER!!! I have made them twice this week because my family loves them so much! Thank you for the recipe, this will definitely be a regular staple in our house now lol!
Paige says
Just finished eating these chops. Really delicious. This one is making it into the rotation! Thanks!
Theodore stout says
Excellent. The gravy is somewhat like the milk gravy my mother used to make with pork chops. I added a bit more cayenne, but other than that followed the recipe. Another winner from this most excellent website. Thank you!!!!
Angie says
I’m southern, and am no stranger to smothered pork chops, but I was looking for a new recipe and I LOVE buttermilk, so this was given that I had to try it. I cannot tell you how amazing this was, and my boyfriend, also a southern man, loves smothered pork chops. He said they were the best he ever had and I agree! Excellent recipe!
Angela says
My boyfriend loves him some pork chops, smothered of course. So I searched for an updated recipe and came across yours here. Since I LOVE anything “buttermilk” I knew I had to try it. Omg… we’re both from the South, so we’re no strangers to “smothered” anything, let alone pork chops, but they were seriously better than I’ve ever made or had before. The BF even said “best chops you ever made, pls don’t make them any other way from now on” Done and done my love!! So good, thanks so much for sharing this!!
April Rodriguez says
I made this today and everyone loves it. Thank you for this amazing recipe
Joyce Koziol says
I made this for dinner this evening and it was delicious. Husband really liked it, he is hurting a little. Made with mashed potatoes and corn. i’m the type that follows a recipe, sometimes it’s pretty good and some times…..not so much, this one came out perfect.
Carissa Dukes says
Made this today and it was great I added mushrooms to the onions and it was amazing!! I substituted the heavy cream/buttermilk for half and half and it was so good!!!
Joyce says
I made this for dinner this evening and it was delicious. Husband really liked it, he is hurting a little. Made with mashed potatoes and corn. i’m the type that follows a recipe, sometimes it’s pretty good and some times…..not so much, this one came out perfect.
Ann Wilson says
We made this for Sunday dinner with whipped mashed potatoes and green salad. The pork chops were seasoned perfectly and that gravy was so flavorful. The garlic, onion and hint of thyme was so delicious. This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Joy Phillips says
I saw this and remembered onion gravy that my mom made with pork chops and calves liver. I made this last night and served with mashed potatoes and fresh green & yellow wax beans from our garden. I’m still full! The only thing I did differently was to thin the buttermilk gravy with heavy cream (oh yeah!) at the end. Broth would have worked also. Thank you for
a fabulous meal! I have now circulated your recipe far & wide today!
Chris Intemann says
DELICIOUS!!! The only thing I added was mushrooms because I couldn’t decide if I wanted to make this recipe or your Pork chops with creamy mushrooms. LOL I love this site and all your recipes. Thank you Karina!!
Jamie says
Made it for dinner. Delicious.
Nichole says
We just made this for dinner and it is absolutely delicious. Wouldn’t change a thing. I’ve tried other recipes for smothered pork chops but this is the one that stands out.
Julie says
What is seasoning salt? Thanks!
Karina says
Hi Julie. Seasoned salt is a blend of salt with different herbs and spices. You can use regular salt if you don’t have it, or chicken salt. It just adds a little extra flavour to the meat.
Holly says
Seasoning or Seasoned salt is commonly known by the brand name Lawrys.
Capri Mendoza says
Made this last night. It was delicious! The whole family loved this and licked their plates clean. Thanks again Karina!