Creamy Smothered Pork Chops seared and cooked in a rich onion gravy. A delectable dish for pork lovers and a great dinner for the whole family to enjoy!
Smothered Pork Chops are not for the faint hearted. If you’re a fan of juicy, succulent pan-fried pork chops, you will LOVE this tasty recipe! So versatile, you can serve them with anything… think Easy Creamy Mashed Potatoes, Buttery Mashed Cauliflower for a lower carb option, or white rice to soak up the delicious sauce.
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 an abundance of sauce, and trust us when we say this recipe does not skimp on the gravy.
If you LOVE pork and you’re always on the hunt for a lip-smacking recipe, then this smothered pork chops recipe is for you! Serve them next to some Crispy Garlic Roasted Potatoes and some Sautéed Green Beans or Snap Peas on the side for a splash of green, and if you don’t want to leave anything to waste, soak up the remaining sauce with one of our Easy Soft Dinner Rolls.
HOW DO YOU MAKE SMOTHERED PORK CHOPS?
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 onion 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 ¾ cup of milk with 3 teaspoons of 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
Buttermilk 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 buttery sautéed green beans 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.
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 bone-in pork chops about ¾-1 inch thick.
- ½ tablespoon onion powder
- ½ tablespoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
- ½ teaspoon cracked pepper
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
FOR GRAVY:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 large onion thinly sliced
- 1 pinch salt a pinch to taste
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme chopped
- ½ cup chicken broth divided
- ¾ cup buttermilk or heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon flat-leaf parsley fresh and chopped 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.
Melissa says
I was picking up stew meat at the local butcher when a little old woman beside me ordered “heart chops” and I couldn’t resist asking what that was. They are the bone in chops with meat on either side of the bone, hence the “heart” you see. She told me how she does them in an onion, pan gravy. It sounded so good, I decided to add it to my menu for the following week and set out to find a recipe, landing here.
All I can say is WOW WOW WOW! Best chops ever! So much flavor with not a ton of work. I followed the recipe as is and used the buttermilk. Quick, easy and full of flavor. They are just a bit spicy with the red pepper but you could cut it back slightly if needed but don’t leave it completely out.
This is going to be a regular in our menu lineup for sure as it is a great weeknight splurge and would be great for company. We camp and this will be in the camping rotation as well since it’s stove top.
Thank you for sharing it!!
Kathy says
made this tonight. family loved it I used basil instead since I’m not fond of thyme had egg noodles instead of mashed potatoes. will definitely make again
Elli says
I made this tonight with green beans and mashed potatoes, and it was great! I used thin-cut boneless pork chops, but they were small for all that gravy, so I’ll use the normal cut next time. It was delicious either way, like all of your recipes! Thank you!
Chloe says
Sooooo good, a little bit too salty for me but otherwise perfect.
Kimberly Reid says
My husband usually does the cooking but was sick so I had to. He said “You’re hired!” after I cooked this for him. It’s truly delicious!
Sonja says
Was getting tired of fried or baked pork chops and tried this out. It was so tasty! Everyone loved it! Definitely a new go to recipe!
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!
sharon cohran says
great recipe… was skeptical about buttermilk , but followed recipe exactly … turned out perfect… i will reduce cayenne next time… just a tad too much for us… still was consumed… thanks for a change .. will do again…
Jen says
I make this almost once a week. It’s so easy, and flavorful I have also used the same recipe with boneless chicken breasts, and it tastes just as good. Sometimes to cut the carbs, I even skip flouring the meat.