Nothing elicits more dread than the age old question of what's for dinner. It's a seemingly never-ending cycle of cooking and cleaning. This easy smothered pork chop recipe is here to save the day. You can whip up this comforting one-pan meal in under 45 minutes. It's a crowd-pleasing combination of juicy pork chops and creamy buttermilk gravy.
What Are Smothered Pork Chops?
Smothered pork chops are pork chops that have been pan-fried and covered with a creamy gravy. Here, we're making the gravy with tangy buttermilk and the drippings from the pan after cooking the chops. You can flavor the gravy with garlic, onions, herbs, spices, and more. Smothered pork chops are easy to customize and go well with a variety of side dishes.
How to Make Smothered Pork Chops
Our recipe testers raved about how easy this recipe is. Here's a quick look at how to make smothered pork chops.
- Prep the Chops: Season the pork chops with spices and dredge with flour.
- Fry: Add butter to a skillet and fry the chops on both sides. Remove the chops and leave the drippings in the pan.
- Make the Gravy: Add onions to the pan and cook until tender. Add garlic and herbs. Stir in flour and finish with broth, buttermilk, and mustard.
- Finish: Return the chops the pan with the gravy and cook until the chops are done.
How to Ensure Your Smothered Pork Chops Are Tender
There are a few things you can do to ensure your recipe for smothered pork chops comes out juicy and tender.
- Opt for bone-in cuts. A thick-cut, bone-in chop will stay juicier when cooking. Our Test Kitchen recommends choosing chops that are about 3/4-inch thick.
- Sear the chops first. Cooking the chops first before adding them to the gravy gives them a nice golden-brown crust and helps them retain moisture as they cook.
- Let the chops rest before slicing. This step happens while you make the gravy.
- When in doubt, spoon on the sauce. The rich, creamy gravy goes a long way to help potentially dried-out pork chops.
What Pairs Well with Smothered Pork Chops?
Smothered pork chops make a great weeknight meal because you can mix and match what you serve with them. Serve the chops themselves over rice, mashed potatoes, or pasta. They're also delicious with crusty bread for soaking up all the gravy. As for a vegetable side dish, we like to serve this pork chop recipe with roasted vegetables or a bright salad, like this Spinach and Pear Salad.
Ingredients
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4 3/4-inch thick bone-in pork chops (about 2 1/4 pounds)
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1 teaspoon paprika
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1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
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1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
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1/2 cup all purpose flour
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2 tablespoons olive oil
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1 to 3 tablespoons butter
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1 sweet onion, halved and thinly sliced (2 cups)
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4 clove garlic, minced
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1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
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1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
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1/2 cup buttermilk
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1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
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1 tablespoon chopped italian parsley
Directions
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Season pork chops with paprika, seasoned salt, and cayenne pepper.
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Place flour in a shallow dish. Dredge chops in flour, shaking off excess. Reserve 2 Tbsp. of the flour.
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In a 12-inch skillet heat oil and 1 Tbsp. butter over medium heat. Add chops to skillet. Cook until well browned, 6 to 10 minutes, turning once. Remove chops from skillet; cover with foil to keep warm. Add additional butter to skillet to equal about 2 Tbsp. drippings.
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Add onion to skillet. Stir to coat in drippings. Cover; reduce heat to medium-low. Cook 12 to 14 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally, and scraping any browned bits up from the bottom of the skillet. Increase heat to medium-high. Cook and stir until onions are golden brown. Stir in garlic and thyme. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
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Reduce heat to medium. Add flour. Cook and stir 1 minute. Add broth, buttermilk, and mustard. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly, then cook 2 minutes longer, stirring frequently.
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Return chops to skillet and coat in gravy. Cover and simmer until heated through and chops are done (145°F when tested with an instant-read thermometer), 5 minutes. Garnish with parsley.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
| 776 | Calories |
| 44g | Fat |
| 21g | Carbs |
| 70g | Protein |
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings Per Recipe 4 | |
| Calories 776.2 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 44.3g | 57% |
| Saturated Fat 15.6g | 78% |
| Cholesterol 238.4mg | 79% |
| Sodium 637.6mg | 28% |
| Total Carbohydrate 21.3g | 8% |
| Dietary Fiber 1.6g | 6% |
| Total Sugars 5.8g | |
| Protein 69.9g | 140% |
| Vitamin D 2mcg | 10% |
| Vitamin C 7mg | 8% |
| Calcium 134.2mg | 10% |
| Iron 3.5mg | 20% |
| Potassium 1126.9mg | 24% |
| Fatty acids, total trans 0.6g | |
| Vitamin D 76.8IU | |
| Alanine 3.9g | |
| Arginine 4.6g | |
| Ash 4.7g | |
| Aspartic acid 6.6g | |
| Caffeine 0mg | |
| Carotene, alpha 3.4mcg | |
| Choline, total 203.6mg | |
| Copper, Cu 0.3mg | |
| Cystine 0.8g | |
| Energy 3249.3kJ | |
| Fluoride, F 1.6mcg | |
| Folate, total 53mcg | |
| Glutamic acid 11.4g | |
| Glycine 3.1g | |
| Histidine 2.9g | |
| Isoleucine 3.4g | |
| Leucine 5.8g | |
| Lysine 6.2g | |
| Methionine 1.9g | |
| Magnesium, Mg 82.3mg | |
| Manganese, Mn 0.3mg | |
| Niacin 22.4mg | |
| Phosphorus, P 649.5mg | |
| Pantothenic acid 2mg | |
| Phenylalanine 2.9g | |
| Phytosterols 16.2mg | |
| Proline 3g | |
| Retinol 80.5mcg | |
| Selenium, Se 118.6mcg | |
| Serine 3g | |
| Starch 0g | |
| Theobromine 0mg | |
| Threonine 3.1g | |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) 1.8mg | |
| Tryptophan 0.7g | |
| Tyrosine 2.6g | |
| Valine 3.6g | |
| Vitamin A, IU 726.4IU | |
| Vitamin A, RAE 103.7mcg | |
| Vitamin B-12 1.6mcg | |
| Vitamin B-6 1.9mg | |
| Vitamin K (phylloquinone) 21.9mcg | |
| Water 325.3g | |
| Zinc, Zn 5.9mg | |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
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