Salt and Pepper Pork Chops

I’m sharing my favorite method of cooking fast, moist and delicious Salt and Pepper Pork Chops – my go to easy weekday dinner choice. Pan seared and oven finished, these will simply melt in your mouth!

Why this recipe works:

There are so many great pork dinner recipes to chose from. Here are the reasons why this one is so fantastic.

• Simple ingredients: bone in pork chops, salt, pepper, and a bit of oil
• Texture and flavor: Searing the pork chops on the outside and then finishing them in the oven gives you a wonderful crispy outside with a super moist and tender inside
• Quick recipe: Because these pork chops don’t take long to prep or cook, they’re a great option for a busy weeknight dinner.

How to make these Salt and Pepper Pork Chops:

1. Preheat: oven to 400°F. You want to make sure it’s nice and hot.
2. Season both sides of the pork chops with salt and pepper. Insert a high quality meat thermometer into the thickest part of the chop, avoiding the bone.
3. Heat pan: Using a cast iron or oven safe pan, get it screaming hot over high heat on the stove. Once hot, add the oil and then carefully place the pork chops in the hot pan.
4. Sear: Allow the pork chops to get a nice sear on the bottom, then flip and let them finish baking in the oven.
5. Rest: Be sure to let the pork chops rest before slicing to allow the juices to redistribute.

Cooking tips:

• Remove from refrigerator: For best results, allow the pork chops to sit out at room temperature for a good 30 minutes prior to cooking. This will allow for more even cooking.
• Do you need to trim the fat? It’s not necessary to trim the fat off of the pork chops prior to cooking. It will only add to the flavor.
• Other flavorings: You can add additional flavoring like garlic powder along with the salt and pepper, but it’s not necessary. You can also use a pork chop marinade prior to cooking.
• Serving suggestion: I served these gorgeous chops up with some butternut squash risotto and wilted spinach for a delicious meal.  You know your pork chops are good when you pick up the bone at the end of the meal to try and scrape every last morsel of meat off the bone.  

Related recipes:

Love a good pork chop? Be sure to check out these other great recipes:

• Instant Pot Smothered Pork Chops
• Grilled Pork Chops with Balsamic Butter Sauce
• Stuffed Pork Chops
• Air Fryer Pork Chops
• Maple Cider Glazed Pork Chops
• Creamy Apricot Pork Chops

If you’ve made this or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out. I love hearing from my readers!

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Salt and Pepper Pork Chops

Prep5 minutes mins

Cook20 minutes mins

Total25 minutes mins

Servings 2

Author Krissy Allori

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I’m sharing my favorite method of cooking fast, moist and delicious Salt and Pepper Pork Chops – my go to easy weekday dinner choice.

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Equipment

• Meat thermometer
• 12-inch cast iron skillet

Ingredients 

½x1x2x

• ▢ 2 thick cut bone in pork chops
• ▢ freshly ground pepper
• ▢ kosher salt
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon avocado or olive oil

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Rinse pork chops and blot dry with a paper towel. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Insert digital meat thermometer into thick part of pork chop, avoiding contact with bone.
• Over high heat, get your skillet (cast iron if you have it) screaming hot. When skillet is about as hot as its going to get, add oil to pan and swirl around to coat. Gently lay pork chops in the hot skillet.
• Allow to cook, undisturbed, until golden brown on bottom, about 4-6 minutes.
• Using tongs, flip pork chops and allow to sear on other side, about 4 minutes. Transfer skillet to hot oven. Continue to cook until internal temperature reads 145°F, about 5-15 minutes depending on how thick your chops are. Remove skillet from oven and transfer chops to plate. Allow to rest for a minimum of 3-5 minutes.

Notes

• For best results, allow the pork chops to sit out at room temperature for a good 30 minutes prior to cooking. This will allow for more even cooking.
• It’s not necessary to trim the fat off of the pork chops prior to cooking. It will only add to the flavor.
• You can add additional flavoring like garlic powder along with the salt and pepper, but it’s not necessary.

Nutrition

Calories: 308kcal, Protein: 35g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 116mg, Sodium: 93mg, Potassium: 581mg, Calcium: 32mg, Iron: 1.1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this? Leave me a comment below

This recipe was originally published in October 2014 and has been updated with helpful information, ingredient and process photos, as well as recipe tips. Don’t worry – the recipe hasn’t changed!