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Smothered Pork Chops

Smothered Pork Chops are juicy, tender, pan-seared pork chops cooked in a rich onion gravy. A super easy dinner recipe, perfect for any night of the week!

If you are looking for more ways to cook pork chops, try this oven-baked pork chops recipe or these air fryer pork chops.

Overhead shot of smothered pork chops with onion gravy in a skillet.

The classic rich flavors of these savory smothered pork chops, a gem from classic Southern cuisine, are guaranteed to have everyone at the table asking for seconds! Every bite will remind you of those hearty, home-cooked meals we all love. Whether it’s a nostalgic favorite or a new discovery for you, this dish is sure to become a regular at your table.

Why We Love These Pork Chops

  • Quick: It’s a hassle-free dinner that feels like gourmet without requiring hours in the kitchen.
  • Easy-to-Follow: From searing the chops to making the gravy, the steps are simple and foolproof.
  • Perfect for Various Occasions: Be it a casual family dinner or a special gathering, smothered pork chops fit the bill.
Close-up view of pan-seared pork chops with onion gravy in a skillet

Smothered Pork Chops Ingredients

Each ingredient, from the bone-in chops to the flavorful seasonings and the butter, is selected to guarantee juicy pork chops. Fresh onions, garlic, broth, and heavy cream come together to create a lusciously thick and savory gravy, perfectly enhancing the final dish.

  • Bone-In Pork Chops: Look for chops that are about an inch thick. These are the easiest to cook without drying them out.
  • Seasonings: For a simple recipe like this, I reach for seasoning salt, black pepper, and fresh thyme. You could also add a sprinkle of onion powder and garlic powder.
  • Olive Oil and Butter: The olive oil and butter together create tons of flavor without smoking or burning.
  • Onion: Thinly slice one large yellow onion.
  • Garlic: Minced, fresh garlic gives the brightest taste, but garlic powder is also okay to use.
  • Broth: Low-sodium chicken broth is my go-to, but you could use regular chicken broth, bone broth, vegetable broth, or beef broth.
  • Heavy Cream: This helps to make the gravy thick and creamy without adding flour.

How to Make Smothered Pork Chops

The process involves searing the tender pork chops, gently caramelizing onions, creating a rich, flavorful gravy, and then bringing it all together. For more detailed instructions, scroll down the page to the recipe card.

  1. Sear the Pork Chops. Heat up your oil and butter in a skillet on medium-high heat and sear those chops for about five minutes per side until golden brown. Transfer the pork chops to a plate and set aside.
  2. Cook the Onions. In the same skillet, turn down the heat and melt the remaining butter. Add the sliced onions, and let those cook until they are very soft and caramelized.
  3. Create the Gravy. Stir in your chicken broth, and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and then whisk in the heavy cream.
  4. Finish the Pork Chops in the Gravy. Finally, add the pork chops back into the skillet, smothering them in gravy. Continue to cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the pork chops’ internal temperature reaches 145˚F. Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness.
  5. Enjoy! Serve the smothered pork chops with your favorite sides, like mashed potatoes or buttery egg noodles.

Recipe Tips And Variations

  • Heavy Cream: If cream isn’t available, you can substitute whole milk or half and half, and the gravy will still taste amazing – it just won’t be quite as thick and creamy.
  • Different Cuts of Pork: I used bone-in chops because they are juicier but you can also use boneless pork chops. However, you’ll need to reduce the cooking time to about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Be careful not to overcook because you will end up with dry pork chops.
  • Add Mushrooms: Smothered pork chops are amazing with sliced fresh mushrooms thrown in – just add them once the onions have caramelized, let them cook until their liquid evaporates, and continue with the recipe as written.
  • Avoid Dry Pork: If your pork chops are dry and tough, it’s most likely due to overcooking them. Use a meat thermometer and cook the pork chops to an internal temperature of 145˚F – and don’t rely on color to tell if the meat is done.
Pork chops cooking in onion gravy.

Serving Suggestions

Gravy and bone-in seared pork chops in a skillet.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

  • Store leftover pork chops in an airtight container with the gravy, and keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
  • Reheat the pork chops in their gravy in a covered skillet over low heat. Be sure only to heat them until they are heated through, and then take them off the stove so they don’t overcook.

More Pork Chop Recipes

Overhead shot of smothered pork chops with onion gravy in a skillet.

Smothered Pork Chops Recipe

Katerina | Diethood
Juicy and delicious pan-seared pork chops cooked in a rich onion gravy. 
4.76 from 73 votes
Servings : 4 serves
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients
  

For the Pork Chops
  • 1 pound bone-in pork chops, 1-inch thick
  • 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning or seasoning salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
For the Gravy
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • pinch salt
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
  • ½ cup low sodium chicken broth
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Instructions
 

For the Pork Chops
  • Season pork chops with the seasoning salt and black pepper.
  • Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the butter is melted. Add pork chops to skillet and sear for 5 minutes per side until golden brown. If the skillet isn't big enough, cook the pork chops in batches. Transfer the pork chops to a plate and keep them covered.
For the Gravy
  • Return skillet to heat and add a tablespoon of butter; melt over medium heat. Stir in sliced onions and add a pinch of salt. Cook onions for 10 to 12 minutes, or until very soft and caramelized, stirring frequently.
  • Add garlic and fresh thyme; continue to cook for 30 seconds. Pour in chicken broth, and using a wooden spoon, scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Whisk in heavy cream and simmer for 1 minute.
  • Return pork chops and all the pork juices to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook for 3 more minutes or until the pork chops are completely cooked through, and the sauce has thickened.
  • Remove from heat; garnish with parsley and serve.

Notes

  • Pork Chops: This recipe calls for bone-in pork chops. If you want to use boneless pork chops, you will have to reduce the cooking time to about 3 minutes per side. To avoid dry, tough pork chops, use an Instant Read Meat Thermometer and remove the pork chops from the skillet once the internal temperature of the pork chops registers at 145˚F.
  • Heavy Cream is what makes the gravy rich and creamy. You can use lighter options like half & half or milk, but the gravy won’t be as thick or creamy.
  • Store completely cooled pork chops in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 4 ounces | Calories: 353 kcal | Carbohydrates: 4 g | Protein: 19 g | Fat: 29 g | Saturated Fat: 12 g | Cholesterol: 102 mg | Sodium: 228 mg | Potassium: 377 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 1 g | Vitamin A: 525 IU | Vitamin C: 4.1 mg | Calcium: 40 mg | Iron: 0.8 mg

Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.

Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American, American/Southern
Keyword: bone-in pork chop recipes, easy pork chop recipes, how to cook pork chops
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136 comments on “Smothered Pork Chops”

  1. Avatar photo
    David Parker

    For a recipe cook such as myself, this is the real deal. Tastes so good. Like home cooking. I’m single and 72 years old. This is the kind of dish that reminds me of visiting Grandma and Grampa when I was young. And I love it!

    1. I’m so glad this recipe brought back fond memories of your grandparents and made you feel at home. It’s wonderful that it adds joy and comfort to your meals at 72. Thank YOU! 🙂

  2. Enjoyed this recipe and I’ll make it again but next time… add mushrooms and much more gravy because I need to make mash potatoes with this recipe!

    1. Glad you liked the recipe and are planning to try it with mushrooms and more gravy for mashed potatoes next time! That sounds like a tasty addition. Thank YOU! 🙂

  3. We just made these for dinner. They were great! My gravy didn’t thicken at all and I used heavy cream. It was still delicious! Thank you for the recipe. We’ll be making this again and again!

  4. I found this recipe at last minute to make something with some pork chops I had on hand. Everyone loved it including me and I’m not much a pork eater! Thanks for the recommendations too about subs and heat time for chops with and without bone. They came out perfect and not dry!

  5. Avatar photo
    Katherine Pike

    I slightly changed the recipe. I only had 4 boneless pork chops, thickly cut. I seared the pork chops in the pan. Instead of cooking the pork chops on the stove, I chose to slowly bake them in the oven at °300 for about an hour and a half. I was hoping this would tenderize them, and it worked beautifully. I did everything else according to the recipe. The pork chops were so tender, they fell apart when I was putting them on a plate. The flavor of the onion gravy was absolutely delicious! Thank you for this recipe!

  6. This recipe is delicious. I read some of the other reviews. My sauce did not thicken until I removed from heat but I know you can add cream cheese to thicken it (keto-friendly). Plus to avoid tough chops, I brine the meat initially, then place in oven low & slow. Melt in your mouth chops. 😋

  7. I followed this recipe completely except I added
    mushrooms. Oh my goodness, it was amazing. Everyone loved it. The recipe was easy to follow. This will definitely be a regular in my meal rotation. Thank you for sharing it with us.

  8. I made this delicious recipe tonight, and we really enjoyed it !! We are on Healthy Keto, so I’m always looking for unique, yet healthy recipes. I am so happy that I found this one. Since we don’t eat carbs, I fixed a vegetable cheesy pie as our side. I will be trying other recipes from this channel. Thank you for sharing it !!

  9. We love this. I follow the recipe and sometimes it comes out thick and sometimes not. 🤷‍♀️. I believe it starts from the beginning in how the chops are cooked. Good char, great gravy, less char, not as great.

    1. You can print any recipe – scroll down to the recipe card and click on the “Print Recipe” button. However, this recipe where you left the comment is not for lamb; it’s for pork chops.

  10. One of my faves! So yummy! I serve over cauliflower rice. To thicken the sauce, add cream cheese to keep it low carb. Heavenly!

  11. Excellent! I had two boneless chops brining in the fridge overnight and came across this recipe. Since it’s only me, I cut the recipe in half. I had all the ingredients on hand. Wonderful flavor.

  12. Delish,I used chicken stock cube with liquid from veg and a 1/2 teaspoon of Dijon mustard and mushrooms served with mixed veg and roasted potatoes and veg !

  13. Made this tonight and doubled the sauce recipe. Do NOT use 1 tablespoon of Tyme if using dried..way too much! Tasted terrible. I was hoping I could substitute the fresh but I should’ve cut way back with it being dried! 🤦🏼‍♀️

    1. It was a 1/2 T fresh Thyme in the recipe meaning about 1/4 tsp dried. You poor thing, that would have not tasted good.

  14. Avatar photo
    DeVonna Reese

    We did everything to the T and the gravy came out watery. We have to use flour to thicken the gravy.
    Pork chops were good though.

  15. Really disappointed in the gravy. Did everything according to the recipe and my ‘gravy’ is pure liquid even when we let it simmer and all that. I can’t use flour because of my celiac disease sooo.. this was kinda a bust 😞

    1. I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you. I don’t know why it would turn out soupy.. did you use the heavy cream? That should have thickened it up. If that’s not an option, maybe you can use cornstarch to thicken it?

  16. This was tasty but not tender. I need tender, because of dental problems, and thought this would do it. So I cooked it and sliced it into small tiny pieces. Not sure if I will make it again.

  17. Really tasty chops! I did not have heavy cream, so instead I sprinkled about 2 Tbl. Flour into the onions as they finished caramelizing and stirred to thicken a bit before adding just milk. It worked out well to thicken the sauce and probably saved a few calories too.

  18. Is it 4 one-inch pork chops each weighing 1 pound (for a total of 4 pounds) or do the 4 one inch pork chops add up to a total of one pound?

    1. Katerina - Diethood
      Katerina Petrovska

      Hi!
      That’s a total of 1 pound. So, four 1-inch-thick pork chops should be about 1 pound.

    2. Total of 4 pork chops adding up to one pound, ex. each chop about 4 ounces each. Consider using golden mushroom soup with 1/2 can chicken stock and sautéed sliced onion and sliced mushrooms. Way better!

  19. Loved this recipe! Restaurant quality. I coated my chops with flour before searing them. I skipped the thyme because I didn’t have any and seasoned to taste. This is a keeper. Thank you for this recipe.

    1. Avatar photo
      smithmildred63@yahoo.com

      I will be trying these today. Can’t wait to see how they’ll turn out. I’m excited. I’ll post again once I complete the task.

    1. I very rarely leave a review but had to comment on this absolutely delicious recipe. I have been looking for a pork Chop recipe like this for awhile now. I made these pork chops for dinner tonight and they were fabulous. Didn’t change a thing. Yummy!

    2. Omg samee! First time making it with my boyfiend, and they turned out sooo good!! I will definitely keep coming back to this recipe!

  20. It’s My first time. I was looking for something different for my smothered pork chops and this recipe is amazing my thirteen grandson that is usually picky about foods he loved it. My entire family enjoyed ✅💕

    Thanks for sharing !

    1. I thought they were very tasty. Even though I didn’t have any thyme for the gravy. I had plenty of flavor without it. I used a heavy creme for the thickner and it could of been thicker. I also used a mushroom broth instead of chicken broth. It gave it the flavor of them without the texture that my husband doesn’t like. Very tasty.

  21. This is by far my favorite pork chop recipe. I have made it many times and my husband loves it. It took me a while to get over/ my fear of pork with a pink center(thanks mom) but once I did there has never been a dry, tough pork chop served in my house since. Thank you for such a great recipe and the wonderful tips for cooking pork chops.

      1. My husband and I loved this recipe for pork chops this is our second time making it, thank you very much, it’s hard to find a pork chop recipe that he will eat

  22. Avatar photo
    newmank2b29440@msn.com

    I made these except I cooked onions and had some fresh mushrooms first. Cooked the chops, the deglazed the pan with 1/2 cup white wine, stirred in flour, added powdered chicken bouillon and added potato water. Then added kitchen bouquet and heavy cream. I didn’t put the chops back in the gravy as my husband hates the soggy coating. I served with mashed potatoes and acorn squash! Very good! Will do again

    1. Do you take all butter etc out with the chops add butter and cook onions or leave it all in but chops and add more butter and onions?

      1. Katerina - Diethood
        Katerina Petrovska

        Hi!
        You first want to heat up 2 tablespoons olive oil with 2 tablespoons butter; cook the pork chops. Then, remove pork chops and set aside. Add 1 tablespoon butter to the skillet, melt it and stir in the sliced onions.
        Are you looking at the recipe card that’s at the bottom of the post? There you will find step by step directions, as well as all the ingredients and amounts that you will need to make these pork chops.

      1. Avatar photo
        Tutta Casteli

        Shane – that’s exactly what I was going to write and say LOL it’s not even close to Katerina’s recipe

    1. Katerina - Diethood
      Katerina Petrovska

      Hi!
      Yes, the onions have to cook for about 12 minutes, or until very soft and caramelized.

      1. Wow, wow, wow! Awesome recipe. I made it exactly per your instructions, taking the option of using milk for the gravy and it came out perfect. I made a side of some potatoes, mushrooms and peas, put the chops and side on a dinner plate and gently poured the gravy over the chop. Looked amazing, tasted even better than it looked! Your temperature recommendation was right on the mark too, the chop was done perfectly.

  23. Oh my goodness, these were soooo good! I had really thick pork chops from a local farm and had to increase my cooking time for them to get up to temp. I just kept adding liquid (half and half, because that’s what I happened to have on hand) to keep the gravy the right consistency. These were absolutely delicious. I live in a condo and one of my neighbors texted me because it smelled so good! Will definitely add these to my dinner rotation thanks for the great recipe!

      1. Avatar photo
        Virginia Turnbull

        Dear Katherine,

        If I have boneless pork chops, how do you best to adjust cooking time? I assume the recipe should work just as well? Thank you in advance for your help.

        1. Katerina - Diethood
          Katerina Petrovska

          Hi! 😊
          1/4-inch thick boneless pork chops need about 3 to 4 minutes per side to cook through. So I would do just 3 minutes per side, and then they’ll finish cooking at the end when you add them back to the sauce. For best and most accurate results, check the pork chops for doneness with an instant read thermometer. Pork chops are cooked through when internal temperature registers at 145˚F.

          1. Making these tonight. At the top it says to cook pork chops to 135. Here you’re saying 145. Which?

          2. Katerina - Diethood
            Katerina Petrovska

            The USDA recommends 145˚F, but as of late, more chefs are suggesting to pull the pork chops as soon as they register at 135˚F, and then let rest for 10 minutes before cutting. The resting time will allow the residual heat to bring up the internal temp to 145˚F.

  24. First time making this, this is the best recipe bar none! I do everything low carb so trying all these recipes and finding yours was just the cherry on top. My new fav. I like a little thicker sauce so I just added a small amount of cornstarch. Again, my thanks for an awesome recipe.

  25. Avatar photo
    Janet Bradley

    FYI, to the person wanting the picture with the recipe, I sometimes just. copy and paste the entire recipe into an email and send it to myself. That way I also have the picture.

    Now to my thoughts, on this Recipe……..CAN’T WAIT TO MAKE IT!!!!!! SOUNDS AMAZING!!!!!! Love all the reviews.

  26. This recipe is fantastic and an easy winner for my entire family, including the picky ones! I’ve added mushrooms and peas which is tasty and I’ve also tried it with chicken. Yum!

  27. Tried this tonight, turned out GREAT! Didn’t have chicken broth….substituted beer!! And used frozen, diced onions that I had in the fridge! Seasoned w/a little salt & pepper, & worcestershire sauce. Everyone LOVED it! Will make this again! Thank you!

  28. This has an amazing flavor and I will make it again, but the cooking time is waaay too much. 3/4 “ chops turned into shoe leather. 2 minutes sear on each side and return to gravy to rewarm for a quick 1-1 1/2 minutes.

    1. Hubby and kids (age 6 and 7) approved this recipe. They devoured it. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I will be making it again tomorrow per hubby and kids request.

  29. How can I get this recipe to print with the photo – like is on the screen. When clicking on the print button, the format changes and no picture.

    1. Katerina - Diethood
      Katerina Petrovska

      Hi!
      No, I’m sorry, there’s no option for printing it with the picture. Pictures use up a lot of ink and I know that most people would be pretty upset for wasting their ink on a picture. 😊

      The one thing I can think of to do is, you can take a screenshot of the recipe with your phone and the picture will be included.

  30. Tried your pork chop recipe tonight and throughly enjoyed every bite!
    My daughter also loved it and she is not a pork fan at all.
    Thanks for the recipe! It was fast and ever so easy to make!

    1. OMG, great recipe for pork chops and so easy! My wife loves it! I think I make my neighbors jelouse when I make this.

  31. Avatar photo
    Stevie Gibbons

    These were super yummy! I had 6 chops and increased ingredients accordingly. Hubby raved. I served with scalloped potatoes and peas. I’m low carb so I had a simple salad with champagne vinaigrette. This will be made again!

  32. I bought pork chops from Costco
    Cut them in half
    Use a meat tenderizer to flatten them
    Cook a few at a time and place in dish to keep warm
    It was so delicious

    1. Katerina - Diethood
      Katerina Petrovska

      Hi!
      I’d say so… I think, for food to taste good, things like herbs and aromatics are necessary.

  33. This was so delicious. It is going to make into the regular rotation of dishes. Served over mashed potatoes so the gravy was all over everything and just perfect. Thank you for this. I have a lot of Celiac family members that will enjoy this.

    1. I couldn’t find my rhyme so I subbed tarragon and hoped for the best. It was fantastic! Recipe is definitely a keeper.

  34. It was good. I omitted the garlic as it bothers my husband, he said it was good. Will be making this again for sure.

  35. Avatar photo
    Bridget Hemmeline

    Omg, this was delicious. I usually grill my pork chops so this was a nice change. Simple, easy and amazing. I used different seasoning but the base was the same.

  36. Avatar photo
    Michelle Goth

    Genius to cut out the flour! You really don’t need it with the heavy cream and some extra time. Thank you for the recipe!

  37. I found , at most about 450 mgs of sodium. Where is the rest hiding?Unless your “pinch of salt” is very large.

    1. Katerina - Diethood
      Katerina Petrovska

      Hi!
      Thanks SO much for pointing this out to me. I think the nutritional analysis calculator didn’t recognize the “Low-Sodium” in the chicken broth – will fix it, asap.
      Edited to add: It was actually the Seasoning Salt that was miscalculated … it came up as over 2500 mg for 1 teaspoon, but it’s really 360 mg per 1 teaspoon. Again, thanks so much for the heads up!

    1. Gave this a try and honestly have to say it is good. I went pretty much according to the recipe. I added a can of mushrooms drained and some pepper flakes for a bit of heat yummy. Yes I will be making this again, just when the Texas weather cools down some

  38. I know what I’ll be making for dinner tomorrow! This sounds mouth watering delicious and easy to boot!

  39. Whenever I ask my husband what he wants for dinner this week, he always asks for pork chops!! thanks for another great recipe!

    1. I rarely follow a recipe exactly without adding my own twist to it. But this one, I did follow exactly, and it was great! Well, except for extra garlic, but that doesn’t count, because I add more garlic to everything! I served with orzo and some fresh bread and a salad. Even my kids asked for seconds. The only thing I would change is I’ll make way more next time!

    1. This was sooo good! The poultry seasoning added a great flavor. I didn’t dice the onion. Instead cut in slices and right before caramelized added baby bella mushrooms. Family loved it!!

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