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!
Looking for more ways to cook pork chops? Try this oven-baked pork chops recipe or these air fryer pork chops.
The Best Smothered Pork Chops Recipe
Classic smothered pork chops are a Southern-style dinner that your whole family will devour! Who could resist a juicy, pan-seared pork chop served up with plenty of creamy, sweet, tangy, extra flavorful gravy? This simple recipe is also low-carb, keto-friendly, gluten-free, and very easy to make. Pair it with rice or noodles for those not watching carbs, or accompany it with veggies for a healthier twist. Perfect for both a casual weeknight dinner and special occasions, it seamlessly blends convenience with classic taste. Whether you’re revisiting a childhood favorite or trying it for the first time, smothered pork chops will leave you craving more.
So next time you want a down-home dinner that feels and tastes like you spent all day on it – though it only takes a few minutes of hands-on prep! – try smothered pork chops! This is definitely a recipe to add to your regular menu rotation.
Why We Love This Pork Chops Recipe
- Easy & Quick: It’s a hassle-free dinner option that feels gourmet without requiring hours in the kitchen.
- Easy-to-Follow: From searing the chops to making the gravy, the steps are simple and clear, ensuring a foolproof cooking experience.
- Juicy & Tender: The pork chops are pan-seared to perfection, ensuring a juicy and tender bite every time.
- Perfect for Various Occasions: Be it a casual family dinner or a special gathering, smothered pork chops fit the bill.
What You’ll Need
Most recipes for gravy-smothered-anything call for flour, but to keep this recipe lower in carbs, we will eliminate the flour completely. Butter and heavy cream stay to add richness and make this gravy lip-smackin’ good. For complete recipe information, scroll down to the recipe card.
Ingredients For Smothered Pork Chops
- Bone-In Pork Chops: Look for chops that are about an inch thick. These are the easiest to cook without drying them out.
- Seasoning: For a simple recipe like this, I reach for poultry seasoning, or seasoned salt.
- Pepper: The natural sweetness of the pork goes beautifully with some additional black pepper.
- Olive Oil and Butter: For pan-searing. The olive oil and butter together create tons of flavor without smoking or burning.
Ingredients For Onion Gravy
- Butter: What’s a rich, creamy gravy without a little bit of butter? I use unsalted but you could definitely use salted butter and reduce the amount of added salt.
- Onion: Thinly slice one large yellow onion.
- Pinch of Salt: Again, you may want to omit or reduce this if you are using salted butter.
- Garlic: Minced, fresh garlic gives the brightest taste, but garlic powder is also fine.
- Thyme: Another perfect partner for pork! I use chopped fresh, but a small amount of dried thyme would be fine, instead.
- Broth: Low-sodium chicken broth is my go-to. However, regular chicken broth, bone broth, vegetable broth, beef broth… it’s all good!
- Heavy Cream: This helps make the gravy thick and lush, without adding flour.
- Parsley: A garnish of chopped fresh parsley is optional, but always welcome.
How to Make Smothered Pork Chops
- Sear the Pork Chops. First, heat up your oil and butter in a skillet on medium-high heat. You want the pork chop to sizzle when you lay it in the skillet. Not a sluggish, slow sizzle, and not a crazy-burning sizzle – just a happy medium. Adjust the heat as needed, and sear those chops for about five minutes per side, until golden-brown.
- Cook the Onions. Now that the pork chops are seared, set them aside on a clean plate, covered. In the same skillet, turn down the heat a little bit and melt the remaining butter. Add the sliced onions, and let those cook for about 12 minutes, or until they are very soft and caramelized.
- 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. Stir those into the broth to create the gravy, and then whisk in the heavy cream.
- 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, please!
- Enjoy! Serve your homemade smothered pork chops with your favorite sides.
Tips for Success
When you don’t have much time to spare and you need to get dinner on the table soon, just whip out your skillet and try these pork chops – you won’t be disappointed. We keep coming back to this recipe because it’s just so delicious and quite easy to make! And these simple tips will guarantee success.
- Do I Have to Use Heavy Cream? No! 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.
- Can I Use Boneless Chops? Absolutely, but you will 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 tough 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.
- Why Are My Smothered Pork Chops Tough? If you dread cooking pork chops because they always turn out tough and dry, you’re not alone! This is a super common issue, and it almost always comes down to overcooking. Many home cooks will overcook pork to remove any last hint of rosy color, for food safety reasons – but that’s not necessary and often dries out the meat. Just use a meat thermometer and cook it to 145˚F – and don’t rely on color to tell if the meat is done!
What Goes with Smothered Pork Chops?
- Asparagus: This low-carb green veggie is a nice change from green beans, and so simple to make with this Easy Oven Roasted Asparagus recipe. Goes perfectly with pork chops!
- Rice: Can you imagine this savory gravy over rice? I know, I’m starving just thinking about it. Cook up a batch of your favorite style rice, or try this One Pot Mushroom Rice. Seriously good.
- Brussels Sprouts: I can’t get enough of these! When cooked properly (no bitter, soggy sprouts here, please!), Brussels sprouts are a magical combo of umami flavor and tender, crisp veggie love. This recipe for Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts is a classic.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Store completely cooled 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 to only heat them until they are hot through, and then take them off the stove so they don’t overcook.
Smothered Pork Chops Recipe
Ingredients
- 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
- 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
- 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.
- 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
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.
Made this tonight and it was AMAZING! Definitely a keeper!
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. 😋
This dish had a good flavor, but the gravy didn’t thicken. It was like juice.
I added mushrooms. Definitely a keeper!
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
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.
That’s wonderful to hear! I’m very happy everyone enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
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 !!
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.
I wish I could print this recipe off. I love lamb and this looks lke a good recipe.
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.
One of my faves! So yummy! I serve over cauliflower rice. To thicken the sauce, add cream cheese to keep it low carb. Heavenly!
This was excellent! We will be having this again
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.
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 !
I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
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! 🤦🏼♀️
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.
Loved this!! We added mushrooms and served over potatoes!!
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.
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 😞
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?
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.
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.
I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
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?
Hi!
That’s a total of 1 pound. So, four 1-inch-thick pork chops should be about 1 pound.
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!
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.
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
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.
I hope you’ll enjoy them! Thank YOU! 🙂
Made these last night, so delicious, didn’t change a thing, will definitely make these again
That’s great! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
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!
That’s great to hear! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Omg samee! First time making it with my boyfiend, and they turned out sooo good!! I will definitely keep coming back to this recipe!
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 !
That’s great to hear! I am very glad you and your family enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Delicious!!!!! Cooked as is except only had dried thyme. So good!
Thank you so much! I am very glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
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.
I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
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.
I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
My family loved this dish going to make it again.
That’s great! I’m very glad you and your family enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
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
That’s wonderful! I’m very happy you and your husband loved it! Thank YOU! 🙂
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
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?
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.
You didn’t follow the recipe AT ALL, lol. Sounds good though!
Shane – that’s exactly what I was going to write and say LOL it’s not even close to Katerina’s recipe
Wonderful dish! I added bacon and mushrooms and the family loved it. Thanks for sharing
Should the onions cook for 12 min? I am Celiac and making this for dinner so I just wanted to verify.
Hi!
Yes, the onions have to cook for about 12 minutes, or until very soft and caramelized.
Those look amazing!
Thank YOU! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
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.
I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
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!
That’s great! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
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.
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.
Making these tonight. At the top it says to cook pork chops to 135. Here you’re saying 145. Which?
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.
Absolutely delicious, thank you for sharing the recipe.
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.
That’s great! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Perhaps a stupid question, but is it 12 points per serving, or 12 points for the recipe?
Hi!
That’s per serving.
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.
Thank you SO much! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Sounds great! What would you make for a side? White rice or mashed potatoes?
Sure, you can serve it with a side of mashed potatoes, but veggies are also a great option. If you want to keep it low carb, you can try this recipe for mashed cauliflower; https://diethood.com/creamy-mashed-cauliflower/
I also like these pork chops with a side of asparagus; https://diethood.com/oven-roasted-asparagus/
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!
That’s great! I am very glad you and your family enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Really fantastic, thank you for a great recipe!
I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
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!
I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
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.
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.
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
This was really good. I added mushrooms and everyone loved it. Will surely make again.
I am very happy you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
This was delicious – the sauce and caramelized onions were a hit! Thank you!!!
I am very happy you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
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.
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.
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!
I am very happy you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
OMG, great recipe for pork chops and so easy! My wife loves it! I think I make my neighbors jelouse when I make this.
This was excellent so yummy!!
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!
I am very happy you enjoyed it!! Thank YOU! 🙂
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
Thank you, Devon! I am very happy you enjoyed it! 🙂
Was more like as sauce than a gravy but still was very good!
Is the garlic and thyme necessary?
Hi!
I’d say so… I think, for food to taste good, things like herbs and aromatics are necessary.
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.
I couldn’t find my rhyme so I subbed tarragon and hoped for the best. It was fantastic! Recipe is definitely a keeper.
It was good. I omitted the garlic as it bothers my husband, he said it was good. Will be making this again for sure.
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.
These are on my must-make list!
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!
Is the 135° internal temp a typo? Pork should really be cooked to an internal temp of 145°.
The perfect creamy and delicious dinner! My whole family will love these pork
Sounds really good! Just perfect for those busy nights, need to make this soon!
I found , at most about 450 mgs of sodium. Where is the rest hiding?Unless your “pinch of salt” is very large.
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!
That gravy has me drooling! I can’t believe that it is gluten-free and so easy to prepare.
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
I know what I’ll be making for dinner tomorrow! This sounds mouth watering delicious and easy to boot!
These are the BEST pork chops….my family loved them!
Whenever I ask my husband what he wants for dinner this week, he always asks for pork chops!! thanks for another great recipe!
I don’t make pork chops nearly enough. EVERYONE in my house loved this recipe!
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!
Oops! I didn’t even realize this was a keto or celiac recipe, it was just yummy!
I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
That’s wonderful to hear! I’m very happy everyone loved it! Thank YOU! 🙂
This dish is AMAZING!! It’s so delicious and so flavorful! Thanks!
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!!