Pan-Fried Bone-In Pork Chops

In this guide, you will learn how to make pan-fried bone-in pork chops that will rival a great steak at home.

For this recipe, you will brine it with brown sugar, pan-fry it, and then baste it with butter.

Well, one might argue that this sounds like how you cook a steak at home, and that’s true because this is basically a pork chop steak.

It is quite true that there are several reasons as to why you might want to serve pork chops rather than steak; effort and cost are good reasons as to why this might be so.

But personally, this pan-fried bone-in pork chops being my favorite is amazingly succulent and juicy, bathed in brown, garlicky butter, and it is just as fulfilling as its beefy family.

That being said, let’s get right into why we are here, which is how to pan-fry bone-in pork chops.

Pan Fried Pork Chops

In my opinion, these amazing pan-fried pork chops are the best way to incorporate gourmet flavor with easy ingredients.

The pan sauce is heavenly. The way the layers of flavor are built into this dish is easy, straightforward, and mouth-watering.

The pork chops are dry-brined to ensure the most flavor-packed, juicy results.

After that, they are seared in a skillet that is deglazed with white wine before a simple pan sauce is prepared and used to baste the pork chops at the end.

I’m sure you will agree that this does sound amazing. Your kitchen is about to smell incredible.

Keep in mind that you can serve this dish with a side of potato side dishes, greens and beans, pasta salad, vegetables, and so on.

Recipe for Pan-Fried Pork Chops

As already mentioned, these pan-fried pork chops are simple to make in a skillet on the stovetop with a delectable pan sauce. They can be served perfectly well with potatoes and veggies.

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

• 4 pork chops (I use center-cut, bone-in pork chops)
• 1/3 cup of flour
• 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
• Salt/pepper
• 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning

Pan Sauce

• 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 3-4 tablespoons of butter (salted)
• ½ cup of dry white wine
• ¾ cup of chicken broth
• 6 garlic cloves (crushed)

Pan Sauce Seasonings

• 1/8 teaspoon of smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoons (each): dried oregano, onion powder, and dried basil
• ¼ teaspoon of seasoned salt

Laid-Out Instructions

Prep Work

• First, you are to place saran wrap over the pork and use the textured side of a meat mallet to pound the meat on each side. Doing this will make it more succulent.
• After that, season each side of the pork chops with pepper, salt, and Italian seasoning. And if it is possible, proceed to allow them to sit out at room temperature for 35 to 45 minutes. This step will help give the salt a chance to penetrate through the meat and flavor it. Plus, it will make the pork juicier. But just proceed to season the pork chops just before searing if you are short on time.
• At the same time, combine the seasonings and stir them into the chicken broth. Measure out the remaining ingredients before you start.
• That being done, spray each side of the pork with flour and rub it over the surface of each side.

Sear the Pork Chops

• It’s time to heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork chops and sear them in batches for 2 to 3 minutes on the first side. Afterward, do 1 to 2 minutes on the second side. However, keep in mind that extra-thick cuts can be seared a little longer. All that being done, set them aside and allow them to rest.

Make the Pan Sauce

• To do this, first turn the heat off and add the wine, then set the heat to medium and add the crushed garlic, thyme, and chicken broth/seasonings. Proceed to bring it to a gentle simmer and allow it to reduce by half, which will take around 5 to 6 minutes. Just ensure that you can no longer smell alcohol in the wine.
• That being done, add the butter and the pork, along with any juices from the plate. Allow the butter to melt and tilt the skillet to transfer the pan sauce to one side. Proceed to use a spoon to baste the pork for 2 minutes or just until the pork is 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
• After that, remove it from heat and allow the pork chops to rest for 3 to 5 minutes. The internal temp will increase a few more degrees, and the juices will absorb. Proceed to serve with roasted broccoli and mashed potatoes.

What to Serve with Pan-Fried Pork Chops

Below are some simple sides that go well with pan-fried pork chops:

• Hoecakes
• Easy potato salad
• 3-ingredient sour cream muffins
• Coleslaw or vinegar coleslaw
• Hush puppies
• Baked potato wedges, baked potatoes, skin on mashed red potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, or 3-ingredient buttermilk mashed potatoes
• Creamy baked mac and cheese, no-boil easy mac and cheese, crock pot mac and cheese, or stovetop shells and cheese
• Pumpkin bread or pumpkin muffins
• Skillet cornbread, honey cornbread, old-fashioned corn sticks, sweet cornbread muffins, and bakery-style corn muffins
• Wedge salad, house salad with candied pecans, classic Caesar salad, or a green salad with red wine vinaigrette
• Southern buttermilk biscuits, Aunt Bee’s 3-ingredient buttermilk biscuits, sweet potato biscuits, easy drop biscuits, flaky biscuits, and cheese biscuits
• Arkansas green beans with bacon or southern-style green beans
• Fried cabbage with apples and onions, roasted cabbage, or braised red cabbage
• Cheese grits
• Southern squash casserole
• Broccoli cauliflower salad
• Fried apples or baked apple slices
• Fried okra
• Southern succotash
• Southern collard greens
• Broccoli and cheese
• Easy pasta salad
• Homemade baked beans with bacon
• Charleston red rice
• Okra and tomatoes

Recipes FAQs

How Do You Pan-Fry Pork Chops So They’re Not Dry?

It is quite true that pork chops are easy to overcook, particularly the thin ones. That being said, keep in mind that you must set your timer and pay close attention.

Just ensure that they are cooked through before you proceed to pull them from the skillet; that is, when there are no pink juices remaining. Even so, do not cook them for long so that you don’t dry them out.

So, I will advise that you shoot for two to three minutes on one side and one to two minutes on the other.

What are the Best Kind of Pork Chops to Buy?

Compared to beef, pork is much leaner with less marbling, which helps keep the meat tender and moist.

And, when it comes to pan-frying, if you want to avoid drying your pork chops, I recommend you buy thick, bone-in rib chops.

These pork chops come with more fat and connective tissue around the bone, which help keep the chops moist and also prevent overcooking.

Is It Better to Fry Pork Chops With or Without Flour?

Technically, pork chops do not need any flour or breading; however, remember that the flour will help brown the pork chops and will thicken the pan sauce.

Final Thoughts

Note that you can salt the pork more liberally than you normally would if you can dry brine the pork chops for 35 to 45 minutes. And the salt will penetrate through the surface and flavor it inside and out.

Keep in mind that the exact amount of salt will differ, as this is based on the cut and size of the pork chops you use.

Now, that being said, this will bring us to the end of this guide, as you now have the best recipe for pan-fried bone-in pork chops.