Tender Pork Chops in a Savory Sauce: Easy Homemade Recipes
Smothered pork chops may sound indulgent, and indeed, they are rich in flavor. However, numerous recipes for smothered pork chops prioritize health and can be incorporated into a calorie-controlled diet, offering a satisfying dinner option without compromising on taste.
Essential Guide to Smothered Pork Chops
There are numerous fried pork chop recipes out there that can seem fatty or rely heavily on salt for flavor. However, with smothered chops, a sauce is used to enhance flavor and keep the pork moist and tender, allowing for easy control over fat and salt levels without sacrificing taste. Smothered chops are deeply rooted in Soul Food culture, originating from the Deep South, where they celebrate the art of elevating humble ingredients into delicious meals.
The traditional method for preparing smothered pork chops involves seasoning, searing, and smothering. After seasoning the meat, it's coated in flour or cornstarch for a delightful texture. While butter is traditionally used for searing, you can opt for a low-calorie cooking spray or your preferred cooking oil to reduce calorie intake.
While you prepare the sauce, keep your chops warm. The sauce options for smothered pork chops vary widely, ranging from simple yet rich onion gravy to unexpectedly spicy varieties. Regardless of the choice, the sauce ensures each bite is juicy and irresistible, resulting in a simple, healthy meal that never fails to impress.
Tips for the Smothered Pork Chop Recipes
- Ensure your chops are thick and meaty.
- Ideally, use meat on the bone. You can convert any of the below pork chop recipe ideas into boneless pork chop recipes skillet-fried and smothered, but you do get a better flavor if you leave the bone on. If you go boneless, reduce the cooking time by about 4 minutes.
- When searing, you don’t want to cook the chops all the way through, just until they’re brown on both sides.
- Use rice flour for dredging or thickening for a gluten-free option.
- The longer you cook your pork chops in the gravy or sauce, the more tender the meat will be. You can even put your gravy into an oven-safe pot, pop the chops in, cover, and oven cook on medium heat for an hour for meat that almost falls off the bone.
Pork Chop Dinner Ideas
The tried and true way to serve your smothered pork is with creamy mashed potatoes and your favorite greens. Gently stewed or steamed collard greens or mustard greens contrast beautifully with the rich sauce.
If you’re looking to cut out carbs, cauliflower is a keto-friendly alternative to mashed potatoes.
Other sides that go well with pork include corn on the cob, cornbread, or spinach.
Recipe for Braised Pork Chops with Classic Onion Sauce
Absolutely, pork chops and gravy are indeed the epitome of comfort food! Here's a quick and easy version of the recipe perfect for a midweek meal:
Ingredients
- 1 lb. pork chops
- Oil or butter for frying
- 2 tsp poultry seasoning or similar
- Cracked black pepper
- Flour for dredging
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
- Pinch of dried thyme
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup cream – choose heavy cream for extra creaminess or half and half to reduce calories
- Fresh parsley leaves
- Make sure the pork chops are dry. Use paper towels if necessary.
- Season well and dredge in flour.
- Heat your oil in a skillet to medium heat. Fry each chop, turning until brown on both sides.
- Remove chops from the pan and keep warm.
- Add a splash more oil or add 1 tbsp of butter to the pan for more flavor.
- Add onions and a little salt to the pan and cook, stirring regularly, until soft and lightly browned. This might take ten minutes, and if the pan seems dry, add a splash of the chicken broth to deglaze and add moisture.
- Add your garlic and thyme and stir until the aromas are released, no more than a minute.
- Pour in the chicken broth, scraping at the pan, so any brown bits get added to the gravy.
- Reduce for 2 minutes, then add the cream while stirring.
- Put the chops back in the pan and ensure the sauce completely covers them—Cook for a minimum of 5 minutes.
- Check the sauce for seasoning; garnish with fresh parsley and serve with the sides of your choice.
Recipe for smothered pork chops with mushroom sauce
Pork chops with gravy are the perfect comfort food! There are many different versions of this recipe, but our version is quick and easy, making it the perfect midweek meal.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. pork chops
- Oil or butter for frying
- 2 tsp poultry seasoning or similar
- Cracked black pepper
- Flour for dredging
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
- Pinch of dried thyme
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup cream – choose heavy cream for extra creaminess or half and half to reduce calories
- Fresh parsley leaves
- Make sure the pork chops are dry. Use paper towels if necessary.
- Season well and dredge in flour.
- Heat your oil in a skillet to medium heat. Fry each chop, turning until brown on both sides.
- Remove chops from the pan and keep warm.
- Add a splash more oil or add 1 tbsp of butter to the pan for more flavor.
- Add onions and a little salt to the pan and cook, stirring regularly, until soft and lightly browned. This might take ten minutes, and if the pan seems dry, add a splash of the chicken broth to deglaze and add moisture.
- Add your garlic and thyme and stir until the aromas are released, no more than a minute.
- Pour in the chicken broth, scraping at the pan, so any brown bits get added to the gravy.
- Reduce for 2 minutes, then add the cream while stirring.
- Put the chops back in the pan and ensure the sauce completely covers them—Cook for a minimum of 5 minutes.
- Check the sauce for seasoning; garnish with fresh parsley and serve with the sides of your choice.
Pork Chops in Creamy Mushroom Sauce
The fried pork chops recipe for this dish is identical to the previous one. Before proceeding with the gravy:
- Sauté 10 ounces of thinly sliced mushrooms and put to one side.
- Make your gravy as above, but after you’ve stirred in the cream, add a dash of Worcestershire sauce and a teaspoon of Dijon mustard and stir well.
- Add your pork and mushrooms back in and finish as above
Cajun-Style Smothered Pork Chops
This pork chop recipe combines elements from the previous two, along with Cajun-inspired seasoning for a flavorful twist and a slower cooking method for ultimate tenderness.
Begin by dredging the chops in flour mixed with Creole seasoning, oregano, thyme, basil, salt, and a touch of cayenne pepper. Follow the earlier instructions for searing the meat, and initiate the gravy in the same manner. Consider adding mushrooms to enhance the gravy's flavor. Substitute half of the chicken broth with white wine, and transfer both the gravy and chops to a Dutch oven or similar oven-safe pot. Allow them to cook for at least an hour, checking for tenderness, and continue cooking for another 30 minutes if needed.
Once you've mastered the basic technique for searing and smothering pork chops, the possibilities are endless. Experiment with a tomato-based sauce with Mediterranean herbs, or blend seasonal veggies into a nutrient-packed sauce for a delightful pork chop dinner. Let your creativity shine by crafting your own signature sauce and impress your loved ones with this comforting and inviting dish.
