Pan-Fried Pork Chops
on Feb 12, 2023, Updated May 02, 2023
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Everything you need to know to cook perfect, juicy, tender (NOT tough!), flavorful pork chops on the stove.
Cooking pork chops on the stove can easily result in chops that are perfectly browned yet juicy inside. The key is to keep your eye on them and make sure you take them off the heat at just the right moment so they don’t overcook and stay nice and tender.
Brining Pork Chops
If you can make time to brine your pork chops for even a couple of hours, you will be rewarded with totally moist and tender pork chops, and much less of a chance of them drying out when you cook them. Here’s the easy how-to on brining pork chops! It is very simple and takes very little time.
Pan Fried Pork Chops: Everything you need to know to cook perfect, juicy, tender (NOT tough!), flavorful pork chops on the stove.
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How to Cook Pork Chops So They Don’t Dry Out
Cooking the pork chops over medium heat and turning them several times during the 8- or so-minute cooking process prevents them from toughening up on the outside and allows them to cook more evenly.
When you are cooking fattier meat, like a marbled steak, in a pan, you usually want to let the food sear without moving it around too much so it gets a nice caramelized crust. With pork chops, however, you should use a different technique.
First, buy pork chops from the best source you can find! The quality of the pork definitely counts.
Then, just keep the heat at medium, and flip them every couple of minutes. You should still see some appealing browning on the exterior, but you won’t overcook the outside before the middle is done. With steaks, you often want the outside to be more cooked than the inside, but that’s not the case with pork. The goal is to have the pork chops just barely cooked through while the outside remains tender.
Tips for Cooking Perfect Pork Chops
- Don’t let the heat get too high or too low — pork chops will toughen if cooked too quickly or too long.
- Keep flipping them every couple of minutes to prevent the exterior from getting tough.
- Buy your meat from a quality source.
- Make sure your pork chops are at least 1 inch thick; if they are thinner, reduce the cooking time proportionately. If they are thicker, add a bit of cooking time accordingly.
How Long to Cook Pork Chops
While the internal temperature should be your ultimate guide, you can use the below cooking times as a guide for how long to cook pork chops:
| Thickness | Time Over Medium Heat |
|---|---|
| ½ inch | 2 minutes per side |
| ⅝ inch | 2 minutes 30 seconds per side |
| ¾ inch | 3 minutes per side |
| ⅞ inch | 4 minutes per side |
| 1 inch | 5 minutes per side |
| 1 ⅛ inches | 6 minutes 30 seconds per side |
| 1 ¼ inches | 7 minutes 30 seconds per side |
Internal Temp of Pork Chops
The safe temperature for pork chops is 145 degrees F. You don’t want the temperature to get higher than that, or the meat can become tough. However, because of carry-over cooking, you actually want to take the chops out of the pan at 135 degrees and allow them to finish cooking off the heat. Use a meat thermometer to measure the temperature.
If you don’t have a meat thermometer, you are looking to take the meat from the pan when the center of the chops is still just barely pink. As they sit, they will continue to cook, so taking them off the heat just before they are finished cooking will allow the temperature to rise to the optimal level. This resting period not only allows them to cook through properly but also allows the juices in the pork chops to be reabsorbed by the meat, so they stay juicier. Cutting them too early will cause the juices to run out onto the cutting board instead of staying in the pork chops where they belong.
An internal temperature lower than 140 to 145 degrees is not recommended by the USDA as there is a risk of bacteria at this lower internal temperature.
How to Cook Pork Chops on the Stove
Brine the pork chops, if desired. Brine or no brine, pat them completely dry. Season them with a bit of salt (use more salt if you skipped the brining step) and pepper.
Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet (preferably cast-iron) over medium-high heat. When the pan is very hot, add the oil, then add the pork chops and cook for about 2 minutes.
Flip the pork chops with tongs, and continue cooking the pork chops for a total of about 8 to 10 minutes, flipping them every 2 minutes or so, until the pork chops are almost cooked through. The internal temperature should read 130 degrees on a meat thermometer at this point, and they will be a little bit pink in the center.
Add the butter to the pan. Place the herb sprigs and garlic next to the chops in the pan.
Spoon the melted butter over the chops, flipping the chops a couple of times and basting away. Remove the pan from the stove, and transfer the pork chops to a cutting board.
Let them rest for 5 minutes; the internal temperature should be 145 degrees. Slice the pork chops and drizzle the pan sauce over the sliced pork.
What to Serve With Pork Chops
Other Pork Chop Recipes
- Grilled Pork Chops with Peaches
- Pork Chop Marsala
- Pork Chops with Apples
- 30-Minute Honey Garlic Pork Chops
- Air Fryer Breaded Pork Chops
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Pan-Fried Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 2 1-inch thick boneless pork chops (about 10-ounces each)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (or other neutral cooking oil)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- 2 thyme or rosemary sprigs
- 2 cloves garlic (very thinly sliced)
Instructions
- Brine the pork chops, if desired. Brine or no brine, pat them completely dry. Season them with a bit of salt (more salt if you skipped the brining step) and pepper.
- Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium high heat. When the pan is very hot, add the oil, then add the pork chops and cook for about 2 minutes. Flip the pork chops with tongs, and continue cooking the pork chops for a total of about 8 to 10 minutes, flipping them every 2 minutes or so, until the pork chops are almost cooked through. The internal temperature should read 130 F on a meat thermometer at this point, and they will be a little bit pink in the center.
- Add the butter to the pan. Place the herb sprigs and garlic next to the chops in the pan. Use a spoon to spoon the melted butter over the chops, flipping the chops a couple of times, and basting away. Remove the pan from the stove, and transfer the pork chops to a cutting board. Let them rest for 5 minutes; the internal temperature should be at 145 F.
- Slice the pork chops and drizzle the pan sauce over the sliced pork.
Notes
- Don’t let the heat get too high or too low — pork chops will toughen if cooked too quickly or too long.
- Keep flipping them every couple of minutes to prevent the exterior from getting tough.
- Buy your meat from a quality source.
- Make sure your pork chops are at least 1 inch thick; if they are thinner, reduce the cooking time proportionately. If they are thicker, add a bit of cooking time accordingly.
