These easy Smothered Pork Chops recipe gives you the most tender, juicy pork in a rich mushroom gravy. It tastes like it simmered all day, but you can knock this dinner out in one pan on the stovetop in 30 minutes. A Southern classic using simple ingredients that delivers comforting Granny’s cooking vibes. Perfect for weeknight dinners, Sunday suppers, or anytime you want an old-fashioned, cozy meal. Mashed potatoes are an absolute MUST.
I went to a meeting at City Hall last night where 70+ community members attended. Like, what in the actual, right?? I basically felt like I was living a real-life Parks and Rec episode. The only thing missing was Ron Swanson’s judgmental glare.
We showed up in force to discuss a park that’s being built in my neighborhood. Should the park be mostly grassy knolls, or should it have cool stuff like basketball and volleyball courts? (What would you pick?)
The Pickleball Posse showed up in force. If there is one thing you can be sure of, it’s that the pickleballers are going to let you know that they want more pickleball courts.
There was the gang of teenagers sitting in the back. (teenagers!! At City Hall! on a Tuesday night!!) They wanted to make sure a swing set gets added in, and soccer fields.
Then there were the Big Three, the owners of the 3 houses that will be adjacent to the park grounds. Direct opponents of The Noise, The Pickleball Parking, The Light Pollution, The Late Night Teens. They came with arms folded and intimidating frowns.
Truman and I sat in the back with popcorn. Huzzahed for the kid who said he wanted a normal swing set put in. Wished for a tomato to throw at the Big Three. The city commissioner (wielding an actual gavel you guys) had to stop the townspeople from pulling out their pitchforks talking over each other multiple times.
I have never really been involved in local government, but I think I might be hooked. I mean, you can’t get drama this good on TV! I’ll be running for mayor soon probably. Vote for me! I will get you those chocolate milk fountains you always dreamed of as a kid! (Wait, was that just me?)
I can’t think much beyond food apparently. And who can blame me, when I had these Smothered Pork Chops for dinner? THIS is the stuff legends are made of (park, schmark. Gimme some pork chops!!)
Why these pork chops are the BEST
Did your grandma make you this recipe? This recipe has been around a long time for a reason.
Pork chops are underrated I think, especially when they are drowning in this gravy, and set on a mountain of Shirley’s Mashed Potatoes. I tried this recipe a few different ways, and here are the reasons I like it just like this:
- First: thin-cut pork chops. Thick chops are great for trying to tempt your husband’s appetite when you’re time traveling to the 1950s, but when you want a fast, foolproof Sunday dinner, thinner chops are your friend. They cook quickly and stay juicy, no thermometer even needed.
- Second: so much flavor in the gravy. Instead of relying only on onions and broth, we’re adding depth with tomato paste, soy sauce, cider vinegar, and brown sugar. You don’t taste them individually, but together they create that rich, savory, “what IS that?” flavor that makes people go back for seconds.
- Third: stovetop-only, one pan. I LOVE that this recipe is so fast and easy. We are renovating our kitchen right now and don’t have an oven! But we do have a little plug in bunsen burner on the counter. I made these pork chops on it! Super fast, super easy. Pork chops were made to be cooked fast; in the slow cooker they end up really dry (my assistant Sarah tried this recipe in the crock pot and it was not great)
Ingredients you’ll need
- Thin-cut pork chops Breakfast-cut or thin boneless chops work best here. They’re sometimes labeled as “breakfast cut” or as “pork cutlets.” Boneless or bone-in are both fine!
- Mushrooms Get button mushrooms or baby bellas (did you know that button mushrooms are just a younger version of baby bellas?? I was today years old when I learned this. My mind is blown. (ALSO did you know that green bell peppers are just red bell peppers that got picked earlier? MY WHOLE LIFE IS IN SHAMBLES RIGHT NOW)
- Tomato paste doesn’t make the gravy taste “tomatoey,” it just adds richness. I love to use those little tubes of tomato paste when a recipe only calls for a tablespoon or two. Then I don’t have to worry about opening up a can and saving what I don’t use in a tiny unmarked ziplock that ends up at the very back of my freezer and that I throw away 2 years later. Am I alone here??
- Soy sauce is an easy way to add amazing umami. Low-sodium works fine if that’s what you keep on hand.
How to make smothered pork chops
Here is everything you need to make these chops! Nothing fancy, lots of pantry ingredients.
First step, wash those nasty mushrooms. I know there used to be all these rules about not water-logging mushrooms by washing them—we should just “brush” them clean. Hogwash.
If you aren’t washing mushrooms, you are eating dirt, plain and simple. And you know what, if you’re ok with that I’m ok with that, and we can still be friends. 😂 a little dirt don’t hurt and all that.
Look at these beauties. Slice em up.
Smash a few cloves of garlic, then mince.
Slice up the onions too. Try not to cry too much. I used to wear onion goggles but now that I’m older they make me look like a raccoon for hours, so these days I just embrace the tears. The sacrifices we make for you, O beloved onions!!
Now it’s time to prep our pork chops. First get the spices all together, some Lawry’s, garlic powder, and pepper.
Pork chops are a little funny. They have this fat cap on the side here, and it is pretty stubborn. When you cook a pork chop, this fat caps seizes up and shrinks as the fat renders. It makes the thin-cut pork chop curl up. And that makes it cook uneven. The solution? Just a pair of scissors. We’re telling this chop who’s boss. Make a couple snips in the fat cap and you are good to go. Easy peasy.
Make sure you dry off your chops with a paper towel, so we get a nice brown sear on them. Then sprinkle it with the seasonings and rub it in a bit. Get both sides!
Dredge each chop in a bit of flour. Make sure it’s coated really well! This gets us a beautiful crispy coating on our pork chops. Tap off the excess.
Then, get your pan screamin hot. Like, really hot!! I preheat my pan for at least 2 or 3 minutes before adding any fat to it. Add in the oil and butter (butter for flavor, oil to make sure the butter doesn’t burn) and then drop in the chops. Make sure they have some room to breathe! If you put them too close together they won’t get brown.
Flip them over, then remove to a plate.
Once all the chops are cooked, it’s time to make the veggies and sauce. Add in your sliced onion, with a little pat of butter if the pan is looking dry.
After the onions have sauteed for a few minutes, add in the mushrooms, then the garlic.
Once the veggies are cooked, sprinkle the whole thing with some flour. This will be our gravy thickener! Then add in some tomato paste,
apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, and a lil bit of brown sugar. This is a really simple combo but the flavor it brings a incredible!
Now add in some chicken broth. When I shot this, I had saved the chicken drippings from a rotisserie chicken the day before. It congealed in the fridge, which is why it looks a little lumpy in this photo. Do you ever save your rotisserie drippings? That stuff is gold. Add it to anything you’re cooking, it will be instantly more flavorful.
But any kind of chicken broth will work. Stir it together and bring to a little simmer, so it thickens up a bit. Then add in a some cream:
Just look at this gravy! It’s soooo good. Now is the time to give it a little taste and adjust the seasonings how you like. More salt? More vinegar? a bit more sugar? this is your gravy!
Once it’s exactly how you like it, add the pork chops back in and let them heat up in the sauce. Look at that crust. YUM.
Whatever you do, don’t forget to serve these with Mashed Potatoes! That gravy needs somewhere to go. Colcannon would also be super good with this meal, I love the savory twist from the cabbage. You could also serve over White Rice, Brown Rice, or plain egg noodles!
What to serve with pork chops
The mashed potatoes are mandatory. It’s a crime not to make them. Any classic Southern dishes would be so good as sides!
- Aunt Shirley’s Mashed Potatoes >> a family favorite that’s just begging to be drowned in mushroom gravy
- Fresh Green Bean Casserole from Scratch >> none of that weeknight steamed broccoli, this is a Sunday dinner veggie
- Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits >> keep those Southern vibes going with biscuits to die for
- Sweet and Moist Cornbread >> another Southern classic. Get ready to eat the whole pan
How to store
Store any leftover pork chops and gravy in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Keep the pork submerged in the gravy to keep it from drying out.
To reheat, you can warm pork chops and gravy on the stovetop together over medium-low heat, adding a tablespoon or two of chicken broth or water if the gravy has thickened too much. Microwaving works too, but cover the plate loosely and reheat in short intervals, 30 seconds at a time, or at 50% power to avoid making the pork tough.
Can you freeze it?
Yes, you definitely can. Usually creamy gravy or sauce will separate if you freeze it, but this one has only a small amount of cream, so it will stay together just fine. Let the pork chops and gravy cool completely, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave as directed above.
More home cooking
Beef Recipes
Easy Salisbury Steak Recipe (30 Minutes)
Chicken & Turkey Recipes
Grandma Georgia’s Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings
Recipes for Dinner
1770 House Meatloaf (Ina Garten Meatloaf Recipe)
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Smothered Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 2 pounds thin cut pork chops, also called pork cutlets or breakfast cut pork chops
- 1 tablespoon Lawry's seasoning salt
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
- 1/2 cup flour, for dredging pork chops
- 2 tablespoons butter, for searing pork
- 2 tablespoons light olive oil, for searing pork (any vegetable oil)
- 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced, button or baby bella
- 4 cloves garlic, minced, about 1 tablespoon
- 2 tablespoons flour, to sprinkle on onions and mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon lower sodium soy sauce
- 1 and 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 and 1/2 cups chicken broth*
- 1/3 cup heavy cream, found in the dairy section, not coffee creamer
Instructions
- Prepare the veggies. Wash 8 ounces of mushrooms. Slice off the tough stems and slice them.
- Smash and mince 4 cloves of garlic.
- Thinly slice 1 yellow onion (check out this post on how to cut an onion if you need a refresher). Set aside all the veggies.
- Prepare the pork chops: Line the pork chops up in a single layer on a work surface. Pat the pork chops dry with a paper towel, top and bottom.
- Snip the fat caps. Use scissors to make 2 small cuts along the edge of each pork cutlet, severing the fat cap in two locations, at least 1 inch apart. This is so that the pork chop doesn't curl up in the pan as it's cooking. It makes it hard to cook it evenly when it curls.
- Season: In a small bowl, add 1 tablespoon seasoning salt, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Mix it together. Sprinkle half over the top of the dried pork chops, using your hands to rub it in. Flip each chop and season the other side.
- Add 1/2 cup all purpose flour onto a pie plate or regular plate. Dredge each chop in the flour, pressing it in to ensure a good coasting. Shake off the excess and keep the pork chops in a single layer, not stacked.
- Preheat a large cast iron skillet (or any large skillet) over medium-high heat on the stove for at least 2 minutes, until it is very hot. Add 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Swirl to coat.
- Cook the pork chops in batches: Add the first batch of floured pork chops to the pan, with at least an inch of space between each one. We want them to sear, not steam, and they need room.
- Cook them on the first side for 2-3 minutes, until golden brown, then use tongs to flip each chop. Sear them on the second side for another 1-2 minutes, adding a bit more butter/oil if the pan looks dry. (Don't drown them though, or the chops won't brown. Just a thin layer of butter/oil on the pan.)
- If you like you can check to make sure the chops reach at least 140 degrees, but since they're so thin, they cook pretty quickly. Once they are browned on both sides, they are cooked.
- Take the pork chops off the heat and place them on a large plate. Keep the chops in a warm place while you cook the rest. I like to put mine in my turned-off microwave. Or cover with foil.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and tablespoon of olive oil to the pan set over medium high heat. When it's hot, cook the second batch of chops, then remove and keep warm.
- Cook the veggies: Turn the heat down to medium. Add a little more butter/oil if the pan is dry.
- Add the sliced onion to the pan, sauteing for 2-3 minutes. Scrape up the browned bits from the pork chops.
- Add 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms. Cook for 2 more minutes, or until the mushrooms are starting to shrink in size and soften as they lose moisture.
- Add 4 cloves of minced garlic. Saute for 1 minute, until the garlic is fragrant.
- Sprinkle 2 tablespoons flour over the veggies. This will help thicken our gravy. Stir for 1 minute.
- Add 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 and 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, and 2 teaspoons brown sugar. Stir this for 1-2 minutes until the tomato paste is all incorporated.
- Add 1 and 1/2 cups chicken broth* and stir. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the gravy has thickened slightly.
- Slowly add 1/3 cup heavy cream while you are stirring, so it doesn't curdle. Turn the heat down to a very low simmer. Let it cook for 1 minute with the cream, make sure it's gentle, not a hard boil, or the sauce will separate.
- Add the pork chops back to the gravy. If your pork chops have cooled off, bury the chops in the sauce and cover the pan to let everything heat up.
- When everything is heated through, it's ready!
- Serve with Aunt Shirley's Mashed Potatoes or with Colcannon (Irish mashed potatoes with cabbage) it's so good.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for about 5-7 days. Follow your nose.
- Freezing: Let the pork chops and gravy cool completely, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container or ziplock for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.
