Best Baked Pork Chops

Baked pork chops are very flavorful, but they can become dry quite easily.

The two-step method outlined here produces juicy, flavorful chops, every time.

best-baked-pork-chops

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • ½ tablespoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 bone-in pork chops, ½ or 1 inch thick, 6-8oz each
  • Olive oil cooking spray (you can make your own with a spray bottle)

Instructions

  1. If your chops are 1 inch thick, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place it in the oven to allow it to heat up.
  2. In a small bowl, mix together the paprika, salt and pepper, then rub the mixture onto both sides of the chops.
  3. When oven has reached 400 degrees, sear the chops: Heat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat, about 3 minutes. Spray with olive oil cooking spray. Add the pork chops. Sear 2 minutes per side, without moving the chops, until well-browned, even charred in spots.
  4. If your chops are ½-inch thick, they should be ready now (check with a thermometer – internal temperature should reach 145 degrees F). Transfer to a platter, loosely cover with foil and allow to rest 5 minutes before serving.
  5. If your pork chops are 1 inch thick, transfer them to the hot baking sheet, place in the oven and bake 10 minutes, to a slightly rosy internal temperature of 145 degrees F.* Transfer to a platter, tent with foil and allow to rest 5 minutes, then serve.

Notes

*A word on pork safety: Happily, the USDA has lowered its temperature recommendation for cooking pork, from 160 degrees (dry, tough, completely white meat) to 145 degrees (juicy, and slightly pink in the center) with a 3-minute rest period.

Nutrition Per Serving

Calories: 251; Fat: 16.7g; Carbohydrates: 0g; Sugar: 0g; Sodium: 345mg;Fiber: 0g; Protein: 23.8g

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