These Juicy Brown Sugar Baked Pork Chops have convinced me to make them in the oven more often. No more dry, unpleasant pork chops! These juicy brown sugar-baked pork chops are melt-in-your-mouth tender! If you need to use pork loin as well, try my Stuffed Pork Loin!
How To Oven Bake Pork Chops So They Are Juicy, Flavorful And Tender.
Oven-baked pork chops are fast and easy. You simply pop them in and let them cook while you prep the rest of the dinner. This is my favorite pork chop recipe! (Of course, because it’s sweet with garlic, how can you lose?)The time has come, my friends, to enjoy pork chops like they have always been meant to enjoy: tender, juicy, and succulent. Does this sound like the pork chops that you ate growing up? Of course, it doesn’t!
Our parents had to cook the ever-living heck out of pork, and we ate shoe leather as children. Mr Magpie actually wouldn’t eat pork chops until the new recommended pork cooking temps came out. We honestly didn’t eat much pork the first ten years of our marriage. Now, this is an often-requested weeknight dinner!
Some tips before you get started
What’s Better, Bone-in or Boneless?
Don’t buy boneless pork chops. Believe it or not, buying pork chops with the bone in is much better. Why is this? Bones actually lend flavor and moisture to the meat, and removing them will lead to a less satisfying overall taste. Furthermore, pork chops with the bone still attached help slow down the speed at which the meat is cooked, which in turn gives you more leeway time-wise when cooking.
Room-temperature meat makes a difference!
Let your pork chops come to room temperature before cooking. According to most chefs, letting the meat sit for 20-30 minutes at room temperature allows for more even cooking throughout! If you transfer directly from the fridge to the oven without letting it sit first, you may end up with some areas being more cooked than others. Try this tip and taste the difference!
Fat means flavor!
Don’t cut the fat off! This might seem like a no-brainer, but cutting off the fat is like guaranteeing your pork chops will taste more bland than normal. Never cut the fat off before cooking; there are very few instances when this is recommended for any meat.
Foolproof cooking with an Instant-Read Thermometer!
Always use a meat thermometer when cooking. A fast digital one, like my much-cherished Thermapen, is the best for instant readings. Make sure you only cook to the recommended safe temperature, which is currently 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
Ingredients
- Soy sauce – use low sodium if you want to cut down on salt
- Worcestershire Sauce – This is a super key ingredient for flavor
- Minced garlic – fresh is best, but I love using jarred minced garlic for a fast trick (avoid garlic powder if possible)!
- Ketchup – use your favorite brand.
- Brown sugar – this gives the sauce its caramel flavor
- Pork chops – thicker is best, but even in my video, I used fast fry to show you how easy this is!
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 350 °F.
- In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, Worcestershire, garlic, ketchup and brown sugar. Adjust this mixture to taste; some people like more ketchup along with brown sugar. Once you have adjusted it to taste, move on to the next step.
- Pat dry your pork chops with a paper towel to remove any leftover moisture or blood from the packaging, then place the pork chops in the bottom of a baking pan. Pour the sauce over the pork chops.
- Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the pork chops reach an internal temperature of 145 °F.
- Remove and serve. The sauce is excellent on rice!
When are the pork chops done?
You’ll know these oven-baked pork chops are good to go when they reach an internal temperature of 145 °F. As mentioned above, this usually takes about 25-30 minutes in the oven, but for fool-proof cooking, check them at the 20-minute mark with a digital instant-read thermometer to know for sure. All ovens are different, so they may take a little less time or a little more, depending on the brand.
Watch us make this recipe.
What is the Best Way to Cook Pork Chops?
Oven-baked is best if you don’t have time to babysit them on the stove in a skillet. While it’s far easier to gauge the temperature when cooking them on the stove ( it’s easier to insert the thermometer when you are cooking on the stove rather than opening the oven time and time again) oven, oven-baked means that you don’t have to watch them as closely.
How to Choose Your Pork Chops
When it comes to selecting your pork chops, I always recommend at least an inch thick if you can get them. How long they take to cook in the oven depends on how thick the pork chops are. If they are the “normal” size (I would call 1/2-inch thick pork chops a standard size throughout grocery stores), then they can take anywhere from 25-30 minutes.
However, if they are thicker (and these are the best ones, in my opinion), they can take 35-40 minutes. I adore a good one-inch thick pork chop, and I will choose those if I can. Ask your local grocery store butcher if they can cut your pork chops an inch thick.
What Temperature Should Pork Chops Be Cooked To?
You can now cook pork to 145 °F. I recommend using a solid digital meat thermometer to check your temperatures and make sure they are cooked correctly. I personally use a Thermapen, which is excellent because it gives you a reading right away without losing too much heat from the oven/BBQ/etc. They also come in pretty colors like this:
How do you cook pork chops without drying them out?
Pork is a very lean meat on the surface and, as you know, will dry out very fast. Even these oven-baked pork chops that have a sauce are cooked lower. That homemade shake-and-bake mix of mine has olive oil in it, which makes up for the lack of fat on the outside of the chops. That’s why you can bake those at 400 degrees; you will get a seriously crispy, amazing pork chop! For any other that doesn’t have an oil-based coating that crisps up, cook it at 350 °F. To ensure they don’t dry out, just keep an eye on their internal temperature, follow my tips above, and do not cut the fat off or use boneless pork chops.
How to Store the Leftovers
When it comes to these tender pork chops, I highly doubt you’ll have any leftovers, but on the rare chance that you do, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. I personally recommend eating them the next day, though. Otherwise, the marinade and the pork may start to dry out, and nobody wants that to happen!
Is Pork Healthy or Unhealthy
Pork is a very lean meat, not unlike chicken, and as such, it’s a great choice for people on a diet (such as low carb) or those of us looking to reduce our calories and focus on food that is packed with nutrition. It’s also rich in iron, zinc, and other vitamins and minerals your body needs. Pork is also full of high-quality protein.
What to Serve With Pork Chops
I personally like to serve these on a bed of rice, but you can also serve them with a side of vegetables soaked in butter or over mashed potatoes.
Mix things up and try a few of these options:
- Try my Broccoli Salad for a healthy side dish; it’s always a family favorite.
- Are you in the middle of winter and want something fresh? My winter citrus avocado salad is a taste of summer on a plate!
- Nothing beats a good sweet dinner roll recipe for a comfort food side dish.
How do I make Shake and Bake pork chops?
That’s SO easy! You just get my Homemade Shake and Bake recipe and bake away! This is the best shake and bake recipe. It has all the ingredients you have at home in your pantry and is easy to make! You’re going to love it!
Need some more Pork Dinner Recipes? Try these!
- How to Cook a Pork Loin Roast
- The Best Pulled Pork Ever: Beer n’ BBQ
- Parmesan Panko Pork Chops
- Spicy Pork Roast
- Retro 7Up, Pineapple Cherry Slow Cooker Ham
Happy cooking!
Love,
Karlynn
Saucy Brown Sugar Baked Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 4 thick pork chops
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- cornstarch slurry
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 °F.
- Stir together the soy sauce, Worcestershire, garlic, ketchup and brown sugar . Adjust this mixture to taste, some people like more ketchup along with the brown sugar. Once you have adjusted it to taste, move on to the next step.
- Place the pork chops in the bottom of a baking pan, cast iron skillet or oven safe skillet of your choice. Pour the sauce over the pork chops.
- Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the pork chops reach an internal temperature of 145 °F.
- Remove and plate the pork chops. If the sauce is watery, pour the sauce into a small saucepan and place over medium-high heat on the stove. Prepare the cornstarch slurry and whisk into the sauce to thicken.
- Serve the pork chops with the sauce drizzled on top.
Video
Notes
- Nutritional facts will vary due to size of pork chops and products used.
- To measure the temperature, insert the thermometer into the deepest part of the pork chop
Nutrition
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The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hi, Chris from the UK here. Great recipe. Will be even greater with practice.
Used supermarket pork chops so they were a bit on the thin side, will get them from local butcher next time and make sure they are thick.
Tweaked the sauce a bit, used some Hoisin as well as the ketchup.
Didn’t make enough sauce, will make more next time. spooned it thickly onto the chops so there wasn’t much run off, just meat juices in the bottom of the dish which were well flavoured and thickened up OK.
Will up the temp and time next go. as I said at the start, great recipe; with practice it will be magnificent, the flavour was loved by all, just wasn’t enough sauce.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Do you cover these when baking???
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
CAN YOU LINE THE PAN WITH SLICED SWEET POTATOS AND ONIONS AND PUT THE CHOPS ON TOP, THEN FOLLOW THE RECIPE AS USUAL?
Lesa Pavey says
I love this having it again tonight. Delicious not dry either ❤️
Lesa Pavey says
I love this having it again tonight. Delicious not dry! ❤️
Stephanie Nickerson says
Love this recipe. Only thing I do differently is I brown my pork chops.
Peggy Ziegler says
We had this pork for the first time tonight
LOVED. Gonna make it again SOON
Thank you
Karlynn J says
I am so glad that you guys loved it, Peggy! thanks for letting us know!
Sonja Lillie says
Can I use chicken thighs with this recipe instead of the pork chops & how long do I bake them?
Juanita says
Can you dothem on Reynolds wrap
gail ford says
My husband loves this recipe so much Im looking for other recipe’s with this sauce. Do you have any more? Thank you for this yummy recipe!
Jim says
I had the same experience as some other folks who have posted … the chops were tough and the sauce was thin. Perhaps some thickening agent would help?
Karlynn Johnston says
I do really think this has to do with the amount of water in the pork, meat quality is really suffering lately and this recipe is old and well-tested! A quick cornstarch slurry whisked in at the end would work, I’ll update the post. I’ve been doing this a lot lately, trying to keep up with the quality of our food just going down the drain it seems and help people deal with it!
Robin Crittenden says
Planning to try this recipe this weekend. You say thicker and bone-in chops are best, but in your video the chops are very thin and boneless! What gives?
Robin Crittenden says
Disregard! Saw your explanation farther down in your narrative. Sorry!
Dawn Freeman says
I tried these yesterday for dinner. the pork chops were awesome. the sauce was also great on pureed Cauliflower.
Weston says
These pork chops are a “go to,” when I am pressed for time and dinner. Delicious and the sauce, yes; great on rice.
Richard Morell says
I tried this and it turned out awesome!!!!!!
Michelle says
I followed the directions exactly just added some honey. it was definitely a hit in my house. thank you for the recipe.
HEATHER D PEPPER says
My family and I love these pork chops. I’ve always used the recipe as is. Tonight I’m switching up. I replaced the Worcestershire sauce for Cajun 2 step seasoning. It tastes good in bowl, hopefully even better out of the oven.
Cynthia says
I made this recipe with boneless pork chops that were just under 2 inches thick. I’m in my late 50s and my boyfriend who is a couple years older told me these were the best pork chops he’s ever had!! A winner for me, and I loved them myself. I served this spectacular display along with roasted broccoli and wild rice. Thank you so much and this is truly a keeper recipe!
Glenda Hall says
Everyone in my family loved these. Had thin bone in chops and cut cooking time to 20 minutes. Yummy. This is a keeper.
Christina says
Loved it and my picky toddler loves it too!
Mary says
This was the best sauce recipe. I doubled the batch so we would have plenty for our sticky white rice. Delicious. I will definitely use this sauce recipe with other dishes. Oh, I used the thinly sliced boneless pork chops. Yummy
Laura says
what if you were to cover them when you put them in the oven?
Michelle Rene Rogers says
The sauce was very good, but my 1/2 inch bone in pork chops were tough. I didn’t trim the fat. cooked for 25 minutes, also the sauce was thin. Was sad that they weren’t tender or juicy.
Roxann says
What if u cover with foil in oven.? Reply please
Lynne says
Can you use honey instead of brown sugar?
Leanne says
I didn’t like it very much. Pork had no flavor. Maybe if they were marinated overnight in the sauce. Sauce was to thin and runny, didn’t stick to the rice. Sauce is quite strong too. Sorry but they weren’t for us.
Sue says
I agree. Sauce is too thin.
Joni says
Recently tried these and they’re so awesome! Thanks so much for this great recipe. I love recipes that are easy and delicious, and this one certainly fits thay bill. And I bet this sauce would also be excellent on baked check chicken breasts. 😉
Catherine Kawakami says
Turned out as promised – delicious and tender.
ROBERT BATEMAN says
By far the best pork chops I’ve ever had!! Fast, easy, and the sauce on rice, WOW. Thank you!!!