Oven Baked Pork Chops

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If you are looking for some of the juiciest bone-in Oven Baked Pork Chops of your life, look no further. These chops are seared in a hot cast iron skillet, then finished in the oven with a delicious sauce.

Oven Baked Pork Chops on a wood cutting board with rosemary garnish.

Dread those dry pork chops that often come out of the oven? I promise, these pork chops will change your mind about cooking pork in the oven. Plus, the finishing touch of the Buttery Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Sauce is simply to die for. I made this recipe for two, but you can easily double if for four.

The secret? A tiny bit of coconut sugar and pan searing the pork chops first. These two steps are vital—please don’t skip them, or your results won’t be the same. While I highly recommend using a cast iron skillet for this recipe, you can use any oven safe skillet, but know that your cooking times will be slightly different from mine.

FAQs:

What’s the best way to cook pork chops?

While there is not a definitive answer to this question, my family loves grilled pork chops. The grill adds fantastic flavor, and the pork chops stay juicy and tender.

With that said, the searing and baking method in this recipe also keeps the chops perfectly juicy. Searing the pork chops before adding them to the oven locks in the pork’s juices. Just make sure that you remove the pork chops from the oven as soon as the internal temperature reaches 140ºF. A bone-in cut also lends itself to a juicer finished pork chop.

Why use coconut sugar?

One thing I’ve learned from creating grilling and smoking rubs is that the addition of sugar in the rubs creates a fantastic crust on the meat. I thought, “Why not try this technique inside?” Guess what? It totally works. Searing the chops in a cast iron skillet before finishing them off in the oven gives a similar crust to grilling the chops outside. I really think you’ll like the way the sugar helps create a fantastic sear on the meat. Yes, you can use brown sugar or raw sugar in place of the coconut sugar. Organic coconut sugar is just what I stock in my pantry.

Why use a cast iron skillet to sear pork chops?

In my humble opinion, a cast iron skillet is one of the best pans you can own. In fact, I have many in various sizes and shapes. The cast iron can go directly from the stove top to the oven without any danger. In addition, the even distribution of heat makes cast iron the perfect vessel for the searing before roasting cooking method.

Additionally, cast iron is a breeze to clean up, and once seasoned, it is naturally fairly non-stick. Just let the pan cool before washing it as it is possible to crack cast iron if it is too hot when it comes in contact with cool water.

PREPARE OVEN BAKED PORK CHOPS:

Begin by rinsing and patting dry your bone-in pork chops and placing on a plate or cutting board. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. (I used about a teaspoon of each.) Then sprinkle with coconut sugar, about one teaspoon per chop. Let rest to bring to room temperature (about 15 minutes).
Prepare the garlic rosemary butter. Finely chop about a teaspoon of fresh rosemary while you heat two tablespoons of butter in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Add the rosemary and 2 teaspoons of roasted garlic to the butter, and mash/stir all ingredients together well. Set aside. (See the page How to Roast Garlic.)
Heat the oven to 400ºF before starting the pork chops in the skillet.
Pour about two teaspoons of avocado oil in a cast iron skillet, and heat over medium high heat. I prefer to use avocado oil when cooking over 350ºF because it has a higher smoke point than extra virgin olive oil.
Once the skillet is hot, place the pork chops in the pan and sear for about 5-6 minutes on the first side. Turn the chops, and sear for about 2 more minutes. Don’t worry, the skillet and oven are hot enough to finish searing the second side. Pour the butter, garlic, and rosemary mixture over the pork chops before placing the skillet in the preheated oven.
Roast in the oven for 6-10 minutes depending on the thickness of the pork chops. Mine were just over an inch thick, and took about 7 minutes. Just make sure to check the temperature with an instant read thermometer. You want the pork chops to reach 140ºF, then immediately remove from the oven, and place on a cutting board to rest for 10 minutes. They will finish coming to temperature (145ºF) while they are resting.
Removing the chops at 140ºF ensures that they won’t be overcooked—the number one culprit of dry, tasteless pork chops.

Pork chops dusted with salt, pepper, and coconut sugar ready to be seared and roasted in the oven. — Season pork chops.

Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Butter finishing sauce in a white bowl. — Season pork chops.

Serve with your favorite sides such as Favorite Roasted Potatoes and Caprese Salad.

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RECIPE NOTES:

Need a perfect, easy to prepare salad to pair with Oven Baked Pork Chops? My super easy Caprese Salad is simple, yet abundant in fresh flaor.
Roasted Garlic is easy to make and something I always keep on hand in the freezer.
The seasoning for Oven Baked Pork Chops is completely customizable. Try substititing thyme, sage, or basil for the rosemary. A small touch of balsamic vinegar added to the butter is also delicious.
Prefer using the grill? Oven Baked Pork Chops transfers easily to the grill. Or, check out Grilled Pork Chops with Honey Rosemary Glaze from the Grilling Wino.
I love my Lodge cast iron skillet. In fact, I have three of them. My favorite was a gift from a dear friend--it has a red enamel exterior that makes it beautiful to serve directly on the table.
I prefer coconut sugar in recipes such as this. It behaves very similar to brown sugar, but has a lower glycemic index. Plus, I simply prefer to not use refined sugar.
Avocado oil is a fantastic addition to your pantry. Not only does avocado oil have a higher smoke point than some other oils (about 500ºF), it is a healthy fat said to promote heart health and aid in reducing cholesterol.
An instant read thermometer is an essential kitchen tool for cooking meat to the proper temperature. Not only do you want your meat to reach a safe temperature to consume, you also don't want it to be overcooked, leading to dry, tasteless meat.

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