Learn how to cook thick pork chops in the oven with an easy sear and bake method. This recipe is designed for 2-inch thick-cut chops and consistently delivers tender, flavorful results.
Start by resting your thick-cut pork chops at room temperature — it’s the key to cooking them evenly. After a quick sear for color and flavor, finish in a 400°F oven to perfect doneness in about 30 minutes of active cooking time. This method works for bone-in or boneless chops, with an optional gravy.
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Featured Comment by Debbie:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"I tried your recipe tonight. I am not a big fan of pork chops, they always end up a bit dry. I followed your recipe, including the brine…THEY WERE THE BEST CHOPS I HAVE EVER EATEN!! I will never cook them any other way."
Today's pork is not yesterday's pork. It is now lean, healthy meat and can be a delicious protein for a healthy, balanced diet.
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Beginner-friendly but impressive enough for guests.
- Thick pork chops in the oven come out tender and flavorful every time.
- Quick sear + oven finish gives professional results — no fancy tools.
- Rest thick-cut chops before cooking — the key to even doneness.
- Includes an optional pan gravy and adaptations for 2½-inch+ chops.
🐖Ingredients
- Thick pork chops – Use 1½ to 2-inch thick-cut center-cut pork chops, boneless or bone-in. Adjustments are included for chops 2½ inches or thicker. Well-marbled pork gives better flavor and juiciness. Boneless will cook a bit faster, but both work well.
- Seasoning salt – Lawry’s is my go-to, but any seasoned salt you like is fine.
- Black pepper – Freshly ground adds a little extra pop.
Optional
- Other seasonings or dry rub – Garlic powder, paprika, or your favorite pork rub.
- Gravy ingredients – Broth, flour, and salt.
👨🍳 How to Cook Thick Pork Chops in the Oven
Note: This overview assumes 1½ to 2-inch thick chops—for thicker cuts, see the special section below.
1. 🧂 Rest, trim, and season
Let thick-cut chops sit at room temperature 30–60 minutes. Trim and score the fat rim.
✅ Pro Tip: The rest is important – it helps the center cook through without drying out the outside.
Season with seasoning salt and black pepper.
2. 🔥 Sear
Heat a skillet with oil over medium-high heat. Sear both sides of the chops for 2–3 minutes until browned.
✅ Pro Tip: A cast iron skillet gives the best sear, but any oven-safe skillet will work.
3. ⏲️ Bake in the oven
Transfer to a 400°F oven and cook until the internal temperature is 145°–150°F, usually 20–25 minutes for 2-inch chops.
✅ Pro Tip: According to the USDA, the minimum safe internal temperature for pork chops is 145°F.
4. 🛑 Rest
Remove from the oven and tent with foil for 10 minutes before serving.
5. 🥣 Optional Gravy
In a bowl, whisk flour into half of the broth. In the same pan, bring the rest of the broth to a boil. Slowly whisk in the flour mixture.
Continue to whisk until thickened, about 2–3 minutes.
👇 Scroll down for the printable recipe card and step-by-step photos—or keep reading for more tips, serving ideas, and a grill variation.
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⏲️ Time and Doneness for Thick Pork Chops
A 2-inch thick pork chop takes about 30 minutes of active cooking time: 4–5 minutes to sear, then 20–25 minutes in a 400°F oven (375°F convection) to reach an internal temperature of 145°–150°F. Bone-in chops may take a few minutes longer.
👉 Searing isn’t just for looks — it starts the Maillard reaction for better flavor and texture. Skip it, and you’ll need extra oven time and lose that golden crust.
🌡️ Doneness Levels
- Less than 145°F (Rare) – Not recommended for safety reasons.
- 145°–150°F (Medium-Rare) – Juicy, with a little pink in the center.
- 150°–155°F (Medium) – Slightly firmer, just a hint of pink.
- 155°–160°F (Medium-Well) – Starting to dry out.
- 160°F+ (Well Done) – Dry and tough. Not recommended.
😊 Pro Tips for Perfect Pork Chops
- Season simply or use your favorite rub – Salt, pepper, and seasoning salt work great. If you brined, skip any extra salt. Paprika adds nice color and flavor. A marinade (like my steak marinade) also works well for extra flavor.
- Choose the right chops – Boneless or bone-in chops between 1½ and 2½ inches thick work best for this method.
If your chops are thicker than 2½ inches, see the adjustments below for timing and technique. - Don’t skip the rest – Letting the chops sit at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes helps them cook more evenly—so the inside finishes without overcooking the outside.
- Cook to temperature, not time – Start checking the internal temperature around 12–15 minutes into baking. Use a meat thermometer to get it just right.
🔥 Grilling Thick Pork Chops
While I prefer the sear-and-bake method for the best temperature control, grilling adds great flavor and works well for thick chops using an indirect cooking method.
- Follow the same prep as the oven method: trim, rest at room temperature, brine if you want, and season.
Do not sear first. - Preheat your grill for indirect cooking at a surface temperature of 350° to 400°F in the indirect area.
- Grill the chops with indirect heat, flipping every 5 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 135°F—this will take about 20–25 minutes, depending on thickness and grill setup.
- Move the chops to direct heat and sear both sides with the burners on high, just until they develop good color and reach a final internal temperature of 145°F.
- Remove from the grill and tent with foil for 5 minutes before serving.
🥣 Making the Optional Gravy
Everybody loves gravy, so let’s make a quick and easy one that actually tastes great.
I like to use a pork gravy base from Penzeys to make “pork broth.” You can also use pork bouillon dissolved in water for the same purpose. If neither is available, chicken or vegetable broth works just fine.
There are two basic ways to make gravy:
- Classic roux – Mix flour with the grease in the pan and cook it for a few minutes before adding liquid.
- Easy method – Whisk the flour into some of the broth, then slowly stir it into boiling liquid in the pan.
Either works—but the second one’s faster and a little more foolproof for home cooks.
👉 Visit my How To Make Gravy at Home for more information on gravy.
🥩 Thinner Pork Chop Recipes
Looking for a recipe for 1-inch pork chops or thinner? Try one of these:
👉 For the grill, see How to Grill Pork Chops
🍴 Serving Suggestions
I usually serve pork chops with mashed potatoes (and gravy, of course), but they’re also great with:
- Oven Roasted Red Potatoes
- Baked French Fries.
- A hot vegetable like roasted Parmesan asparagus, baked green beans with bacon, or baked cauliflower
End the meal with something simple and cozy like easy apple crisp or blueberry crumble pie.
❄️Storing leftovers
Store leftover pork chops in an airtight container:
- Refrigerate for up to 4 days
- Freeze for up to 4 months
Gravy made with flour stores just fine alongside the pork—same timeframes apply.
❓FAQs
Brining isn’t required, but it does help keep chops extra juicy.
To brine: mix 2 tablespoons each of salt and sugar (white or brown) with 2 cups of water. Submerge the chops and refrigerate for 30 minutes to a few hours. Rinse well afterward and skip seasoning salt — just use pepper and maybe a little paprika.
For 1½–2-inch thick pork chops: after a 2–3 minute sear per side, bake at 400°F (regular) or 375°F (convection) until the internal temperature reaches 145°F. That usually takes 20–25 minutes in the oven phase — start checking at 12–15 minutes.
Yes. Thickness, oven temp, and searing time all vary. The only reliable way to cook thick pork chops to doneness is with a thermometer.
No. Any oven-safe skillet works. Cast iron is ideal for searing because it holds heat, distributes it evenly, and goes from stovetop to oven without issue.
This recipe is built for thick center-cut pork chops — boneless or bone-in. Most extra-thick chops are just boneless slices of pork loin cut 1½–2 inches thick (or more). Bone-in chops work fine too; just add a few minutes since bones slow heat transfer.
✅ Tip: Buy a whole pork loin when it’s on sale and slice it yourself. You’ll get the thickness you want, save money, and they freeze well for 3–4 months.
Celesti says
My family enjoys thick Bone-in pork chops on the grill. With the weather getting cooler I love cooking inside and keeping my kitchen warm.
What do you recommend for the cooking time once I place the bone-in pork chops in the preheated 400 degree oven ? Your recipes are easy to follow and my family enjoys many of your recipes. I am anxious to try this pork chop recipe.
Thank you !
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Celesti,
What thickness?
Dam
Celesti says
The chops were about 2.5 inches thick, but I used your idea and left them sit an extra 10 mins and they were delicious. I love your recipes. Thanks.
Carol Dilgard says
Sorry, but this looks like a lot of work to cook two thick pork chops and gravy. I've been preparing pork chops with gravy, stovetop, for 50 years and can tell you that it's so simple to pan-fry chops or chicken with little more than flour, salt, pepper and Crisco, using pan drippings to make a simple, delicious gravy.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Carol,
Welcome to the blog.
I basically agree with you, but you can not do that with the thick ones. If you look at the core of the recipe, it is not that much work. Our "everyday pork chop recipe" for a much thinner chop is https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/30-minute-fried-pork-chops-with-gravy/
Dan
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Sherrod,
Welcome to the blog. Sorry, you found it confusing. The only 200 on the page is in the discussion about the final internal temperature of various cuts of pork. 200 is used to refer to pulled pork from pork butt. That is a different section from the oven temperature discussion.
If you just look at the step-by-step pictures with instruction or the recipe card, I think you will be fine.
Dan
Coral says
Amazing! I got some 2" chops last week marked down and started looking for recipes. I found this one, and am so glad I did.
I made exactly as written including the brine. I ordered pork bullion cubes from Amazon for the gravy. I seared them a few minutes longer than it calls for and they were done in about 18 or 19 minutes.
Tamera says
Best. Chops. Ever. I used nearly 2” thick bone-in chops from Sam’s Club. At 18 minutes, had the juiciest, most flavorful chop I have ever tasted! I didn’t even bother with gravy- lol! I didn’t brine, but simply salted (kosher salt) while resting to room temp. So freaking delicious!!!
Coral says
If you make them again, definitely make the gravy, it's really good.