If you’ve got thick pork chops and want them juicy and tender, you’re in the right place. This simple two-step method—pan sear, then oven finish—gets it right every time.
But skip the details, and you’ll end up with a dry, overcooked outside and a raw center. This recipe is built for 1½ to 2-inch thick chops, but it also works for 2½ inches or thicker with a few easy adjustments—plus an optional pan gravy to take things up a notch.
Jump To (scroll for more)
- ❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- 🐖Ingredients
- 👨🍳 How to Cook Thick-Cut Pork Chops in the Oven
- ⏲️ Time and Doneness for Thick Pork Chops
- 😊 Pro Tips for Perfect Pork Chops
- 🔥 Grilling Thick Pork Chops
- 🥣 Making the Optional Gravy
- 🥩 Thinner Pork Chop Recipes
- 🍴 Serving Suggestions
- ❄️Storing leftovers
- ❓FAQs
- 📖The Recipe Card
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
- Juicy, tender, seared perfectly—done to your taste
- Easy oven method with pro results – Just sear, bake, and relax. No fancy tools.
- Works for boneless or bone-in 1½ to 2-inch thick pork chops, and 2½+ inches with a few easy adjustments.
- Includes an optional gravy from the pan drippings – Simple and packed with flavor.
🐖Ingredients
- Thick pork chops – Use 1½ to 2-inch thick 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-Cut 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
Pat dry and rest at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes. Trim any fat cap to less than ¼ inch and make relief cuts every inch to prevent curling.
✅ 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 the skillet to a 375°F convection oven (or 400°F conventional). Cook to an internal temp of 145°–150°F—about 20–25 minutes. Bone-in chops may take longer.
✅ 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.
⏲️ Time and Doneness for Thick Pork Chops
A 2-inch thick boneless pork chop takes about 30 minutes total: 4–5 minutes to sear, then 20–25 minutes in a 375° convection oven (or 400° conventional) to reach an internal temp of 145°F.
Bone-in chops may take a few minutes longer.
👉 Searing isn’t just for looks—it jumpstarts browning (Maillard reaction) for better flavor and texture. Skip it, and you’ll need extra oven time and miss out on 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.
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😊 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
I recommend brining if you have time, but it’s not required—I get excellent results without it.
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.
After brining, rinse well to remove excess salt. Don’t use seasoning salt afterward—just black pepper and maybe a little paprika.
Yes. There are too many variables—thickness, oven temp, searing time—for cooking by time or color to be reliable.
A thermometer is the only way to consistently hit your target doneness.
No. Any oven-safe skillet will work. But cast iron is ideal for searing—it holds heat well, distributes it evenly, and transitions from stovetop to oven with ease.
This recipe is built for thick center cut pork chops, usually from the middle of a whole pork loin. They may be boneless or include part of the rib or loin bone—both work well with this method.
Most extra-thick pork chops are simply boneless slices of pork loin, cut 1½ to 2 inches thick—or more.
You’ll also find thick bone-in chops, which are fine. Just add a few extra minutes to your cooking time—bones slow heat transfer slightly.
✅ $ Tip: Love thick chops? Buy a whole pork loin when it’s on sale and slice it yourself. You’ll save money, get exactly the thickness you want, and they freeze well for 3–4 months.
📖The Recipe Card
Oven-Baked Thick Pork Chops (Juicy & Foolproof)
Ingredients
- 2 Thick pork chops - 1½ to 2 inches thick or more
- 2 tablespoons Oil
- Lawry's Seasoning salt - to taste
- Pepper - to taste
- 2 cups Broth—pork, chicken or vegetable.
- 4 tablespoons Flour
- Salt to taste
Step-by-Step Instructions
Rest, trim, and season
- Pat the pork chops dry and let them rest at room temperature for 30–60 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375° convection (or 400° conventional).
- Trim the fat rim to less than ¼ inch and make relief cuts every inch to prevent curling.
- Season with seasoning salt and pepper to taste.
Sear
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. When shimmering, add the pork chops. Sear both sides for 2–3 minutes until nicely browned.
Bake in the oven
- Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake until the internal temperature reaches 145°—about 20–25 minutes. The time required will vary based on the thickness and starting temperature.
Rest
- Remove from the oven and tent lightly with foil for 5-10 minutes while you make the gravy (optional).
Optional Gravy
- Mix 2 cups of pork broth using a gravy base, bouillon, or substitute chicken or vegetable broth. Whisk 4 tablespoons of flour into 1 cup of the broth.
- Bring the other 1 cup of broth to a boil in the pan with the pan juices. Slowly whisk in most of the flour mixture. Stir continuously until the mixture thickens—about 2–3 minutes. Add more of the flour mixture if needed.
- Simmer for a few minutes more to finish.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- Instructions for 2½-inches+, seasoning options, and grill instructions are in the post.
- Don’t skip the rest, before or after cooking.
- Use an oven-safe pan like cast iron. Sear to nearly the final color you want.
- Brine, if you have time: Mix 2 cups water with 2 tablespoons each of salt and brown sugar. Brine for 30 minutes to 2 hours in the refrigerator. Rinse after. Skip salt-based seasonings afterward.
- Cook to temperature, not time. Use an instant-read thermometer for best results. Remember, the temperature will rise slightly after removal.
- The gravy is optional, but a nice bonus. Pork gravy base works best, but chicken broth, veggie broth, or bouillon are good alternatives.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Editor's Note: Originally published July 17, 2016. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
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.