These Pan Fried Pork Chops are easy to make in a skillet with the most delicious pan sauce! The flavor profile is truly restaurant-worthy!

Serve these with potatoes and roasted vegetables for a complete meal that your family will love!

Pan Fried Pork Chops in a skillet with a pan sauce, garlic, and thyme.

Pan Fried Pork Chops

These incredible Pan Fried Pork Chops are the best way to incorporate gourmet flavor with simple ingredients! This pan sauce is magic. The way that we build layers of flavor in this dish is simple, straightforward, and so delicious.

The pork chops are dry brined to ensure the most flavorful, juicy results. They’re then seared in a skillet that’s deglazed with white wine before a simple pan sauce is prepared and used to baste the pork chops at the end. (Sounds incredible, right? Your kitchen is about to smell amazing!) 

This dish pairs so well with a side of greens and beans, potato side dishes, vegetables, pasta salad, and more!)

How to Make It

See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

Sprinkle each side of the pork chops with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning and let them sit for 35-45 minutes. This brining technique makes them more tender, flavorful, and juicier. If short on time, pat completely dry and season  just before searing. 

Sprinkle with flour and rub it into the surface of the pork. Heat olive oil and sear the pork in batches until golden brown and crisp. Set aside.

Center cut pork chops before and after being pan seared.

Deglaze the skillet with white wine. Add the chicken broth, seasonings, crushed garlic, and thyme. Reduce the liquid by half. Add the butter and the cooled pork. Baste the pork until warm and cooked through. Serve with mashed potatoes and green beans!

A skillet with pan sauce next to a skillet with Pan Fried Pork Chops with garlic and thyme.

Best Pork Chops to Use

  • Center cut, Bone-in Pork Chops – pictured in this recipe
    • These are the best cut for this recipe as the bone adds more flavor to the meat and sauce. The thicker the cut, the juicier they’ll be. Aim for nicely marbled meat.
  • Loin Chops
    • These may also be used, although they are a leaner cut.
  • Boneless Chops
    • These will work as well, although they are the leanest cut which makes them prone to becoming dry. Salt them first and let them sit to mitigate this.

Pro Tips

  • Brining: If you’re able to dry brine the pork chops for 35-45 minutes, you can salt the pork more liberally than you normally would, as the salt will penetrate through the surface and flavor it inside and out. The exact amount of salt will vary, as it depends on the cut and size of pork chops used. 
  • Searing: Sear the pork chops in batches, don’t overcrowd the skillet. This allows the edges to get nice and crisp. Use kitchen tongs to prop the pork on it’s side to sear the edges as well. Adjust heat up/down as needed while you sear.
  • Wine: Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon Blanc are my go-to dry white wines for this recipe. My next recommendation would be non-alcoholic white wine, which is widely available. While the wine does really elevate this recipe, chicken broth can be used instead.
  • Vegetable Pairings: Roasted Broccoli, Green Beans, and carrots are great with this recipe.  
  • Potato Pairings: Smashed, Mashed, Roasted, Scalloped, and Greek Potatoes are my go-to choices for this recipe. Check out all of my potato recipes here!
  • Lemon Wedges are also great to serve with this dish! 
  • Chicken: I have Pan Fried Chicken and Chicken Bites recipes that are just as easy and delicious as well!
  • Be sure to try my Garlic Parmesan Pork Chops and my Apple Pork Chops next!

Storage

  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Leftover pork chops do freeze/reheat well.

A Pan Fried Pork Chop on a plate with pan juice, mashed potatoes and green beans.

Tools For This Recipe

(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.

  • Large/Wide Skillet– Mine is 12-inches and can just fit all of the pork, so make sure you go wide!  
  • Meat Tenderizer – Using this tool really does make the pork more tender, you’ll barely have to chew it!
  • Meat Thermometer– Pork chops should be 145° prior to serving.
  • Kitchen Tongs– makes it easy to handle the pork when searing.

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Pan Fried Pork Chops in a skillet with garlic, thyme, and pan sauce.

Pan Fried Pork Chops

Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
5 from 33 ratings
Servings: 4 people
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These Pan Fried Pork Chops are easy to make in a skillet on the stove top with a delicious pan sauce! They pair perfectly with potatoes and vegetables.

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric
  • 4 pork chops, I use center cut. See notes.
  • Salt/Pepper
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Pan Sauce

  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • ¾ cup chicken broth
  • 6 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 3-4 tablespoons butter, salted

Pan Sauce Seasonings

  • ½ teaspoon EACH: dried basil, dried oregano, onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon seasoned salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika

Instructions

Prep Work

  • Place saran wrap over the pork and use the textured side of a meat mallet to pound the meat on each side. This will make it more tender.
  • Season each side of the pork chops with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. If possible, let them sit out at room temp for 35-45 minutes. This will give the salt a chance to penetrate through the meat and flavor it. It will also make the pork juicier. If you’re short on time, season the pork chops just before searing.
  • Meanwhile, combine the seasonings and stir them into the chicken broth. Measure out remaining ingredients before beginning.
  • Sprinkle each side of the pork with flour and rub it over the surface of each side.

Sear the Pork Chops

  • Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the pork chops and sear them in batches for 2-3 minutes on the first side, and 1-2 minutes on the second side. Extra thick cuts can be seared a little longer. Set aside and let it rest.

Make the Pan Sauce

  • Turn the heat off and add the wine. Set heat to medium and add the chicken broth/seasonings, crushed garlic, and thyme. Bring to a gentle simmer and let it reduce by half, 5-6 minutes. (Make sure you can no longer smell alcohol from the wine.)
  • Add the butter and the pork along with any juices from the plate. Let the butter melt and tilt the skillet to transfer the pan sauce to one side. Use a spoon to baste the pork for 2 minutes, or until the pork is 145° F.
  • Remove from heat and let the pork chops rest for 3-5 minutes, the internal temperature will increase a few more degrees and the juices will absorb. Serve with mashed potatoes and roasted broccoli. (See notes for other pairing options!)

Notes

Best Pork Chops to Use:
  • Center cut, Bone-in Pork Chops - pictured in this recipe
    • These are the best cut for this recipe as the bone adds more flavor to the meat and sauce. The thicker the cut, the juicier they'll be. Aim for nicely marbled meat.
  • Loin Chops
    • These may also be used, although they are a leaner cut.
  • Boneless Chops
    • These will work as well, although they are the leanest cut which makes them more prone to becoming dry. 
Pro Tips:
  • Brining: If you're able to dry brine the pork chops for 35-45 minutes, you can salt the pork more liberally than you normally would, as the salt will penetrate through the surface and flavor it inside and out. The exact amount of salt will vary, as it depends on the cut and size of pork chops used. 
  • Searing: Sear the pork chops in batches, don't overcrowd the skillet. This allows the edges to get nice and crisp. Use kitchen tongs to prop the pork on it's side to sear the edges as well. Adjust heat up/down as needed while you sear.
  • Wine: Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon Blanc are my go-to dry white wines for this recipe. My next recommendation would be non-alcoholic white wine, which is widely available. While the wine does really elevate this recipe, chicken broth can be used instead.
  • Vegetable Pairings: Roasted Broccoli, Green Beans, and carrots are great with this recipe.  
  • Potato Pairings: Smashed, Mashed, Roasted, Scalloped, and Greek Potatoes are my go-to choices for this recipe. Check out all of my potato recipes here!
  • Lemon Wedges are also great to serve with this dish! 
  • Chicken: I have Pan Fried Chicken and Chicken Bites recipes that are just as easy and delicious as well!
  • Be sure to try my Garlic Parmesan Pork Chops and my Apple Pork Chops next!
Storage:
  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Leftover pork chops do freeze/reheat well.
Nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. There are 4 servings in this recipe. 

Nutrition

Calories: 391kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 31g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 113mg, Sodium: 444mg, Potassium: 588mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 400IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 51mg, Iron: 2mg
Did you try this recipe?Mention @TheCozyCook on Instagram or tag #thecozycook!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Author: Stephanie