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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
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 30 minutes
- Total Time
- 35 minutes
- Course
- Main Course
- Cuisine
- North American
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 339
- Author
- Karlynn Johnston
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.
Recipe Video
Recipe 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 Information
All calories and info are based on a third party calculator and are only an estimate. Actual nutritional info will vary with brands used, your measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
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Teri says
Delicious, delicious and delicious, that says it all. Everyone enjoyed the sauce and the tenderness of the meat. This recipes I will use always. Thank you
JG says
I’m not a ketchup fan so I replaced it wit Sriracha sauce instead
, which made it a sweet and spicy. My sauce didn’t thicken but was amazing and we dipped each bite of chop before eating.next time I will cook the sauce down a bit prior and see how that works. Will swerve with rice next time for more excuses to consume the sauce.
Tom says
Forgot to put a rating on my comment. Seems like a common mistake on here. Great recipe! I’ll be making it many more times.
Tom says
Either I got lucky or the some people don’t know how to cook. My sauce was thick and flavorful and my pork chops were tender. I actually used boneless because that’s what I had. Some sauce did bake off so I saved some sauce and spooned it over the pork chops at the end of them baking. I also only baked them for 23 minutes. Use the internal meat thermometer because I think 25-30 minutes might be too long causing some of the issues people are having
Heather Herrington says
This recipe was amazing. I added some pineapple pieces on top of the pork chops for the last 15 minutes of cooking. Delicious.
Melinda says
I left a comment before how wonderful this Recipe is, I forgot to add:
I double the Sauce & pour 1/2 in a Zip Loc Bag & Marinate the Chops over night. I then bake them according to the recipe, it gives the Chops extra flavor!!
This is a keeper recipe.
Sandy says
I just made these and used the left over cooked sauce to pour over sautéed green beans with black pepper. 🤯SO good
Lonnell says
Pork chops were very good sauce was excellent. Can I use this same recipe with boneless chicken breast
Stupid chef says
Forgive me for being a stupid chef but how much of each ingredient? Duh?!
Rachel says
If you scroll up, above the recipe it tells you how much of each ingredient.
Dayle says
Forgive yourself for scrolling past the green recipe card right above the comments that gives you all the information you are asking for. Duh!
Mikayka says
I’m a 17 year old who likes cooking for her family.This recipe was honestly amazing I doubled it and used thin boneless pork chops for my family.Wanted a lot of sauce because I served it over rice.It was so good they loved it and kept wanting more.Your recipes are really amazing,Thank you so much!!
Patty Fisher says
Suzie, You don’t have to give 3 comments with a 1 star rating. The pork chops are delicious. I have a feeling there are more to your comments than meets the eye.
Patrice says
This recipe is great! My entire family loved it, even my son who doesn’t like pork chops! The only thing I changed was instead of soy sauce I used coconut amino acids. I also had to cook them about 30 minutes, they were very thick chops.
Casey says
If you are doing boneless pork chops poke some holes on the top (similar to a poke cake ) and then do the sauce . The sauce is a bit runny however I microwaved for 10-15 sec and it stayed thick on the pork chops . My own personal taste I added 2 tbsp of garlic and it was delicious
Rackz says
This is a nice and easy pork chop recipe! Don’t mind the negative comments here. They sound like they don’t know how to cook. 1st it’s baked chop if you’re cooking for a long time you know that you can’t brown any meat by baking you have to sear it first so you can locked in the flavor if you seasoned your meat first. Then if you want a thick sauce for crying out loud lessen the amount of sugar and put honey on it or you can easily boil it so the sugar will dissolve and make the sauce thicker. Recipe are made according to the cook preferences not yours so adjust it according to your liking and quit complaining!
Michelle Lee Zamora says
Awesome! My family’s reaction to this dish was a huge surprise. They said best chops they have ever eaten.
Cheryl says
We would rate this recipe at 6 stars if we could!
These chops were so tender, moist, and floral ever! I did double the amount of sauce. I did use thick cut boneless chops which required an additional 10 minutes in our oven. Both my husband and rated these chops as a 10 of 10 which we have never done before.
Suzie says
Sauce was very runny and not at all flavorable. Pork chops did not brown.
Suzie says
Sauce was very runny and not at all flavorable. Pork chops did not brown.
Suzie says
Sauce was very runny and not flavorable. Pork chops did not brown.
Patty Fisher says
Suzie, You don’t have to give 3 comments with a 1 star rating. The pork chops are delicious. I have a feeling there are more to your comments than meets the eye.
Brian says
I enjoyed this recipe. I served it along with fried rice and broccoli. I doubled the recipe so I had extra sauce. Although I didn’t quite double the brown sugar, it just seemed excessive. I pulled them when my thermometer read 135, after resting under foil the came up to 145°. Juicy and tender. Gonna try with boneless chicken thighs tonight.
kale says
GROSS, the entire recipe, GROSS
Robin says
Super rude. You can just scroll, you know.
Denise says
Pork chops did not glaze up like the photo! Very white and runny sauce. Ended up put it under the broiler!
Molly says
This whole recipe is wacky. Why don’t you have a video of the thick cut pork chops in the picture?? The whole page harps on the importance of the cut of chop then you show us a video of these mesaly pork chop with no fat so of course the sauce stays thick the pork chop don’t break down at all. I’ve been looking for a chop recipe with a thick sweet sticky sauce for ages and this one was the biggest fail yet.
Walter Pataky says
Great recipe! Thanks for the idea
Karen Opper says
Ooops, forgot my rating. Thanks again!!
Karen Opper says
Loved this! I didn’t measure everything out exactly like you laid out, but I did taste it and decided to go for it. Thanks for helping me find a new way to make pork chops my family loves!
Mague says
Made this and loved it!! DELICIOUS 😋 I used bone in pork chop, average size. Not too thick. Seasoned with salt and lots of black pepper. Seared chops and baked with sauce. OMG, the best! The black pepper gave it a little kick. Sauce was right on… Making baked chicken with this sauce. Thank you for sharing!
Mague says
Me Mague, I forgot to star my rating. should be a 10 in my opinion. I normally don’t leave reviews but this sauce was so delicious delicious I had to.
Dana says
Followed directions to a “T”. Sauce was runny and tasted too much like ketchup. My chops were lean, not fatty. Might try it again with less ketchup and perhaps simmer the sauce to reduce and thicken it before application on pork. I read the instructions a couple of times. Neither the instructions or video shows reduction of sauce.
Shelly says
Delicious! Very easy to make. The sauce was nice and rich. Definitely will be making this again
bec says
Pork was too tough and sauce was runny. tried everything to thicken it but wont be making this again
Stella says
This is my 2nd time using this recipe.I had to hunt for it because I did not save from prior use.Love love love this sauce.I am a senior and an avid cook.Everyone who eat my pork chops with this sauce rave about them.I have now saved the recipe.Thanks