Southern smothered pork chops are a classic American regional dish. Consisting of seasoned and browned-up pork chops that are finished in a thick & rich onion gravy/sauce. It’s pure comfort food that’s guaranteed to fill you up.
I don’t know what the weather is like where you live but here in Colorado it’s cooling down fast. And I’m really starting to crave some good old-fashioned comfort food. Something along the lines of a nice big hunk of meat drenched in a thick gravy-like sauce. So much so that one could say that hunk of meat had been absolutely smothered in that sauce.
You know something like Southern smothered pork chops!
Trips, Tricks & Suggestions
- What’s the best type of pork chop for this recipe?: Well, just about any pork chop will work, so feel free to use whatever you can get your hands on. That being said, I prefer thicker bone-in chops, and the reasons are simple. You see, with thicker chops, you can really let them sit in the smothering sauce for much longer. And this gives them more time to meld with the flavors of the sauce. Plus when you combine this with a bone-in chop you get the additional flavor that is released by the bone into the sauce. So it’s a win-win in my book.
- Roux thickened sauce: Today we are going to thicken our smothering sauce with a simple roux. Which is basically a combination of flour and fat (e.g. oil, melted butter) that are stirred & cooked to make a paste. And while the process is fairly simple it can feel a bit intimidating if you’ve never done it before. So if you’re worried, curious, or just want to learn more about it then check out our lesson covering everything you need to know about making a roux.
- Not the biggest fan of pork?: No worries as you can easily make this same dish with a bone-in chicken breast or bone-in chicken thigh.
- What’s the best way to serve your smothered pork chops?: Traditionally southern-style smothered pork chops are served over either white rice or mashed potatoes. As they are both great at mopping up all of that extra smothering sauce. Other than that I like to serve them with a simple side of steamed vegetables like broccoli, or green beans.
Other Great Pork Chop Recipes You Might Enjoy
- Chipotle Lime Pork Chops
- Dry Rubbed Pork Chops
- Lemongrass Pork Chops
- Pork Shogayaki (Japanese Ginger Pork Chop)
Southern Smothered Pork Chops Recipe
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Servings: 2 to 4
Ingredients
2 to 4 pork chops
1 Teaspoon of salt, plus more to taste
1 Teaspoon of black pepper, plus more to taste
½ Teaspoon of smoked paprika
¼ Teaspoon of garlic powder
¼ Teaspoon of onion powder
2 Tablespoons of neutral flavored oil
2 Tablespoon of butter.
1 Large onion, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons of all purpose flour
2 Cups of chicken stock
1 to 2 springs of fresh thyme (optional)
Instructions
- Season the pork chops: Mix the salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder in a small bowl until thoroughly combined. Sprinkle this seasoning blend on both sides of each pork chop, and then set them aside on a plate.
- Brown up the pork chops: Pour 2 tablespoons of oil into a large pan or skillet and place it over medium-high heat. Once the pan/skillet is hot add the pork chops.
Let them cook on one side for 3 to 5 minutes or until they are nicely browned up. Then flip each pork chop over and let them cook for an additional 3 to 5 minutes or until nicely browned.
Remove the pork chops from the pan/skillet and set them aside on a plate. Don’t worry if the pork chops aren’t fully cooked as they will finish cooking in the smothering sauce.
- Sautee onion and garlic: Keep your pan/skillet over medium-high heat and toss in the butter. Once it has melted toss in the sliced onion and saute it for roughly 5 minutes or until it becomes softened and translucent. Then add the minced garlic and continue to saute for another minute.
- Make the smothering sauce: Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of flour over the onions and garlic. Stir everything together until the flour mixes with the butter/oil and forms a paste/roux. Continue to stir for another minute or until the paste/roux has become slightly tan in color.
Then pour roughly ¼ to ½ cup of chicken stock into the pan/skillet and stir so that it incorporates with the paste/roux. Pour another ¼ to ½ cup of stock and stir until thoroughly combined. Repeat this process until all of the chicken stock is added and there are no lumps in the sauce. Finally, add a few sprigs of thyme if you are using them, and stir them into the sauce.
- Finish the dish: Reduce the heat so that the sauce stays at a simmer. Then return the browned pork chops to your pan/skillet so that they are sitting in the sauce.
Let the pork chops finish cooking in the sauce for another 10 to 20 minutes (depending on the thickness of your chops) or until their internal temperature reaches at least 145℉/63℃. If at any point the sauce reduces too much and becomes thicker than you like you can add a splash or two of water.
- Place each pork chop on individual plates, pour some of the smothering sauce along with the onions overtop, and enjoy!
Southern Smothered Pork Chops Recipe
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 to 4 pork chops
- 1 Teaspoon of salt plus more to taste
- 1 Teaspoon of black pepper plus more to taste
- ½ Teaspoon of smoked paprika
- ¼ Teaspoon of garlic powder
- ¼ Teaspoon of onion powder
- 2 Tablespoons of neutral flavored oil
- 2 Tablespoon of butter.
- 1 Large onion sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 2 Tablespoons of all purpose flour
- 2 Cups of chicken stock
- 1 to 2 springs of fresh thyme optional
Instructions
- Season the pork chops: Mix the salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder in a small bowl until thoroughly combined. Sprinkle this seasoning blend on both sides of each pork chop, and then set them aside on a plate.
- Brown up the pork chops: Pour 2 tablespoons of oil into a large pan or skillet and place it over medium-high heat. Once the pan/skillet is hot add the pork chops. Let them cook on one side for 3 to 5 minutes or until they are nicely browned up. Then flip each pork chop over and let them cook for an additional 3 to 5 minutes or until nicely browned. Remove the pork chops from the pan/skillet and set them aside on a plate. Don’t worry if the pork chops aren’t fully cooked as they will finish cooking in the smothering sauce.
- Sautee onion and garlic: Keep your pan/skillet over medium-high heat and toss in the butter. Once it has melted toss in the sliced onion and saute it for roughly 5 minutes or until it becomes softened and translucent. Then add the minced garlic and continue to saute for another minute.
- Make the smothering sauce: Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of flour over the onions and garlic. Stir everything together until the flour mixes with the butter/oil and forms a paste/roux. Continue to stir for another minute or until the paste/roux has become slightly tan in color. Then pour roughly ¼ to ½ cup of chicken stock into the pan/skillet and stir so that it incorporates with the paste/roux. Pour another ¼ to ½ cup of stock and stir until thoroughly combined. Repeat this process until all of the chicken stock is added and there are no lumps in the smothering sauce. Finally, add a few sprigs of thyme if you are using them, and stir them into the sauce.
- Finish the dish: Reduce the heat so that the sauce stays at a simmer. Then return the browned pork chops to your pan/skillet so that they are sitting in the sauce. Let the pork chops finish cooking in the sauce for another 10 to 20 minutes (depending on the thickness of your chops) or until their internal temperature reaches at least 145℉/63℃. If at any point the sauce reduces too much and becomes thicker than you like you can add a splash or two of water.
- Place each pork chop on individual plates, pour some of the smothering sauce along with the onions overtop, and enjoy!
