These Southern Smothered Pork Chops are meaty, smothered in a delicious vegetable gravy and on your table in 30 minutes!
Hey y’all! Today, I made us some healthy southern comfort food!
I did not grow up eating pork chops. In fact, the only pork dinner I every really remember having as a kid was the pork roast with sauerkraut my mother would make on New Year’s Day. You know, the meal you’re supposed to eat for good luck throughout the year? Just my luck, back then I didn’t like pork. Well, when I married Tom, Mr. Pork Chops and Applesauce, I needed to change things up. I’ve actually totally come around to the other white meat!
Now, I enjoy all kinds of cuts of pork. Chops, tenderloin, pork shoulder for pulled pork and even the pork roast I used to hate. It’s amazing how our tastes can change over the years isn’t it? I’m still not a sushi, runny egg or tofu kinda girl, but maybe there’s still hope.
I am a gravy girl though, and these pork chops have plenty of it. And I’m also a fan of meals that can be cooked and on my table in 30 minutes. Who isn’t really?!
The gravy is a mixture of healthy carrots, celery, onion, garlic and fresh thyme with a chicken broth/white wine base. I used boneless pork loin center cut pork chops, but I’ve also made this recipe with bone-in pork chops which are equally as delicious. The chops are seared first in a skillet to seal in the juices and then cooked for a few more minutes in the gravy just until slightly pink in the middle and at an internal temperature of 145 degrees. I like to serve this dish with a side of rice, fresh steamed green beans and applesauce for you know who! Enjoy friends!
Ingredients
- 4 boneless pork loin center cut chops about one inch thick
- salt and pepper
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 2 cups yellow onion finely chopped
- 1 1/2 cups celery finely chopped
- 1 cup carrots finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- fresh or dried parsley for garnish if desired
Instructions
- Rinse pork chops and pat dry with a paper towel. Season pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add pork chops and cook for 4 minutes on each side until nicely browned. Remove and transfer to a plate.
- Reduce heat to medium, and melt butter in skillet. Add onions, celery and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme and continue to cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the flour, stirring to combine. Cook for 2 minutes. Slowly add the wine, chicken broth, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer, scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the pan until sauce thickens.
- Reduce heat to low and add the pork chops along with any juices into the skillet. Cover and simmer until pork chops are slightly pink inside with an internal temperature of 145 degrees, about 3-4 more minutes. Remove from heat .Place chops on a serving plate. Pour gravy over pork and serve immediately.
I don’t eat a lot of pork, but I do enjoy it and this looks fabulous, Mary Ann! I especially love anything in a cast iron pan. And that gravy with all the veg infusion – gimme! I’ll take gravy with a side of pork chops, please…..hehehe! Have a wonderful weekend, my friend!
Then you’d love this one Dawn! Extra gravy for you! Hope your weekend is fabulous too Dawn! XO
Love this! I am a big pork fan, but I agree. It needs sauce :) This one is perfect. My husband will love this one!
Hope you both love it Jennifer! Happy weekend!
This reminds me of a pork dish my southern mom used to make. That sauce looks so good, I could eat it straight up with a spoon. This would be a huge hit with my family and a hit with me because it’s easy! Cheers girl!
I could to Karen! Some may have disappeared from the skillet even before it made it to the table!
Yum! If I could keep only one red meat in my diet, pork would be it. Pork chops when properly prepared (in my world this means juicy and crispy on the outside:) are among my favorite ways to consume pork. These are spectacular. I am all for the rich veggie gravy too. How beautiful of a word smothered is when applied to this dish:) Looks like you had a great dinner at your house! So pinned.
So excited you’re going to try it Milena! I know you’ll love it!
Healthy and tasty? Sign me up. We ate a ton of pork chops growing up, but unfortunately they were of the over-cooked variety. Thankfully we learned that pork didn’t have to be shoe leather to be safe to eat! Now my boys, just like Tom, love pork chops and I love them for a fast weeknight meal. We will definitely be including this in our dinner rotation!
Yes! You’d love this one Cathy! Hope you give it a go!
Oh gosh, we had a LOT of pork chops growing up, and I didn’t care for them back then either! It is amazing how our taste buds change and develop over the years. But you don’t like sushi?!? Omg, I live off of that stuff. Lol. Guess I can have all your raw fish! Yay!! Anyways, these chops look delicious! I loooove that veggie packed gravy, Mary Ann! And the fact that this is ready in 30 minutes? Weeknight dinner winning! Cheers, friend!
I know! And my husband Tom catches fresh tuna all summer, and I don’t eat it! I eat ceviche, but not sushi….call me crazy! You’d love these chops and gravy Chey! Such a great healthy comfort food dish! Happy weekend! XO
I love that you made a veggie gravy! Can’t wait to try this!
Trying to healthy it up Alice!
You had me at smothered in gravy! Love how quick and easy this dish is.
Yay! It’s an easy fave!
We pretty much grew up on pork chops + applesauce as the only variation of pork out there. Where was this recipe when I was a kid?? I would’ve happily handed it over to mom! haha
Lol! Tom loves this one Gina and I pretty much consider him a pork chop connoisseur!
Pork Chops were a staple on my family’s table when I was growing up. My husband and I enjoy pork in a variety of preparations now, and I know we’d love this dish! I love all the veg and thyme you’ve added to that gorgeous gravy! And speaking of the gravy… If only I could grab a piece of that bread right now and soak it up… It looks SO good! You’ve created another winner, MaryAnn!
Lol! It’s so delicious for sopping up with a hunk of crusty bread Michele! Happy weekend!
That gravy sounds amazing! My aunt makes one similar for Thanksgiving, and man, it’s the best part of the meal! I’ve always been a pork chop girl, so when I saw this I was very happy! Looks delicious, Mary Ann!!
Give it a go Annie! You’ll love it!
That gravy really puts this over the top, looks amazing!!
Thanks Matt! The more gravy the better Tom says!
Love this chunky gravy… BIG pork fan here. These look outstanding MaryAnn. Gotta love a dose of Southern, right?!
Absolutely Kevin! I’m down with anything southern!
I honestly forget about pork chops, though we both like them (especially my husband!). These look so delicious – loving all of the flavors in that sauce. We’d need some crusty bread to sop it up and not waste a bite!
Yes! Can’t waste the sauce Marissa! It’s the best part!
Sounds incredible! Can’t wait to try!
You’d love them Tieghan!
Now these are some good looking pork chops, and that gravy makes them even better!
Yes, the gravy steps it up a notch Laura!
This looks delicious and a great recipe for my when visitors from Germany come in May. MaryAnn, I made your Romesco sauce and I love it. Its so good, I served it last night to some friends from Switzerland and they really liked it. I think you are going to be famous in Zurich.
I’m so glad you tried the romesco sauce and liked it Gerlinde! I think I’m already famous there…haven’t you heard?! Lol!
Mmmmm reminds me of something out of my childhood! Pork chops are totally underrated these days, I think! That gravy looks amazing! :)
I agree Natasha! I didn’t have them much growing up, but Tom has converted me to be a pork chop lover!
We eat a lot of pork and I’m always looking for new ways to cook pork chops. I love that this can be made in 30 minutes and is healthy! Thanks for sharing a great recipe! Can’t wait to try it!
So glad you like it Kathy. Hope you all enjoy if you give the recipe a try!
My mother cooked two kinds of pork chops, panfried and smothered in gravy. Thanks for the memories and your recipe…I like that you added veggies to the gravy.
Absolutely Karen! The gravy is delish!
I did grow up eating pork chops, but they were dry and tough as cardboard ~ this braising method makes them so tender, I can’t wait to make this for dinner!
The consensus is that most people grew up eating leather pork chops Sue! I definitely think pork chops have come a long way!
This sounds incredibly good. The husband always gripes that I don’t make pork chops often enough, will give this one a try soon! :)
So glad Laura! Hope you all enjoy!
Have to admit, my mom was not a pork-chop maker and the few pan frys i have attempted are the perfect leather experience. But this sounds amazing. I will give it a go and see if i can conquer this one!
They’re done when they’re still a tad pink inside Cindy. Most people cook them til they’re totally white and then it’s too late…total leather! Hope you enjoy!