Smothered Pork Chops

These classic Smothered Pork Chops are lightly breaded pork loin chops pan-fried and drenched in creamy, flavorful, easy-to-make pan gravy. They are the ultimate in Southern comfort and one of our favorite meals.

My family loves this comfort food dish no matter what I serve them with. But for the ultimate meal, serve with creamy garlic mashed potatoes, Southern green beans, and homemade biscuits.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• This is the ultimate Southern comfort meal with rich, hearty flavors everyone loves. Serve it with the sauce ladled over mashed potatoes, rice, cauliflower mash, egg noodles with fresh corn, green beans, or even Creamed Peas with Pearl Onions.
• Even beginner cooks can handle this easy recipe. There are no special ingredients or special techniques.
• Pork is still one of the least expensive cuts of meat, and it often goes on sale. Can you say bonus?

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.

• Pork Chops: For the most flavor, purchase bone-in pork chops. For a more tender result, buy 3/4-1-inch thick pork chops with some fat on them. For this recipe, the rib chop is better than a loin chop. 
• Oil: vegetable, canola, grapeseed, or peanut oil
• Butter: salted or unsalted
• Onion: sweet onion is best like Vidalia or yellow onion
• Chicken broth: low-sodium is best
• Heavy cream: Use heavy cream or whipping cream for the most luscious creamy gravy. You can substitute half and half or whole milk, but increase it to 1 cup, and cut the chicken broth to 3/4 cup.

How to make Smothered Pork Chops

This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.

Combine the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl wide enough to bread the pork chops. Dredge the chops in the flour mixture. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. 

Sear the pork chops until golden brown on both sides. Then, plate them, covering them loosely with an aluminum foil tent.

Melt the butter in the same skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook until tender and browned, scraping the bottom of the skillet to loosen those delicious brown bits. Reduce the heat and add the garlic, cooking for a minute, stirring constantly. 

Then sprinkle with the flour, stirring and cooking for a few minutes.  Slowly pour in the chicken broth, stirring until smooth. Stir in the heavy cream and add the pork chops to the skillet. Simmer for a few minutes, turning the pork chops several times to coat them with the gravy. Garnish with fresh thyme leaves or chopped fresh parsley and serve promptly.

Preparation Tips and Storage

• For mushroom gravy, add another tablespoon of butter and about 8 ounces of sliced white button or cremini mushrooms at the same time as the onions. Cook until they are golden brown.
• These cook wonderfully in a well-seasoned cast iron skillet. 
• Pork is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Serving Suggestions

I like to serve this recipe with pan-fried potatoes, oven-roasted asparagus, and blackberry cobbler. Other delicious choices include green beans and potatoes, easy creamed spinach, and peach crisp.

More Pork Recipes

Smothered Pork Chops Recipe

Southern-style breaded pork chops are smothered with a rich onion gravy seasoned with caramelized onions and garlic. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or egg noodles.

5 from 45 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: main meal pork

Cuisine: Southern

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 pork chops

Calories: 526kcal

Author: Beth Pierce

Ingredients

Pork Chops

• ½ cup all purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 4 bone in thick cut pork chops about 3/4 – 1 inch thick
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Gravy

• 2 tablespoons butter melted
• 1 medium yellow onion cut in half and sliced thinly in half circles
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1¼ cups low sodium chicken broth
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

Instructions

• Combine flour, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a wide shallow bowl.  Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels and dredge them into the flour mixture. Gently shake off any excess flour.
• Heat the vegetable in a large skillet over medium heat.  Now cook the pork chops until golden brown on both sides, 3-4 minutes per side.  Plate them and cover them loosely with an aluminum foil tent.
• Melt the butter in the same skillet over medium-low heat.  Add the onions and cook until tender and golden brown while scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen the brown bits. Reduce the heat and add the garlic, cooking for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Sprinkle with flour. Stir and cook for 2 minutes.  Slowly pour in the chicken broth, stirring until smooth. Whisk in the heavy cream. 
• Add the pork chops back to the skillet and simmer for 5 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. turning the pork chops several times to coat them with the gravy.  Garnish with fresh thyme leaves and serve promptly.

Notes

• For mushroom gravy, add another tablespoon of butter and about 8 ounces of sliced white button or cremini mushrooms at the same time as the onions. Cook until they are golden brown.
• These cook wonderfully in a well-seasoned cast iron skillet. 
• Pork is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 526kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 138mg | Sodium: 446mg | Potassium: 711mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 631IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 2mg

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