Baked Pork Chops
Bone-in pork chops rubbed with smoked paprika, garlic and a touch of brown sugar, then roasted at high heat until the edges caramelize and the inside stays juicy. Ready in 30 minutes — the resting step at the end is non-negotiable.
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in pork chops
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 tbspolive oil
- 1 tspsmoked paprika
- 1 tspbrown sugar
- 1 tspgarlic powder
- ½ tspdried thyme
- 1 tspsalt
- ½ tspblack pepper
Method
- Take the pork chops out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking — cold meat goes into the oven unevenly. Pat both sides completely dry with paper towels. Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F).
- Mix the smoked paprika, brown sugar, garlic powder, thyme, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rub the olive oil over both sides of each chop, then press the spice mix firmly onto both sides.
- Place the chops in a baking dish or on a rimmed baking sheet with enough space between them. Tuck the crushed garlic cloves around the chops — they'll roast alongside and perfume the pan juices.
- Roast for 18–22 minutes for 2.5 cm thick chops, or 22–26 minutes for 3 cm. The most reliable check is an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part away from the bone: pull them at 63°C (145°F). The meat can look slightly pink at this temperature — that is correct and safe.
- Switch the oven to broil (grill) on maximum for the last 2–3 minutes to brown the surface if it hasn't coloured. Watch closely — it goes from golden to burnt in under a minute.
- Transfer to a plate, tent loosely with foil and rest for 5 minutes before serving. Spoon the pan juices over each chop. Serve with roasted potatoes or a simple green salad.
FAQ
Pork dries out faster than almost any other meat, and the main reason is overcooking. The safe internal temperature for pork chops is 63°C (145°F) — not the 74°C (165°F) that older guidelines suggested. At 63°C the meat can still look slightly pink in the center, which is completely safe and significantly juicier. At 200°C (400°F), a 2.5 cm thick chop takes 18–22 minutes; a 3 cm chop takes 22–26 minutes. Without a thermometer it's easy to overshoot. After removing from the oven, rest under foil for 5 minutes — the temperature rises another 3–5 degrees during that time and the juices redistribute.
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Comments (1)
Score the pork skin or fat cap before cooking this baked pork chops. Shallow cuts every centimeter let the fat render properly and create those crispy edges everyone fights over at the table.