Insanely Easy Seared Garlic Pork Chops

These Bone-In Pork Chops are seared to crispy brown perfection on the outside, and tender and juicy on the inside. They’re seasoned with an entire head of garlic (trust me, this is the way). Easiest foolproof way to cook delicious pork chops!

Every Garlic Lover Needs to Try This

Here at Garlic All Day, we love our pan-seared proteins with lots of garlic. I’m not talking about a few cloves thrown in to infuse the oil with a measly bit of flavour.

I’m talking about an ENTIRE BULB OF GARLIC.

Trust me, one whole bulb of garlic for one pork chop is an appropriate ratio.

The pork chops are first seasoned in a simple mixture of salt, LOTS of black pepper, and a dusting of garlic powder (for good measure). Then they’re seared for just a few minutes in a hot cast iron pan.

Now we throw in a metric heckton of chopped garlic. Cook them just enough to brown, and to coax out all their glorious flavour.

Voilà, garlic pork chops in 20 minutes. No fuss, full flavour.

Ingredient Notes

Here are some of the ingredients you’ll need for this Easy Garlic Pork Chop recipe:

Bone-In Pork Chops: Two important secrets to cooking juicy pork chops.

The first key is to use a bone-in cut. Great thing about bone-in pork chops is, they’re much harder to overcook. The bone in a cut of meat acts as an insulator from the heat, so it’s like a safeguard against overcooking.

The second key is to buy a thick cut. At least ¾ to 1 inch is best. This way, it has time to get a really nice, crispy, browned crust on the outside, without drying out the inside. Thin pork chops are prone to getting tough and dry.

If you have a meat thermometer that tells you when to pull it off the heat at the precise perfect moment, that’s great. But not super necessary. If you want to leave your pork chops in the pan for a few extra minutes just to be safe, it’s okay. Your pork chops will still be pretty dang juicy and tender inside.

Garlic: Duh. You clicked on a garlic pork chop recipe, of course garlic is going to be an ingredient. The key here is to use an WHOLE BULB of fresh garlic. Not just two or three cloves. You heard me, the entire bulb!

Garlic Powder: Rub some garlic powder over the pork chop for good measure.

Black Pepper: We prefer to use an entire teaspoon of ground black pepper for each pork chop.

Salt: You don’t actually need much salt for these pork chops. We use just ¼ teaspoon for the whole pork chop. See, the garlic and pepper are so flavourful, you only need a tiny bit of salt to bring it all together. If you’re trying to limit salt, you can omit it entirely. We’ve made it both ways and it tastes pretty darn good either way.

Oil and Butter: Bone-in pork chops have a decent amount of fat. With a well-seasoned cast iron pan, you don’t need much oil to sear the pork chops and keep them juicy. But, you can throw in a pat of salted butter at the end if you want. Gives it more flavour.

See recipe card for quantities.

Directions

Step 1. Rub salt and ground black pepper all over the pork chop on both sides.

Step 2. Let pork chop rest at room temperature while you peel and dice the garlic.

Step 3. Preheat a cast iron skillet on high heat until you see smoke rising from the pan, then drizzle oil over the skillet. Sear pork chop until a deep brown crust forms on both sides.

Step 4. During the final minute of cooking, throw in the diced garlic and a pat of butter (optional). Turn off the stove—the pork chop and garlic will finish cooking in the residual heat.

Tip: The centre of the pork chop should read 145 °F if you have a meat thermometer.

Step 5. Remove the pork chops to a cutting board and let them rest for a few minutes before slicing.

Step 6. Scatter all of the sautéed garlic over the sliced pork chops and serve.

Variations

• Throw on a tablespoon or two of salted butter along with the garlic for an easy, luscious, garlicky sauce.
• Add some fresh herbs in the last minute of cooking to infuse the garlic oil with their flavour. Thyme, rosemary, sage, or parsley are all great options.

Equipment

Here’s the rundown on the cooking equipment for this recipe:

Cast Iron Pan: An 8-inch cast iron skillet is an indispensable tool in my kitchen. This baby is the perfect size to sear one beautiful, thick, bone-in pork chop.

If you don’t have a cast iron pan, an aluminum or stainless steel skillet will work too. Just note it will heat up a lot faster than cast iron so keep an eye on it. Don’t want to be starting any fires.

Tongs: A sturdy pair of metal tongs makes flipping the pork chop easy.

Splatter Guard: This is the ultimate tool for searing meat without making an oily mess everywhere. I don’t know how I lived without one for so long.

Storage Tips

Seared pork chops are best served and eaten immediately—when they’re fresh and perfectly cooked. But here’s a few tips on storing leftovers:

Fridge: Leftover pork chops can be stored in the fridge for up to three days.

Freezer: Freeze cooked pork chops for up to three months.

More Pork Recipes

Looking for more recipes that use pork in all its forms? Try these: