Introduction
Cooking pork chops in the oven is a great way to prepare flavorful meat without having to stand over a stovetop for hours. Whether you’re cooking for yourself or entertaining guests, here’s how long you should cook pork chops in the oven.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and place a rack in the middle of your oven. This will help the meat cook evenly, brown and caramelize, and cook faster.
Remove pork chops from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature.
Before you begin cooking, it’s important to remove the pork chops from the refrigerator and allow them to come to room temperature. This will ensure that your meat cooks more evenly, which can be especially important if you are using leaner cuts of meat.
It takes about an hour for a 1-inch thick pork chop (about 3/4 pound) to reach room temperature when placed in a pan or on a rack in an unheated oven. You may want to check on your pork chops periodically as they warm up; if they start getting too hot or dry out before being cooked through, put them back in the fridge until they cool down again before continuing with your recipe
Rinse the chops under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
Rinse the chops under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. This step is important because it helps prevent the pork from becoming overly greasy in the oven.
Season both sides of each pork chop with salt, pepper and garlic powder (if desired).
Use a heavy-duty skillet or cast iron skillet to brown the pork chops. Heat the oil in the pan over medium-high heat until hot, but not smoking. Add the pork chops and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a baking sheet; sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder (if desired).
Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes. Add butter or olive oil to coat surface of pan, then add chops and cook for about 2 minutes per side. Transfer skillet to oven and bake for about 6 minutes per side or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F.
Cooking time depends on the thickness of your pork chops. If they’re too thin, they will overcook and dry out. If they’re too thick, they won’t cook all the way through before the outside gets too browned and crispy.
You want to make sure you don’t undercook them either–you need to get that internal temperature up above 145 degrees F before serving! You don’t want anyone getting sick from undercooked meat (or any kind of food poisoning).
Baking pork chops in the oven will result in moist and flavorful meat.
If you’re looking for a foolproof way to cook pork chops, the oven is your best bet. The method is simple: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, then place the pork chops in an oven-safe skillet and bake them until they reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit (the USDA recommends cooking all meat until it reaches this point).
To make sure that you don’t overcook them while they bake, invest in a meat thermometer so that you can check the internal temperature frequently throughout cooking time. You can also use visual cues such as color change and juices flowing from their surfaces as indicators that cooking has been completed successfully–but if you want to be sure about it before serving up these tender cuts of meat at dinner tonight or tomorrow night’s family meal plan…you’ll need something more precise than just guessing!
Conclusion
Cooking pork chops in the oven is a great way to make delicious, moist meat. You can also season them with salt, pepper and garlic powder before cooking if desired.