Easy Orange Pork Chops

Tender and juicy pork with perfect brown crust, served in a scrumptious orange sauce. Making weekday dinner couldn’t be easier! {Gluten-Free}

Pork chop is one of my favorite cuts for dinner. It takes no time to prep and cook, yet the result is always satisfying. Plus, it is easy enough to cook on a weekday evening, and fancy enough to serve at a Sunday party. Super versatile isn’t it?

In this recipe, I served the pork with my homemade orange sauce. The sweet and citrusy sauce pairs so well with the pork. Definitely try to make this sauce at home if you want to spice up your dinner. This orange sauce uses way less sugar than restaurant dishes or bottled sauce and is extra flavorful.

How to cook pork chop on the stove?

There are many approaches to cooking delicious pork chops on the stovetop, for example, marinated pork chop or breaded pork chop. However I confess that my favorite method is the plain ol’ salt and pepper version. As long as you don’t overcook, it produces flavorful, beautifully browned, and juicy pork.

(1) To create a perfect crust, sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the pork and let it rest at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes. The salt will help extract some moisture from the meat to help with browning.

(2) Then pat dry the pork chop surface thoroughly with paper towels, so the pork will brown properly. It also prevents oil spatter.

(3) A hot pan is the most important element for pan frying pork chops. You can use an aluminum pan, cast iron pan, or carbon steel pan. In any of these cases, heat up the pan with medium high heat until the pan is very hot. Then add the oil and swirl to coat well.

(4) Add the pork chop and let sear without moving, until the bottom turns golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Then flip the pork with a pair of tongs, and brown the other side for another 2 to 4 minutes. To test the doneness, transfer the pork to a plate and slice with a knife. The inside should turn white with just a bit of pink.

How long does it take to cook pork chops?

It really depends on the cut you use.

I prefer to use boneless, thin-cut pork chops for a weekday dinner because they cook fast. The pork chop is usually less than 1/2 inch (1 cm) in thickness.

To cook a thin-cut pork chop, sear both sides in a hot pan until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes per side. When you cut the pork, the juice should run clear with the inside mostly white and only a trace of pink (medium doneness). You don’t need to use a thermometer since the pork is too thin to be measured properly. If the inside is a bit too pink, turn to medium low heat and cover the pan. Let steam for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the inside is cooked through.

If you use a thick boneless cut, pound the pork until 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick and use the same method above to cook on the stovetop.

If you use a thick bone-in cut, use the same method to sear the surface (2 to 4 minutes per side), and then finish the cooking in a 350 F (176 C) oven. A 1-inch chop takes 10 to 15 minutes to cook to medium doneness.

You can also use the stovetop method: sear the first side without cover for 2 to 4 minutes, flip the pork chop and sear the other side with the cover on, 2 to 4 minutes. Then turn to medium low heat and flip again. Cook, covered, until the inside is cooked to the desired doneness, 5 to 8 minutes.

When you cook a thick-cut pork chop, it is important to monitor the internal temperature for the best results. For a tender and juicy texture, I recommend you cook the pork chop to 135 F to 145 F (57 C to 63 C) for medium doneness (the USDA minimum temperature is 145 F / 63 C). If the meat is still too pink for you, you can cook to 145 F to 155 F (63C to 38 C, medium well). I prefer to use a thermometer.

More orange sauce recipes

• Chinese Orange Chicken (Crispy Chicken without Deep Frying)
• 3-Ingredient Roasted Orange Cauliflower
• 3-Ingredient Orange Shrimp and Asparagus
• Homemade Orange Sauce (less sugar, more flavors)

If you give this recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it (once you’ve tried it), and take a picture and tag it @omnivorescookbook on Instagram! I’d love to see what you come up with.

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Easy Orange Pork Chops

Tender and juicy pork, perfect brown crust, served in a scrumptious orange sauce. Making weekday dinner couldn’t be easier! {Gluten-Free}

Author: Maggie Zhu

Course: Main

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: weekday dinner

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

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Ingredients

• 4 pork chops bone-in or boneless (*Footnote 1)
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup homemade orange sauce (or bottled sauce)

(Optional) Side

• 1 Shallot , sliced
• 4 zucchini (or 1 pound russet potato) , cut into noodles using a spiralizer
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

• If you’re using bone-in pork chops thicker than ½ inch (1 cm), preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C).
• Pat dry pork chops with paper towel and place on a large tray. Sprinkle salt and black pepper on both sides.
• Heat a heavy duty stainless steel or carbon steel skillet over medium high heat until hot. Add oil and swirl the pan to coat. Pat dry pork chops again with paper towel. (*Footnote 2) Add pork chops to pan, in two batches if needed. Cook each side for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden brown. If you’re cooking thin-cut chops, they are done now, so you can transfer them to a big plate. Cover the plate with aluminum foil with a slit on top to let the steam out, so the pork will remain crispy. If you’re cooking thick-cut chops, transfer the pan into the oven and bake for 10 to 20 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 135 F to 145 F (57 C to 63 C) for medium (the USDA minimum temperature is 145 F / 63C), or 145 to 155 F (63C to 38 C) for medium well.

(Optional) Side dish

• Heat oil in a large pan until hot. Add shallot. Cook and stir for 1 minute, until tender.
• Add the spiralized vegetables and a pinch of salt. Cook and stir until the vegetables turn tender, or reached desired doneness. Season with more salt and black pepper, if needed.

Serve

• Heat the homemade orange sauce in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes, or until hot but not bubbling. Pour onto the pork chops. Serve hot with the vegetables.

Notes

1. You can use any cut you prefer. If you use thin pork chops that are ½ inch (1 cm) thick or less, you only need to pan fry them. For boneless thick-cut chops, you can pound them to ½ inch and cook them on the stovetop. If you use a bone-in thick-cut pork chop, it requires finishing in the oven. For more information, scroll up to read the “pork chop cooking time” in the blog post.
2. If you rest the pork chops for more than 10 minutes, the surface of the pork will become moist. Pat dry to ensure proper browning and less oil splatter.

Did You Make This Recipe?Don't forget the last step! Leave a comment below, and tag me @OmnivoresCookbook and #OmnivoresCookbook on Instagram!