Easy Smothered Pork Chops

Need an easy weeknight dinner with minimal prep that will quickly become a family favorite? Then these full of flavor Southern Smothered Pork Chops, with a buttermilk gravy are just what y’all need!

This classic soul food feast is a perfect lifesaver for busy weeknights and doubles up as an offering for Sunday suppers, potlucks, or any time you’re craving the taste of the south in your home.

Just pair these pork chops with a side of mashed potatoes or another southern classic like creamy corn pudding or squash casserole for a complete and authentic comfort food meal.

Why You’ll Love It

• It’s easy to make – cooks quickly with really minimal prep too.
• It is affordable – made with store cupboard and fridge staples.
• Assemble ahead – makes for a great freezer-friendly meal.

What Are Smothered Pork Chops

Smothering is a style of cooking in which the seasoned fried pork chops (or other meats or vegetables) are gently smothered in a flavorful velvety onion gravy till they become melt in your mouth tender.

Well, in this recipe I have upgraded the gravy from a regular gravy to a rich buttermilk gravy that is easily in the lick-your-plate-clean-every-single time category. The buttermilk gravy has a very slight tang, which is exactly what makes this version a true stand out.

And it doesn’t stop with pork chops…try this recipe for Smothered Potatoes, or this Easy Smothered Chicken for even more Southern style goodness.

Ingredients Notes

• Pork Chops – I prefer using bone in pork chops, but you can make this with boneless chops too.
• Creole Seasoning – adds flavor and a little lick.
• Onion and Garlic – diced and minced. You could also use onion powder and garlic powder instead, if needed.
• Buttermilk – for that classic taste of the south.
• Broth – chicken stock or vegetable stock. You can use water in a pinch.
• Cornstarch – to thicken the gravy.
• Oil – to cook pork chops.

How To Make Smothered Pork Chops

1. Season pork chops and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a skillet and brown pork chops for about 4 minutes on both sides. Remove from skillet, set aside and drain any excess oil.
3. Scrape the bottom of the skillet to dislodge the awesome browned bits, add in the onions and sauté for about 7 minutes until tender. Then stir in the minced garlic and cook till fragrant for 1 minute.
4. Next, add in the cornstarch, stirring constantly, and cook for 3-4 minutes until it changes to a rich toffee color. 
5. Stir in the reduced-sodium chicken broth, buttermilk, scraping the bottom of the pan so the cornstarch and brown bits get mixed into the liquid.
6. Reduce heat and let simmer for about 12 minutes until thickened.
7. Add the pork chops back in and simmer for a further 10 minutes(or so) until the pork chops are very tender and the sauce has thickened further.
8. Switch off the heat, adjust seasonings, and serve.

Tips for Success

• For the best results use thick-cut pork chops, as thinner pork chops will cook too fast and become rubbery.
• Thicker pork chops will take a little bit more time to cook.
• You can make this with boneless pork chops, but you would need to cook this a few minutes less.
•  Use a meat thermometer. Always check the internal temperature of each pork chop to ensure the center of the meat reaches 145 degrees F / 63 degrees C.

Pork Chop Gravy Tips

• Make it sweet – This is a buttermilk gravy that has a very slight tang, which works well with pork chops. If you prefer a sweeter pork chop gravy, you can add some brown sugar or honey. Or you can use half and half instead of the buttermilk.
• Add a different flavor – You can add other flavors to suit your taste. When making this smothered pork chops recipe, I have used:
  • homemade poultry seasoning.
  • ground allspice (pimento).
  • homemade steak seasoning.
  • a pinch of cayenne.
  • nutmeg.
  • sautéed mushrooms and bell peppers.
  • coconut milk.
• Thicken it  – If your gravy is too thin, make a roux in another saucepan and add it to the gravy and cook it some more.

Prep Ahead and Meal Prep

• Prep Ahead – Make ahead and refrigerate for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
• Time-saving shortcut – Alternatively, cook until the gravy is done in step 6. But don’t put the pork chops back in. Store separately and cook the final bit just before serving.
• Freeze – Follow these handy tips for how to freeze;
  • Let it cool down, then transfer it into zip-top freezer bags.
  • Squeeze out all the extra air and seal the bags.
  • Label the bags and then lay them flat in the freezer.
  • Store in the freezer for 3 months.

How To Make Your Own Buttermilk

Head over to my how to make buttermilk post, so you can make your own to use for this recipe.

More Pork Chop Recipes

• Instant Pot Pork Chops.
• Air Fryer Pork Chops.

More Southern Recipes

• Salmon Croquettes.
• Shrimp Creole.

Serving Suggestions

• Easy Corn Pudding Casserole.
• Southern Squash Casserole.
• Creamy Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes.

Weight Watchers Points

There are 10 Blue Plan SmartPoints in a serving.

Thank you for reading my Smothered Pork Chops Recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue to slice, dice, and dream up affordable Air Fryer recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, Southern Recipes, and more. Thanks for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, food blog.

Get The Smothered Pork Chop Recipe:

Don’t forget to tag #recipesfromapantry on Instagram or Twitter if you try Southern Smothered Pork Chops! It is really, really awesome for me when you make one of my recipes and I’d love to see it. You can also share it on my Facebook page. Please pin this recipe to Pinterest too! Thank you for reading Recipes from a Pantry.

Print Recipe

5 from 7 votes

Southern Smothered Pork Chops

Smothered pork chops with buttermilk gravy is a true taste of the south.

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: American, southern

Servings: 4

Calories: 374kcal

Author: Bintu Hardy

Ingredients

• ▢ 4 large bone in pork chops
• ▢ 1 teaspoon creole seasoning
• ▢ 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• ▢ 1 large yellow onion sliced
• ▢ 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• ▢ 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• ▢ 1 ¾ cups (414mL) reduced-sodium chicken broth
• ▢ ¼ cup (60mL) buttermilk

Instructions

• Season pork chops and set side.
• Heat oil in a skillet and brown pork chops for about 4 minutes on both sides.
• Remove from skillet and set aside and drain any excess oil.
• Next scrape the bottom of the skillet to dislodge all the awesome browned bits and add the onion and saute for about 7 minutes until tender.
• Then stir in the minced garlic and creole seasoning and cook till fragrant for 1 minute.
• Add in the cornstarch, stirring with spatula constantly while cooking for 2-3 minutes, until the flour changes to a rich toffee color.
• Next, stir in the reduced-sodium chicken broth and buttermilk. Mix together, making sure to scrape the bottom of the skillet so the cornstarch and brown bits get combined into the liquid.
• Reduce heat and let simmer for about 12 minutes until it thickened.
• Add the pork chops back in and simmer for a further 10 minutes (or so), until the pork chops are very tender and the sauce has thickened further.
• Switch off the heat, adjust the seasonings, and serve.

**AIR FRYER RECIPE BINDER Bundle**Get your Air Fryer Recipe Binder and Ebook to keep all your recipes and tips organized in one place.

**INSTANT POT RECIPE BINDER**Get your Instant Pot Recipe Binder to keep all your recipes and tips organized in one place.

Video

Notes

• For the best results use thick-cut pork chops, as thinner pork chops will cook too fast and become rubbery.
• Thicker pork chops will take a little bit more time to cook.
• You can make this with boneless pork chops, but you would need to cook this a few minutes less.
• Use a meat thermometer. Always check the internal temperature of each pork chop to ensure the center of the meat reaches 145 degrees F / 63 degrees C.
• Make it sweet – This is a buttermilk gravy that has a very slight tang, which works well with pork chops. If you prefer a sweeter pork chop gravy, you can add some brown sugar or honey. Or you can use half and half instead of the buttermilk.
• Add a different flavor to suit your taste.
• Thicken it  – If your gravy is too thin, make a roux in another saucepan and add it to the gravy and cook it some more.
• Storage – keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days.
• There are 10 WW Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 374kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 150mg | Potassium: 741mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 264IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 1mg