Pan-Seared Pork Chops with Garlic-Butter Sauce

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-04-26 · Updated 2026-04-26

Juicy pork chops pan-seared to golden perfection and finished with a rich garlic-butter sauce that enhances every bite. This American-inspired game-day recipe, ready in about 22 minutes, pairs bone-in pork chops, salt, black pepper for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 420 calories and feeds 2, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 2 pieces (about 6 oz each) bone-in pork chops
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 cloves, minced garlic cloves
• 1 tsp, chopped fresh thyme
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

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Instructions

1. Step 1: Pat dry 2 bone-in pork chops and season both sides with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper evenly.
2. Step 2: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, about 2 minutes.
3. Step 3: Add pork chops to the skillet and sear for 4 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through (internal temperature 145°F), then remove chops and set aside.
4. Step 4: Reduce heat to medium, add 3 tbsp unsalted butter and 3 minced garlic cloves to the same skillet, stirring for 1 minute until fragrant.
5. Step 5: Stir in 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme and 1 tbsp lemon juice, cooking the sauce for another 30 seconds until slightly thickened.
6. Step 6: Spoon the garlic-butter sauce over the pork chops before serving.