This maximum flavor minimum effort recipe beautifully marries the deep umami flavor of creamy mushrooms with a well cooked pork chop.
There’s nothing like a juicy, delicious pork chop; like chicken, you can prepare this cut of meat in many ways. Plus, they are among the easiest to cook red meats you’ll find. Pork chops also offer vital nutrients such as zinc, selenium, iron, and protein that assists your bodily functions and can be a great part of a weight loss meal plan.
One seasoning that simply makes any type of meat sing is garlic. That zesty, slightly spicy seasoning really brings out the best in any food, be it meat or veggie. And this delicious recipe really brings the garlic!
Going through this article we’ll make sure you don’t overcook your chops or make them dry and spongy in any way.
The main components of the dish are pork chops, garlic, and mushrooms which make up the mouthwatering combination that you won’t be able to put down.
Garlic mushroom pork chops are a delightful dish that combines the rich flavors of succulent pork with the earthy tones of mushrooms and the robust aroma of garlic. This easy-to-make recipe provides a hearty and satisfying meal that can be enjoyed by the whole family. The tender pork chops, infused with the flavorful blend of garlic and mushrooms, create a mouth-watering sensation that’s perfect for a weeknight dinner or a special occasion.
The ingredients for this scrumptious meal can be easily found at any local grocery store, making it a convenient option for busy cooks. Using fresh ingredients to prepare the dish ensures that the flavors are at their peak and compliments the natural taste of the pork. Furthermore, cooking this dish is accessible to those at all skill levels, from novice to experienced home chefs, making it the ideal recipe for anyone looking to expand their culinary repertoire.
To prepare garlic mushroom pork chops, it’s essential to choose a cooking method that will best highlight the savory combination of ingredients. Pan-searing is an excellent option, as it allows for even cooking and a beautiful, golden-brown crust on the pork chops. Additionally, incorporating a variety of mushroom types can enhance the dish’s depth of flavor and create a satisfyingly diverse texture. With these considerations in mind, anyone can create a delicious and memorable meal featuring garlic mushroom pork chops.
With some simple roasted or mashed potatoes and a pile of your favorite greens this dish can easily serve a large family and impress the picky eaters.
If you’re making this for yourself, then this is a great dish to refrigerate and save for tomorrow’s dinner. These chops don’t suffer from being frozen either so if you want to make a large batch then by all means feel free.
What will you need to make these
We’re going to recommend using boneless thin pork chops for this recipe. The thicker bone in cuts are amazing for seared or sauceless dishes but for this one we’re going to be adding the fat and flavoring back into the meat avoiding the dryness through that.
If you were searing the chops without a thick, fat-based sauce then bone in or thicker cuts may be what you want.
Thin Boneless chops work well for any pork chop dish you just need to adjust the cooking time. This is why we love them for work night meals.
The type of mushrooms you use here don’t matter all too much but we recommend using a low moisture fungus. Chestnuts or bella mushrooms take to creamy sauces and garlic very well.
Oyster and Shiitake mushrooms will add an extra layer of depth to the dish but a large cap is almost always going to be better for this dish.
You’re going to need some Italian seasonings, paprika, salt, pepper, and garlic. The Italian seasonings you use are completely up to you but we recommend using fresh herbs over dried.
Dried will work in this dish fairly well but fresh herbs are almost always better. You get a more potent flavor with a more pronounced unctuousness that you can’t get from dried seasonings.
If you can, we recommend adding some fresh parsley to the dish. Fresh garlic is also a must. If you only have access to the dried variants of each of these seasonings then they will absolutely do but you might want to increase the amount you normally put in.
For the sauce part of the dish you’re only going to need 2 ingredients. The main components of the sauce are heavy cream or half and half and chicken broth.
You can use pork or beef broth if you don’t have chicken broth but the lightness of chicken broth really lends to the overall flavor and the makeup of the dish.
How to choose your pork chops
More often than not you’re going to find loin chops which work perfectly for the dish, rib chops are a good alternative but have more fat and can therefore make for a sauce that airs on the side of ‘too rich’.
When you get to the grocery store make sure you don’t pick up any of the pale chops that have been sitting on the shelves for days.
The freshest ones will have a pinkish reddish hue and will be firmer when poked. Dark areas surrounding the bones or dark spots on the fat are all indicators of older chops. If you can, get your chops from a reputable butcher.
They will be able to choose the best chops for you and more likely than not the chops will be fresher and higher quality.
If you’ve purchased your chops ahead of time and you need to store them away until chops day, you can keep them in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days no problem.
If you’re buying them in bulk or just don’t think you’re going to use them within 2 to 3 days, then store them in the freezer where they will keep for up to 6 months.
As we said, we are going to be using a thinner pork chop for this dish simply to reduce the cooking time. For dishes that need the extra moisture or tenderness, a thicker cut will work best.
As we are cooking the pork chops in the sauce you won’t have to worry about a loss of moisture. Aim for chops between ½” and 1” for quicker cooking times with optimal flavor.
Searing the pork chops
A large component of the deep and rich flavor of this dish is the sear you get on the outside of the pork chops. To achieve a perfect sear you need to make sure your pork chops aren’t covered in excess liquid. You can pat them dry with a piece of kitchen paper towel.
You also need to cook it in a searingly hot pan (now you know where the term comes from). The sear on the outside of food happens because of something called the Maillard reaction, which is where the proteins on the outside of the food break down and caramelize.
To get your pan hot enough we always recommend using a cast iron or steel skillet that can hold the heat evenly, make sure not to put the oil in the pan before you’re planning on cooking the chops.
Heating up the oil with the pan can cause the oil to burn which will make your dish taste bitter and it can even increase the carcinogenic content of your dish.
A 12” cast iron skillet is our chosen tool for the job and is honestly an indispensable pan in every kitchen. Compared to non-stick pans, a properly seasoned cast iron is cost effective, doesn’t release chemicals into your food and can be transferred from the stovetop into an oven seamlessly.
Cooking the pork chops
To ensure you get the best possible sear on your chops you need to ensure that the outside is as dry as possible. To do so, pat down each chop individually and if you’re using dried herbs add them to the chops now.
You can throw your pat dried chops into a bowl and toss them in the seasonings to coat properly. If you’re using fresh herbs then simply add your salt, pepper, and paprika to the chops.
From here you’re going to want to preheat your skillet. Placing it over a medium high heat for 3-5 minutes should be adequate.
Once your skillet is the right temperature pour in the butter or olive oil. Once heated through; roughly 30 seconds, swirl the oil throughout the pan to coat the surface evenly.
Place your chops, one at a time, into the skillet; holding them from the top and laying them away from you. Cook untouched on each side until a crust has formed around 3 ½ minutes per side for a total of 7 minutes.
Once seared remove the chops from the skillet and you should a beautiful fonde formed on the bottom of the skillet.
Reduce the heat to medium and place the mushrooms into the skillet and cook until golden brown. The mushrooms should sweat and mix with the fonde and create a slight crust on the mushrooms.
Cooking the sauce
With the mushrooms browned add the garlic and other fresh herbs to the skillet. If you’re using the dried herbs, add the remaining herbs to the mushrooms and cook down for a minute or so.
Add the broth of your choice and the heavy cream and allow the herbs and seasoning to incorporate into the liquid.
This should take about 3 to 4 minutes. At this point the sauce should be slightly thickened and beautifully flavored, if need be adjust seasoning at this point.
If you want to thicken the sauce further without increasing the carbohydrate content add some grated parmesan cheese to the sauce. You can use up to a ¼ cup of cheese.
Pork Chops in Garlic Mushroom Sauce
These great chops can be thrown together in less than 30 minutes and in only 1 pan.
Pat the pork chops dry with a paper towel. Add paprika, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, salt and pepper into a medium bowl, and toss to combine with the pork chops to coat them evenly.
Heat the skillet over a medium high heat for 3-5 minutes and then add your butter or oil. Sear the pork chops for 3 ½ minutes on each side until a perfect crust has formed on each side and the Maillard reaction has occurred. Remove the pork chops from the heat and set them aside to rest.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the mushrooms to the fonde that has formed on the bottom of the skillet and saute until they’ve picked up some color and have browned evenly.
Add the seasonings and herbs into the mushrooms and cook for a further minute. Add the broth of your choosing and simmer for 3-4 minutes until slightly thickened and if you want to adjust the seasoning levels now is the time to do so. If you want to thicken the sauce further, add your parmesan cheese now. We’ve written a ¼ cup into the recipe but feel free to use up to ½ a cup.
Finally, add the chops and any accumulated juices back into the pan and heat through with the sauce for up to 4 minutes.
Serve the garlic pork chops with freshly steamed vegetables over rice, pasta, or potatoes.
Cassie brings decades of experience to the Kitchen Community. She is a noted chef and avid gardener. Her new book "Healthy Eating Through the Garden" will be released shortly. When not writing or speaking about food and gardens Cassie can be found puttering around farmer's markets and greenhouses looking for the next great idea.
