Breaded Baked Pork Chops
Crispy breaded baked pork chops topped with a lemon cream sauce has a touch of richness without being over-the-top. Add some simple short-cut sides and you end up with what’s best described as a properly balanced dinner. Or, I should say: what I think is balanced.
Yes, there are veggies on that plate (!) along with some breaded pork chops that you bake in the oven. Of course, I topped them with a lemon cream sauce (as is my way), but it’s not a decadent over-the-top amount. There’s just enough richness to feel like you’re treating yourself without over-indulging. Save that for the creamy garlic pasta.
In other words, this is a balanced dinner which is a nice thing in January.
About the Breading
And let’s talk about the breading for a minute. I borrowed my favorite breading technique from my crispy baked chicken which is pretty much the only way I bread meat these days.
Instead of cracking eggs, beating them and dipping the boneless pork chops in it, I like to use mayonnaise to coat the chops. It’s a light, flavorful and easy-to-do coating and there’s just enough for the seasoned bread crumbs to cling to.
You can place the breaded pork chops directly on the baking sheet, but in testing this recipe I didn’t love how the chops turned soggy on the bottom. They release juices as they bake, so baking them on a rack placed on the sheet pan helps.
I don’t turn them while they bake so that the tops get nice and crispy. Even with the baking rack solution, they tend to be a little softer on the bottom, but not as much if you don’t use a rack. So, serve them public-side-up also known as crispy-side up.
The Cream Sauce
You can, of course, serve the juicy pork chops without any sauce but, if you you’ve been following this here blog, you already know I like a little touch of richness.
You can try this lemon cream sauce I made to go with them – it’s delicious – but you could also try the mustard sauce from my oven-roasted pork chops if you want a switch.
The cream sauce here today is a simple one:
- Melt some butter. Add some minced garlic and cook it for a minute.
- Add some flour and stir until you have a loose paste.
- Slowly add heavy cream, whisking all the while, until you have a smooth sauce.
- Add a generous amount of lemon zest and a much smaller amount of salt and pepper.
- Simmer the sauce until it’s creamy and thickened, add some fresh parsley, and spoon it over the breaded pork chops.
The Sides
Short-cut time with the sides because after making pork chops and sauce I would not then say – Okay! Let’s make some sides from scratch! Yeah, no.
I microwaved/steamed some broccoli, heated up one of those super convenient packages of cauliflower mash and squeezed some fresh lemon juice over the top of both. Adding a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese would not be a bad thing either.
Easy breaded pork chops + creamy sauce + good-for-you-short-cut-sides = my idea of a balanced winter dinner. I hope you like it, too!
Happy cooking,
More Dinner Recipes to Try
- Chicken Pot Pie
- Braised Meatballs with Buttered Noodles
- One Pan Spaghetti Bolognese
- One Pan Creamy Chicken and Rice
Breaded Baked Pork Chops
Crispy breaded baked pork chops topped with a lemon cream sauce has a touch of richness without being over-the-top. Add some simple short-cut sides and you end up with what’s best described as a properly balanced dinner. Or, I should say: what I think is balanced.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the Pork Chops
- 1/3 cup dried breadcrumbs
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 pound boneless pork chops
For the Sauce
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and place a baking rack on top.
- Combine the breadcrumbs, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper in a bowl. Coat the pork chops with the mayonnaise and the coat them with the breadcrumbs.
- Place them on the baking rack placed on the sheet pan. Bake the chops until the internal temperature is 145°F, about 30 to 40 minutes for 1″ pork chops.
- To make the sauce, first melt the butter in a saue pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook it in the butter for a minute. Add the flour and stir until a loose paste forms. Slowly add the cream, whisking continously, until the mixture is smooth with no lumps of flour.
- Add the zest, salt and pepper and stir. Increase the heat and once the sauce starts to bubble lower the heat again to maintain a gentle simmer. Simmer the sauce until it has thickened enough to coat the back of spoon. If, at this point, the pork chops are not done baking keep the sauce on low and stir it occassionaly until the chops are ready. This is a good time to check if you want to add more salt, too.
- Remove the pork chops from the oven and let them rest for a minute or two. Add the parsley to the sauce and stir. To serve, you can slice the pork or serve it whole. Spoon the sauce over the top of each.
Notes
Depending on how thick your chops are you may need to cook them for more or less time. I use a meat thermometer to test the temperature – it’s the easist and best way to know when they are done.
For the sides, I warmed up some broccoli and one of those packages of prepared cauliflower mash. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice over the top for a pop of brightness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 399
- Sugar: 1.6g
- Sodium: 482.3mg
- Fat: 26.9g
- Saturated Fat: 13g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12.4g
- Trans Fat: 0.4g
- Carbohydrates: 10.3g
- Fiber: 0.9g
- Protein: 28.2g
- Cholesterol: 123.5mg