These One-Pan Honey-Mustard Pork Chops Are the Easiest Weeknight Dinner

I’ve always wanted to be someone who meal preps on the weekends so we have several dinners lined up and ready to go for busy weeknights. But the reality is my husband and I simply do not have the time or energy to plan, grocery shop, clean, parent, and cook several meals in advance. Our solution is a little more half-assed: I’ll roast some vegetables, cook some grains, and spin some salad greens on the weekend. Then, during the week, I’ll dry brine some meat or marinate some fish the day before I plan to serve it, then when it’s go-time I quickly cook the fish or meat and mix-and-match it with whatever vegetables and grains we have prepped. It might not be full meal prep, but it makes weeknights a lot simpler. 

One meal we make frequently is juicy, tender pork chops with a subtly sweet honey-mustard sauce. The dish is incredibly easy to make, requires minimal prep, and can be on the table in less than 45 minutes—much of that hands-off oven time. It’s a great weeknight meal, but also elegant enough for a dinner party when paired with the right sides. For all of those reasons, it’s a recipe that’s always in my back pocket, and at this point, I can practically make these pork chops with my eyes closed. All you have to do is dry brine them (if you have time), start the meat at a low temperature in the oven, then finish it in a smoking hot skillet before whipping up a quick pan sauce.

Have Time? Don’t Skip the Dry Brine

At Serious Eats, we’re huge advocates of dry-brining, the process of salting and resting food before you cook it. Though dry-brining isn’t essential, I highly recommend it. Salting the pork draws out its natural liquids, which dissolves the salt on the meat’s surface before it’s reabsorbed. As former Serious Eats editor Sasha wrote in his guide to dry-brining, “the moisture that was initially drawn out of the meat is absorbed to counteract the shift in salt concentration from surface to interior, leaving you with a well-seasoned piece of meat that will now better retain its natural moisture content during cooking.” Below, I recommend dry-brining your pork chops for at least eight hours, but even an hour or two—or even 45 minutes—will be beneficial. (As explained in the brining guide, if you don’t have at least 45 minutes to brine, you’re actually better off not brining at all and should instead cook the chops immediately after salting them.) 

Reverse Sear Your Pork Chops

Former Serious Eats editor Kenji has written at length about the benefits of reverse searing; the method involves bringing your meat up to temperature in a low oven of about 250°F (121°C), then searing it after. That low heat removes any remaining surface moisture and ensures that your meat is evenly and gently cooked. Once it’s almost at the temperature you’re looking for, you can sear it in a hot pan to give it a good crust. Though the technique is often used to prepare steak, it’s also a great way to cook other cuts of meat—and is how our editorial director, Daniel and I both like to prepare our pork chops.

Make a Quick Pan Sauce

There are many sauces that go well with pork chops, including these lemon butter, rosemary, and apple cider pan sauces. Here, I’ve gone the honey-mustard route, a classic flavor combination that has a touch of sweetness and sharpness. After I sear the pork chops and set them on a wire rack to rest, I drain the remaining fat, then sauté shallots and thyme in a tablespoon of butter until softened. A little white wine or chicken broth goes in, and after it’s reduced by about half, I whisk in the remaining butter, along with mustard, honey, and lemon juice for a silky smooth sauce. And that’s all there is to making a tender, juicy pork chop. Serve the sauce smothered chops with a simple salad and some mashed potatoes, and that’s dinner on the table.

Pat pork chops dry with a paper towel. In a small bowl, combine salt and baking soda. Season pork chops generously on all sides with salt mixture. (You may have some seasoning mixture left over; reserve for another use or discard.) Transfer to a wire rack set in a rimmed 13- by 18-inch baking sheet. If dry-brining chops overnight, refrigerate, uncovered, at least 8 hours and up to 24; otherwise proceed immediately to step 2.

Preheat oven to 250°F (121°C). Season chops with pepper. Place baking sheet with pork chops in oven and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the chops registers 100 to 110°F (38 to 43°C) for medium-rare, 20 to 25 minutes, or 110 to 120°F (43 to 49°C) for medium, 35 to 40 minutes. To prevent overcooking, start checking temperature 5 to 10 minutes before suggested time. Remove from oven.

Heat oil in a large carbon steel or cast iron skillet over high heat until smoking. Working in batches if necessary to not overcrowd the skillet, place pork chops in skillet and cook, turning occasionally, until browned and an instant-read thermometer registers 120 to 130° (49 to 54°C) for medium-rare or 130 to 140°F (54 to 60°C) for medium, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stack pork chops with tongs, hold them on their sides, and sear the fat caps on the edges until crisp, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat, transfer chops to a clean rack set in a rimmed baking sheet, and let rest for 3 to 5 minutes while you prepare the sauce.

Pour fat from skillet; do not wipe out pan. Add 1 tablespoon butter and melt over medium-high heat. Add shallots and thyme and cook, stirring, until softened, about 1 minute. Stir in white wine or broth and bring to a simmer. Lower heat to medium and simmer until liquid is slightly reduced, about 4 minutes. Stir in mustard, honey, lemon juice, and remaining 3 tablespoons butter until well combined. Remove from heat, season to taste, and serve chops with sauce spooned on top.

Special Equipment

Wire rack, 13- by 18-inch rimmed baking sheet, instant-read thermometer, large carbon steel or cast iron skillet, tongs, whisk

Notes

This recipe can be prepared with boneless pork loin chops, but boneless pork chops won’t be as flavorful as bone-in. They will likely take less time to cook; to prevent overcooking, start checking temperature 5 to 10 minutes before suggested time for bone-in pork chops.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Leftover pork chops and sauce can be refrigerated separately in airtight containers for up to 3 days. The pork chops can be reheated in the microwave or in a 350°F (175°C) oven or air fryer until warmed through. The sauce can be gently reheated in the microwave on low power.