Oven Baked Pork Chops with Potatoes

These most epic succulent sheet pan pork chops and potatoes are so easy to make. Juicy, tender and flavourful, they’re pan seared to get an amazing golden crust before being baked on a sheet pan right alongside potatoes and asparagus. While they bake you can knock up the super quick buttery sauce in the same pan they were seared in.

This is hearty yet healthy family food. A full meal that’s quick and easy and just tastes so good and all you need is a skillet, sheet pan and 30 minutes.

While it’s optional, I highly recommend brining the pork chops first. It’s easy to do and even as little as half and hour will add so much moisture and flavour to your pork chops.

You’ll love this crispy oven roasted pork belly too or try this Italian chicken tray bake for another one pan dinner.

That right there is why you’re going to love these seriously juicy pork chops. This photo shows just how moist they are if you brine them first. There are no tricks used in this photo, no fake editing, that juiciness right there is the real deal!

Ingredients you’ll need

Jump to the recipe for full ingredients and instructions.

For the pork chop tray bake

• Pork: For these pan seared oven baked pork chops I use thick cut pork chops on the bone. These pork chops are around 1 inch thick. The bone adds so much flavour and who doesn’t love gnawing on a caramelised meaty bone. These have the skin on as well which is not necessary. I normally roast that separately until crunchy but totally forgot before roasting these pork chops. You can use thinner and/or boneless pork chops but keep in mind cooking time will be much less and it may only require a couple of minutes in the oven after searing it.
• Potatoes: I use baby potatoes and a variety of types too. Pretty much any type of potato will work for this recipe just make sure they’re chopped into roughly inch sized pieces (2.5cm square). This allows them to fully cook through in the baking time and to get nice and golden as well.
• Asparagus: I use thin asparagus spears for this but larger ones should still soften in time. If they’re very thick, just slice them down the centre so they cook in the same time.

With just a little oil, salt and pepper this rounds out everything you need for those amazingly easy sheet pan pork chops and potatoes!

For the sauce

This buttery sage and shallot sauce is so flavourful and incredibly quick to make. It’s a combo of rich flavours, including the brown bits from the pork pan. If you don’t want it too peppery, reduce that right down to a pinch or a couple of twists on a pepper mill.

• Butter: Use a salted butter. Unsalted butter is also fine but add a pinch of salt too.
• Shallots: I like shallots here for their milder, sweeter onion flavour but you can swap this for red onion.
• Sage leaves: Use fresh sage leaves for the best flavour here.
• Beef stock / beef broth: A little beef stock adds so much flavour whilst increasing the amount of sauce. Feel free to swap for chicken or vegetable stock too.
• Dijon mustard: Even if you don’t like mustard, add this in. You can’t really taste mustard as such, it just gives a bit of background umami and tang. You could swap it for 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce too.
• Cornflour: Known in the US as cornstarch, cornflour is used often to thicken sauces. Here it’s mixed into a little milk to give the sauce a slight creamy edge too.

How to make oven baked pork chops (step-by-step)

I know you’re going to love this juicy baked pork chops recipe. Cooking pork chops in the oven is easy and this recipes is loaded with flavour and just so simple to make. It’s impressive enough to serve guests but still family and weeknight friendly too.

I encourage you to brine the pork chops first as it just creates the most succulent and moist pork chops. I recommend at least 4 hours for thick pork chops but you can get loads of flavour with just 45 minutes – 1 hour of brining. You can see my brine for pork chops recipe for more information about brining.

Jump to the recipe for full ingredients and instructions.

For the sheet pan pork chops and potatoes

1. Potatoes: Wash and dry the potatoes, there’s no need to peel them. Season with oil, salt and pepper on a lined large baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes.
2. Sear the pork: While the potatoes start roasting, heat some oil in a large frying pan / skillet over high heat. Add the pork chops without crowding them and cook until golden brown underneath. If you need to do them in batches, place the seared pork chops on a warm plate covered with a piece of foil while doing the second batch.
3. Add the pork to the sheet pan: Make 4 gaps between the potatoes and place the pork onto the tray seared side up (this is your presentation side). Scatter asparagus over the top and roast for a further 8-12 minutes until the pork is cooked through.
4. Rest: Take the sheet pan out of the oven. Cover with foil to keep it warm and allow the meat to rest.

For the sage and shallot sauce

The sauce is like a light gravy. It’s so quick and easy to make, you can do it while the pork is roasting or resting.

1. Shallots: First, soften the shallots in a little of the leftover oil or fat from the pork. If there’s any burnt bits in the pan from the pork, wipe that out first.
2. Sage and butter: After a couple of minutes, add the sage and butter and just allow the butter to melt, then cook them together for another minute.
3. Add the sauce ingredients: Now, add the pepper, stock and mustard. Mix it all together and bring it to boil.
4. Thicken: The final step for the sauce is to mix together milk and cornflour and pour it into the sauce while stirring. If you want to loosen the gravy, just add a little more stock, or some water.
5. Pan juices: Transfer the potatoes, pork and asparagus to your serving plates, then pour any of the resting juices from the pork into the sauce – this is all flavour you don’t want to throw away.

How long to bake pork chops

Thick cut pork chops like these here will take around 15-20 minutes to cook at 220C/425F if cooking them entirely in the oven. Cook them until they’re nearly done, then, if you want some caramelisation, swap to the overhead grill / broiler and cook a few more minutes that way.

If you sear them first in a skillet, like we do in this recipe, there’s no need to use the overhead grill / broiler and I find the sear and flavour better. You’ll sear them for around 5 minutes, then finish them in the oven for 8-12 minutes.

Always let them rest for 3-5 minutes after cooking but this is best done on a warm plate (not hot) or wooden chopping board, with a loose cover of aluminium foil.

Just keep in mind, if you use thinner pork chops or pork chops without the bone, the cooking time will be quicker. For food safety, the internal temperature of the pork chops when fully cooked should reach 63C / 145F on a meat thermometer pushed into the thickest part of the chop.

Sides for oven baked pork chops

You can vary the vegetables that you use very easily.

• You can swap the asparagus for green beans for example.
• You could add carrots cut about ¼ inch / 6mm thick or brussels sprouts cut in half at the same time as you begin the potatoes.
• Try adding broccoli florets, about 5 minutes after the potatoes go in.
• Try swapping some or all of the potatoes for sweet potatoes or butternut squash.

Storage

Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

More recipes you’ll love

• Pork belly tacos
• Crispy oven roasted pork belly
• Stuffed pork tenderloin (wrapped in prosciutto)
• Honey pepper pork stir fry
• Brine for pork chops
• Parmesan smashed potatoes