Baked pork chops can be stuffed, breaded, or served with toppers or sauces; the options are seemingly endless. One of our Test Kitchen’s favorite ways to cook pork chops just so happens to be in the oven and involves an unexpected technique. (Hint: It involves a skillet.) Follow our step-by-step guide on how to bake pork chops, and then gather some amazing pork chop recipes for your next home-cooked meal.

Tips to Make the Best Baked Pork Chop

Here are some of our Test Kitchen’s favorite tips for creating the most delicious baked pork chops.

• Trim the Fat: Keep dinner lean and free of unpleasant fatty bites by trimming visible fat from pork chops before cooking.
• Pat the Chops Dry: For the best sear and to help seasonings adhere to pork chops, pat the pork chops with paper towels.
• Seasoning Substitutions: We prefer the flavor of salt and pepper on oven-baked pork chops but you can use any seasoning you like. Try adding a little garlic powder or onion salt for even more flavor.
• Sear the Chops First: The real key for irresistible oven-baked pork chops is searing them in a skillet first. This helps seal in all the juices. Doing this step before baking makes a big difference because of the Maillard reaction it causes, which creates extra flavor and deliciousness.
• Let the Pork Chops Rest: Let the chops stand three minutes before serving.

How Long to Bake Pork Chops

Bake pork chops that are about 1¼-inch thick at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 14 to 17 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 145 degrees Fahrenheit. If you’re concerned about the bake time varying because the chops are boneless or bone-in, stop worrying.

Our Test Kitchen tried both and as long as the thickness is the same, the baking time is the same for boneless pork chops and bone-in pork chops. If you’re using pork chops thinner than 1¼-inch thick, decrease the baking time.

To check the temperature, insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the chop (making sure to avoid bone if using bone-in pork chops). The USDA updated its doneness guidelines in 2011, noting that pork cooked to 145 degrees Fahrenheit (followed by a three-minute rest time) is just as safe as pork cooked to 160 degrees Fahrenheit. At this doneness, the pork is pinker than many people are used to, but the meat is juicier and more flavorful. If you’d rather, you can always cook your pork chop to the previous standard of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

How to Pick a Pork Chop

Pork chops come from the loin section (upper back) of the hog. Here are some of the most common cuts you will find in the supermarket butcher department:

• Loin chop (bone-in): also called porterhouse pork chop, this chop looks like a T-bone beef steak
• Top loin chop (boneless): also called New York pork chop or center-cut chop
• Sirloin chop (usually bone-in)
• Rib chop (bone-in): also known as ribeye pork chop