These skillet pork chops are one of my favorite meals to make, especially when I want to impress my family and friends.
These delicious pan seared pork chops are cooked in one-pan, have only 7 ingredients and come together in 30 minutes! They are definitely simple enough to make during busy weekdays and fabulous enough to serve at a dinner party!
I published this recipe last year but I decided to update this post and add a video so you can see how easy it is to make this recipe. Some of the photos here are new but the flavor of these pork chops are as delicious as always!
All About Pork Chops
- Pork chops come from the loin of the pig that runs from the shoulder to the butt.
- There are several different cuts of pork chops. Their name depends only by what area of the loin they are cut from.
- Pork Chops are leaner than many other parts of the pig. This quality makes them a healthier dinner option.
- Their flavor is light and the seasoning options are endless! Just take a look at one of my most popular pork chop recipes Baked Pork Chops simple seasonings, yet lots of flavor!
- Pork chops are an affordable cut of meat which is excellent when you have to serve many guests.
- For this Skillet Pork Chop recipe, I use boneless pork chops that are about 1-inch thick, however this pork chops recipe can be made with thinner chops.
- If using thin pork chops for this recipe, check the temperature after you sear them. Depending on the thickness you may be able to skip the oven altogether!
Skillet Pork Chops and Pan Sauce
These skillet pork chops are seared to golden perfection and topped with the most luscious port wine and cranberries pan sauce. Bursting with savory, tangy and sweet flavors, this restaurant quality wine sauce is a breeze to make at home.
The base for the most amazing and flavorful restaurant quality sauces, is demi-glace. Although delicious, demi-glace requires many ingredients and can take hours to make. Thankfully, a great Chef I worked for shared with me his secret for quick restaurant quality wine sauces at home. To add body, depth of flavor and richness to pan sauces he uses Hoisin sauce.
Here are the four ingredients you need to make this port wine and cranberries pan sauce:
- Port Wine
- Dried Cranberries
- Hoisin Sauce
- Unsalted Butter
What Is Hoisin Sauce?
- Hoisin sauce is a thick and fragrant sauce commonly used in Chinese cuisine. Although famously used in the preparation of Peking duck, it is of Cantonese origin. It is mostly used in stir fries, dipping sauces, glazes and marinades. Hoisin sauce is also known as Chinese barbecue sauce.
- Hoisin means seafood in Chinese, however this sauce does not contain any animal product. It is made from fermented soybeans, garlic, vinegar, chiles, sesame oil and sweeteners and is suitable for vegetarians and vegan diets.
How To Make Skillet Pork Chops with Port Wine and Cranberry Sauce
- Season the pork chops with salt and pepper to taste and chopped rosemary.
- In a hot skillet, sear the pork chops for about 4 – 5 minutes or until golden brown.
- Place the pan seared pork chops in a preheated oven and bake for about 12 to 15 minutes (check temperature with an instant-read thermometer, more information below).
- Remove the skillet from the oven, place the pork chops on a plate and cover them loosely with aluminum foil. Let them rest while you make the sauce.
- Pour off any excess fat from the skillet.
- Return the skillet to the stove top over medium high heat. Add the Port wine and with a wooden spoon scrape any brown bits collected at the bottom of the skillet.
- Add the dried cranberries and simmer for a few minutes. The sauce will start to look a bit thicker. Stir in the Hoisin sauce and butter (just a tablespoon for 6 servings – relax!) and done!
Tips For The Perfect Pork Chops
- Lean protein tends to dry up if overcooked. The secret for perfectly tender and juicy pork chops is to not over cook them.
- Sear the pork chops quickly in a hot skillet until they get a nice golden color. In the oven, they should cook fairly quickly. Keep an eye on them.
- The USDA’s safe temperature guideline for pork chops is 145 degrees.
- This is what I do – I remove the pork chops from the oven when they reach an internal temperature of 140 degrees. I let them rest while I make the sauce. During this resting period, the temperature should rise up to 145 degrees.
- If you rather remove the chops from the oven when they reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees, that is OK too.
- A pork chop with a little pink hue in the middle is safe to eat!!
- Use a heavy bottom skillet or a cast iron skillet for this recipe.
- I learned the “Hoisin secret” from Chef Wolfgang Puck. This recipe is adapted from a recipe in his book “WP Makes it Easy”
What is Demi-glace?
Demi-glace is an amazingly flavorful and complex “meat essence”. It is made by roasting veal bones and aromatic vegetables in the oven until they reach a nice golden brown color. Then everything is simmered for a minimum of 6 hours to extract all the flavors into a brown stock. After all those hours the brown stock is strained and then reduced to a syrupy consistency
Skillet Pork Chops with Port Wine and Cranberry Pan Sauce
Ingredients
- 6 1-inch thick boneless pork chops
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup port wine
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- 1 ½ tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Season the pork chops with salt and pepper to taste and the chopped rosemary.
- In a large oven proof skillet or cast iron pan, heat up the olive oil. Add the pork chops and cook each side until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook for about 12 to 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit. (see notes)
- Remove the skillet from the oven and transfer the pork chops to a platter. Cover them loosely with aluminum foil and let them rest while you make the sauce.
- Pour off any excess fat from the skillet. Return the skillet to the stove top over medium high heat. Pour in the port and stir scraping the bottom of the pan.
- Add the cranberries and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the liquid reduces by half. Lower the heat to medium low and add the hoisin sauce. Stir and simmer for about 3 minutes. Whisk in the butter until well combined.
- Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning. (you can add extra hoisin sauce to your taste).
- Return the pork chops to the skillet and coat them with the sauce. Serve.
Notes
- You can remove the pork from the oven when the internal temperature has reached 140 degrees F. The temperature will rise to 145 while the pork chops rest.
Nutrition
Recipe inspired and adapted from Wolfgang Puck’s Make It Easy Cookbook
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