These easy broiled pork chops are rubbed with a spice mixture, cooked in less than 10 minutes, then topped with a sauteed zucchini and corn salsa. 323 calories and 4 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP
Easy Broiled Pork Chops Recipe with Zucchini Corn Salsa
I can't tell you how happy it makes me that my kids are actually excited about broiled boneless pork chops. They are thinking solely about the taste, rightfully so, but I am inwardly grateful that they love a dinner option that takes mere minutes to prepare and is easy on the bank account. It's a win in all directions.
These easy broiled pork chops fall into the 30-minute meal category, but most of that time is inactive, leaving you free to throw together an easy potato side dish or a quinoa salad. Or serve them with our family favorite Roasted Paprika Potatoes.
Broiled boneless pork chops cook up in a matter of minutes and require very little preparation before cooking. In this recipe, I made a quick spice mixture of cumin, paprika, garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper, and sprinkled it over the pork chops, along with a healthy squeeze of lime juice. While the pork chops are cooking, take a few minutes to prep and cook the zucchini corn salsa.
I often receive questions such as, "How long do you cook pork chops in the oven?", so I included a section that includes tips on how long to broil pork chops. This recipe is versatile enough that you can use boneless or bone-in chops, thick or thin. The cooking time is longer for bone-in chops, and increases with thicker chops.
How do you broil pork chops?
- Whether you bake or broil pork chops, the key is to avoid overcooking them. The meat should still be juicy and slightly pink. That's right - the USDA gave the "a-okay" to pork chops with a little pink in the middle. Hallelujah!
- Preheat the broiler and set the rack 3 to 5 inches from the heating element.
- There are a couple of different options for surfaces to cook on. I typically use a baking sheet lined with foil for easy clean up. Another option is a broiler pan or a naked (no foil) baking sheet. The benefit of the latter method is that you can heat the pan or baking sheet in the oven for about 5 minutes. The surface of the pork will sear when added to the hot pan, producing a nice brown crust, which can help to hold in juices.
- The pre-broiling preparation of the pork chops can range from brining or marinating to a dry rubbing or massaging with a simple olive oil/salt/herb/spice mixture.
- There's always a question of how long to broil pork chops, and the answer depends mostly on the thickness of the chops. The pork chops I used in this recipe were about one inch thick, and they cooked in 4 to 5 minutes per side.
How to make these easy broiled pork chops & salsa:
- Follow the general guidelines above for broiling pork chops.
- While the pork chops are cooking, prepare the zucchini corn salsa.
- In the summertime, cut the kernels off of fresh ears of corn. Summer sweetness! In the dead of winter, frozen corn is a very good substitute.
- Heat some olive oil in a medium skillet, then add the zucchini and corn. Cook until just tender. You don't want mushy zucchini!
- Add the garlic and cook for one more minute.
- Remove the skillet from the heat, and stir in the lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper.
- Serve the salsa over the pork chops.
Other healthy pork chop recipes:
Easy Herb Lemon Pork Chops
Herbed Pork Chops with Garlic Butter
Grilled Pork Chops with Greek Salad Salsa
Printable Recipe
Broiled Pork Chops with Zucchini Corn Salsa
Ingredients
The Pork:
- 4 5 ounces. each boneless pork chops
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- juice of 1 lime
The Salsa:
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 ¼ cup diced zucchini
- ¾ cup corn kernels fresh or frozen
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground pepper
- juice of ½ lime
- 2 tablespoons minced cilantro
Instructions
The Pork:
- Trim any fat form the pork chops. Place the chops in a large bowl. In a small bowl, stir together the cumin, paprika, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Sprinkle the spice mixture over both sides of the pork chops.
- Squeeze the lime juice over both side of the chops. Let rest for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the broiler and set the rack about 5 inches from the element. Line a baking sheet with foil. Lightly coat with cooking spray. Place the pork chops on the baking sheet.
- Broil the pork chops until just cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes per side (varies depending on thickness of pork chops).
- Serve the pork chops, each topped with ½ cup of the salsa.
The Salsa:
- Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium heat.
- Add the zucchini and corn. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables become tender. Stir in the garlic, cumin, salt and pepper, and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in the lime juice and cilantro.
Notes
Nutrition
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Carolyn
Oh I bet that salsa adds tons of flavor!
Jennifer Blake
I love everything about this dish! Putting it right on my dinner menu.
Liz
Easy is exactly what I need! Between the yummy seasonings, tips and salsa, my family will love these chops!
Jennifer Farley
That salsa on top is fantastic! I love this recipe.
julie
Looks delicious! I'm bookmarking for summer when I'm drowning in zucchini.
Kelly Mahan
That first picture made my mouth water! It looks so delicious! I can't wait to try it myself =)
Mary
This recipe is delicious!!