It doesn't get any easier than these Herb Lemon Baked Pork Chops! Tender and absolutely delicious, serve these up with rice and veggies, or on a salad! 271 calories and 4 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP
Easy Herb Lemon Baked Pork Chops Recipe
Sometimes you land on a recipe that you instantly know will become a regular on the weekly meal plan. These Easy Herb Lemon Baked Pork Chops are smack dab in the middle of that category. While this may be a 30-minute meal, there are only about 5 minutes of hands-on prep time. That means that while the pork chops are practically cooking themselves, you can throw together some toasted rice and a grape and kale salad.
You're welcome.😉
These chops are fantastic straight out of the oven, but also work really well served cold. The second time I made these, I did so first thing in the morning, then stored the pork chops in the fridge for the day. When dinner time rolled around, I thinly sliced the chops and served them on top of a green salad with some quinoa, crumbled feta cheese and a balsamic vinaigrette.
Quick and versatile wins the day.
How to make these oven baked pork chops:
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- Typically, I use bone-in pork chops because they tend to retain the moisture very well. Truth be told, I was looking for the bone-in version for this recipe, but they were out of them at the store. I was unwillingly thrust into the world of boneless chops. And it turned out brilliantly!
- Coat the pork chops with a mixture of oregano, thyme, rosemary, paprika and minced cloves, and toss it all with some fresh lemon juice.
- Let the pork chops rest for 15 minutes while the broiler heats and the flavors soak in.
- Cook under the broiler for 4 to 5 minutes per side until they are cooked, with a bit of pink in the center (more on that in a second). Take care not to overcook, as the meat tends to dry out quickly.
Should pork chops be pink in the middle?
- Times have changed and it's no longer recommended that pork be cooked until every iota of flavor is scorched out of it. Hallelujah!
- The USDA and the National Pork Board recommend cooking pork chops to an internal temperature of 145 degrees F, with a 3-minute rest time after cooking.
- At this temperature, the pork chops will be a bit pink in the middle, which means that the pork will be perfectly juicy and flavorful.
Other pork chop recipes:
Herbed Pork Chops with Garlic Butter (Cookin' Canuck}
Easy Broiled Pork Chops with Zucchini Corn Salsa {Cookin' Canuck}
Grilled Pork Chops with Cilantro Lime Sauce {Taste & Tell}
Rosemary Apple Pork Chops {Tasteaholics}
Easy Herb Lemon Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 4 5 ounces each boneless pork chops
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon crushed dried rosemary
- juice of ½ lemon
- 2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- Trim any fat from the pork chops. Place the pork chops and garlic in a large bowl. In a small bowl, stir together the salt, pepper, paprika, oregano, thyme and parsley. Sprinkle the salt mixture over the pork chops and garlic, and turn to coat.
- Squeeze the lemon juice over the pork chops. Let rest for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the broiler. 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.
- Sprinkle the pork chops with parsley. Serve.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published on March 2, 2017, and has been updated.
Disclosure: This post contains links to my Amazon affiliate page. Any revenue made from sales through these links helps to support this blog. Thank you!
Sara T
So simple and delicious. My meat was a bit smaller so I cooked a little less, if thats even possible but it still came out tender and tangy.
jen
Super yummy! So flavorful and juicy! I searched up a Porkchop recipe to go with some leftover lemon rice I had made and found this one. I used boneless chops and gave them a few whacks with a meat mallet to tenderize without reshaping them, but otherwise prepared them exactly as you described. My teenager who normally doesn't like the chops I make claiming they are too dry, gobbled up two of them exclaiming how delish they are. Thanks for the terrific recipe!
Ruth Minsk
AWESOME !!! One of the best recipes for pork chops. My family loved them. This is the first time I have been on your website. My Dad was Canadian he would have loved the recipes . Thank you so much.
Dara
Hi Ruth! I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe and for mentioning the Canadian connection.
Lara H
This recipe was amazing! The flavor was excellent. This is going to be one of my new go to recipes for pork chops!
Patricia
Oh my! This recipe looks extremely flavorful. I'm sure my kids would love this! Thanks for sharing!
Kruiden Bestellen
This is an awesome recipe. Extremely tasty! Thanks for a new recipe
Sarah H.P.
Made this for dinner during the week and it turned out great! I used pork tenderloin instead of chops but it still came out really nice! Definitely a healthy weeknight option that will be added to my dinner rotations! Thanks!
Jenny | Honey and Birch
I bet this has so much flavor!! I would love to add these pork chops to a salad.
Michelle | A Latte Food
I love pork chops! These lemon herbs one look insanely amazing!
Michelle
I have some pork chops in the freezer from our meat CSA friends...this looks like the perfect recipe to use them with!
Amanda | The Chunky Chef
I love how flavor packed these pork chops are!!
Matthew Cetta
Such a healthier option!
Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious
I love how they are a lighter choice packed with tons of flavor!