Juicy, seared cast iron pork chops are great, but pair them with a rich, garlic and parmesan cream of mushroom sauce and you've got a winning dinner the whole family will love.
Why you'll love this dish
Cast iron pork chops are the best way to get the best sear on a pork chop, with the most browning, caramelization and flavor possible. Actually, this goes for just about anything, and I fell in love with cast iron the day I first used it to make Country Sausage Gravy.
This dish can be made in about 30 minutes!
The ultra rich and delicious cream of mushroom sauce is made right in the same pan, with butter sautéed mushrooms and minimal ingredients that are easy to find, and inexpensive too.
It's a great skillet pork chop recipe, especially for boneless pork chops, because they are not too dry, and the cream of mushroom sauce helps make them even more moist.
*Looking for a lighter cast iron pork chop recipe? Try these Pork Chops with Peaches.
Because everything cooks in one single cast iron pan, you sacrifice no flavor. Every buttery browned bit and caramelized bite stays in the dish and becomes part of the finished sauce.
You can serve these pork chops with virtually any side. Vegetables, mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, or rice are all great.
What you'll need
Pork chops- this is a developed for boneless pork chops, but you can also use bone-in pork chops, keeping in mind this will increase the cooking time.
White wine- use a dry wine such as pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc or even chardonnay. If you prefer not to use wine, substitute the amount with additional stock and half a teaspoon of white wine vinegar or a dollop of sour cream.
Mushrooms- choose white button mushrooms or creminis mushrooms.
Parmesan- this is a great time to use up a leftover rind (don't ever throw them away!). Also, use a wedge, not pre shredded cheese, it doesn't melt as well.
Frying the porkchops
Remove pork chops from the fridge 30-45 minutes prior to cooking, pat dry and salt and pepper both sides (photo 1). In a cast iron skillet on medium heat, add butter (photo 2) and place pork chops in pan with a little room in between (photo 3). If necessary, do this in batches for more room. Don't move the pork chops while they cook, allowing a good sear to develop, then flip to cook the other side (photo 4).
Allow the pork chops to cook for 2-3 minutes per side, depending on thickness, until the internal temperature reaches at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit for juicy, medium rare pork chops. Use a digital thermometer for perfection, and refer to this guide for pork temperature doneness.
Once all the pork chops are done, allow them to rest on a plate, without cutting into them while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
The mushrooms
With the pork chops resting, in the same pan, sauté the mushrooms.
If you haven't already cleaned and cut them, remove the pan from the heat so that what's in the bottom of it doesn't burn.
Before you sauté them, clean them by wiping any dirt off with a dry towel. If you feel it's necessary to wash them (I usually don't), only give them a very quick rinse, and dry immediately, and only right before cooking. Refer to this page from Serious Eats for more on cleaning and preparing mushrooms.
Slice off the excess stem to remove any dry, woody portion. This also makes for a nice, flat base which comes in handy while you slice them vertically into ⅛ inch thick slices from top to bottom.
The sauce
Using the same pan, on medium high heat sauté the sliced mushrooms until the edges are nice, slightly crisped and browned (photo 5). You may need to add a bit more butter (not more than one tablespoon), but don't overdo it. Less moisture is better when it comes to mushrooms. It's important to remove the mushrooms from the pan onto a plate once they're cooked, they will go back in later. This also helps to keep them from getting soggy.
With the sautéed mushrooms temporarily removed from the pan, add the minced garlic and shallot as shown above (photo 6), sauté until caramelized and fragrant, then sprinkle in the flour (photo 7). Stir or whisk until blended as also shown above (photo 8). Add one more tablespoon of butter if necessary, if it's too dry to mix nicely.
Following the roux (the flour and butter mixture from photo 8 above), pour in the stock and wine as shown below (photo 9). Use a spatula or whisk to pick up any browned bits of flavor that come up after you have done this. This is called deglazing the pan. Simmer on medium high for about 5-10 minutes, until the the liquid thickens (photo 10). Reduce heat to low. Add the parmesan cheese, cream and mushrooms back in (photo 11). Stir to combine (photo 12).
Assemble and serve
With the cream of mushroom sauce finished, add the cooked pork chops back to the pan and remove the pan from the heat.
This should be just enough to maintain warmth in the pork chops, but you don't want to simmer them any longer, unless you've undercooked them to begin with.
My personal favorite way to serve this dish is with wild rice or steamed rice (or brown).
Some other serving suggestions to pair with this recipe are:
- Starches or grains, such as farro, couscous, orzo, or quinoa
- Cruciferous vegetables like steamed broccoli and cauliflower, or sautéed kale and bok choy
- Buttered egg noodles
- Mashed potatoes
Don't forget dessert! You've already got the skillet out, so you may as well make this giant Cast Iron Skillet Cookie. It's packed full of chocolatey, peanut gooey goodness.
FAQ's
1. Take pork chops out of the fridge 30-45 minutes prior to cooking to come closer to room temperature.
2. Make sure the pan is completely heated before adding pork chops, to create a good sear that locks in juices and moisture.
3. Choose pork chops that are at least ¾ inch thick- so that they don't easily dry out during the searing process.
4. Use a digital thermometer to avoid overcooking the pork chops, which makes them dry.
5. Allow fully cooked pork chops to rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting into them, to allow the juices to distribute.
You only need to cook pork chops until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit, according to this statement.
You should only clean the mushrooms with a dry towel, and avoid soaking them in water, which makes them mushy. If you do lightly rinse them, allow them to air out as much as possible before cooking.
Tips, tricks and adjustments
- For a juicier, and often more flavorful pork chop (but with less meat, however), consider substituting bone-in pork chops for boneless.
- Be sure to allow the pork chops to come closer to room temperature by removing them from the fridge and setting them on the counter 30-45 minutes prior to cooking.
- Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels on both sides to remove excess moisture-this makes for a nice, crispy sear.
- Don't overcrowd the pork chops in the pan, if there's not enough room to give them all at least a half inch space in between, fry them in batches.
- Consider adding fresh rosemary or sage to the skillet once you've poured the liquids in, and simmer it the sauce for extra flavor.
- Using a digital thermometer is the best way to ensure you cook the pork chops to the exact temperature you want, for juicy, perfect pork chops.
- If you don't want to use wine, substitute the wine with more stock plus ½ teaspoon of white wine vinegar or a dollop of sour cream.
Other recipes you might like...
If you tried these cast iron pork chops, and liked the cream of mushroom sauce, leave a comment or a rating using the stars in the recipe card below to help other readers!
Cast Iron Pork Chops with Cream of Mushroom Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp butter can sub olive oil
- 2 pounds boneless pork chops
- 1 cup white mushrooms sliced
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 shallot minced
- 3 tbsp flour
- ⅔ cup white wine dry
- 2 cups chicken stock
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- fresh rosemary, thyme or sage sprigs optional
Instructions
- Remove pork chops from fridge 30-45 minutes before cooking time.
- Use a paper towel to pat dry both sides, and generously salt both sides with coarse pepper and salt.
- Heat a cast iron skillet on medium high heat, add butter (2-3 tablespoons).
- Fry pork chops on each side, without disturbing until a nice sear forms (about 3-5 minutes per side), leaving at least a half inch of room in between. If necessary, do this in batches.
- Remove pork chops once they've reached an internal temperature of 143-145 degrees Fahrenheit for medium, and set on a plate.
- Add sliced mushrooms (1 cup), sauté until edges are crisp and browned. Remove the sautéed mushrooms from the skillet and set aside on a plate.
- Add minced garlic (2-3 cloves) and shallot to skillet, sauté until caramelized and translucent.
- Sprinkle in flour (3 tablespoons) and and whisk until combined. If necessary, add another tablespoon of butter if it's too dry to mix.
- Pour in the wine (½ cup) and stock (2 cups) and add fresh herb sprigs if desired, and simmer on high heat until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
- Once reduced, reduce heat to low and add back the sautéed mushrooms, heavy cream (½ cup), and Parmesan cheese (1 cup), whisk to combine.
- Return the pork chops to the sauce, remove from heat and serve.
Notes
- Remove pork chops from fridge 30-45 minutes prior to cooking.
- Pat both sides dry with a paper towel.
- Use coarse salt and pepper if possible.
- Use a digital thermometer and refer to this chart for optimal temperature for pork chops so they don't dry out.
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