Juicy, tender, and ready in 30 minutes, these baked pork chops are coated in a sweet-savory marinade made with just three pantry ingredients! With five minutes of prep, it’s the kind of weeknight dinner that feels almost too easy.
Other Easy Pork Chop Dinners:
This was so amazing. Easy and delicious. Even my 4 year old devoured it. He kept saying, “Mommy, you’re the best cook in the whole world!” Thank you for sharing, Blair.
– Jennifer
Before You Get Started
A few small details make the difference between dry pork chops and tender, juicy ones.
- Use Thick-Cut Boneless Chops. About 1-inch thick, around 6 ounces each. Thinner or bone-in chops work with a cook-time adjustment.
- Pull the Chops at 145°F. An instant-read thermometer is the best way to nail juicy pork every time.
- The Dressing Matters: I use Ken’s Steak House Lite Northern Italian with Basil and Romano. Any good Italian dressing works, but the flavor definitely impacts the recipe.
Choosing the Right Pork Chops
This recipe is built around thick-cut boneless pork chops, about 1-inch thick and 6 ounces each. They hold up to the oven heat and stay juicy without much fuss.
Here’s how to handle the alternatives:
- Bone-in pork chops work well too. The bone slows the cooking slightly, so plan on adding 5-10 minutes and rely on the thermometer for doneness.
- Thinner chops (½-inch or so) will cook much faster. Start checking around 12-15 minutes to avoid overcooking, since they go from juicy to dry quickly.
- Pat them dry before seasoning. A dry surface helps the sauce cling and gives the chops a cleaner finish in the oven.
How to Make Baked Pork Chops
The recipe comes together in about 30 minutes from start to finish. Detailed instructions are in the recipe card below, but here’s a walkthrough so you know what to expect:
Step 1: Season the Pork Chops
Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels, then season both sides generously with salt and pepper. Place them in a greased baking dish in a single layer with a little space between each chop.
Drying the meat helps the sauce cling better and gives the chops a cleaner finish in the oven.
⇢ Extra Juicy Pork Chops: Try my garlic and rosemary pork chop brine for an hour before cooking. It’s an easy step that locks in moisture and flavor.
Step 2: Whisk the Marinade
In a measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the Italian dressing, brown sugar, and Dijon mustard until smooth. The sauce should look glossy and the brown sugar should fully dissolve.
⇢ No need to pre-marinate. The chops soak up plenty of flavor in the oven. If you’d like to prep ahead, the chops can sit in the marinade in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
Step 3: Pour and Bake
Pour the sauce evenly over the pork chops, making sure each chop gets coated.
Bake uncovered at 400°F for 20-30 minutes, depending on thickness. Use an instant-read meat thermometer (like this one) and pull the chops at 145°F internal.
Step 4: Broil to Finish (Optional)
For a crispy, browned top, switch the oven to broil during the final 3-4 minutes (when the chops are around 135°F internal).
Keep a close eye on them under the broiler so they don’t burn. This step is optional but adds a nice caramelized finish.
Step 5: Rest, Then Serve
Loosely tent the pork with foil and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. This is where the juices redistribute through the meat, so don’t skip it.
Spoon the pan sauce over the chops just before serving, and finish with chopped fresh parsley, basil, or thyme if you’d like.
⇢ Don’t waste the pan sauce. Spoon it generously over rice, mashed potatoes, or egg noodles. A few readers have served the extra sauce as gravy over noodles the next night.
What to Serve With Baked Pork Chops
These pork chops are flexible enough to pair with just about any side. Rice, pasta, or mashed potatoes soak up the pan sauce beautifully, and a simple vegetable or salad rounds things out.
For a salad pairing, dress some greens in extra Italian dressing for a built-in flavor match.
Here are some of my favorites:
Storage and Reheating
⇢ Refrigerate. Store leftover pork chops and sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
⇢ Freeze. Leftovers keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can also use this recipe as a make-ahead freezer meal: combine the raw pork chops and sauce in a large Ziploc freezer bag and freeze flat for up to 3 months. When ready to cook, thaw in the fridge overnight, transfer to a baking dish, and bake according to the recipe instructions.
⇢ Reheat. Place leftover pork chops and sauce in a baking dish, cover with foil, and warm in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes, or until heated through. Individual portions can be reheated in the microwave for about 1 minute.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should you bake pork chops covered or uncovered?
Uncovered, for this recipe. Leaving the chops uncovered lets the sauce reduce slightly and the tops brown in the oven. Covering would trap steam and give you a softer, paler finish.
Why are my pork chops dry or tough?
The most common cause is overcooking. Pork chops cook fast, especially boneless ones, and even a few extra minutes in the oven can push them past juicy and into dry. Use an instant-read thermometer and pull them at 145°F internal.
Letting the meat rest for 5-10 minutes under foil before serving also helps the juices redistribute so they stay in the chop, not on the plate.
Can I use bone-in or thinner pork chops?
Yes to both, with cook-time adjustments. Bone-in chops typically need 5-10 extra minutes in the oven since the bone slows the cooking. Thinner chops (½-inch or so) will cook much faster, so start checking around 12-15 minutes. The thermometer is your best friend here.
Can I use this marinade on chicken?
Yes. This same sweet-savory marinade works beautifully on chicken breasts or thighs. Cook to an internal temperature of 165°F, and adjust the time based on the thickness of the chicken. A reader tried this and reported it was a hit, so it’s a good way to stretch one marinade across two proteins.
More Easy Pork Chop Dinners
- Pineapple Brown Sugar Glazed Baked Pork Chops
- Dutch Oven Pork Chops
- Southern Smothered Pork Chops
- French Onion Pork Chops
- Pork Chops and Rice
Really enjoyed this recipe – served with braised cabbage, onion & apple with caraway seeds, & mashed potatoes. All flavors really worked. Thanks!
– Susan
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
4-Ingredient Oven Baked Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 4 thick-cut boneless pork chops (about 1-inch thick and 6 ounces each)
- 1 cup Italian salad dressing (I use Ken’s Steak House Lite Northern Italian with Basil and Romano)
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup Dijon mustard
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley or other herbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a large baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt and pepper, then place in the prepared baking dish.
- In a large measuring cup or bowl, whisk together the Italian dressing, brown sugar, and Dijon mustard until smooth.
- Pour the sauce evenly over the pork chops.
- Bake uncovered until the pork reaches an internal temperature of at least 145°F, about 20-30 minutes depending on thickness. Use an instant-read thermometer for the most accurate result. For a crispy top, transfer the dish to the broiler for the final 3-4 minutes (when the chops are about 135°F internal). Keep a close eye on the pork under the broiler so it doesn't burn.
- Loosely cover the pork with foil and rest for 5-10 minutes. Spoon some of the extra pan sauce over each chop just before serving. Garnish with fresh herbs if desired.
Notes
- Italian dressing: Ken’s Steak House Lite Northern Italian with Basil and Romano is the tested brand. Any quality Italian dressing will work, but the flavor profile will shape the dish.
- Less sweet finish: If you prefer a less sweet sauce, cut the brown sugar to ¼ cup. Several readers have reported great results with this adjustment.
- Bone-in or thinner chops: Bone-in chops typically need 5-10 extra minutes. Thinner chops (½-inch) should be checked starting around 12-15 minutes to avoid overcooking.
- Freezer meal: Combine raw pork chops and sauce in a large Ziploc freezer bag. Freeze flat for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, transfer to a baking dish, and bake as directed.
- Marinating time: No pre-marination needed. If you’d like to prep ahead, the chops can sit in the marinade in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
Nutrition
Originally published in September, 2018, this post was updated in June, 2026.
On the menu plan! I have been wondering what to do with a bottle of Italian dressing left over from a cooking project. We usually just use olive oil for salads, and I couldn’t bring myself to get rid of the bottle. I am glad I kept it, can’t wait to make this for dinner!
Great! I’m so glad that you’ll get to try it!
Hi Blair! It’s David again from the Bronx. This was so delicious. Your timing is so on point. It literally took me 25 minutes from start to eating. And it was so delicious. I even made additional for my daughter and son in law. I think they will be looking at some of your recipes as well. Thanks again!
This was so amazing. Easy and delicious. Even my 4 year old devoured it. He kept saying, “Mommy, you’re the best cook in the whole world!” Thank you for sharing, Blair.
Yay! That’s the highest praise when a child loves a meal! Thanks so much for letting me know! 🙂
Blair, thank you so much for this site! I have used about 10 of your recipes and they have all been easy and great! I get home very late from work and need a quick easy meal, your site has been my savior!
That’s awesome, Denise! Thanks so much for letting me know! xoxo
Smells amazing! Mine have been in the oven for almost 30 minutes, however, as they aren’t hitting the 145-degree temperature. I’ll plan better next time I make them. Very excited to try them.
I hope you enjoy them, Jackie!
Easy and delish! I confess that I didn’t believe they would be done in 20 minutes, and overcooked them a bit – my own fault! This will be my go-to when I don’t feel like breading my chops. My son who doesn’t like pork chops actually ate some, and proceeded to pour the sauce all over everything else on his plate. Thanks for a great recipe!
Hi, Carol! I’m so glad that even your son approved! 🙂 I agree with him — the sauce is great!
This was so delicious I will definitely make it again
Awesome! We love it, too! I made the dinner again this week, and my son helped himself to 3 servings of pork! 🙂
Thanks for having a “jump to recipe” option. Three similar photos of the chops in the baking dish and three more of the chops on a plate with salad and rice! Why do this? One of each is plenty! I find it annoying to have to keep scrolling when all I really want is to get to the actual recipe.
I made this tonight. I did a variation though, used the Newman’s Own low fat seasame ginger dressing instead of Italian. It came out great! I served it over basmati rice and added steamed carrots and snap peas for an Asian flair. It was a bit sweeter than I’d normally make, so if I make it again I’d cut the brown sugar to 1/2 or use agave instead. Easy meal that came together quickly and the pork chops we’re perfectly juicy at 20 mins.
Thanks, Angela! Yes, that sesame ginger dressing is sweet (as I recall), so you probably didn’t need as much brown sugar. Glad you liked it, though! 🙂
I had four thick cut pork chops in the freezer that I wanted us to have but I had no idea what to do with them. My husband offered to grill them so I thought that sounded good. But then, around time to start dinner, a storm hit so grilling was out. So I Googled recipes and found yours and I have to say we loved it! We didn’t have the dressing or the mustard so my husband ran to the store and got them. I will be sharing your delicious and easy recipe with family and friends and it will be our go to recipe. Thank you!
Thanks, Denise! I’m so glad that you enjoyed the pork chops! It’s tough to compete with grilled pork chops, but sometimes the oven is just way more convenient — and that’s when this recipe comes in handy! 🙂
And I would never have thought to put those three ingredients together! I don’t know who you thought of those but they were a perfect combo of flavors.
Oops, that should be how, not who…
Thanks, Denise! Sometimes I’m forced to get creative with pantry staples when I’m avoiding an extra grocery run! 🙂
I’ve been looking for something to do with my chops other than grill or fry them. This sounded really good so I thought I’d try it. I did have to bake them longer than the 20 minutes though, and then put them under the broiler.!i made saffron rice with broccoli as a side dish.
Really enjoyed this recipe. – served with braised cabbage , onion & apple with caraway seeds & mashed potatoes. All flavors really worked. Thanks!
These were great!!! So flavorful and tender! My 3 year old gobbled his up so fast and asked for more. ???? Thanks for a great recipe!
Awesome! I love to hear that. Thanks, Andrea! 🙂
These were great!!! So flavorful and tender! My 3 year old gobbled his up so fast and asked for more. ???? Thanks for a great recipe!
Fast, easy, and juicy pork chops! This is my favorite pork chop recipe yet!
Yay!! Thanks, Brandy!
This looks really very good and I look forward to making these pork chops. But I think there a mistake in the nutrition facts. There are 127 carbs in the recipe as written. That is far more than indicated in the nutrition facts. Even if one only put two teaspoons of sauce on the chops when serving the chops would have absorbed some of the sauce. As written each chop would have about 27 carbs.
I would give this more than five stars as I could! I used Olive garden dressing. Because it is so flavorful I only used less and added olive oil for the rest. I didn’t have enough Dijon so I made up the difference with regular mustard. I just thought that this combination couldn’t possibly be good! but it’s a flavor I am addicted to now. The perfect slightly sweet but savory sauce. Hubby ate 2 chops and that’s saying alot! I used thinner bone in chops and baked for 17 minutes. I made your basil roasted green beans too. This was a great meal with no leftovers! There is plenty of sauce in the baking dish and I am dreaming of ways to use it up!
Thanks, Michelle! I’m so glad that your husband approved, too! 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to leave me a note.
My fiance and I were pleasantly surprised by how much we liked this recipe! It is definitely a “do it again”!
Awesome! Thanks for taking the time to come back here and let me know. So glad that you liked it, Missy!
Delicious! So, I thought I had all the ingredients, but alas I was wrong. I didn’t have Dijon, so i mixed stonegeound mustard with mayonnaise. I also didn’t have Italian, so i mixed balsamic vinegarente with an oil and vinegar blend ( both Newman’s Own. It came out fantastic! I can’t wait to try with the actual ingredients. Putting this in our rotation.
Hi, Kimberly! I’m so glad that it worked with the ingredients that you had on hand. Thank you!
I’ve made this at least 3 times already. Delicious. A very tasty dish and is now my go-to for pork chops. Made it just as the recipe calls for.
That’s awesome, Patricia! Thank you! 🙂
I tried this recipe last night and it was sooooo good. Will definitely be making again. Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you, Shauna!