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These easy oven baked BBQ pork chops are seasoned with a dry rub, pan seared, basted with barbecue sauce, and then finished in the oven. Best of all, the tender and juicy pork chops are ready from start to finish in about 30 minutes! Serve them with sweet potato biscuits, mac and cheese, grits, rice, Southern-style green beans, or a skillet of cornbread.
Oven BBQ Pork Chops
Easy dinner alert! When you’re tired of chicken, or if you just need a new and different way to prepare your regular pork chop dinner, these oven baked BBQ pork chops come to the rescue. You can use any pork chops that you’ve got on hand — bone-in or boneless, thick or thin — and a family-friendly meal will be ready for the table with just a few minutes of hands-on prep work.
Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for the best baked bbq pork chops. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Pork chops: this recipe calls for thick-cut boneless pork chops, but you can really use any pork chops that you like. Thinner chops or bone-in chops are fine — you’ll just need to adjust to the total baking time.
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper: to season the chops and enhance the other flavors in the dish.
- Brown sugar, smoked paprika, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder: pantry staples that come together to create an easy, flavorful bbq dry rub seasoning blend.
- Vegetable oil: to sear the pork chops in a skillet before baking.
- Barbecue sauce: we like Stubbs Original bbq sauce, but any store-bought or homemade sauce of your choice will work well.
How to Bake BBQ Pork Chops
Yes, grilled bbq pork chops are a delicious summer treat…but sometimes the weather doesn’t cooperate, you don’t have a grill readily available, or you just need a quick option that you can toss in the oven and forget about for a little while! Believe it or not, you can bake bbq pork chops and still enjoy a delicious and flavorful meal.
- Season the Pork Chops. Pat the pork chops dry, stir together the dry rub, and season the chops on both sides with the seasoning blend, salt, and pepper.
- Brown the Pork Chops in a Skillet. In a large skillet, brown the chops on both sides.
- Baste with Barbecue Sauce. Transfer the pork chops to a large rimmed baking sheet. Use a brush or spoon to baste with bbq sauce on the tops and side of the pork chops.
- Bake the BBQ Pork Chops. Bake the pork chops uncovered in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes, or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 145°F. See the chart below for more specific baking times, based on the chops that you’re using.
How Long to Bake BBQ Pork Chops at 350°F
The total cooking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of your pork chops, and on the temperature of the meat when you put it in the skillet. As a result, a meat thermometer is always the best way to know when your pork chops are perfectly cooked. You’re looking for an internal temperature of 140°F – 145°F, which will still look slightly pink in the center.
Here’s a quick chart that should serve as a helpful general guide when baking your seared pork chops at 350°F (just remember, these are merely estimates and the meat thermometer is always your safest bet):
- Bone-in Thick Pork Chops: 11-16 minutes
- Bone-in Thin Pork Chops: 7-11 minutes
- Boneless Thick Pork Chops: 9-14 minutes
- Boneless Thin Pork Chops: 5-8 minutes
If you skip the stovetop browning step and just bake your pork chops right away, you will need to add about 5-8 minutes of cooking time in the oven.
What to Serve with BBQ Pork Chops
Here are a few easy sides that go well with the baked BBQ thick pork chops:
- Hush Puppies
- Coleslaw or Vinegar Coleslaw
- Hoe Cakes
- Baked Potato Wedges, Twice Baked Potatoes, 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes, Mashed Potatoes with Sour Cream and Chives, Skin On Mashed Red Potatoes, or Easy Potato Salad
- Skillet Cornbread, Bakery-Style Corn Muffins, Honey Cornbread, Old-Fashioned Corn Sticks, Sweet Cornbread Muffins
- Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese, Crock Pot Mac and Cheese, Stovetop Shells and Cheese, or No-Boil Easy Mac and Cheese
- Southern Buttermilk Biscuits, Flaky Biscuits, Aunt Bee’s 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits, Sweet Potato Biscuits, Cheese Biscuits, Easy Drop Biscuits
- Pumpkin Bread or Pumpkin Muffins
- 3-Ingredient Sour Cream Muffins
- Wedge Salad, Classic Caesar Salad, House Salad with Candied Pecans, or a Green Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette
- Arkansas Green Beans with Bacon or Southern-Style Green Beans
- Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
- Fried Apples or Baked Apple Slices
- Southern Succotash
- Southern Collard Greens
- Fried Okra
- Broccoli and Cheese
- Easy Pasta Salad
- Homemade Baked Beans with Bacon
- Charleston Red Rice
- Okra and Tomatoes
- Southern Squash Casserole
- Cheese Grits
- Fried Cabbage with Apples and Onion, Braised Red Cabbage, or Roasted Cabbage
Storage
- Store leftover barbecue pork chops in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Wrapped tightly, the baked pork chops will last in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- How to Reheat Leftovers: Place the pork chops in a dish and cover with foil. Warm in a 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes, or just until heated through. Be careful not to overcook them, or they will become tough and dry.
Recipe Variations
- If you like your pork chops to have more of a char on the outside, broil them for a few minutes at the very end. The broiler will help to caramelize the sugars without over-cooking the meat.
- Add cayenne to the seasoning mix for a spicier rub.
- Use a store-bought BBQ seasoning rub instead of stirring together your own blend.
- Use homemade bbq sauce or your favorite store-bought brand — either works great.
- Any pork chops will work: thick-cut, thin, boneless, or bone-in. See the chart above for suggested cooking times based on the chops that you’re using.
- Cooking just for two? Cut all of the ingredients in half and just bake two pork chops.
Tips for the Best Baked BBQ Pork Chop Recipe
- If you have an oven-proof skillet (such as a large cast iron skillet), you can brown the chops in the pan and then transfer them directly to the oven — no baking sheet required! You’ll have fewer dishes to wash at the end.
- For best results and even cooking, allow the pork chops to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before browning in the skillet.
- Brown the pork chops on the stovetop before baking them. This adds color and flavor to the meat, and it also seals in the juices for a more tender and juicy baked pork chop. If you choose not to sear the chops, you’ll need to add about 5-8 minutes to the total baking time.
- The total cooking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of your pork chops. Use a meat thermometer to know exactly when your pork chops are perfectly cooked. You’re looking for an internal temperature of 140°F – 145°F.
- Let the meat rest for at least 5-10 minutes before serving. This will help to keep the pork chops nice and juicy!
- Sprinkle with fresh parsley or garnish with other fresh herbs for a bright, fresh finishing touch.
More Pork Chop Recipes to Try
- Pan Fried Pork Chops
- Country Pork Chop and Rice Bake
- Perfect 15-Minute Grilled Pork Chops
- Oven Fried Breaded Pork Chops
- Crock Pot Ranch Pork Chops
- Stovetop Pork Chops with Apple Cider Gravy
- Stuffed Pork Chops
- Crock Pot Smothered Pork Chops
- Dump-and-Go 4-Ingredient Baked Pork Chops
- Pan Fried Pork Chops with Peach Sauce
- Grilled BBQ Pork Chops
- Garlic and Rosemary Pork Chop Brine
Baked BBQ Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 4 boneless thick-cut pork chops (about 8 ounces each and ¾-inch thick) (if using thin pork chops or bone-in chops, refer to the cooking chart below for specific baking times)
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ½ cup barbecue sauce (we like Stubbs Original sauce, but any store-bought or homemade sauce of your choice is fine)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil (for easy cleanup). Set aside.
- Pat pork chops dry.
- In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, smoked paprika, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder. Rub the seasoning blend on both sides of the pork chops. Season both sides of the chops with kosher salt and black pepper, to taste.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the chops and brown on both sides, about 3-5 minutes per side.
- Transfer the pork chops to the prepared baking sheet. Baste the tops and sides of the chops with about half of the barbecue sauce.
- Bake uncovered, for about 9-14 minutes, or until the pork chops reach an internal temperature of 145°F. About halfway through the cooking time, baste with additional sauce and check the temperature of the meat. For a more charred, browned exterior, you can transfer the pork chops to the broiler for the final few minutes.
Notes
- If you have an oven-proof skillet (such as a large cast iron skillet), you can brown the chops in the pan and then transfer them directly to the oven — no baking sheet required! You’ll have fewer dishes to wash at the end.
- For best results and even cooking, allow the pork chops to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before browning in the skillet.
- Brown the pork chops on the stovetop before baking them. This adds color and flavor to the meat, and it also seals in the juices for a more tender and juicy baked pork chop. If you choose not to sear the chops, you’ll need to add about 5-8 minutes to the total baking time.
- The total cooking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of your pork chops. Use a meat thermometer to know exactly when your pork chops are perfectly cooked. You’re looking for an internal temperature of 140°F – 145°F.
- Let the meat rest for at least 5-10 minutes before serving. This will help to keep the pork chops nice and juicy!
- Garnish with fresh parsley or other fresh herbs for a bright, fresh finishing touch.
- Bone-in Thick Pork Chops: 11-16 minutes
- Bone-in Thin Pork Chops: 7-11 minutes
- Boneless Thick Pork Chops: 9-14 minutes
- Boneless Thin Pork Chops: 5-8 minutes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in June, 2020. It was updated in April, 2022.
If after you let the chops rest, they are too raw. You can heat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes.