Just like Grandma made! These Crock Pot smothered pork chops simmer in a sweet and zesty sauce with tender onions for the ultimate Southern comfort meal.
If you’re looking for even more pork chop recipes, be sure to try these pan fried pork chops, these 15-minute grilled pork chops, these cream of mushroom pork chops, and this garlic and rosemary pork chop brine, too!
A Smothered Pork Chops Crock Pot Recipe for Busy Nights
Your family will love these easy Crock Pot smothered pork chops, which come together with just 15 minutes of prep and simple pantry staples. Instead of a heavy cream sauce, the pork simmers in a sweet and zesty barbecue-like sauce for a flavorful, budget-friendly twist.
Ingredient Notes and Tips for Success
- The Best Pork Chops for the Slow Cooker: Use thick-cut pork chops with good marbling and plenty of fat, such as shoulder, blade, or sirloin chops, which stay tender and juicy during the long cooking time. Bone-in or boneless chops will both work; although, the bone-in chops typically require a little bit longer.
- Need a shortcut? You can skip the step of browning the pork chops in the skillet and just place them directly into the slow cooker. They won’t have the same color and texture on the exterior, but they will still be good!
- Slice the onions thinly so that they’re tender by the time the pork chops are done.
- Don’t overcook the meat. Pork chops have a tendency to dry out or become tough if they’re cooked for too long, so they might not need as much time in the Crock Pot as you think! My pork chops are typically cooked through, tender, and juicy after just 1-2 hours on HIGH.
Made this recipe with 7 boneless pork chops. I wanted leftovers! I browned the chops, doubled the sauce and into the slow cooker they went. I added mushrooms because I had to use some up. Delicious!! I’ll be making this again!
– Judy
How to Make Smothered Pork Chops in the Crock Pot
These country smothered pork chops come together with a few simple steps, and then the Crock Pot does the work! You’ll find detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the quick version:
- Whisk together the sauce, and then set it aside.
- Brown the seasoned pork chops in a skillet. Depending on the size of your skillet and the size of your pork chops, you may need to brown them in batches so that you don’t overcrowd the pan.
- Place the onions in the bottom of a slow cooker. Arrange the browned chops on top, and then pour the sauce over all.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 2-4 hours or on HIGH for 1-2 hours. Use a meat thermometer to know exactly when your pork chops are done. The total cooking time will vary depending on a number of different factors, so the instant read thermometer is always the best way to know when the meat reaches an internal temperature of 140°F – 145°F.
- Give the gravy mixture and onions a good stir. Let the chops rest for at least 5 minutes before serving. This gives the juices time to redistribute in the meat, rather than spilling out onto the plate. Garnish the finished dish with a splash of apple cider vinegar, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, or fresh herbs like parsley, thyme, rosemary, or chives for a colorful, flavorful touch.
Serving Suggestions
Smothered Crock Pot pork chops are delicious alongside creamy garlic mashed potatoes (perfect for soaking up the sauce), egg noodles, Aunt Bee’s 3-ingredient biscuit recipe, a skillet of our favorite Southern cornbread recipe, Jiffy cornbread with creamed corn, Southern-style green beans, Southern collard greens, lima beans and ham, coleslaw, fried apples, creamy baked mac and cheese, cucumber tomato onion salad, or a garden salad dressed in this easy homemade buttermilk dressing. Then, finish with a pear crisp for something sweet.
Fantastic recipe! We made this with thick pork sirloin chops and were blown away by how tasty it was…We are going to definitely add this one to our routine. Thank you for sharing
– Elizabeth
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!
Crock Pot Smothered Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 4 large thick-cut pork chops (boneless or bone-in are both fine) (I used boneless pork chops that were about 8 ounces each)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup ketchup
- ½ cup chicken broth (or sub with chicken stock)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning the pork
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground mustard
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 sweet onion, thinly sliced
- Optional garnish: squeeze of fresh lemon juice, chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together ketchup, broth, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, salt, chili powder, and ground mustard. Set aside.
- Pat pork chops dry with a paper towel. Season both sides of the pork chops liberally with salt and ground black pepper. Heat about 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over high heat. When hot, add the pork chops to the skillet. Sear both sides of chops over high heat (about 3-5 minutes per side).
- Place the very thinly sliced onions in the bottom of a slow cooker. Arrange the browned chops on top. Pour the sauce over all. Cover the slow cooker and cook until the pork chops reach an internal temperature of 145°F, about 1-2 hours on HIGH or 2-4 hours on LOW.
- Serve pork chops smothered in onions and sauce, and garnished with a squeeze of lemon juice and chopped fresh parsley.
Notes
Nutrition
Storage Tips
Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also freeze cooked pork chops in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
To reheat: Place the chops and sauce in a dish and cover with foil. Warm in a 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes, or just until heated through.
Recipe Variations
- If you like fall-apart-tender pork chops (almost like the texture of pulled pork), you’ll need to cook them longer. Try 6-8 hours on LOW or 3-4 hours on HIGH. Just make sure that you’re using pork chops with plenty of fat, or they will dry out and become tough over the longer cooking time.
- Use any blend of seasonings on the pork chops, rather than just salt and pepper. For instance, try seasoned salt (such as Lawry’s brand), Cajun or Creole seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, or make it spicy with cayenne pepper.
- Add other veggies to the crockpot. Good options include sliced mushrooms, green beans, or carrots.
- Scale the recipe to cook as many chops as you need. If serving more than 4 pork chops, you’ll likely need to double the amount of sauce that you make as well.
More Crock Pot Pork Chop Recipes
Crock Pot Pork Chops with Bacon and Onion
2 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
Easy Slow Cooker Pork Chops
6 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
Crock Pot Ranch Pork Chops
6 hours hrs 5 minutes mins
Originally published in August, 2014, this post was updated in July, 2025.
I’ve been searching for a new way to Jazz up pork chops and this recipe looks perfect! Love how it’s done in the slow cooker, too. It might be September 1st but it’s still absolutely boiling here!
Hi, Nicola! Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope that you get to try this version…they are so good!
I’ve never been a huge pork chop fan, but these look incredible! Thank you so much for linking up at Tasty Tuesday! Your recipe has been pinned to the Tasty Tuesday Pinterest board! Please join us again this week!
Hi Blair,
We are going to love your Slow Cooker Saucy Pork Chops, they look delicious! Thank you so much for sharing this awesome post with Full Plate Thursday and hope you are having a fantastic weekend!
Come Back Soon,
Miz Helen
Thanks, Miz Helen! I hope that you have a chance to give them a try. They are awesome! 🙂
I can’t wait to try this! Can I add mushrooms?
Absolutely! Mushrooms would work perfectly in this dish.
Just put these in, sooo excited about a meal for a change. I elimated a process you might like to try next time.
After pouring off what little grease was left in the skillet after browning the chops. I then added your sauce ingredients stirring in the browned bits of pork left in the pan, finishing just as you would without another item to wash…guess you can tell I really don’t like to do the dishes, even though I do! Thanks again for sharing.
Let me start by saying that I do a LOT of cooking,and I am very particular about food.I made these, even though I was skeptical at first. I NEVER buy pork chops, because they are always tough or dry or both. These were delicious. I couldn’t believe how tender they were. I will definitely be trying some of your other recipes.
Awesome! Thanks for that kind note, Marilyn!
Making these now… the sauce seems just right.. not too sweet, just right.
Awesome! Enjoy, and thank you, Mary!
I made this today OH how awesome, Tender and taste so good! Thank you for sharing.
That’s great, Sandy! Thank you!
These pork chops were delicious!! Very tender and flavorful!. I will be passing this recipe along to my family! And will definitely make them again!
Thanks, Bernadette!
If I use only two thick cut pork chops in the crock pot do I reduce the time from 4 hours to 2 hours and do I reduce the ingredients to half
Hi, Jackie! In general, the pork chops should still take about the same amount of time to cook. You might decrease the time by 30 minutes (on high) or an hour (on low), just to account for the fact that the slow cooker isn’t as full, but otherwise it shouldn’t be a huge difference.
You can cut the sauce ingredients in half to make less of the sauce. Feel free to use a whole onion if you like a lot of onion, or just use half if you don’t want as much. Either is fine! Enjoy!
Love the recipe, but hate all the ads.
Almost done making these bad boys! Tasted the sauce before I put the crock pot on and it was AMAZING. Can’t wait until I have these with some mashed potatoes and veggies. ???????? Made the recipe for my in-laws that are over our new place!
Awesome! I hope that everyone enjoys them, Jackie! 🙂
I made this tonight for dinner and it was so good. The pork chops were so tender and we loved the sauce. I did the recipe using the oven version (doubled the sauce) and served with sticky white rice and roasted veggies. I will definitely be making this again. Thank you so much for sharing
Wonderful! Thanks so much for letting me know, Kelly!
Excellent recipe. I used half a large red onion and cooked the chops on the stove top. Tender and delicious.
That’s wonderful, Sandra! Thank you!
So yummy and simple to make. The chops melted in your mouth. My only regret was not making more!
Yay! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it. Thanks, Stephanie!
If I don’t have chicken broth/beef broth or ground mustard can I skip those or what can I do to substitute
Hi, Dakota! You can skip the ground mustard, or add a dollop of regular mustard if you like that flavor. For the liquid, you’ll want to replace the broth with something else. I haven’t tested another option, but I would try either white wine or something like apple cider (just omit the brown sugar if you’re using a sweet liquid). Hope that helps!
Sounds like a great recipe, can the recipe be doubled or even better, can 6 chops be used instead of4?
Absolutely! Six chops should work perfectly, Heidi! 🙂
I am thinking about preparing this recipe for my husband. I have only one pork chop but it is very large and thick. Would that work with this recipe? Should I halve the sauce or make a full recipe so he has lots of sauce to spoon over his potatoes/noodles?
Hi, Charlene! That should work fine. As far as the sauce goes, it’s totally a matter of preference. You can cut the ingredients or half, or you can just make the full recipe and have plenty of extra sauce! 🙂
These chops look so good. The only change I made was to use pork country ribs instead of pork chops. I just put it in the crock pot. I’ll message later with results. So excited!
Wonderful! I hope that you enjoy the meal, Caroline! 🙂
What if I dont have thick porkchops? Will they dry out??
Hey, Allison! Thick chops with a lot of fat/marbling are best for slow cooking, but you can still use the thinner chops. I just recommend cooking on LOW for only 2-3 hours. You want them cooked through, but if they continue cooking for too long, they do get dry. Just keep an eye on them. 🙂
So yummy and easy to make! This is a go to meal for us!
Awesome! Thanks, Carrie!
Thank you for such a well written recipe that gives me options for cooking and times for different thicknesses of chops. Simple, delicious ingredients.
Thanks, Linda! I’m so glad that you found it helpful!