This recipe for Pork Chops with Creamy Bacon Pan Sauce combines juicy pork chops with an easy garlic and bacon cream cheese pan sauce.
This post is sponsored by the Iowa Pork Producers Association, but all thoughts an opinions are my own – just as always.
Y’all, just look at those chops. Just look at them. I’ll wait while you wipe the drool from your chin.
Heather always tells me I can’t say my own food is good, but these chops are freakin’ amazing.
These thick-cut, perfectly seasoned chops are seared in bacon fat and bathed in a decadent cream cheese based sauce with fresh garlic and bacon. If you’re one of those “pork chops aren’t my favorite” types of people, you just need to try this recipe.
Pork chops are an affordable, accessible, and easy-to-cook protein that are perfect for busy weeknights because they cook so quickly. But I often hear from readers about them avoiding pork chops because they’re dry.
The reality is that dryness is all about cooking and nothing about the protein itself.
How do I keep my pork chops from being dry?
Every time I get this question, it seems to always be that folks are cooking their pork chops for too long. Pork is a very lean cut of meat and overcooking it will cause it to be tough and dry. For a 3/4-inch chop you only need to cook the chops for 7 to 8 minutes (or 3 1/2 to 4 minutes on each side).
Just like beef, you can cook pork to varying degrees of doneness, but the safe internal pork cooking temperature for fresh cuts is only 145°F. A blush of pink is perfectly normal at this temperature.
It’s also worth mentioning that carryover heat will continue to cook the pork chops once they’re off the heat. I often cook mine to 140°F, pull them off the heat, and ensure they reach that 145°F threshold with an instant read thermometer.
Does brining pork chops keep them moist?
As I said before, dry pork chops are overcooked pork chops so cooking them correctly is my first tip to keeping them nice and juicy. With that being said, a brine will help keep them nice and moist and will add a little flavor to boot. It’s an extra step, but certainly helps and is a little insurance policy if you’ve got some extra time.
Simply combine 2 cups of water, 1/3 cup kosher salt, and 1/4 cup sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Once the sugar and salt have dissolved, remove from the heat and stir in 3 cups of ice. Once the brine is cool, submerge the chops in it and cover. You can do this in a large bowl or a ziptop bag. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight (about 12 hours). I wouldn’t recommend any more than 12 hours.
A great thing about serving your family pork is that when you do that, you are supporting family farms in Iowa and across the United States. Did you know that more than 1/3 of the pork in the US is raised in Iowa?
And lean pork not only provides a host of vitamins and minerals, but has fat and saturated fat levels equivalent to skinless chicken.
Whether you’re serving it up via this dish, my Slow Cooker Carnitas, White BBQ Sauce Grilled Pork Tenderloin, Slow Cooker Pork Tips, or my Sheet Pan Brown Sugar Garlic Pork Loin Filet, pork is a healthy, delicious option to liven up the boring dinner rotation.
Recipe Card
Pork Chops with Creamy Bacon Pan Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 pounds thick-cut boneless pork chops
- salt
- pepper
- 6 strips bacon
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 4 ounces cream cheese, cubed, room temperature
Instructions
- Season the pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan, leaving the bacon grease in the pan. Cool and crumble the bacon.
- Cook the pork chops in the bacon grease over medium-high heat, being sure to get a good sear on each side. Cook the pork chops until they reach an internal temperature of about 145°F. Be cautious not to overcook. Keep in mind that the carryover heat will continue to cook the pork chops, so I will often cook them to about 140°F and allow that carryover heat to continue cooking them once I've removed them from the pan. Remove the pork chops from the pan onto a plate and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic. Cook for about 1 minute or until fragrant, being cautious not to burn the garlic. Add the chicken broth and scrape the bottom of the skillet to loosen the browned bits.
- Bring the broth to a simmer and add the cream cheese. Use a whisk to mix well and cook until the cream cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth and thickened. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Return the pork chops to the pan and coat them in the sauce. Add additional broth if the sauce gets too thick. Sprinkle the crumbled bacon over the top and serve.
* If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
Michelle Z
We loved the flavor! And the chops weren’t dry at all. I used pork ribeye chops. Only thing I did different was I drained most of the bacon grease out of the pan before cooking the chops. There was a lot of bacon grease. I use the grease to fry eggs. Also, the sauce didn’t thicken as much as I had hoped. I’ll try using less broth next time. This recipe is a winner!
Thanks, Michelle!!
Jeff
Great flavor easy to make …..Everything turned out awesome and my wife liked it too. She’s tough to impress…..
Ha! Glad you both enjoyed it, Jeff!
Kim
Hi Stacey! I just tried this recipe for supper tonight and it was a hit! The flavor is delicious and the pork chops were tender & juicy but my sauce didn’t thicken as much as I would have liked. Did I not let it cook long enough or maybe I should cut back on the amount of broth? I’ll take any advice you can offer. This was my first of your recipes and it definitely inspires me to try more!
Hey, Kim! Thanks for letting me know. If you were happy with the amount of sauce you had, it probably just didn’t cook down/reduce long enough to thicken. You could certainly try using less broth as well. If that still doesn’t work, you can whisk about 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with a few tablespoons of cool/room temp broth in a separate bowl and then whisk that into the sauce as it cooks. That will thicken it right up. Hope that helps! Let me know if you need anything else.
Allan LaBarre
My wife is typically not a pork chop fan because her mother’s were always dry. I made the recipe for the Pork Chops With Creamy Bacon Pan Sauce and she loved them. The pork chops were tender and juicy and the Bacon Pan Sauce added great flavor.
Awesome! I’m so glad they turned out great for you!
Trish
Delicious and oh so easy. My kind of meal to cook, fast and no fuss all simple ingredients. y family loved mit
I’m so glad it turned out great for you!!
Kiki
The best pork chop recipe. Only had bone in and they were unbelievably good.
Will make often. Love your recipes.
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed them!
joyce m
These pork chops sound amazing – what do you usually serve with these? I will be making these for sure!
I normally serve these alongside some mashed potatoes or rice and a simple green veggie.
Kathy
Proud producer of Iowa pork!!! Love the shout out. Those chops are on the menu for the weekend!
Thank you for what you do!! Sure hope you’ll enjoy them!
Denise
Cannot wait to try this!!! 😋 My husband doesn’t eat pork chops but I am always looking for good pork chop recipes to make for my 91 yr old parents. This one looks perfect!
I sure hope y’all will enjoy it as much as we have!
susan vacca
Lordy this pork chop receipt has everything you could possibly want to comfort your soul
Ha! Thanks, Susan!