Smothered pork chops
These smothered pork chops make 2 servings of tender, bone-in chops finished in a silky onion gravy. The chops are lightly floured, seared for a browned crust, then simmered in a skillet sauce made from the pan drippings, chicken broth, milk, and Worcestershire. Use 1-inch chops so they stay juicy while the gravy reduces to a spoon-coating consistency.
Estimated calories and US ingredient costs.
For 4 servings, use a 12 to 14 inch skillet or a wide Dutch oven so the onions can brown instead of steam. Sear the chops in batches if needed, but keep the gravy steps the same and cook the pork only until it reaches 145 F at the thickest part. The flour amount assumes the gravy is thickened in the skillet; if you scale up, keep the same flour-to-fat balance so the sauce stays spoon-coating without getting pasty.
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Ingredients, steps and a live timeline. Ready for 2 people.
Step timeline
Cooking order
8 leftSeason and dredge the chops
~1 minSeason and dredge the chops.
Pat the 12 oz bone-in pork chops dry.
In a shallow dish, mix the kosher salt, black pepper, and 1 tbsp of the all-purpose flour.
Coat both sides of each chop lightly, then shake off any excess.
Discard any leftover flour that touched the raw pork; do not reuse it.
Let the chops sit while you heat the skillet so the flour hydrates and browns more evenly.
Ingredients
- 12 oz total for recipeBone-in pork chops (2 chops, about 1 inch thick)
- 1/2 tspKosher salt
- 1/2 tspBlack pepper
- 1 tbspAll-purpose flour, divided
Brown the pork
~8 minBrown the pork.
Set a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil and unsalted butter.
When the butter foams, lay in the chops and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side without moving them, until deeply golden brown.
Ingredients
- 1 tbspVegetable oil
- 1 tbsp total for recipeUnsalted butter
Soften the onions
~9 minSoften the onions.
Lower the heat to medium.
Add the sliced yellow onion to the skillet and cook, stirring often, for 6 to 8 minutes until soft and browned at the edges.
Stir in the minced garlic and dried thyme for 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
Ingredients
- 8 oz total for recipeYellow onion
- 1 tspGarlic
- 1/4 tspDried thyme
Build the gravy
~4 minBuild the gravy.
Sprinkle in the remaining 2 tbsp flour and stir for 1 minute so it cooks in the fat.
Slowly whisk in the chicken broth in a few additions, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Whisk in the Worcestershire sauce and whole milk, then simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until the gravy lightly coats a spoon.
Ingredients
- 2 tbspAll-purpose flour, divided
- 1 1/2 cupsLow-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tspWorcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cupWhole milk
Simmer the pork
~12 minSimmer the pork.
Nestle the chops and any juices back into the skillet, spooning gravy over the top.
Reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and simmer for 8 to 12 minutes, turning the chops once, until the thickest part reaches 145 F on an instant-read thermometer.
Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer, not a hard boil, so the pork stays tender and the gravy stays smooth.
Ingredients
- 12 oz total for recipeBone-in pork chops (2 chops, about 1 inch thick)
Rest and serve
~120 min cookRest
Turn off the heat and let the chops rest in the skillet for 3 minutes so the juices settle.
Spoon the onion gravy over the top, scatter with chopped parsley,
Chill leftovers within 2 hours.
Ingredients
- 8 oz total for recipeYellow onion
- 1 tbspParsley
Check pork
After ~120 minCheck Smothered pork chops and continue when ready.
Serve meal
~1 minOnce all dishes are cooked and ready, plate and serve the meal together.
Smothered pork chops: Transfer the chops to a plate, leaving the drippings in the pan.
Smothered pork chops: serve.
Smothered pork chops: serve the chops hot with all of the skillet onions and sauce.
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Read the traditional recipe
Ingredients
For 2 people
- 12 oz bone-in pork chops (2 chops, about 1 inch thick)
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour, divided
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 8 oz yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
Method
- Season and dredge the chopsPat the 12 oz bone-in pork chops dry. In a shallow dish, mix the kosher salt, black pepper, and 1 tbsp of the all-purpose flour. Coat both sides of each chop lightly, then shake off any excess. Discard any leftover flour that touched the raw pork; do not reuse it. Let the chops sit while you heat the skillet so the flour hydrates and browns more evenly.
- Brown the porkSet a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil and unsalted butter. When the butter foams, lay in the chops and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side without moving them, until deeply golden brown. Transfer the chops to a plate, leaving the drippings in the pan.
- Soften the onionsLower the heat to medium. Add the sliced yellow onion to the skillet and cook, stirring often, for 6 to 8 minutes until soft and browned at the edges. Stir in the minced garlic and dried thyme for 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
- Build the gravySprinkle in the remaining 2 tbsp flour and stir for 1 minute so it cooks in the fat. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth in a few additions, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Whisk in the Worcestershire sauce and whole milk, then simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until the gravy lightly coats a spoon.
- Simmer the porkNestle the chops and any juices back into the skillet, spooning gravy over the top. Reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and simmer for 8 to 12 minutes, turning the chops once, until the thickest part reaches 145 F on an instant-read thermometer. Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer, not a hard boil, so the pork stays tender and the gravy stays smooth.
- Rest and serveTurn off the heat and let the chops rest in the skillet for 3 minutes so the juices settle. Spoon the onion gravy over the top, scatter with chopped parsley, and serve the chops hot with all of the skillet onions and sauce. Chill leftovers within 2 hours.
Before you cook
What to get ready
Wide skillet, tongs, sauce whisk and instant-read thermometer.
Slice onions thinly and measure the divided flour before dredging chops.
If something needs adjusting
Gravy has flour lumps
Whisk broth gradually into the cooked flour-onion base before adding milk.
Chops dry out while waiting for the sauce
Measure temperature at the thickest part. Whole pork chops need 145°F followed by a 3-minute rest; finish reducing the sauce separately if needed.
Store for later
Refrigerate pork with a little sauce in a covered shallow container. Reheat to 165°F with gentle heat and a splash of water if the sauce thickens.
Refrigerate perishables within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F. Keep the fridge at 40°F or below; use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days. USDA storage and reheating guidance.
Make the ingredients go further
Use extra milk and potatoes in a chowder rather than another cream purchase.
Next use for your ingredients: Potato and corn chowder →
Calculate this meal with your own prices →
Cooking notes updated October 24, 2026. How we create recipes.
Tips, swaps and questions
A little kitchen know-how
A heavy skillet makes the best gravy because it holds heat and builds a better brown fond. If the pan looks dry after the onions cook, lower the heat instead of adding extra oil, and whisk the broth in gradually so the flour does not clump. The finished sauce should be thick enough to coat the pork but still pour easily. Do not reuse any flour that touched raw pork.
Make it work for you
For boneless pork chops, keep the same ingredient list but start checking temperature a few minutes earlier, since they cook faster than bone-in chops. If you use half-and-half instead of milk, keep the simmer very gentle; richer dairy can split if it boils hard, especially after the gravy has already thickened.
Use more of your yellow onion and whole milk in baccala alla vicentina.
Why is my smothered pork chop gravy lumpy?
Lumps usually happen when the flour is added too fast or the broth goes in all at once. Let the flour cook in the onion fat for a full minute, then whisk in the broth gradually, scraping the skillet as you go. If a few lumps remain, keep whisking over low heat until they dissolve.
Times are estimates. Check ingredients for allergens. For safe temperatures and storage, see FoodSafety.gov.