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French Onion Pork Chops are exactly what they sound like. Tender, juicy, flavorful chops smothered in French onion gravy, then topped with melty gruyère cheese and toasted bread crumbs. And it only takes 35 minutes! This recipe truly is reminiscent of French onion soup, and it’s comfort food perfection.
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- French Onion Pork Chops Ingredients
- Recipe Variations & Modifications
- Dana’s Cooking Tips
- How to Make French Onion Pork Chops
- How to Serve French Onion Pork Chops
- Storage & Reheating
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Comforting Pork Recipes for Dinner…
- French Onion Pork Chops Recipe
I wanted to stay true to French onion soup, so I didn’t stop at the beefy onion-rich gravy. I went ahead and topped these bad boys with gruyère, popped them under the broiler for a stint, then finished them off with toasted breadcrumbs. This is the perfect Sunday night dinner, but given the fact that this recipe only takes 35 minutes total, you could dish it up on any given weeknight. How nice is that?
If you’re looking for more cozy pork recipes to warm up with, these Cast Iron Pork Chops are a hit. You’ll also want to give this Maple Mustard Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin a shot, and if you have a pressure cooker, this Instant Pot Pork Ragu is a MUST.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s super easy—It might look and sound involved, but this recipe is a cinch to make.
- It’s comforting—The savory and herbaceous flavors in this recipe, just like with French onion soup, will warm the soul making it perfect for chilly fall or winter evenings.
French Onion Pork Chops Ingredients
A full ingredient list with exact measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
- Pork chops—I use boneless top loin chops in this recipe. It’s a leaner cut, but after tenderizing the chops and smothering them in our gravy, there’s no lack of flavor here!
- Onions—I like using yellow onions as they offer up a subtle sweetness. You could also use shallots, or a mix of both!
- Beef stock—Whatever beef stock you choose is fine! But to amp things up a bit, I suggest adding in half a teaspoon of Better Than Bouillon beef stock paste. It’s a game changer!
Recipe Variations & Modifications
- Pork chops—You could use bone-in chops and skip the tenderizing/pounding process. Note that cooking time will increase with bone-in chops. If you want to save time and use thinner pork cutlets, skip the tenderizing process with the meat mallet and be sure to cook them for less time, about 1.5-2 minutes a side.
- White wine—If you prefer to cook without alcohol, just use extra broth. You could add a tablespoon of rice wine vinegar for the bit of tanginess the wine brings.
- Dried spices—The onion powder and dried thyme mixed into the flour is great for extra flavor but totally optional.
- Cheese—If you can’t find gryuère, fontina or gouda are good replacements.
Dana’s Cooking Tips
- With a sharp knife, score the fat along the side of the pork chop so that the chop doesn’t seize up and curl when it hits the hot pan.
- The ideal internal temperature for pork is 145ºF. Keep in mind that you’ll be popping the chops under the broiler briefly, so if they come in at a bit under beforehand, that’s fine. You want to keep the chops from going over medium.
How to Make French Onion Pork Chops
Step 1. Mix the flour, onion powder, and dried thyme together in a shallow baking dish; set aside. Pop the pork chops, two at a time, into a large freezer bag. With a meat mallet, pound them down to a thickness of about 1/2 an inch; season the chops with salt and pepper.
Step 2. One by one, dredge the pork chops in the flour mixture, then put them onto a plate or cutting board.
Step 3. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Melt half of the butter into it and, once the butter is mostly melted, add half of the olive oil. Pop two chops into the skillet and cook for 3 mins. Flip them over and cook for another 2-3 minutes so both sides have a nice golden crust. Transfer the cooked chops to a paper-towel lined plate or cutting board.
Step 4. Heat the remaining butter and oil in the pan. Add the onions into the pan and stir them well to coat with butter and oil. Salt them lightly, then stir in the fresh thyme. Once the onions are tender and golden in color, add the garlic and sauté for about a minute.
Step 5. Pour the white wine into the pan and deglaze it by scraping up any pan bits. This gives the sauce extra flavor! Whisk the beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, and flour together in a small bowl or cup, then add it to the skillet. Let it simmer until the mixture thickens, stirring frequently. This should only take about 2-3 minutes.
Step 6. Nestle the chops back into the pan, and spoon some of that onion-y gravy goodness over each one. Top each pork chop with shredded gruyère and pop them under the broiler for just a few minutes—until the cheese melts and is bubbling and slightly golden.
Step 7. Remove them from the oven, garnish with toasted breadcrumbs and freshly chopped chives or parsley, and serve!
How to Serve French Onion Pork Chops
When it comes to serving these smothered tasty chops, my go-to is over a pile of fluffy creamy mashed potatoes! But they’d pair just as well with these crispy oven-roasted mini potatoes. For veggies, Air Fryer green beans or oven-roasted broccoli with nutritional yeast are fantastic, as are these hot honey carrots.
Storage & Reheating
- Leftover pork chops can be stored in the fridge for 3-5 days in an airtight container.
- To reheat, simply transfer the pork chops to a microwave-friendly plate and reheat in the microwave in 35-second increments until warmed through.
Frequently Asked Questions
All you need to tenderize boneless pork chops is a meat mallet and a gallon-sized storage bag. You can lightly pound out thinner chops or give a little more force with thicker chops, giving you nice and tender chops as a result.
I swear by using both! The butter brings more flavor to the dish and helps the pork get that nice golden crust, but the oil has a higher smoke point and prevents the butter from burning.
Yes! Nice fresh pork chops that register an internal temperature of 140-145ºF are great, even if a little pink.
More Comforting Pork Recipes for Dinner…
If you try these French Onion Pork Chops, please pop back in and leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
French Onion Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 4 boneless pork chops, I like to use top loin
- Sea salt and cracked black pepper
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour, + 1 TBSP
- 2 tsp onion powder (optional)
- 1 tsp dried thyme (optional)
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 cups thinly sliced onions, Preferably sliced with a mandolin on the thinnest setting
- 2 TBSP fresh thyme
- 2 cloves of garlic, smashed and minced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine, like sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio
- 1/2 cup beef stock/broth
- 1 tsp Better Than Bouillon beef base (optional), I like adding this for a little extra oumph!
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup grated gruyère cheese
- 2 TBSP panko breadcrumbs, toasted, *See notes
- Fresh chopped chives, for garnish
Instructions
PREPARING THE PORK
- In a shallow baking dish, mix the flour, onion powder, and dried thyme together; set aside.
- Place the pork chops, two at a time, into a large freezer bag and pound them down to a thickness of about 1/2 an inch with a meat mallet. Remove the chops from the bag and repeat this process with the other two chops. When done, season the chops with salt and pepper.
- Dredge the pork chops, one by one, in the flour mixture. Put them onto a plate or cutting board.
COOKING THE PORK CHOPS
- Melt half of the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter is mostly melted, add half of the olive oil.
- When the butter and oil are lightly sizzling, transfer two pork chops to the skillet. Cook them for 3 minutes, then carefully flip them over and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Both sides should achieve a nice golden crust.
- When done cooking, transfer the chops to a paper-towel lined plate or cutting board, and repeat the process with the two other chops. (If your skillet is large enough to fit all four without overcrowding, do it all in one shot.)
PREPARING THE SAUCE
- Preheat your oven broiler and position the oven rack just above the middle.
- Heat the remaining butter and oil in the pan. When the butter melts, add all of the onions into the pan and stir them to coat with the butter and oil. Lightly salt them, and stir in the fresh thyme.
- When the onions have softened and are golden in color (this should take about 5 minutes), add the garlic and sauté for about a minute.
- Pour white wine into the pan to deglaze, scraping up any pan bits. This will give the sauce extra flavor! Let it simmer for about a minute.
- While the wine simmers, whisk the beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, and flour together in a small bowl or cup. Add it to the skillet, and let it simmer until the mixture thickens, stirring often. This should take about 2-3 minutes.
- Nestle the pork chops into the pan and spoon some of the onion gravy over each one.
- Top the pork chops with shredded gruyère, then pop them under the broiler for just a few minutes—until the cheese melts and is bubbling and slightly golden. Keep a close eye on them, because every broiler is different and you don't want them to burn. Mine were done under my broiler in about 2-3 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the oven, garnish the chops with toasted breadcrumbs and freshly chopped chives, and serve!
Wow! This was a very tasty recipe and I will definitely make it again. Full of flavor and a great recipe for pork chops.
Thanks, Gina!
These pork chops are so comforting and delicious!! Love the cheesy topping and crispy breadcrumbs!
I’m glad you like them, Anjali!
I love the combination of flavors in the recipe. So delicious. Thanks for sharing,
You’re welcome!
This dish was just the comfort food dinner I was looking for. The pork chops were tender and the topping was great with mashed potatoes.
Heck yes, I eat these bad boys with mashed potatoes also ;)
A must try recipe. Love the French onion soup flavor.
It’s a good one!
These chops were so tasty! I love the french onion flavor, and it wasn’t overly complicated to make.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Justine! I definitely love how easy it is.
Been craving French onion soup flavours lately and this recipe sounds delicious and much easier than making the soup! Going to make it for dinner tonight.
I hope you loved it!
This was a really well thought out recipe. Loved the flavors. Thank you! Keeping this one for future.
Aw, thanks Thomas! I appreciate it.
My family gets tired of pork chops because I prepare them the same way every time. I love that this is a new and tasty way to prepare them using a familiar flavor. The addition of the cheese make these perfection!
Thanks, Vicky!
French onion gravy and gruyere cheese? Count my family in for this delicious meal.
Excellent :)