Pork chops are one of our favorite meals, but they can be pretty bland on their own.
To make them better, we need to season them with something delicious.
If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to spice up pork chops, then this recipe is just what you want.
This pork chop seasoning has all of the flavors that you love about pork chops without any of the work.
You won’t find anything too complicated or overly long in this recipe either — it takes less than 10 minutes to put together.
Plus, it’s also very affordable.
What Are The Ingredients In A Pork Chop Seasoning Recipe?
The only thing you really have to worry about when making this pork chop seasoning is that you don’t use any weird spices.
That means no turmeric, curry powder, paprika, garlic salt, onion powder, or other strange things that could give off an unpleasant smell or taste.
To start out, though, let’s talk about the meat itself.
When buying pork chops, look for ones from a good butcher who knows how to get the best cuts.
If possible, buy whole hams instead of loins because these tend to be leaner.
Pork belly should be avoided as well since it tends to be fatty, which makes it tougher to cook properly.
You’ll definitely want to look at the fat content before purchasing pork chops.
The lower the amount of fat, the more tender your pork chops will be once cooked.
However, if you like your pork chops extra crispy, then there’s nothing wrong with having some fat on them.
Once you know what kind of pork chops you want to purchase, you can move onto the next step.
First, take a sharp knife and cut each chop into two pieces so that you end up with four total pieces.
Next, remove the bone by cutting down along its length until you feel resistance.
Once you reach where the bone was located, pull the rest of the bone away from the meat.
Then, trim any excess fat off of the pork chops using your hands.
Now comes the fun part. Take a small bowl and mix together 1/4 cup (60 mL) of olive oil, 2 Tbsp (30 mL) of soy sauce, 3 tsp (15 mL) of brown sugar, 2 tsp (10 mL) of sesame oil, 1/2 tsp (3 mL) of salt, and 1/4 tsp (1 mL) of black pepper.
Add this mixture to both sides of each pork chop in order to coat them completely.
After coating both sides of each pork chop, place them back in the fridge while you prepare the grill.
If you’ve got a gas stovetop, simply heat the burner over medium-high until hot.
Once hot, add your pork chops and sear them on both sides for three to five minutes per side.
When done cooking, transfer them to the oven and bake them for 15 to 20 minutes.
After baking, you can serve immediately or keep them warm until ready to eat.
But remember, you cannot reheat pork chops after they come straight out of the oven.
How Do You Make Pork Chop Seasoning?
The first thing you’ll notice when you look at this recipe is how many different things there are going into it.
There’s soy sauce, brown sugar, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper, salt, vinegar, and more.
The good news is that most of these ingredients come from pantry staples, so once you have everything, you don’t really need to go out shopping for new items.
That means you can save money by making this recipe instead of buying premade versions of each ingredient separately.
For starters, you should start off by preparing the dry rub mixture.
Mix all of the spices together well before adding in the other ingredients, as mixing them beforehand might cause some clumping issues later down the line.
Next, you’ll move onto the wet mixture.
For this part of the process, you’ll add all of the liquids (the soy sauce, brown sugar, white wine vinegar, water, and oil) to a pan over medium heat until the liquid comes to a boil.
Cook the mixture until it starts to thicken, which typically happens around 20-30 seconds after the boiling point is reached.
Once both mixtures have been cooked, combine them together using a whisk, stirring constantly so that the two mixtures don’t get separated.
Once they’ve combined, pour the solution into a container large enough to hold several servings of pork chops, and refrigerate it for 24 hours to allow the flavors to develop further.
Now that you’ve made the pork chop seasoning, let’s see if it tastes like something special.
What Is The Best Pork Chop Seasoning Recipe?
This pork chop seasoning uses an amazing combination of spices and herbs that really brings out the flavor of these cuts of meat.
The secret ingredient here is paprika, which adds just enough heat so that you don’t have to overdo it when adding more salt or pepper.
The rest of the ingredients aren’t exactly commonplace, but they’re still good quality things that everyone should know how to prepare.
For example, sage is known as an herb that helps to preserve food, while fennel seeds are used in cooking because of their licorice-like aroma.
All of these ingredients come together to create a super flavorful pork chop seasoning that makes every single bite feel like it was worth eating.
If you try this recipe once, you’ll probably never go back to plain old pork chops again.
How Do You Use Pork Chop Seasoning?
You can cook these pork chops as soon as you get home from the store.
They take only 20 minutes to cook through, so if you have time on your hands, you could even eat them right away!
However, cooking them immediately after purchase isn’t necessary, since this dish lasts well enough to keep in an airtight container in the fridge for at least 1 week.
When you’ve got some extra time (or when you’re ready to serve), you can pop open that jar of pork chop seasoning and mix it into your pan sauce before serving.
Then, top each slice of meat with some of the mixture and enjoy!
What Are Some Good Pork Chop Seasoning Ideas?
The first thing to know when choosing a pork chop seasoning is that there isn’t one specific type of seasoning that works well on every pork chop dish.
Instead, each person enjoys different tastes and preferences.
If you like things extra salty, try using soy sauce as part of your seasoning mix.
If you don’t care much for saltiness at all, opt instead for sugar, onion powder, garlic, or other spices.
The important thing to remember is that whatever you choose should complement the meat itself.
Once you have chosen your main ingredients, you’ll need to decide how many tablespoons you’d like to add per serving.
Pork chops usually come out of the oven in between 6-8 pieces depending on how big they are so it’s hard to tell exactly how much space you’ll have available until after cooking time.
Don’t worry if you accidentally overfill your pan because you can always adjust the amount of liquid later on.
And if you’re not sure which direction to go from here, feel free to check out these recipes: Chicken wings, Stuffed chicken breasts, Spaghetti & meatballs, Meatball sub sandwiches, and Crispy fried chicken tenders, among others.
What Are Some Tips For Making The Best Pork Chop Seasoning?
There are several ways you can go when trying to season a piece of meat like pork chops.
Some people prefer to use salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
Others might choose to mix in herbs like rosemary or thyme.
Still others may decide to create a rub by mixing everything together into a paste.
Any of these methods could work well if you have enough time to prepare the dish.
However, if you don’t have much time to spend cooking, then you should consider using a premade seasoning instead.
These products usually take the guesswork out of how to season foods because there are no recipes involved.
They come in convenient packages that allow you to easily apply the seasoning to whatever you’d like to cook.
With so many options available, though, choosing which one to buy can get confusing.
There’s not always an obvious winner among the different brands, and even within each brand, the ingredients list differs depending on where you purchase it from.
To simplify things, here are two popular pork chop seasoning options that you can try first.
- Herb Magic Seasoning Kit (Amazon): The Herb Magic kit contains three different types of seasoning blends that you can combine to create your own custom-made mixture.
- Worcestershire Sauce Pork Chop Rub (Walmart): This Worcestershire sauce-based seasoning is a classic choice for adding flavor to meats such as pork chops.
How do I know which pork chop seasoning works best?
It really depends on what kind of flavor profile you’re going for.
If you’ve got a lot of experience preparing food, then you probably already know exactly what your favorite spices are.
If you haven’t had a chance to experiment yet, then you should definitely give both of these products a shot before deciding between them.
How Can You Add More Flavor To Pork Chop Seasoning?
You don’t have to spend a lot of money to get a good meal out of your food.
In fact, sometimes spending a little extra money on ingredients makes all of the difference between eating well and not at all.
If you’ve ever wondered how to add more flavor to your recipes, then you should try adding different herbs and spices.
They bring new life into almost every dish that you cook.
Herbs and spices aren’t just useful because they give dishes more flavor, though.
Some of these additives actually help to keep foods safe from bacteria as well.
For example, garlic helps prevent E. coli by killing harmful bacteria in the digestive tract.
On top of that, most herbs and spices contain antioxidants which protect against cancer-causing substances in the body.
Some herbs and spices even increase energy levels, improve metabolism, reduce inflammation, and boost immunity.
So, if you want to make sure that your family eats healthy while still having fun cooking, then you might consider trying some new additions to your pantry.
One of the easiest ways to add spice to your food is through using dried herbs and spices instead of fresh ones.
Dried herbs and spices last much longer than fresh ones do, so it’s worth investing in some packages to save time and money.
Another thing you may want to look into is getting an herb grinder.
These grinders let you create flavorful blends right in your kitchen, rather than having to go buy separate spices for each type of plant.
Another option would be to use whole spices instead of ground ones.
Whole spices tend to retain more flavor than ground ones do, plus, you can use them in many different ways.
You could combine them with other dry ingredients like flour or cornstarch to make breadcrumbs, sprinkle them onto meats before baking, or mix them with sugar to make a tasty treat.
Finally, there are supplements you can take to add more flavor to your diet.
One study found that taking vitamin C boosted immune function during colds and flu season.
Antioxidants are important, since free radicals can cause serious health problems over time, including cancer and heart disease.
Flavonoids have been shown to decrease the risk of certain types of cancers, and they’ve also been linked to improved cardiovascular health.
So, whether you’re looking to cut down on salt intake, lower your cholesterol, or simply enjoy healthier food options, flavoring your meals with herbs and spices is a great idea.
Just remember, always check with your doctor first if you have any concerns about any dietary supplement you decide to start taking.
What Are Some Common Mistakes People Make When Making Pork Chop Seasoning?
There aren’t many cooking tricks that you have to learn before you start cooking.
However, there are a few things that most cooks tend to forget about when preparing these types of dishes.
One of those things is how to properly season your food.
- You may not think about it much, but salt is an essential ingredient in many recipes. For example, if you were making a chicken dish, you would probably use salt as part of the sauce or marinade. If you don’t season your dish well enough, you could end up ruining it. That doesn’t mean that you should never cook with salt though. Salt helps bring out the best flavors in foods, so using it correctly is important.
- Another thing that tends to get overlooked is pepper. Pepper adds a nice kick to almost everything, whether you’re eating it plain or adding it to other ingredients. But, depending on which type of peppers you choose, you might not even notice its presence at first. So, if you like spicy food, you definitely want to include some pepper into your meal prep.
- Now let’s talk about oil. Oil plays a huge role in giving foods added flavor and keeping them from drying out. When you prepare pork chops, you usually add oil to help keep them moist while roasting. And since you already know that your pork chops need to be seasoned, why not toss some extra olive oil onto them instead of water?
- The last mistake that people often make when they prepare pork chops is forgetting to let them rest after they’ve been cooked. Not only does letting meat rest ensure that you get tender meat, but it also allows the juices inside the meat to redistribute themselves evenly throughout the meat. This means that your pork chops will stay juicy no matter how hot or cold the kitchen gets during the day. Just remember to let your meat rest if you haven’t eaten yet.
It really isn’t hard to ruin a good meal by getting those little details wrong.
Thankfully, I made sure to cover all of the bases in this recipe.
Pork chops are always going to be tasty, but this particular recipe makes them taste amazing.
Let’s take a look at how to do it right.
How Can You Make Sure Your Pork Chop Seasoning Is Perfect Every Time?
The key to good pork chop seasoning is using quality ingredients.
When cooking with pork chops, I always buy organic meat from local farms whenever possible so that I know exactly where my food comes from.
You do not have to go as far as buying local beef, lamb, chicken, or even fish if you don’t feel like it, but at least try to get organic versions of these meats wherever possible.
When selecting spices, choose ones that are natural rather than artificial.
Some popular brands include McCormick Spice Mixes (which includes paprika), Mrs. Dash, and Penzey’s Spices.
Another important thing to remember when cooking with pork chops is to keep things fresh.
If you cook with pork chops often, you should use different types of herbs throughout the year.
For example, sage and rosemary would be best used during fall/winter months, while thyme would be more appropriate for spring/summer.
The same goes for salt and pepper — always add new batches of each to your collection instead of reusing old bottles.
Equipment
- 1 Jar
Ingredients
- 8 tsp Sea salt
- 4 tsp Garlic powder
- 4 tsp paprika
- 4 tsp thyme
- 4 tsp oregano
- 2 tsp Black pepper
- 1 tsp Cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Stir all ingredients in a bowl or jar. Stir in an airtight container, such as a jar.
- To use pork chop seasoning, sprinkle 1/2 tablespoon seasoning per pork chop before pan searing, baking, or grilling.
Nutrition
My blog is all about creating delicious meals with ingredients that are easy to find in your local grocery store. I’m passionate about making yummy meals that I can share with my friends and family.