Name: Creamy Garlic Parmesan Pork Chops
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 4 boneless pork chops ((about 1 inch thick, 1 ½ pounds total)); 1 teaspoon kosher salt; ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper; ½ teaspoon garlic powder; 1 tablespoon olive oil ((or any oil with a high smoke point)); 3 tablespoons unsalted butter; 4 cloves garlic ((finely minced)); 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; ¾ cup low sodium chicken broth; 1 cup heavy cream; ¼ teaspoon dried thyme; ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Recipe Overview

Why you’ll love it: Creamy garlic Parmesan pork chops are a show-stopping dinner easy enough for a weeknight. Tender pork chops smothered in a rich garlic cream sauce with Parmesan and herbs make a meal you won’t soon forget!

How long it takes: 45 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: large skillet, whisk, tongs
Servings: 4

Two seared pork chops topped with creamy white sauce and herbs, served with roasted Brussels sprouts and mashed potatoes on a speckled plate.

Fancy, but easy. My Favorite.

I like to pretend I’m a little bit fancy, and perhaps I am, but mostly I just like things to simple and straightforward, uncomplicated.

These pork chops fit the bill. There’s nothing like a creamy sauce to make dinner feel special. Plenty of garlic, herbs, and nutty Parmesan add lots of depth so it’s not one-note. If you’re a fan of smothered pork chops, this is a must-try recipe!

What makes them special:

Golden, seared pork chops: Rather than baking the pork chops in the oven, I sear them until they’re golden brown, keeping them tender and juicy while building a flavorful crust on the outside.
Comfort food, fancied up: This is one of those recipes that has cozy comfort food vibes, but the garlic and herbs make it a little fancier than the pork chops bathed in cream of mushroom soup you might have grown up eating.
Easy enough for weeknights: Just 10 minutes of prep time and 35 minutes of cooking means this dinner is done in well under an hour.

Ingredient Notes

You’ll find the full ingredient list in the recipe card, but here are some notes to keep in mind.

Boneless pork chops: Look for pork chops that are about one inch thick. If your chops are thicker, they may need a little extra cooking time.
Seasonings & olive oil: The pork chops are seasoned lightly with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and then browned in olive oil. You can use a different cooking oil if you prefer as long as it has a high smoke point.
Butter, garlic, flour, chicken broth: I use unsalted butter as the base of the rich cream sauce, and fresh garlic is very lightly sautéed in the butter. Flour is added to thicken the sauce, and then you’ll stir in chicken broth. I use low-sodium broth to keep the sauce from becoming overly salty.
Heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, dried thyme: These two ingredients give the sauce a rich texture and flavor. Freshly shredded Parmesan melts into the sauce and adds salty, nutty flavor. A pinch of dried thyme gives the sauce a slightly woodsy flavor.
Fresh parsley: The pork chops are garnished with chopped parsley. Sometimes garnishes are simply for eye appeal but in this case, parsley provides a nice herbaceous flavor that balances the richness of the creamy pork chops.

How to Make Creamy Pork Chops

Prep the cream and pork chops. Measure the heavy cream and let it sit at room temperature while you prep everything else. This helps it blend more smoothly into the sauce later without curdling. Pat the pork chops dry and season both sides with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Four raw pork chops on a plate surrounded by bowls of butter, oil, cream, grated cheese, garlic, and various seasonings.

Four raw pork chops seasoned with salt and pepper on a white plate.

Sear the pork chops. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the pork chops and cook until lightly browned on both sides and cooked through to 145°F internally. Transfer the pork chops to a plate and loosely cover with foil to keep warm. Carefully wipe out the skillet with paper towels to remove dark browned bits and excess oil.

Four seasoned pork chops searing in a skillet.

Four seasoned pork chops searing in a black skillet.

Make the garlic Parmesan sauce. Reduce the heat to medium-low and melt the butter in the skillet. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant; you don’t want it to brown, or it will add a sharp, unpleasant flavor to the sauce. Sprinkle the flour into the pan and whisk constantly for about a minute to cook out the raw flour taste. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth until smooth. Let the sauce simmer for a few minutes, until it thickens a bit.

Finish the sauce. Stir in the heavy cream and thyme. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and cook until it thickens a little more. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted and smooth.

Return the pork chops. Add the pork chops back to the skillet. (Some juices may accumulate on the plate but I don’t add the juice back to the skillet with the pork chops. The extra liquid tends to thin the sauce too much.) Spoon the sauce over the pork chops and simmer briefly until warmed through. Sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving.

Minced garlic sautéing in melted butter in a dark skillet.

Butter foaming in a black Staub skillet.

Recipe Variations

Use bone-in pork chops. Bone-in chops will work fine but keep in mind that they need more cooking time.
Add mushrooms. Sauté sliced mushrooms in the butter before adding the flour to the skillet.
Add spinach. Stir fresh spinach into the sauce at the end for Florentine vibes.
Try chicken instead of pork. The creamy Parmesan sauce would also go perfectly with chicken. Buy boneless skinless chicken breasts; season and sauté them like the pork until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F. Continue with the recipe as instructed.

Serving Suggestions

Mashed potatoes. Who needs gravy when you have Parmesan cream sauce?! These crockpot mashed potatoes are my favorite but mashed red potatoes run a close second.

Rice or pasta. Nutty Instant Pot basmati rice is a nice change of pace from the usual white rice. Serve the creamy pork chops with egg noodles or pappardelle to give the meal a beef Stroganoff vibe.

Vegetable sides. Choose a vegetable that’s in season for the best flavor. I love lemon roasted broccoli with Parmesan with these creamy pork chops. Roasted cauliflower is a nice alternative to potatoes or pasta, and it’s very easy to make. Sautéed Brussels sprouts or sautéed cabbage would go well, too.

A spoon lifts creamy sauce from a skillet containing seared pork chops garnished with herbs.

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate: Store leftover garlic Parmesan pork chops in an airtight container for up to 3 days. I like to slice the pork or chop it into bite-sized pieces before I refrigerate it; it reheats more quickly and evenly. I don’t recommend freezing this recipe, as heavy cream-based sauces tend not to freeze well.

Reheat: Warm the pork chops and sauce gently in a skillet over low heat or in the microwave. The sauce should loosen as it warms up, but if you want an even thinner consistency, add a splash of cream or milk. (You may want to add extra seasoning if you do this.)