Forget the hockey puck pork chops you’ve suffered in the past. After perfecting Grilled Pork Chops, Air Fry Pork Chops, and Stuffed Pork Chops, I have another recipe for tender, saucy chops. Today, we’re talking about how to make crock pot pork chops. We’ve all been there: dry pork chops are a meal we’ve all suffered through at least once. It’s not easy to feign enjoyment when your chops require that you grind your knife across the tough, lackluster meat to score a bite. This slow cooker pork chop recipe changes everything—they’re fork tender and will have everyone at your table polishing their plate (as will these Smothered Pork Chops).
The BEST Pork Chops for Slow Cookers
Part of the reason pork chops often turn out dry and tough is that they are a leaner cut and thus easily prone to overcooking. Unlike fattier cuts of beef or pork (as used for Crockpot Ribs), you can’t leave pork chops to cook all day. To cook them low and slow, choosing the right type of pork chops for the job is imperative.
Avoid Thin, Boneless Pork Chops
I made this mistake the first time I cooked this recipe. I grabbed thin-cut boneless chops thinking I could just cook them for less time and they’d be fine, right? WRONG.By the time thin-cut pork chops are finished cooking in the crock pot, they will be dry, no matter how diligently you check them. The low-and-slow cooking method of the slow cooker demands thick-cut pork chops.If you’d like to use thin-cut boneless pork chops, you are better off cooking them on the stovetop and topping them with BBQ sauce at the end.
Best Option: Thick-cut, Bone-In Pork Chops
Low-and-slow cooking works best with marbled cuts of meat, like bone-in pork chops. Look for chops 1 1/4- to 1 1/2-inch thick chops with a good amount of marbling and fat for maximum tenderness.To make this a healthy crock pot pork chops recipe, you may trim away some of the fat without sacrificing moisture. The bone will help insulate the meat and keep the slow cooker BBQ pork chops moist.
Back-up Option: Thick-Cut Boneless Pork Chops
If your store doesn’t carry thick, bone-in pork chops, you can prepare boneless pork chops in a slow cooker. Just make sure you select THICK boneless chops to ensure they do not dry out. Be aware that thick-cut boneless chops still cook quickly—mine were done when I hit the 2-hour mark on LOW. If your slow cooker runs hot, check even earlier.
How to Make Crock Pot Pork Chops
For an easy crock pot pork chops recipe (without cream of mushroom soup) that’s fork-tender, look no further. Here’s everything I know to prepare the best slow cooker pork chops you’ll ever try!
The Ingredients
Pork Chops. If you’re looking for another lean, healthy, and flavorful protein to serve, look no further than pork chops. As mentioned before, THICK pork chops are key to making the best-ever crock pot pork chops. Onions. I loved making these crock pot pork chops with onions. The onions melt into the sauce and give the tender pork chops extra flavor (like my favorite Baked Chicken Thighs).
Barbecue Sauce. Since this recipe has so few ingredients (like Crockpot BBQ Chicken), every one of them matters, especially the BBQ sauce. Choose your favorite store bought sauce to keep this meal easy and breezy (no one will ever complain about crock pot pork chop Sweet Baby Ray’s style) or go all out with my my favorite Homemade Barbecue Sauce, which is ready in 15 minutes and worth the effort.Garlic Powder + Onion Powder. Easy ways to season these tender chops.Cornstarch. Thickens up the sauce before serving your tender, moist crock pot pork chops.
Green Onions. An optional garnish that adds a final flourish of color and zip to the finished dish.
The Directions
Storage Tips
To Store. Crockpot pork chops may be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To Reheat. Very, very gently rewarm leftovers in a skillet on the stovetop or in the microwave. To Freeze. Freeze pork chops in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
Programmable Slow Cooker. My all-time favorite slow cooker with a programmable timer.Chef’s Knife. For slicing onions evenly and thinly.Cutting Board. This extra-large cutting board is perfect for all your kitchen prep needs.
Are there any recipes you didn’t love as a kid (hello, Homemade Hamburger Helper and Turkey Meatloaf) that you’ve been wanting to retry? (If you don’t want to cook vegetables in the crockpot with the pork chops, Oven Roasted Potatoes or Brussels Sprouts Casserole are other tasty ways to incorporate veggies.)
Bone-In Pork Chops: Cook on LOW for 5 or 6 hours.Boneless Pork Chops: Cook on LOW LOW for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours.
For your first batch, I recommend doing it on a day when you are home and can check on the chops more frequently. Consider these instructions a starting point and not concrete law.
Whisk in the slurry, then cook on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring often until the sauce thickens.
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