If you know me, I always look for recipes or find ways to cook the meat and vegetables together to make cooking dinner fuss-free. Have plenty of such recipes on the blog like this Peri Peri Chicken, Maple Mustard Sheet Pan Chicken, Cajun Chicken and vegetables , Sheet pan Sausage and Potatoes. Green beans get baked along with the chops.
Cajun Seasoning – Cajun seasoning is the secret weapon in the marinade. Smokey, spicy with a robust flavour. I always make my own homemade Cajun Seasoning at home. You could use store-bought one as well. Honey– Honey to balance the heat of Cajun seasoning. It also helps to get that caramelized slightly sticky coating when the pork chops are baked. Pork Chops– Use boneless or bone-in, both will work. Butter– Butter adds a beautiful richness to the marinade. I wouldn’t recommend substituting olive oil (not unless you would like to keep it dairy-free) Green beans-Green beans are cooked along with pork chops. I could use other veggies as well but the cooking time needs to be adjusted. Salt and pepper– To season the veggies.
Step 1– Season beans with salt and pepper. We are not adding any other seasoning, as there is also dripping from the pork chops. Arrange green beans around the corner of the tray leaving space at the center for the chops. Step 2- Mix melted cooled-down butter, Cajun seasoning, and honey. Apply Cajun honey marinade on both the sides generously. And put it in the oven to bake. It’s a good idea to use a meat thermometer to avoid overcooking. After baking for 10 minutes, flip and broil for 4-5 minutes. They’re ready to come out of the oven when the thickest part of the chop reaches an internal temperature of 145 F.
How long to bake for Juicy Pork Chops?
Like boneless chicken breast, pork chops are notorious for getting overcooked and turning dry. Pork chops come in various thicknesses and how long it takes to bake pork chops depends on the thickness.
I usually get pork chops that are about 3/4th-inch thick. I bake them at 400 F for 10 minutes, then broil it for 4 minutes. Then loosely cover with a foil and let it rest for a good 8-10mins before slicing. Usually, each pork chop with bone weighs around 200 grams/ 7-8oz.
For thicker pork chops, I pound them with a meat mallet/rolling pin until it is 3/4th-1-inch thick and then bake as per above temperature.
I have found bone-in and boneless pork chop take almost sametime. I don’t bake them for different times.
If you cook meat often, meat thermometer is a good investment.
Reheating – Pork chops will dry out a little bit upon reheating. Here is what I do to avoid overcooking the chops while reheating. Take out the chops and keep it on the kitchen counter for the chops to com close to room temperature. Then reheat in a microwave or skillet low and slow.
What to serve?
You already have veggies and pork chops baked together, all you need is to pair it with some carbs. My first preference will always be creamy mashed potatoes. For a more indulgent dinner, these Scalloped Potatoes or Baked Mashed Potatoes with Sage butter would also be great. Rice is another carb you can serve with. Plain white rice, Herbed Garlic Butter Rice or Mushroom Rice are a few options to choose from.
