Oven BBQ Pork Chops
Juicy, tender pork chops are baked in the oven or broiled, while coated in a tangy, smoky BBQ sauce. This fast, easy weeknight dinner is gluten-free, dairy-free and can easily be Paleo/Whole30-friendly!
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 399kcal
Ingredients
- 4 (1-1½") thick-cut pork chops, bone-in or boneless
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- avocado oil spray or olive oil spray
- 1 batch Easy Homemade BBQ Sauce (see link in notes below recipe)
Instructions
- Pat the chops dry and season with the salt, about 1/8 teaspoon per side (can be done up to an hour in advance).
- Bring the chops to room temperature. If seasoned in advance, pat dry again if necessary. Trim off any excess fat, if desired.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with avocado/olive oil spray.
- For baking: heat the oven to 400°.
- Arrange the chops on the foil. Bake for 6-7 minutes (four chops on a baking sheet shouldn't be too close together, so they should only take about 6 minutes per side. If they are snuggled up close, they may take a few minutes longer per side). Flip the chops and brush or spoon on the sauce. You'll need about 1-2 tablespoons per chop.
- Bake for another 6-7 minutes, or until the internal temperature on the chops reaches 145°.
- Cover loosely with foil and let rest for 10 minutes, then serve with more sauce (warmed up on the stove or in the microwave).
- For broiling: turn the broiler on (to high, if possible).
- Arrange the chops on the foil. Broil for 6-7 minutes (four chops on a baking sheet shouldn't be too close together, so they should only take about 6 minutes per side. If they are snuggled up close, they may take a few minutes longer per side). Flip the chops and broil for another 3 minutes. Brush or spoon on the sauce. You'll need about 1-2 tablespoons per chop.
- Broil 3 more minutes, or until the internal temperature on the chops reaches 145°.
- Cover loosely with foil and let rest for 10 minutes, then serve with more sauce (warmed up on the stove or in the microwave).
Notes
This recipe was tested with my Easy Homemade BBQ Sauce. You can use another BBQ sauce but if it has more sugar, it might burn more easily.
But unfortunately, the nutritional info could only be calculated using a generic BBQ sauce.
Neither method will really caramelize the fat running along the side of the chops. If you'd like that, heat 1-2 tablespoons avocado oil on a pan on the stove over medium-high heat. Use tongs to hold the chops up on the side and let sear until fat is browned, about 2-4 minutes per area. (If you're nimble, you could use 1 pair of tongs in each hand to hold up 2 chops so you cook all 4 at the same time.) Then proceed with the baking or broiling steps. If using an oven/broiler safe skillet, there's no need to transfer to a baking sheet.
The chops can be made up to 5 days in advance and stored in the fridge. Reheat for 1-2 minutes in the microwave, for 3-4 minutes under the broiler or for about 10-15 minutes in a 350° oven.
The chops can also be frozen, tightly wrapped, for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat as above.
Leftovers are good cold (sliced on a salad), room temperature or warm.
Nutrition
Calories: 399kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 0.03g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 1318mg | Potassium: 264mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 160IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg