When French Onion Soup meets Smothered Pork Chops, very good things happen…. These juicy pan seared pork chops are served with an incredible French Onion flavoured gravy made with caramelised onions, then topped with melted cheese to complete the French Onion experience.
Smothered Pork Chops – the French way! 😉
FRENCH ONION MEETS SMOTHERED PORK CHOPS
Whenever you see the word “smothered” in the context of food, you know you’re onto a good thing.
Whether it’s Chicken smothered in Mushroom Gravy, Steaks with Peppercorn Sauce, Salisbury Steak or Bangers and Mash with Onion Gravy, if it’s smothered then you know you’re in for a good meal.
Right??
Today’s smother sauce of choice – French Onion Gravy. ↓↓↓
There’s a juicy pork chop under there.
Promise.
THE CARAMELISED ONION
I promised you French Onion, and French Onion you shall get.
So in true French Onion soup style, we’re starting with a base of caramelised onions. 2 big onions, sliced into rounds then leisurely sautéed in butter for 15 minutes until they transform from a giant mound of eye-stinging raw onion into THIS: sweet, golden, caramelised onion. With no help from sugar at all!
INGREDIENTS IN FRENCH ONION SMOTHERED PORK
The caramelised onion makes such a fabulous flavour base, there’s very few other flavourings required for this French Onion Smothered Pork.
Butter, garlic and onion for the Caramelised Onion. Simple seasonings for the chops – garlic powder (not critical), salt and pepper. Beef broth/stock and flour to make the French Onion Gravy.
And the finishes touches: cheese to melt on top of the pork chops, and a little sprinkle of fresh rosemary.
Skip or sub the rosemary. But if you’re after a true French Onion experience, don’t skip the cheese! (I feel like I say that a lot…..🤔)
ALL MADE IN ONE SKILLET
I like to make these French Onion Smothered Chops in one skillet. Not to save on washing up, because actually, using one skillet increases the overall cook time.
One skillet means we don’t waste any flavour. Caramelise the onions first, then remove. Use the residual fat in the skillet to sear the pork chops briefly – we want them raw on the inside to finish cooking later in the French Onion Gravy.
Take the pork chops out then return the onion into the skillet to make the gravy. This way, our gravy also benefits from all those tasty brown bits left in the pan from searing the chops (called fond, if you want the technical term!).
Then finally, we return the chops into the gravy to finish cooking. It’s a two-way flavour street here – the chops soak up those tasty gravy flavours, and the juices from the chops mingles into the gravy.
As for the finishing touch, that melted cheese…
Yes it’s optional.
But around these parts, French Onion Soup without a piece of cheesy bread is just onion soup…. 😂 ~ Nagi x
PS Yes this can be made with chicken. Or beef, for that matter. Though It’d probably skip the cheese for beef.
MORE SMOTHERED COMFORT FOODS
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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French Onion Smothered Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 4 – 5 pork chops , boneless (~ 150-200g/5-7oz each) (Note 1)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
- 2 large onions , sliced into rings (brown, yellow or white)
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1.5 tbsp / 25g butter (or olive oil)
- 1 tsp oil , if needed
- Salt and pepper
- 1 cup/250ml beef broth/stock , low sodium
- 2 tbsp flour
- 4 slices cheese (Note 2)
- Finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
Instructions
- Caramelise Onions: Melt butter on medium (or medium low for strong stoves). Add onion and garlic, cook 15 minutes until golden brown and caramelised, stirring regularly (see video). Remove from skillet.
- Prepare Chops: Sprinkle chops with garlic, salt and pepper.
- Sear: Add oil into skillet if needed. Turn heat up to high. Sear chops 1 minute on each side until nicely browned but not cooked inside. Remove onto plate.
- Gravy: Turn heat down to medium. Return onion into skillet, scraping in juices. Add flour, mix.
- Add beef broth and mix until incorporated. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
- Simmer Chops in Sauce: When it comes to a simmer, give it a big stir then add pork chops.
- Top chops with cheese, cover with lid to melt and finish cooking the chops through – only 3 minutes for thin chops like I’m using. Internal temp of 160F/70C for no pink (or 155F/68C for blush of pink).
- Garnish: Remove lid, sprinkle with rosemary. Spoon over French Onion Gravy, then sprinkle with more rosemary.
- Serve immediately, over mashed potato or similar.
Recipe Notes:
Chicken: Add 1 minute to the simmer time in the gravy using boneless skinless thigh or breast. For breast, pound to 1.5cm / 2/3″ even thickness using fist, rolling pin or other pounding device prior to cooking.
Beef: Use steaks, personally I would probably skip the cheese. If about 2cm / 4/5″ thick, sear per recipe (make sure you get a good crust) then simmer for 2 minutes for medium rare, or longer to cook through more. Remove beef immediately then rest for a few minutes before serving. 2. Cheese – Gruyere, Swiss, gouda or masdaam are ideal as these cheese don’t run everywhere when melted. Mozzarella also fine, but has less flavour that the others. Cheddar, Monterey Jack, tasty cheese and similar will also work just find but they might “bleed” a bit into the gravy (not a bad problem to have actually). 3. INTERNAL TEMPERATURE OF COOKED PORK
* For a slight blush of pink: 155F/68C. I do this for tenderloin but not chops.
* For no pink: 160F/70C (I do this) 4. Thick Cut Pork Chops – cook longer, rest 5 minutes before serving. Increase the cook time in the gravy, adding water if required to adjust gravy thickness. Add the cheese towards end of cook time – only takes 1 minute to melt. 2.5cm/1″ bone-in chops will take about 5 minutes in the gravy, or until internal temperature is 155F/68C. Remove from sauce onto plate and cover loosely for 5 minutes. Internal temp will rise to 160F/70C. For blush of pink, take off stove when internal temperature is 150F/65C, after resting it will be 155F/68C. 5. Nutrition per serving, assuming 4 servings (so calories will be less if sauce is divided between 5, and there’s certainly enough!)
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
How is one supposed to work under these conditions??!!
I cooked this today using bone-in chops and plated them on a bed of colcannon. The caramelized onion gravy made the entire meal over-the-top delish, my husband finished his meal in 5 minutes and asked for more. Thank you Nagi for this beautiful recipe. 🙂
That sounds perfect Christi!! N x
Can you do this with bone in pork chops?
Hi Ashley, I talk about this in the recipe notes – N x
What a great way to cook pork chops. I made them last night for supper and my husband said, “That’s a keeper!” Thank you so much for your Fabulous recipes!
You’re so welcome Joanne, I’m so glad you enjoyed them ❤️
What a delicious dinner we enjoyed this evening. Looked good. Tasted even better. The onions? My Grandmother cooked onions like this, but didn’t call them caramelised. 50 years makes that difference😉.
Love this!!!
Love This, Thank YOU.Will make for Dinner have chops out and we Are having cooler weather so am looking forward hot meal. Dozer is keeping an Eye on YOU Want to know what Are YOU writing about him.Ok, be good YOU Two.
Another great dish from RTE & Angie! I commend you also for your very detailed Instructions and Recipe Notes. Nobody does it better than You on Pinterest.! Thank you so much.
I am making this tonight. Can you make it in the instant pot? I was going to do this and caramelize the onions and put the pork chops and broth then cook them for the amount of time pork is listed in the manual. Anyone done this?
I honestly haven’t tried Deidra! Would love to know if it works!
Tried making this tonight….took over an hour to Carmelize onions….please put this in recipe next time. I have groups hungry kids
Hi Jennifer – sorry you had issues – it definitely shouldn’t take that long, you may need to turn the heat up a little next time!
We had this for tea tonight with cauliflower mash. Absolutely the most amazing tasting meal, hubby cleaned his plate. I baked the pork after browning it and poured the sauce over to finish it off.. 10/5 stars..
YES! Sounds perfect Jo!
My husband raved about this meal and that’s rare so it must have been great however I cheated and used a can of French onion soup, sprinkle of beef stock and a dash of cream instead of caramelising the onions since I needed to use it up. Looks like I’ll be making this a lot 🙂
Sounds like you made a winner Sue!
Everyone loved this meal so much. I used extra old white cheddar cheese. SUPER YUMMY
Perfect Fiona!!!
Can I make this with pork tenderloin? In an instant pot? ha
I would like to know too.
Hi Nagi,
Thanks for this great recipe. I just don’t understand how did you caramelized the onions in only 15 minutes. It took me at least 45..!
This recipe is definitely a keeper. I usually don’t like alot of onions however, I loved this recipe. My youngest son just ate the onions mixed in with brown rice! Thank you for this!
That’s great to hear Myoki!!
One of the best new recipes I’ve made lately. My husband is a picky eater but loved it!! Will definitely put this recipe into my meal rotation. Thank you for posting this easy yet yummy recipe.
Can you use bone in pork chops?
Hi Lisa, sure can, you’d just need to adjust the cook time.
Delicious and easy to make!
If you like french onion soup this is your new “go to”. Fast easy and yummy!!!
I’m so glad you loved it Lynn!
Another great recipe from Nagi! I mastered beef stroganoff (my family favorite!) and chicken cordon bleu from Nagi 🙂 , so decided to give pork shops a try. I must say I was a bit leery about them because even when our friend ( and he is good cook) made them for us on a grill, they were still kind of tough. Nagi’s recipe is the best pork shops I have eaten so far! Super tender and juicy. Thanks a lot!
Woah that’s amazing, thanks so much Yulia!
This looks great, I would like to make it. Thanks much for posting.
I hope you do Supin! – N x