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Forget the rubbery, dry pork chops of your past. Here to restore pork chops to a level of culinary favor: moist Crock Pot Pork Chops. They’re juicy and tender, exceptionally easy, and blanketed in a luscious BBQ sauce
An Actually Delicious Slow Cooker Pork Chops Recipe
Forget the hockey puck pork chops you’ve suffered in the past.
After perfecting Grilled Pork Chops, Air Fryer 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).
5 Star Review
“This was amazing! Pork chops were moist, and the bbq sauce added great taste…..even as a gravy for mashed potatoes. Easy. I’ll be making this a lot!”
— Cindy —
The Best Cut of Pork Chops for Slow Cooking
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 (like Crockpot Ribs or Slow Cooker Pulled Pork), 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.
Best Option: Thick-cut, Bone-In Pork Chops
- Look for 1 1/4- to 1 1/2-inch thick bone-in 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.
- If your store doesn’t carry thick, bone-in pork chops, you can prepare boneless pork chops in a crock pot. Just make sure you select THICK boneless chops to ensure they do not dry out. In a crock pot, boneless pork chops cook in about 2 hours on LOW. If your slow cooker runs hot, check even earlier.
Avoid Thin, Boneless Pork Chops
- 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.
How to Make Crock Pot Pork Chops
For a from-scratch, fork-tender easy crock pot pork chops recipe without mushroom soup, look no further.
Here’s how 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. Sauce is one way to keep pork from drying out in a slow cooker. 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 chops with Sweet Baby Ray’s) or go all out with 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
- Season the pork chops on all sides.
- Spread a thin layer of BBQ sauce in the bottom of a lightly greased crockpot and top with the onions.
- Place pork chops in the slow cooker.
- Spread the remaining sauce over the chops, then cover and cook until tender and juicy.
- Let the pork rest.
- Add a slurry of cornstarch and water to the slow cooker with the remaining sauce. Whisk, cover, and set to HIGH. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens.
- Serve the chops topped with the thickened sauce and a sprinkle of green onion. ENJOY!
TIP!
To thicken the sauce faster, pour the bbq mixture into a medium saucepan or large skillet and thicken it on the stovetop.
- Whisk in the slurry, then cook on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring often until the sauce thickens.
Crock Pot Pork Chop Cooking Times
How long to cook pork chops in the crock pot will vary based on your specific slow cooker, the thickness and fat content of your pork chops, and whether you are using bone-in or boneless chops.
- 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 this recipe a starting point and not concrete law.
Knowing When Crock Pot Pork Chops are Done
- The FDA says that pork chops should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees F.
- Because the temperature of meat rises as it rests, I recommend removing pork chops from the slow cooker when they reach 140 degrees F; cover them with foil, and let them rest for 5 to 10 minutes. The carryover cooking finishes the job, and you will have much juicier results (I use this same tip with my Stuffed Pork Tenderloin and Crockpot Pork Roast).
- An instant-read thermometer is a serious help when cooking any kind of meat or seafood. It’s the best way to know when your food is ready and safe to serve.
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.
Meal Prep Tip
If you’re going to use a homemade barbecue sauce, you can prepare it up to 1 day in advance. Refrigerate the sauce until you’re ready to start the recipe.
Leftover Ideas
Serve leftover crock pot pork chops on buns for a tasty barbecue pork sandwich, over a bed of greens for a BBQ pork salad, as a Pork Quesadilla, or over egg noodles for a hearty meal.
What to Serve with Crock Pot Pork Chops
- 2 pounds THICK-CUT (1 1/4- to 1 1/2-inch-thick) boneless pork chops or bone-in pork chops* about 4 pork chops (do not use thin-cut boneless chops—just don’t)
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups barbecue sauce (try my recipe for homemade bbq sauce)
- 1 small yellow onion thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water to make a slurry
- Chopped green onion optional for serving
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In a small bowl, stir together the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle on both sides of the pork chops.
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Lightly coat a 5-quart or larger slow cooker with nonstick spray. Spread a thin layer of BBQ sauce over the bottom, then scatter the onions over the sauce.
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Add the pork chops, overlapping somewhat as needed.
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Spoon the remaining sauce over the chops so that each has a nice amount on top. Cover and cook on LOW (1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours for boneless chops and 5 to 6 hours on LOW for bone-in chops).**
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Remove the pork to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm while you thicken the sauce.
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Add the slurry to the slow cooker with the remaining sauce.*** Whisk to combine, cover the slow cooker, and set to high. Let cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, about 45 minutes to 1 hour depending upon your slow cooker.
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Serve the pork chops hot, topped with the thickened sauce and a sprinkle of green onion.
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”2qxIJJTm” upload-date=”2019-04-25T17:27:13.000Z” name=”Slow Cooker BBQ Pork Chops” description=”Slow Cooker BBQ Pork Chops. Fork tender, easy to make, and always a family favorite. Recipe works with bone-in pork chops or boneless pork chops.”]
- *INGREDIENT NOTE: Please, please DO NOT use ultra-lean, thin-cut boneless pork chops in this recipe. Even if you check early, the meat will still be dry by the time it reaches a safe internal temperature. Learn from my mistakes and buy thick-cut!
- **COOKING TIP: Your cooking time will vary based on your specific slow cooker, the thickness and fat content of your pork chops, and whether you are using bone-in or boneless chops. For your first batch, I recommend doing it on a day when you are home and can check on the chops more frequently. My thick (1 1/2-inch) boneless chops cooked in just under 2 hours. When in doubt, check the meat early to ensure it stays nice and tender.
- ***THICKEN SAUCE ON STOVETOP: Transfer the sauce to a medium saucepan. Whisk in the slurry, and then cook on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring often until the sauce thickens, 5 to 10 minutes. (If your slow cooker insert is stovetop safe, you can remove it from the slow cooker and place it directly on the burner. Do not do this unless you are POSITIVE your insert is stovetop safe or it may crack).
- TO STORE: Refrigerate pork chops in an airtight storage container 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.
Serving: 1of 4, using my homemade BBQ sauce recipeCalories: 565kcalCarbohydrates: 65gProtein: 37gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 117mgPotassium: 967mgFiber: 2gSugar: 48gVitamin A: 332IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 88mgIron: 2mg
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Frequently Asked Questions
No. Do not put frozen meat of any kind in a slow cooker. Since crock pots cook low and slow, frozen meat will take longer to cook than meat that is fully thawed. This fact is less about timing than it is about food safety. Frozen meat in a slow cooker may linger at an unsafe food temperature for too long during cooking allowing harmful bacteria to possibly grow. Always thaw your meat completely before adding it to a slow cooker.
I’ve never tried making this pork chop recipe in the oven, so it would be an experiment. That said, I have a lot of other great baked pork chop recipes. Check out Honey Garlic Pork Chops and Breaded Pork Chops.
For tender, juicy chops, cooking on LOW heat is best for pork. You can overcook pork chops in the slow cooker, so it’s important to use LOW heat. Even if you check early, with the way heat is distributed, if you cook the chops on HIGH they are likely to be dry.
No matter what, pork chops made in the slow cooker, while still fork tender, will be a little chewy. It’s because unlike Carnitas, which are made with a fattier cut of meat (usually pork shoulder), pork chops are lean.
My honest advice: adjust your expectations. As long as you don’t overcook them, these crock pot BBQ pork chops are deliciously tender, easy to cut, and a great option for an easy, filling meal.
However, if your slow cooked pork is dry and tough, it is likely because it is overcooked. Pork chops do not get more tender the longer you cook them in a crock pot. Make sure to remove the chops when they reach the proper internal temperature.
More Easy Pork Recipes
Incorporate more pork into your weekly menu with these other tasty pork recipes:
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