Oven Baked Marinated Pork Chops

Marinated Pork Chops in Oven

Oven cooking is best suited for pork chops with a higher fat content. For very tender baked pork chops look for cuts that are well marbled - they usually come from the pork shoulder and collar areas (known as pork shoulder blade chops, pork butt chops or collar (neck) chops). These will not dry out but rather the melting fat will flavor and moisten the meat while in the dry oven heat. This is what this recipe is written for.

If you however intend to bake leaner pork chops - by all means brine them first, then marinate them. Here is a useful Pork Chop Brine recipe. If you don't, they will dry out quite fast. It is also helpful to start by briefly searing them in a hot pan and then transferring them to the oven.

If you are unfamiliar with the mechanics of brining vs marinating you will most likely find this post helpful - Brine, Marinate or Both

TIP: For custom sized and thick pork shoulder chops buy a whole pork shoulder and carve them out yourself from the best marbled area. This is also a very cost effective method.

Pork Chops Marinade Options

For this post the marinade we are using is Cuban mojo - a very flavorful concoction of neutral oil, citrus juice (lime and orange), dried oregano, minced garlic, cumin and salt. It sings with flavor!

Otherwise, there are of course many Pork Marinade Recipes from around the world, but as a rule of thumb use the following loose guideline to compose your own unique pork marinade:

3 parts fat : 1 part acid : all other ingredients to taste (herbs, spices, sweeteners such as honey, aromatics such as lemon zest, garlic, shallots etc.)

Workflow for Marinated Baked Pork Chops

• Prep. Trim any excess fat. Mix the marinade of your choice and rub it into the pork chops, coating well all over. Refrigerate covered (use an airtight, non-reactive container or a zip lock bag).
• Season and bake. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easer clean up. Arrange the pork chops and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes then flip them over and season the other side as needed. Continue baking to finish cooking them or broil them for an appetizing golden brown finish on top.
• Rest. Once you take the pork chops out of the oven tent them with foil or cover with another sheet pan to keep them warm while they are resting. Rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

How Long to Cook Pork Chops in Oven ?

The total time depends on the size and thickness of the pork chops, whether they are boneless or not and how strong your oven tends to be.

Bake shoulder blade pork chops until the internal temperature reaches at least 145 F. Total time should take between 20 and 30 minutes. 

• Boneless shoulder/collar chops will be done faster than bone-in.
• Thinner chops will be done faster than thicker ones.

You can allow (in fact we like to do so) pork shoulder chops to bake all the way to 170-180 F because even more of the fat is rendered and they finish even tastier and much more tender.

Other Recipes You Might Enjoy

How to Brine Pork Chops | Pork Ribeye Chops  | Pork Chop Marinade Recipes | Oven Baked Pork Steak | Oven Baked Lamb Chops | Oven Pork Spare Ribs with BBQ Sauce | Baked Chicken Legs