Baked Cajun Pork Chops
Well-baked juicy pork chops easily come top in my quick-to-make dinner list. The two ingredients marinade with spicy Cajun seasoning and honey is sweet,spicy, and give that golden caramelized crust.
Juicy Baked Pork Chops ALERT !! Like chicken breast, Pork chops are like a blank canvas, to make it taste delicious rather than bland, all you need is a terrific marinade or a sauce to smother. Another similarity is both if not baked/cooked well, will turn dry and hard. And these Baked Pork Chops in buttery Cajun honey marinade are perfectly seasoned with a moist interior. I have used bone in pork chops but boneless will work too.
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.
Reasons To Make These Pork Chops Tonight
- The marinade is super easy to make with only 2 ingredients Cajun season and Honey.
- No searing on the skillet, everything gets baked in the oven and you will also get a perfect caramelized golden crust.
- Just 20 minutes to put dinner on the tables (best part you cook the protein and veggies together).
- Make a big batch for meal prepping as it stores well in the refrigerator.
2-Ingredients marinade
As you see in the ingredients pic below, the list is pretty small and most of them are pantry staple.
- 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.
2 Steps Away From The Moist Baked Pork Chops
Before you begin, bring the pork chops to room temperature and pat it dry well.
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.
Do you need to marinate the chops?
If you have time, marinating the chops will only make it more moist and flavorful. As part of meal prep, I usually make a big batch of the marinade and toss the chops. Then divide 2 pork chops in each ziplock bag and freeze for up to 3-months.
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.
Storing Leftover
Store leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
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.
More Pork Chop Recipes
- Skillet Pork chops in sour cream
- Pork chops in creamy mushroom sauce
- Air Fryer Pork Chops
Baked Cajun Honey Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 2 pork chops bone-in or boneless (200-250 gms each, less than 1-inch thick)
- 2 tablespoons butter melted and cooled
- 1.5 -2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning (ref note 1)
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 350 grams 12 ounceGreen Beans
- Salt and pepper to season beans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 220C / 430F (standard oven) or 200C / 390F (fan forced / convection).
- If using frozen pork chops, bring them to room temperature. Pat them dry with a kitchen towel.
- Mix melted butter, Cajun seasoning, and honey.
- Trim green beans, place it in a baking tray. Lightly season it with salt and pepper. Move the green beans towards the edges making space in the middle for the pork chops.
- Apply the honey cajun butter on both sides generously. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Take out the tray from the oven. Toss the beans once. Flip pork chops and broil on the upper rack of the oven(close to the heat source) for 3-4 minutes until you see light caramelization around the edges.
- Scrap the juices on the tray, spoon over the pork and serve.
Video
Notes
- Make sure the pork chops are at room temperature before baking.
- Store-bought Cajun seasoning already has salt in it. If you are using homemade Cajun seasoning, add salt separately.
- Cajun seasoning is spicy, so adjust the quantity accordingly.
- At the end of baking, green beans might still have a little crunch to it. If you prefer well-done, then use blanched green beans instead.
- It might be tempting to bake the pork a little longer for more caramelization, but pork chops will dry out in no time so avoid overcooking. The pork chops that I have used are about 250 gms each and less than 1-inch thick. The baking time will vary depending on the thickness of the chops.
Nutrition
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