Perfect Cream of Mushroom Pork Chops - Tender & Juicy (2024)

These boneless pork chops in cream of mushroom soup come together fast and with little effort. A fulfilling weeknight dinner is guaranteed.

About This Pork Chops with Cream of Mushroom Soup Recipe

This pork chop recipe delivers a dish that sits at the apex of flavor and convenience. Add the fact that you use a single pan and that everything happens on the stove top in less than twenty-five minutes of cook time and you may have just found your new favorite way to put together a quick pork chop dinner.

Consider the recipe as a friendly set of guidelines, you can easily make substitutions to the already minimal list of ingredients and if you so wish can elaborate on the dish and make the cream of mushroom soup (sauce) from scratch. Consult the ideas and instructions just above the recipe card.

What is Cream of Mushroom Soup?Cream of mushroom soup is essentially a roux base thinned with a dairy product such as milk or cream and with mushrooms or mushroom broth added. It is widely sold as condensed soup in cans and is often used as an ingredient to comfort food dishes such as casseroles.

Cream of Mushroom Pork Chops Ingredients

Pork chops. Use thin boneless pork chops trimmed of excess fat but with a bit remaining for better taste.

Flour, salt and pepper. The flour is optional and you can substitute all purpose flour with a gluten free mix or chickpeas flour. You need only a bit to create a better quality sear.

Butter and olive oil. To sear the boneless pork chops in - butter for flavor and olive oil to prevent the butter from burning.

Cream of mushroom soup. Use a good quality condensed soup - this the backbone of flavor for this dish.

Heavy cream. The best dairy medium to add to the condensed soup. It's high fat content makes it very simmer friendly (it will not break) and its rich taste and silky consistency createa a better sauce. You can substitute with whole milk or half and half but the results are far superior if you use heavy cream. You will not need a thickener such as a slurry.

Seasonings and garnish. We like the combination of garlic powder and onion powder to enhance the sauce flavor and a simple chopped fresh Italian parsley garnish. You can also add dried or fresh thyme, umami seasoning (usually based on dried, ground mushrooms). etc.

Why Do Thin Boneless Pork Chops Work Best?

For this recipe you really do not want to dance around bone-in pork chops even if thin cut. Nor do you need the added flavor derived from the bone and attached fat.

It is much easier to go with thin boneless pork chops aka pork cutlets, especially if cut from the naturally tender center loin. They are easier to handle and cook quite fast.

What is the Secret to Making Tender Pork Chops?

The secret to making tender pork chops is to cook them low and slow. Using moist heat is one the best ways to not overcook lean and thin pork chops and enjoy tender and juicy meat.

That being said you can enlist a few other helpful tenderization methodsto ensure a perfect result every time.

• To tenderize pork chops quickly, especially when a thin cut such as we work with here is concerned, nothing beats a meat mallet. So if you have the time, do pound your chops to break up the muscle fibres a bit.

• Brine them to allow the salt to tenderize the meat as well as to infuse the pork with moisture which will help immensely during cooking. Here is how to brine pork chops.

• Sear them on high heat first to lock in the moisture and then proceed with the low and slow action.

How to Make Pork Chops with Cream of Mushroom Soup

Gather all your ingredients and follow the steps illustrated below. You can also watch the video demonstrating the workflow.

For best results use a meat mallet as shown and a large, deep frying pan or cast iron skillet for which you have a lid or simply a round baking sheet that can cover it.

Prep the boneless pork chops. Mix flour, kosher salt and black pepper and set aside. Pound the pork cutlets on both sides with a meat mallet to tenderize them. Dredge them in the flour mixture and shake off excess. Set aside.

Sear. Over medium-high heat melt some butter and add olive oil. Working in batches sear the chops on both sides just enough to create a thin crust. Set the browned pork chops aside.

Make the cream of mushroom soup sauce. Lower the heat to medium-low and add the condensed cream of mushrooms soup. Immediately pour the heavy cream, give a stir, then add the garlic and onion seasonings. Whisk together until smooth and bring to simmer.

Simmer. Slide in the pork chops and add all the juices collected on the plate. Cover the frying pan with a lid leaving just a bit of space on one side. Simmer to cook the pork chops through, about 5-6 minutes. Garnish with parsley and season as needed after tasting the sauce.

Should you worry about internal temperature for cream of mushroom pork chops?

If you follow the recipe as written - not really. You do want them to be cooked to 165 F which is the food safe temperature for this pork cut and you are welcome to use a meat themometer to check they got there. The good news is that as thin as they are this will happen as the direct result of simmering them covered for the recommended 5-6 minutes.

Serve Boneless Pork Chops Cream of Mushroom Soup

If you feel an urge to grab a piece of crusty fresh bread and go for the sauce and pork chops right away, we couldn't blame you. Done this too many times...

If you are willing to plan ahead you could prepare in reasonable time (start before you approach this recipe or have someone help you):

• mashed potatoes
• simple boiled or steamed white rice or brown rice
• fries
• steamed vegetables
• short egg noodles tossed in a bit of olive oil and butter
• garlic green beans
• boiled potatoes with parsley
• sauteed broccolini
• pan-fried asparagus
• white asparagus

Storage and Reheating Leftovers

Thin boneless pork chops are not reheat friendly. Because they are so lean reheating them will cause the meat to become tougher. It is best to cook only as many as you will need for dinner and not have leftovers.

That being said if you do end up with leftovers allow them to cool down completely and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Up to 3 days is reasonable.

To reheat them use a non-stick pan over a medium-low heat stove top burner and keep them covered to trap and circulate moisture from the sauce and meat. You could add a splash of heavy cream to improve the sauce consistency.

Recipe Variations

If you have more time to dedicate to your cream of mushroom pork chops you can add fresh mushrooms, onions (or both) and even make your own cream of mushroom soup sauce from scratch. Here are a couple of ideas with instructions.

• Mushrooms and Garlic. Once you have removed the seared pork chops from the pan, keep the heat on medium-high and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add about 2 cups of sliced mushrooms and saute for about 2 minutes stirring frequently. Lower the heat to medium and stir in 2 cloves minced garlic. As soon as the garlic is fragrant add the cream of mushroom soup and proceed with the recipe as written.

• Mushrooms and Onions. Do the same as above but add half an onion, diced or sliced thin instead of garlic and saute for another 2 minutes before you add the cream of mushroom soup.
• Cream of mushroom sauce from scratch. You will need 1 cup of heavy cream and 1 tablespoon of chicken base instead of the can of soup. (Stir in the chicken base into the heavy cream before you begin cooking). Once you have seared and set aside the pork chops add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan and saute 2 cups of sliced mushrooms. Deglaze with ¼ cup of white wine. When wine evaporates add the heavy cream with the chicken base. Lower the temperature and once the mushrooms are simmering in the cream add the pork chops back in, cover and allow to finish cooking.

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