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These creamy garlic pork chops are smothered in a garlic cream sauce with whole garlic cloves! This recipe is quick and easy to make in about 30 minutes.
Love creamy recipes? You may also like my Creamy Pork Tenderloin Medallions.
Why you’ll love it
If you’re fan of my popular Creamy Garlic Chicken recipe and also like pork, you may want to try this recipe. I tweaked the sauce a bit to make it work with pork chops. Garlicky goodness. These pork chops are just so good and really simple to make.
Yes, there’s a whole head of garlic in here as well as garlic powder. The garlic cloves mellow out. You can eat them and they’re not overly garlicky… they taste kinda like roasted garlic. I like building layers of garlic flavor! It’s the perfect weeknight meal.
What you’ll need
- Pork chops – I use 0.75-1″ boneless pork chops seasoned generously with salt & pepper to bring out the flavor
- Olive oil and butter – for pan frying and the base of the sauce
- Garlic and garlic powder – there’s absolutely a whole head of garlic in here and garlic powder
- Flour – to thicken the sauce
- Chicken broth – more savory depth of flavor
- Lemon juice – a pop of acidity to balance everything
- Heavy cream – to make the sauce luxurious
Helpful tips
- Pork chops can easily dry out (especially boneless ones), so I highly recommend getting an instant read meat thermometer so you can check the temperature and not overcook them. Pork is safe to eat at 145F (and don’t forget the temperature continues to climb for a few minutes after you finish cooking it). It’s ok if pork is a bit pink in the middle.
- You can use either boneless or bone-in pork chops. For larger bone-in chops, you may need to sear them in two batches. If your skillet goes dry, I’d add up to 1 tablespoon extra olive oil for the second batch.
- I recommend taking the pork chops out of the fridge at least 15-30 minutes prior to starting the recipe. They will cook better this way!
How to make creamy garlic pork chops
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Season the pork with salt & pepper. Heat up the oil and some of the butter in a skillet, then sear the chops on both sides until golden. Transfer to a plate. Add the remaining butter and the garlic cloves, and cook until the garlic is lightly browned.
Push the garlic to one side of the skillet, then stir in the flour to make a roux. Pour in the broth and lemon juice, and cook until thickened. Add the cream and garlic powder, and stir until it’s dissolved in.
Return the pork to the skillet, and cook through until the sauce reduces more and the pork is cooked to 145F. Season with extra salt & pepper if needed, and top with fresh parsley if using.
Substitutions and variations
- I don’t recommend subbing the cream for a lower fat alternative as it may curdle and the sauce won’t be as thick.
- You could throw in a handful of spinach at the end before adding the pork back to the pan if you want some greens.
- Looking to make this with chicken? Try my Creamy Garlic Chicken instead.
What to serve with creamy pork chops
- They’re delicious with Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Potatoes, rice, or even pasta like my Quick Garlic Butter Noodles.
- For veggie options, try my Easy Roasted Cauliflower or Easy Roasted Green Beans.
- Craving a salad? Make my 10 Minute Easy Caesar Salad Dressing.
Leftovers and storage
- Store any leftover pork chops in the fridge in a covered container for 3-4 days.
- Reheat over a low heat slowly until warmed through so the chops don’t dry out.
- I don’t recommend freezing this one.
More delicious pork chop recipes
Questions about this creamy garlic pork chop recipe? Made it? Talk to me in the comments below! Tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram if you make this.
Creamy Garlic Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 4 pork chops see notes
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter divided
- 1 whole head garlic cloves peeled
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1/2 cup chicken broth or stock
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3/4 cup heavy/whipping cream
- Fresh parsley chopped (optional, to taste)
Instructions
- Take the pork chops out of the fridge 15-30 minutes prior to starting the recipe if possible. Season the pork generously with salt & pepper on both sides.
- In a deep skillet, add the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-high heat. Let the pan heat up for a few minutes, and once it's hot, cook the pork chops for 3-5 minutes/side or until golden (3 minutes for thinner chops and 5 minutes for pork chops up to 1" thick). Once the pork chops are done searing, transfer them to a plate.
- Add the remaining butter and the garlic cloves to the skillet. Turn the heat down to medium (or medium-low if using cast iron). Cook it, stirring fairly often, for about 3 minutes or until the garlic has somewhat browned on the outside.
- Push the garlic to one side of the pan and sprinkle the flour in (avoiding the garlic). Let it cook for around 30 seconds, and give it a stir so it's incorporated with the butter (we're making a quick roux).
- Add in the chicken broth and lemon juice. Stir and let it cook for about a minute or until the sauce is noticeably thickened.
- Add in the garlic powder and cream. Stir or whisk it until the garlic powder has dissolved.
- Add the pork back in and cook for another 3-5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened up a bit (let the sauce bubble a bit but not furiously boil) and the pork chops are fully cooked through (145F minimum). Keep in mind the pork's temperature will continue to rise once you stop cooking it, so if it's close, I'd take it off the heat and let it rest for a few minutes before serving. Season the sauce with extra salt & pepper as needed and parsley if you wish.
Notes
- It’s very easy to overcook pork and turn it into shoe leather. I highly recommend using an instant read thermometer to take the guesswork out. Pork that’s 145F and pink inside is safe to eat.
- You can use boneless pork chops like I did or bone-in. I recommend pork chops that are 0.75-1″ thick. Anything much thicker or thinner is likely to end up under or overcooked with this particular recipe since it’s finished in the cream sauce.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I added mushrooms and a sprinkle of paprika. My garlic cloves were large, I will use smaller and/or cook them longer or roast them next time. I also used half and half and there was no issue with separating.
I’m so glad you liked it! Yes, I cut mine in half since I always seem to buy giant ones haha. Glad the sauce didn’t separate.
What can you substitute the flour with if you are on a no carb diet?
Hi! Maybe a cornstarch slurry instead?
This was one of the easiest and best meals I have prepared in years. I added mushrooms as well.
I’m thrilled to hear that, Lauren!! 😀
Can you substitute for the heavy cream? I don’t have any and really want to make this!
You’d have to do some experimenting… maybe make more roux and use something with lower fat like if you have milk on hand, but let the pan cool down a bit to avoid curdling. It won’t be quite the same, though.
I’ve read that evaporated milk can be substituted because it does not cause the sauce to break. I haven’t tried it yet but intend to because I don’t often have heavy whipping cream and I do like the taste of the evaporated milk…tastes rich and I don’t think it carries as many calories…plus, it is canned milk so you can always have a can in the pantry for recipes that may call for heavy cream.
Made this last night. It was a hit with the husband!!
I added mushrooms and served it with mash potatoes and green beans on the side.
Will be trying the chicken version next time!!
So happy that he enjoyed it!! 🙂
I have made this several times and it has turned into a weekly meal in our house. We love it!! We have also made it with chicken and it worked just as good, I just made sure to cook the chicken beforehand a little longer!
That makes me so happy that it’s a regular!! 🙂 Not sure if you noticed, but the chicken version is linked in the blog post (it’s actually what inspired the pork recipe).
These were so good. One of my new favorites. I added onion to it only because I love onion. Next time I might try some wine in it.
So glad you enjoyed it!! Yes, I think it would be great with wine. Also like the onions idea!
This sounds so good, I love the simplicity of it. I will make is a little different, Mexican style. By adding Cumin, Oregano, and fresh Cilantro for finish. I also plan to saute onions, bell peppers, a Jalapeno, etc. Plus using a Nut flour instead of flour. Coconut Milk for the Cream; serving it with steamed Asparagus,with Butter and Lemon; plus, a green salad. Making it a KETO meal.
Thank you for this easy recipe!
Going to make this tonight and excited to try something different.
Did you use the same sauce for the pasta?
Yes! It’s just an example of how you could plate it. 🙂
Is it possible to use half and half instead of heavy cream? Will it make a hug difference? I have all the ingredients except for the heavy cream!
Hi Tia! My concern with half-and-half is mostly that it could curdle. I think you could try, but perhaps ensure the pan isn’t screaming hot when you add it, and let the half-and-half warm up on the counter for a bit so the temperature difference isn’t as extreme. The sauce may end up slightly thinner, but I think you should be ok hopefully.