This easy pork chop recipe is one of my favourites! The peppercorn sauce is plate-licking good and is perfect when you’re craving a restaurant-quality pork chop with a classic peppercorn gravy at home. Enjoy this delicious sauce with bone-in or boneless pork chops.

pork chops with peppercorn sauce in serving dish with fork

This delicious creamy peppercorn sauce is also very adaptable, by switching up the wine (or omitting it altogether, if you prefer) and adding as much or as little pepper as you’re comfortable with.

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Ingredients and substitutions

A few notes about the key ingredients …

Pork Chops – nice, thick, bone-in pork chops are the perfect choice for this peppercorn sauce. That said, this sauce will work nicely with any pork chop, bone-in or boneless. Only the cooking time will change.

Peppercorns – you can use black peppercorns, or a mixture of red, green and black if you happen to have that on hand. Starting with whole peppercorns allows for larger bits of pepper. Do be sure to crush the peppercorns though. You can use a mortar and pestle if you have one or if not, put the peppercorns in a little zipper bag and whack them with a rolling pin. Don’t whack too much though. You don’t want powdered pepper. You really just want them not to be whole. Large pieces are fine. Adjust the amount of pepper in the sauce to your taste.

Wine – As mentioned above, you can vary the wine depending on what you have on hand. White or red is fine, or even some nice dry Marsala wine works well. Same with the broth choice. I prefer chicken broth with white wine, myself, but beef broth (especially with red wine) is also nice.

If you prefer to cook without wine, simply replace the wine with additional broth.

Cream – Dairy free? This sauce is still lovely without the cream at the end, so if you’re avoiding dairy (or just don’t have cream on hand), just skip it!

How to brine pork chops

When it comes to pork chops, I quickly learned that the secret to a great pork chop is to brine them. Here’s how to do it!

1/4 cup kosher salt (or 2 Tablespoons of fine table salt)
2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
2 cups boiling water
2 cups cold water

Dissolve the salt and brown sugar with 2 cups of boiling water, then add 2 cups of cold water to the mixture, which will cool it. Check the temperature of the brine and be sure your brine is not too warm when adding your meat. Allow to cool a bit more if necessary.

Add brine to a container deep enough to hold all the brine and allow you to submerge your pork chops. You may need to put a weight on top to keep them down in the brining liquid. Cover with plastic or foil wrap and always refrigerate while brining. Ideally, brine for 8 hours for every inch of thickness of pork, so a 1-inch thick pork chop brines for 8 hours or a 1/2-inch pork chop for 4 hours. That said, even a short brining of 30 minutes is beneficial.

Once your pork chops have brined, rinse several times to remove any surface salt and dry well.

pork chops with peppercorn sauce in serving dish with fork

Recipe tips!

  • While I’m sold on the benefits of brining my pork chops, it is an optional step. As noted above, though, if you can squeeze in even a short brining time (even 30-45 minutes), it’s worth it.
  • If you own a cast iron skillet, it should definitely be your cooking pan of choice for this dish :)
  • Don’t forget to salt your sauce at the end. While pepper is the star here, the sauce needs a good salting to really round out the flavours.
  • These pork chops are lovely served with mashed potatoes or a baked potato and a green vegetable such as broccoli or green beans.
  • This peppercorn sauce is also great with steak!

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pork chops in peppercorn sauce in dish with fork

Get the Recipe: Pork Chops with Peppercorn Sauce

Beautiful restaurant-style thick bone-in pork chops, served with a delicious, lick-the-plate-clean creamy peppercorn sauce.
4.96 stars from 24 ratings
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 bone-in centre cut pork chops, one-inch thick and brined if you like *See Note 1 below
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons (20 g) butter
  • 1 Tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons (15 g) all-purpose flour

Creamy Peppercorn Sauce:

  • 1 Tablespoon (14 g) butter
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) shallots or onion, very finely chopped
  • 2 – 3 teaspoons crushed peppercorns, from whole black peppercorns
  • 1/4 – 1/3 cup (60-75 ml) red or white wine, or dry Marsala wine
  • 1 cup (240 ml) chicken or beef broth
  • 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 – 3 thyme sprigs, or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) heavy whipping cream (35% b.f.), or lighter cream and add more thickener (can omit for dairy-free)
  • salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

To thicken gravy (add only as much as needed):

  • 2 Tablespoons (15 g) cornstarch
  • 1 Tablespoon (15 ml) cold water

Instructions
 

  • Tip! Brining pork chops is a great way to improve the finished texture of your chops. See the complete instructions for brining pork chops above this Recipe Card. Recipe timing does not include the time for the optional brining.
  • Preheat oven to 400F. (non-convection/not fan assisted)
  • Heat the olive oil and butter in an oven-proof or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Pat the pork chops dry and season with salt and pepper. Scatter flour on a plate and dredge the pork chops lightly on both sides. Sear chops in a hot skillet until lightly golden on both sides. Pop the skillet with pork chops into the preheated oven and cook until pork reaches 135F, about 10-12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chops. (Note that this is a little less than the typically recommended 145F internal temperature for pork because it will cook a bit further on the stove-top and as it rests, it will get to the recommended 145F in the end.)
  • Remove the skillet from the oven and place it over medium-high heat on the stovetop. Quickly brown the chops on the stove-top, then remove to a plate to rest.
  • In the hot skillet, melt the 1 Tablespoon of butter, then add the onions and peppercorns. Cook, stirring, until onions are golden, about 1 minute. Add the wine and cook, stirring until mostly evaporated, about 1 minute. Add the broth, Dijon mustard and thyme sprigs. Reduce the heat to medium heat and allow the sauce to simmer/reduce for a few minutes. Add the cream and stir in. Taste the sauce and add salt, as needed.
  • To thicken the gravy, make a cornstarch slurry by stirring together the cornstarch and water in a small bowl until smooth. Add the cornstarch mixture to the simmering gravy a bit at a time, stirring between additions, until the desired thickness is achieved.
  • Spoon the hot peppercorn sauce over pork chops to serve. Finish with a generous grind of freshly ground black pepper.

Notes

Note 1: You can use any pork chop, bone-in or boneless, with this delicious peppercorn sauce, but keep in mind that the oven time will vary depending on the type and thickness of the pork chop. Bone-in pork chops typically take a bit longer to cook through!
Tips!
You can use whole black peppercorns, or green peppercorns, red peppercorns or a mixture, if you like. Crush with a mortar and pestle or place in a zipper plastic bag and smash with a rolling pin.
White wine works well with chicken broth, while red wine is best paired with beef broth, but you can mix and match, as you like.
Cream is optional and can be omitted for a dairy-free peppercorn sauce. 
For a little extra flavour, a bit of alcohol to flavour the sauce, such as brandy or cognac, would not be out of place.
The peppercorn sauce recipe is also great with steak!
Be sure to read the notes above this Recipe Card for more tips on making this recipe!
Cuisine: American, Canadian
Course: Main Course
Author: Jennifer Maloney
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 578kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 51g, Fat: 41g, Saturated Fat: 19g, Cholesterol: 234mg, Sodium: 717mg, Potassium: 962mg, Vitamin A: 950IU, Vitamin C: 10.6mg, Calcium: 73mg, Iron: 2.4mg
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