This recipe for Drunken Thin Pork Chops is an easy dinner idea for busy families. This is low-maintenance cooking at its finest and will give you fall-apart-tender and delicious results. Even your kids will love it — don't worry, the alcohol cooks off!
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Thin Pork Chop Recipe
Sometimes it feels like there is no time at all on weeknights, which I'm sure is the case with most American families. One thing that allows us to have a little more quality time is making dishes with minimal upfront work and then a bunch of downtime. Especially if that recipe also ends up tasting amazing. Enter, Drunken Skillet Pork Chops!
I'm calling these Drunken Pork Chops because, much like me, they love a good red wine. But I also want to emphasis that this recipe used thin sliced pork chops. And as they braise, the meat breaks down and becomes fall-apart-tender with a savory sauce you'll want to drink.
Here are even more reasons to love these stove top pork chops:
- Savory & delicious flavor
- Tender and juicy
- Easy to make
- Relax while they cook
- Family-friendly (remember, the alcohol burns off)
Ingredient Information and Substitutions
- Boneless thin cut pork chops - Start with a quality, thin-cut of meat. I'm using chops that are about ¼ inch thick. You could also use bone-in chops if they are thin enough. You'll want to avoid a thicker cut because they will be tough (the cooking time was tested to create just the right texture for a thin cut).
- Olive oil - To sauté your pork chops.
- Salt and pepper - I like to season the meat with salt and black pepper on both sides before I add it to the skillet.
- Onion - To add more savory flavor to the drunken sauce!
- Garlic - Ditto for garlic. Use 2-3 cloves for maximum flavor. I give them a quick wack to peel smash them!
- Red wine - The secret ingredient! Use wine you'd be willing to drink. Now, I know some people aren't into cooking with alcohol. If this is you, that's totally cool — no judgment, but this probably isn't the recipe for you. I have many other recipes which do not include alcohol of any sort that you'll love! That being said, don't let the term "drunken" scare you. The alcohol actually cooks off leaving you with the most fantastically savory sauce!
- Beef broth - For more added flavor in the sauce. This also works well with chicken broth.
- Tomato paste - Also used in the sauce, tomato paste brings a yummy and complex tomato taste to the mix.
How To Cook Pork Cutlets
Step 1: Season and sauté the pork chops
Heat the olive oil over medium-high in a large skillet. Pat dry and season the chops with salt and pepper on both sides. Sear each chop on both sides, then remove from the skillet for later.
Step 2: Sauté the onion and garlic
Add the sliced onion and smashed garlic to the skillet, seasoning with salt and pepper as you sauté them. Once softened, push the veggies to the sides of the pan and place your tomato paste in the middle. Sauté for 2 minutes to bring out the flavor and then stir all the veggies into it.
Step 3: Add the liquids
Pour the wine into the pan after the onion and garlic have cooked for a few minutes. Scrape up the brown bits to deglaze the pan! After a few minutes, add the beef broth. Add the chops back into the skillet and bring the mixture to a boil.
Step 4: Cover and simmer
Reduce the heat to medium so that it simmers and cover it with a lid. Allow the skillet pork chops to cook for about an hour before serving. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
I'm using olive oil for my pork chop recipes on stove top. Some recipes recommend that you use a combination of both: butter for its richness, and olive oil for its high smoke point. I personally like to keep things simple and keep the recipe lighter, but you can try to use both if you'd like.
There are many things that go into making boneless thin pork chop recipes the best that they can be! The two most optimal methods for cooking thin pork chops that are super tender is to do a lightning-fast sear on both sides or two braise them low and slow.
For this recipe, I'm going with low-and-slow for crazy-tender pork chops and the most delicious sauce.
I start by searing the chops to lock in all of the flavors and juices, so don't skip it! Then I get the sauce going and add the chops back in and cover and cook low-and-slow an hour, while letting the sauce work it's magic and break down the fibers of the meat to make them super tender.
I'll say it again: the searing step will keep your chops moist and juicy! Check during cooking and if you do find that the meat is a little on the dry side, you can add some water to the skillet as it simmers.
Tips For Making Wine Braised Pork
- I'd assume you can do thick ones in the slow cooker. I haven't tested this. I've heard from others that it won't cook the alcohol out, but I've cooked other recipes in the slow cooker with wine, and the booze definitely did cook out — it could go either way. If you do try thick chops in the slow cooker (8 hours on low is what I'd do), please leave a comment and let me know how it works out and if the booze cooked out.
- You could totally make this recipe with bone-in pork chops as long as they're thin-cut.
- I prefer to slice my onions into thin rings because I think they look prettier. I go with a thin slice — as it all braises, they kind of melt into the sauce and eventually melt in your mouth. This takes the whole sopping-it-up-with-bread thing to a whole other delicious level.
- Speaking of bread, please promise me you'll eat this with a crusty loaf of bread because that sauce is amazing and basically begs for bread to dip in it. This sauce is so tasty that you may find yourself strongly considering drinking it with a straw. No judgment. I live that life.
- Make sure you give this a full hour of braising. You can go in and stir it once in a while, but leave it covered and let it work its magic.
- If you feel like the sauce is drying out when braising add a little water to the pan.
- If you prefer a thicker gravy, you can thicken it with a slurry. Combine a few tablespoons of flour (or cornstarch) and water, then add it about 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time.
- This recipe makes 8 thin pork chops which is a good amount for our family for 4, with leftovers for me to bring for lunch. It could easily feed four adults if you're not concerned with having leftovers.
- Prep ahead: Slice onions and peel garlic.
- Leftovers and Storage: These will last up to 4 days covered in the refrigerator.
What To Serve With Stewed Pork Chops
Round out your meal with these delicious recipes:
Other Pork Recipes to Try...
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below ⬇️ and/or a review in the comment section further down. Check out my Amazon Store for all my favorite tools, including those used in this recipe. And follow @thelifejolie on Instagram and TikTok!
Drunken Thin Pork Chops
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoons olive oil,
- 1 ¼ pounds pork chops boneless (mine were around ¼ inch thick- you can also use bone-in as long as they're thin cut- my package had 8 slices)
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon Ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 medium onion, sliced into thin rings
- 2-3 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 14.5 ounce can beef broth (you can also use chicken broth if that's what you have on hand)
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- Water (optional)
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Pat the pork chops dry with paper towel and season well with salt and pepper on both sides.
- In batches, sear each chop until browned on both sides, about 1-2 minutes per side and then place them into a side plate. Make sure you don't overload the pan!
- Once all the pork chops are browned and out of the pan, add sliced onion and smashed garlic.
- Season them with salt and pepper to taste and sauté for a minute or two.
- Move the veggies to the sides of the pan and add the tomato paste to the center. Cook for two minutes stirring periodically. Then stir back in the veggies, to coat.
- Add the wine to the pan and scrape up the brown bits with a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan.
- After the wine has simmered for a minute or two, add broth. Stir well to combine and add the pork chops back into the pan. Bring it to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer for an hour, stirring periodically. If it starts to dry out, add a little water (I didn't run into this issue). Serve immediately after the hour is up.
Video
Notes
- I'd assume you can do thick ones in the slow cooker. I haven't tested this. I've heard from others that it won't cook the alcohol out, but I've cooked other recipes in the slow cooker with wine, and the booze definitely did cook out — it could go either way. If you do try thick chops in the slow cooker (8 hours on low is what I'd do), please leave a comment and let me know how it works out and if the booze cooked out.
- You could totally make this recipe with bone-in pork chops as long as they're thin-cut.
- I prefer to slice my onions into thin rings because I think they look prettier. I go with a thin slice — as it all braises, they kind of melt into the sauce and eventually melt in your mouth. This takes the whole sopping-it-up-with-bread thing to a whole other delicious level.
- Speaking of bread, please promise me you'll eat this with a crusty loaf of bread because that sauce is amazing and basically begs for bread to dip in it. This sauce is so tasty that you may find yourself strongly considering drinking it with a straw. No judgment. I live that life.
- Make sure you give this a full hour of braising. You can go in and stir it once in a while, but leave it covered and let it work its magic.
- If you feel like the sauce is drying out when braising add a little water to the pan.
- If you prefer a thicker gravy, you can thicken it with a slurry. Combine a few tablespoons of flour (or cornstarch) and water, then add it about 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time.
- This recipe makes 8 thin pork chops which is a good amount for our family for 4, with leftovers for me to bring for lunch. It could easily feed four adults if you're not concerned with having leftovers.
- Prep ahead: Slice onions and peel garlic.
- Leftovers and Storage: These will last up to 4 days covered in the refrigerator.
Tracy | Baking Mischief says
Jessy says
Suzy | The Mediterranean Dish says
Jessy says
Ali from Home & Plate says
Jessy says
Luci's Morsels says
Jessy says
Carla says
Jessy says
2pots2cook says
Jessy says
Tiffany says
Jessy Freimann says
Jane says
Jessy says
Hannah says
Jessy says
Patricia Watson says
Jessy Freimann says
Hannah says
Jessy says
Colleen says
Jessy says
Jessy says
Natalie says
Jessy says
Summer says
Jessy Freimann says
Sandy says
Jessy Freimann says
Beth says
Jason says
Jessy says
Shell says
Jessy Freimann says
Shell says
Jessy Freimann says
Sandie says
Jessy Freimann says
JoAnn says
Jessy Freimann says
Sherrice says
Jessy Freimann says
Kim says
Jessy Freimann says
Mary says
Jessy Freimann says
Patricia Watson says
Jessy Freimann says
alissia haig says
Jessy Freimann says
Kristine says
Jessy Freimann says
Lorena Beattie says
Susan N Ricketts says
Jessy Freimann says
Lorena Beattie says
Jessy Freimann says
claudia reid says
Jessy Freimann says
Thais says
Jessy Freimann says
Thais says
Tina Kopilchack says
Jessy Freimann says
Dina says
Jessy Freimann says
TippyB says
Jessy Freimann says
Kathy Filip says
Jessy Freimann says
Rona Diamondstein says
Jessy Freimann says
Brie Bohlinger says
Jessy Freimann says
Traceyakgirl says
Jessy Freimann says
Debbie says
Margaret says
Bonnie says
Ann says
Kathy says
Carol Iosue says
Barbara Dhanda says
Samuel Partee says
Barbara says
Stacy Hey says
StormWarning says
Jeffrey Parks says
Lewis says
Melissa Harrington says
Denise says
Kathleen says
Marcy says
Jessy Freimann says
Donna says
Kelly says
Hunter says
Tim says