Creamy Mushroom Pork Chops (Easy 25-Minute One-Pan Dinner)- Grits and Pinecones

Name: Creamy Mushroom Pork Chops
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 ½ pounds boneless pork chops, (about ½ inch thick); ½ teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon black pepper; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 3 cups mushrooms, (sliced); ½ teaspoon thyme; ½ teaspoon rubbed sage; 1 cup chicken stock; ¼ cup heavy cream; 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar; 1 teaspoon cornstarch; 2 tablespoons water; Salt and pepper to taste; Optional: fresh thyme to garnish

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Looking for an easy pork chop dinner that’s creamy, comforting, and ready in about 25 minutes? These Creamy Mushroom Pork Chops are pan-seared until golden, then simmered in a rich mushroom pan sauce made with herbs, chicken stock, cream, and a splash of balsamic vinegar. This recipe serves four, uses one skillet, and is perfect served over mashed potatoes, rice, or buttered noodles for a quick weeknight dinner.

A pan seared pork chop topped with a mushroom pan sauce on a plate with green beans.

The first time I made these creamy mushroom pork chops, I absolutely loved the mushroom pan sauce, but the boneless pork chops turned out a little tougher than I wanted. The sauce was too good to give up on, so I headed back into the kitchen for another round of testing - and the changes I made (you can read exactly what I tested below) turned a good recipe into one I’ll happily make again and again.

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Ingredient notes and smart swaps
Easy variations
From my kitchen - what I tested and what I learned
How to make creamy mushroom pork chops
What to serve with creamy mushroom pork chops
Make ahead
Leftovers, storage, and reheating
Recipe FAQs
Sharon’s tips
More pork chop recipes
Recipe:

Ingredient notes and smart swaps

Ingredients for mushroom pork chops on a counter include heavy cream, mushrooms, balsamic vinegar and pork chops.

Boneless pork chops: I used boneless chops because they cook quickly, which is perfect for busy weeknights. If you have time, dry-brining them overnight noticeably improves both flavor and tenderness with very little extra work - see my testing notes below. Bone-in pork chops also work well but may need a few extra minutes to cook.
Mushrooms: Baby bella (cremini) mushrooms add a deeper, richer flavor than white button mushrooms, but either works beautifully.
Chicken stock: I use a full cup, which makes enough creamy mushroom sauce to generously coat the pork chops AND spoon over mashed potatoes. I like Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base instead of boxed chicken stock-I think the flavor is much better, and it’s much more convenient to make only as much as you will use.
Heavy cream: Adds richness without making the sauce overly heavy.
Thyme and sage: Fresh herbs are wonderful if you already have them, but I tested this recipe with dried thyme and dried sage and honestly thought it was delicious. I wouldn’t make a special trip to the store just for fresh herbs.
Balsamic vinegar: Just a splash balances the richness of the cream while enhancing the earthy mushroom flavor.
Cornstarch slurry: Cornstarch plus water. A quick slurry thickens the sauce without making it heavy.

Complete measurements are in the recipe card below.

Easy variations

Add onions: The recipe I adapted this from calls for onions. I leave them out because the mushrooms carry plenty of savory flavor on their own, but if your family loves onions, sauté half a thinly sliced yellow onion along with the mushrooms.
Add garlic: Sauté one or two cloves of minced garlic with the mushrooms for another layer of flavor.
Try different mushrooms: Cremini, white button, shiitake, or a combination all work well.
Add Parmesan: A handful of freshly grated Parmesan stirred into the finished sauce makes it even richer.
Make it gluten-free: This recipe is naturally gluten-free as written - just double-check your chicken stock label.
Add spinach: Stir a handful of baby spinach into the sauce during the last minute of cooking until just wilted.

From my kitchen - what I tested and what I learned

One of my favorite parts of developing a recipe is making it more than once and seeing which small changes make the biggest difference. This recipe definitely earned its extra time in my kitchen. Here’s what I tested:

Wet brine vs. dry brine, side by side. Since boneless pork chops have a reputation for drying out, I brined chops both ways and cooked them side by side.

Four pork chops, two are being dry brined, two are soaking in a wet brine.

Boneless pork chops, two being dry-brined, the two on the top soaking in a wet brining liquid.

Four pork chops, the two on the top were wet brined, the bottom two were dry brined.

The pork chops after brining. The bottom two chops were dry-brined; the top two were submerged in a wet brine. *Note: the top chops are slightly plumper.

Both methods noticeably improved flavor and tenderness compared to unbrined chops. The wet-brined chops looked slightly plumper after brining, but after cooking, the difference between the two was surprisingly small. Since the dry brine takes almost no extra work - and browned just as beautifully - it’s the method I’ll use from now on, and it’s the one in the recipe below.

More sauce. I increased the chicken stock from the original recipe’s ½ cup to a full cup so there would be plenty of creamy mushroom pan sauce to serve over mashed potatoes. This turned out to be one of my favorite improvements.

Dried herbs vs. fresh. I tested both and honestly didn’t think the fresh herbs made enough difference to justify a special trip to the grocery store.

No onions. The original recipe called for onions, but I’ve never added them-the mushrooms provide plenty of savory flavor on their own, and I think the pan sauce tastes cleaner and more balanced without them, plus it saves the extra step of peeling and chopping an onion. (If you’re an onion lover, see the variations above.)

How to make creamy mushroom pork chops

Optional but recommended - dry-brine the pork chops: If time allows, season the pork chops with kosher salt and refrigerate them uncovered overnight (up to 24 hours). Before cooking, pat them dry with paper towels and season with pepper.

Four boneless pork chops being pan seared in a skillet.

Sear the pork chops: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the pork chops and cook about 2-3 minutes per side until nicely browned. Transfer to a plate. Don’t worry if they aren’t fully cooked yet - they’ll finish in the sauce.

Cook the mushrooms: Reduce the heat to medium. Add the butter, mushrooms, thyme, and sage. Cook until the mushrooms have released their moisture and developed a little color.

Making the pan sauce for the pork chops by adding chicken stock, balsamic vinegar, and heavy cream.

Build the sauce: Stir in the chicken stock, heavy cream, and balsamic vinegar, and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Whisk together the cornstarch and water, then stir the slurry into the skillet. Cook another minute or two until the sauce thickens.

Creamy mushroom pork shops in a skillet with pan seared chops, mushrooms and a creamy pan sauce.

Finish the pork chops: Return the pork chops (along with any juices on the plate) to the skillet. Simmer gently until the thickest part reaches 145°F on an instant-read thermometer. Boneless pork chops can become dry very quickly, so don’t walk away.

Rest and serve: Remove the skillet from the heat and let the chops rest in the sauce for three minutes - this is the USDA-recommended rest for pork, and it helps the juices settle. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning, then serve with plenty of creamy mushroom sauce spooned over the top.

Serving a pork chops cooked in a mushroom pan sauce.

What to serve with creamy mushroom pork chops

That creamy mushroom pan sauce deserves something that will soak up every last spoonful. Some of my favorite sides include my: Double Baked Mashed Potatoes], buttered egg noodles, white or brown rice, or Crock Pot Cheese Grits (because you know I had to say grits!), Southern Field Peas and Snaps], or my Southern Broccoli Salad.

If you’re serving guests, add a warm slice of my Texas Toast Garlic Bread or Buttermilk Cornbread to the table. Someone will almost certainly use it to wipe the skillet clean.

Make ahead

You can dry-brine the pork chops up to 24 hours before cooking. You can also slice the mushrooms and measure the remaining ingredients earlier in the day so dinner comes together quickly.

Leftovers, storage, and reheating

Store leftover pork chops and mushroom pan sauce together in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Warm gently in a skillet over low heat or microwave at 50% power until heated through. If the sauce has thickened in the refrigerator, stir in a tablespoon or two of chicken stock or cream while reheating.
To freeze: Freeze the cooked pork chops in the sauce in an airtight container for up to 2 months, and thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Cream sauces thickened with cornstarch can separate slightly after freezing, so whisk in a splash of cream or stock while reheating gently to bring the sauce back together. I froze some of the leftover pork to use later in fried rice, and it worked beautifully.

Recipe FAQs

Do I have to dry-brine the pork chops?

No. The recipe is delicious either way, but if you have a few extra hours - or even overnight - dry brining noticeably improves both the flavor and tenderness. In my side-by-side testing, it performed just as well as a wet brine with far less work.

Can I use bone-in pork chops?

Absolutely. Bone-in chops work well but usually take a little longer to cook. As always, cook to an internal temperature of 145°F.

Why are my pork chops tough?

Boneless pork chops are very lean and can become dry if overcooked. Using an instant-read thermometer, removing them at 145°F, and letting them rest for three minutes makes a huge difference.

Can I use milk instead of heavy cream to make the mushroom pan sauce?

Heavy cream produces the richest, smoothest pan sauce. Half-and-half can work, although the sauce won’t be quite as luxurious. I don’t recommend regular milk because it’s more likely to separate.

Can I make the mushroom pan sauce ahead?

Yes. The pan sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated for a day or two. Reheat gently over low heat before adding the pork chops.

Sharon’s tips

If your pork chops are thicker than 1 inch, they may need another minute or two in the sauce. My chops were half an inch thick, and they came up to temperature very quickly.
Don’t rush browning the mushrooms. Letting them cook until they’ve released their moisture and developed a little color adds incredible depth to the finished pan sauce.
If the sauce becomes thicker than you’d like, stir in a splash more chicken stock until it reaches the consistency you prefer.
An instant-read thermometer is your best friend when cooking boneless pork chops. It’s the easiest way to avoid overcooking.
Taste the sauce before serving. Depending on the saltiness of your chicken stock (and whether you brined), you may only need a small pinch of additional salt.

More pork chop recipes

If you need more quick dinner ideas, here is a link to all of my dinner recipes.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ If you make this dish, please leave a comment and give this recipe a star rating. I would love to know how you liked it - and whether your family was as enthusiastic about spooning that sauce over mashed potatoes as mine was!

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Creamy Mushroom Pork Chops (Easy One-Pan Dinner in 25 minutes.