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Smothered Pork Chops {Slow Cooker}

Perfect for any time of day, this recipe delivers great flavor effortlessly.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
8 hrs 15 mins
Total Time
8 hrs 50 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 338 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 5 5 slices Bacon chopped
  • 6 6 bone-in pork loin chops about 3/4-inch thick
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 2 yellow onions peeled, halved and sliced into 1/2-inch thick half moons
  • 1 1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
  • ¼ ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons cold water
  • 3 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 3 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 2 bay leaves
  • 1 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
  • 2 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. In a large skillet over medium heat, fry bacon until lightly browned, about 5-6 minutes. Transfer bacon to a plate lined with paper towels, leaving the drippings in the pan. If you have more than 2 tablespoons drippings, drain the excess. If you don’t have quite that much, supplement with canola oil. When the bacon is cool, transfer to a small bag or tupperware and refrigerate until later.
  2. Heat the skillet with the drippings over medium or medium-high heat until rippling and hot. Meanwhile, pat pork chops dry with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook pork chops until they are golden brown on each side, about 2 minutes per side, cooking them in batches in the skillet if your skillet isn’t big enough to hold all six at a time in a single layer. When golden on each side, transfer the chops to the slow cooker and repeat with remaining pork.
  3. Pour off all but 1 teaspoon of fat from the skillet; add onions, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup water to empty skillet. Using a wooden spoon, scrape browned bits from bottom of the pan and cook over medium-high heat until onions are soft, about 4-6 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour onion mixture over chops in the slow cooker. Add broth, soy sauce and remaining 1 tablespoon brown sugar to skillet, bring to a boil and add bay leaves. Pour mixture over onions in slow cooker.
  4. Cover slow cooker and cook on low until pork is tender, about 8 hours (or cook on high for 4 hours).
  5. When ready to serve, carefully transfer chops to serving platter with a large spoon and tent with foil. Discard bay leaves and pour liquid through a mesh strainer into a saucepan, reserving the solids. Transfer solids to a food processor or blender with 1 cup liquid and blend until smooth. Stir the blended mixture back into remaining liquid in the saucepan. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and remaining 2 tablespoons water together in a small bowl and stir into sauce. Cook over medium heat until thickened and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar, season with salt and pepper, pour over chops and sprinkle with reserved bacon and parsley. Serve.

Notes

  • Serving: I like to serve these smothered pork chops over rice or mashed potatoes.
  • Gravy: if the gravy in the last step doesn’t thicken well, mix another tablespoon of cornstarch to 2 tablespoons cold water and add it to the hot liquid. Let it come to a boil to ensure it thickens properly.
  • Pork: finally, I have doubled the pork in this recipe and kept all the other ingredients the same and there was plenty of gravy to smother the doubled pork.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1 Serving Calories 338kcal (17%) Carbohydrates 9g (3%) Protein 35g (70%) Fat 17g (26%) Saturated Fat 6g (30%) Cholesterol 102mg (34%) Sodium 392mg (16%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 3g (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 338

% Daily Value*

Serving 1 Serving
Calories 338kcal 17%
Carbohydrates 9g 3%
Protein 35g 70%
Fat 17g 26%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Cholesterol 102mg 34%
Sodium 392mg 16%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 3g 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.