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Pork Chops with Fennel

The fennel bulbs in this weeknight-quick, one-pot meal serve as a delicious side.
Course Main Course
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 4 one-inch thick bone-in pork chops (or boneless—see Kitchen Notes)
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme, divided
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 fennel bulbs, trimmed, cored, quartered lengthwise and sliced (see Kitchen Notes for more detailed instructions)
  • 1 medium yellow onion, halved and sliced
  • 2 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine (you can substitute apple juice or water)
  • 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fennel bulb fronds
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice, plus sliced lemon wedges for serving

Instructions

  • Season chops on both sides with salt, pepper and half of the thyme. Heat oil over medium-high flame in a large, lidded sauté pan. Brown chops on both sides, about 5 or 6 minutes per side. You may need to do this in two batches to avoid crowding the chops. Transfer chops to a plate.
  • Reduce heat to medium and add fennel and onion to the pan, along with the rest of the thyme. Season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat with oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.
  • Clear a space in the middle of the pan and add the garlic. Cook garlic, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 45 seconds. Stir everything together.
  • Add wine and broth, scraping up any browned bits in the pan. Arrange chops on top of the fennel mixture, cover the pan and simmer until chops are just cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. An instant-read thermometer should register at least 145ºF in the thickest part of the chops.
  • Transfer chops to a platter. Turn off heat under pan and stir in lemon juice and fennel fronds. Serve chops alongside fennel mixture, along with lemon wedges.

Kitchen Notes

Bone-in? Boneless? We generally prefer bone-in chops because the bones help flavor the dish. But you can also use thick boneless chops.
Prepping fennel bulbs. This is how we prep them for most uses. Using a sharp knife, slice off the root end of the fennel bulb and the stalks with the fronds. Reserve the stalks and fronds. Slice the bulb in half lengthwise and peel off the tough outer layer. Cut out the inner core and slice the bulb halves crosswise into about 1/4-inch slices.