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Skillet Barbecue Pork Chops

Store-bought barbecue sauce and stovetop cooking make the summery taste of barbecue pork chops weeknight quick and easy.
Cuisine American
Servings 3 to 4

Ingredients

  • 3 or 4 pork chops (see Kitchen Notes)
  • 1/4 cup table salt (or more—see Kitchen Notes)
  • 1 quart water (or more—see Kitchen Notes)
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • olive oil
  • 1/2 cup barbecue sauce (see Kitchen Notes)
  • 1/2 cup water

Instructions

  • Arrange chops in a glass baking dish in a single layer (or place in a bowl if they won’t fit in a baking dish). Make the brine—mix 1/4 cup of salt into 1 quart of water. Pour the brine over the chops, making sure they’re completely submerged. If not, mix more brine, using the same salt-to-water ratios and pour it over the chops. Brine the chops on the counter for 30 minutes. (You can also pop it in the fridge to brine, but we like letting the chops come to room temperature before cooking.)
  • Pat chops dry with paper towels and season them with pepper. Heat olive oil in a large, heavy skillet (we used a nonstick sauté pan, but some like cast iron skillets) over medium-high heat. Add the chops to the pan and cook undisturbed on one side until nicely browned and slightly charred in places, about 6 to 8 minutes. Turn the chops and brown them on the other side for 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer chops to a plate and reduce heat under the pan to medium-low.
  • Mix 1/2 cup of barbecue sauce with 1/2 cup of water and add to the pan. Return chops to the pan along with any accumulated juices, turn once or twice to coat with sauce on both sides, then cover the pan and cook until chops are cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. An instant read thermometer should read 145ºF when inserted into the thickest part of the chop.
  • Plate chops and pass the sauce around for spooning over the chops.

Kitchen Notes

Choosing your chops. Boneless or bone-in chops both work. You want them at least 1 inch thick. The sauce will accommodate 3 to 4 chops.
Making the brine. You need enough brine to submerge the chops completely. If 1 quart of water and 1/4 cup of salt aren’t enough, make more brine using the same salt-to-water ratio. As long as the ratio’s the same, it won’t over-salt the chops.
Picking your sauce. Besides the pork chops, the barbecue sauce is the main ingredient. Choose well. Read ingredients, looking for actual food names, like tomato puree, distilled vinegar, sugar, molasses, salt, spices and such. Steer clear of things like high fructose corn syrup, often the first or second ingredient in too many bottled sauces.