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This pork chops and rice recipe is simple, as it’s made in the skillet and it’s loaded with flavor! Golden, perfectly seared bone-in pork chops nestle right into creamy, parmesan-studded rice that’s built on a foundation of pan drippings, toasted rice, and savory chicken stock. It’s the kind of weeknight dinner that tastes like you tried way harder than you actually did.
See recipe card below for full list of measurements, ingredients, and instructions.
Why This Recipe is So Good
- The rice cooks right alongside the pork, absorbing all that gorgeous fond and stock into every single grain. Protein, starch, and incredible flavor, all from one skillet. Cleanup is a total afterthought.
- Feel good serving this recipe for rice and pork chops to your family! This dish is genuinely balanced and satisfying. Pork chops are a solid source of lean protein (around 25 grams per chop), and paired with long-grain rice and parmesan, you’ve got a complete, filling meal.
- It’s done in about 40 minutes with easy-to-find ingredients. Smoked paprika, Worcestershire, thyme, a good knob of butter — nothing fancy, but the combination punches way above its weight. I love a dish where all you need to do is pull what’s already in your pantry!
What You Need to Know Before You Start
- Grab a fresh stack of paper towels and press firmly on all sides of the chops before they go into the pan. Moisture is the single biggest enemy of a good sear; even a little surface liquid turns that all-important high heat into steam, and you end up with gray, sad pork instead of golden-crusted chops. So, blot, season, and sear in quick succession for the best results!
- When rice hits a hot pan with fat, a magical reaction kicks in: starches caramelize, nutty flavor develops, and each grain forms a slight barrier that helps it absorb liquid without turning mushy. Famous chefs have championed this technique for long-grain varieties, and the difference is noticeable. 2 minutes of stirring over medium heat until you smell that warm, nutty aroma is so worth it.
- Resist the urge to lift the lid once the rice starts cooking. Trapped steam is what cooks rice evenly from top to bottom, so set your timer, cover tightly, and don’t touch it until the 10-minute mark for boneless chops or 12 minutes for bone-in. Your patience will be rewarded with perfectly cooked rice every single time.
Recipe Variations
Swap the Protein: Bone-in chicken thighs work beautifully here — increase the covered cook time to 18-20 minutes on low and verify they reach 175°F-185°F internally before serving.
Add Vegetables: Stir in a handful of frozen peas during the last 2 minutes of cooking for color and sweetness. Sliced mushrooms sautéed alongside the onion also work really well.
Change Up the Cheese: Pecorino Romano adds a sharper, saltier note. Gruyère melts even more smoothly and brings a subtle nuttiness that’s so dang delicious.
Add Brightness: A squeeze of lemon juice and a little lemon zest stirred in with the Parmesan at the end lifts the whole dish. Trust me here — it’s good.
Spice it Up: Add ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes to the spice mixture for a little heat that plays beautifully off the savory, creamy rice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Season pork chops with smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper, then sear in a hot skillet. Build the rice in the same pan using the drippings, toast the rice with the onion and garlic, and add chicken stock. Nestle the pork chops on top, cover, and cook on low for 10 to 12 minutes, and then finish with freshly grated parmesan.
Boneless chops work great; just start checking at the 10-minute mark, since they cook faster than bone-in chops. Thin boneless chops can dry out quickly, so use an instant-read thermometer and pull them the moment they hit 145°F.
Long-grain white rice is strongly recommended for this recipe. Short-grain or jasmine rice will change the texture, and instant rice will turn mushy. If you want to use brown rice, increase the stock to 3 cups and the covered cook time to 35-40 minutes.
Add about ¼ cup more chicken stock, replace the lid, and cook for another 3-5 minutes on low. This usually means either the heat was a touch too high (so the liquid cooked off before the rice was done) or the lid wasn’t fitting tightly enough to trap the steam (it happens!).
More Fast One-Pan or Skillet Recipes
- Easy Egg Roll in a Bowl with Coleslaw Mix
- Healthy Enchilada Skillet
- Weeknight Skillet Banh Mi Rice Bowls
- Chicken Philly Cheesesteak Skillet
- Easy Shakshuka Recipe (Poached Eggs in Tomato Sauce)
- One Pan Mexican Chicken and Rice
- One Pan Spinach Artichoke Chicken Orzo
- Creamy Marry Me Chicken With Orzo Skillet
- Greek Chicken Skillet with Orzo, Feta, and Spinach
- Creamy Cajun Chicken Skillet
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions or variations listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Easy Skillet Pork Chops and Rice
Equipment
- 12-inch deep skillet with tight fitting lid (or braiser with tight-fitting lid)
- Instant-read meat thermometer
- small mixing bowl
- Wooden spoon or silicone spatula
- Tongs
Ingredients
Spice Mix
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Pork Chops
- 4 pork chops, bone-in, about 1 inch thick (see Notes)
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil (avocado oil, rapeseed oil, or macadamia oil)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
Rice
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1½ cups long-grain white rice
- 2½ cups chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 4 stems fresh thyme (or ½ teaspoon dried thyme)
- ½ cup parmesan, freshly grated
Instructions
Season and Sear the Pork Chops
- Pat 4 pork chops completely dry with paper towels. In small bowl, mix 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Season both sides of chops generously with spice mixture. Let chops rest at room temperature while heating pan.
- Heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil and 1 tablespoon butter in large, deep 12-inch skillet or braiser over high heat until just barely smoking. Add pork chops in single layer, working in batches if needed to avoid crowding.
- Sear 90 seconds to 2 minutes per side until deep golden crust forms — centers should still be raw. Transfer to plate and set aside. Do not wipe pan.
Build the Rice Base
- Reduce heat to medium. Add finely diced yellow onion to pan drippings and cook, stirring occasionally, 4-5 minutes until softened and beginning to turn golden.
- Add 4 minced garlic cloves and remaining 1 tablespoon butter and cook 60 seconds until fragrant.
- Add 1½ cups long-grain white rice to pan and stir to coat every grain in drippings. Toast 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until rice smells nutty and looks slightly opaque.
Cook and Finish
- Pour in 2½ cups chicken stock and 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, scraping up every bit of fond from bottom of pan. Add 4 stems fresh thyme (or ½ teaspoon dried thyme). Bring to boil. Taste liquid and adjust salt if needed.
- Nestle pork chops on top of rice along with any juices collected on plate. Reduce heat to low, cover tightly, and cook 10-12 minutes until rice is tender and has absorbed most of liquid but still looks slightly creamy and loose.
- Remove from heat. Transfer pork chops to cutting board and let rest 3-4 minutes.
- Remove thyme stems and stir ½ cup freshly grated parmesan into rice. Serve rice straight from pan, topped with pork chops.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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Sorry, I can only give a 3-star rating for this one. I made the 4 serving version today and followed the recipe. It took significantly longer to cook than suggested in the recipe and like another reviewer I found the rice mixture very soupy. I also found the rice mixture quite bland and feel it needs something added for colour along with some additional seasonings. Sorry for my low rating but thanks for sharing your recipe.
Oh no, we’re so sorry to hear this! Be sure to let us know if you try it with any favorite seasonings next time!
Easy to make. The best part is there is never any leftover…It’s GONE
We love to hear that!! Thanks for sharing! 😊
This is the second time I’ve fixed this recipe, loved it then and I’m sure it will be delicious today. (I am using boneless pork ribs ) Merry Christmas
We hope everyone loved it! 😊
how do i make this recipe lactose free? Thank you
Hi Patricia! You could use vegan or dairy-free versions of cream of mushroom soup and cream of chicken soup. Let us know if you try it!
Really simple dish to make! Had leftovers for lunch the next day!
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing! 😊
We made this and it was good but the rice was undercooked or it had a lot of hard pieces still. I’m not a very skilled cook what can I do better next time? Used glass dish and had it in for an hour. Did the 4 serving size
I’m so sorry, William! An hour in the oven may have been too long, especially if you halved the ingredient amounts. It sounds like the rice may not have had enough moisture, or maybe it wasn’t mixed well enough with the soups and the broth. If any grains of rice weren’t fully saturated, they would have just toasted in the oven rather than cooking and softening. If you give this one another try at the 4 serving size, be sure to mix everything really well, and add a little more broth if the rice mixture seems dry.
So I followed the recipe exactly and it tastes great but the rice mixture came out more like a soup so I put it in a pot and boiled it down some more still soupy but edible… Don’t know what I did wrong but not going on my rotation… Everyone ate it and thanked me for dinner but no one was asking me to make it again… Too bad some you win some you don’t thanks for sharing it !!!
So sorry to hear it wasn’t quite what you wanted! We suggest that if it comes out too soupy, to allow the dish sit 10 to 15 minutes before serving, and the rice will continue to soak up the liquid. Let us know if you try it again!
I made this tonight and added sautéed mushrooms, onions and garlic. I sprinkled parsley on top before baking and used sage on the chops. It was great!
Yumm, your additions sound perfect! So glad you enjoyed it, Nancy. 🙂
Made this for tonight’s dinner and it was delicious. Everyone loved this and not much leftovers. Recipe awesome, easy to follow directions and provided great ingredients required. This feed 4 grown adults.
So glad everyone enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing, Randy. 🙂