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Overhead view of a sliced sous vide pork chop on a white plate with a simple green lettuce salad.

Sous Vide Pork Chops

This foolproof method gives you deliciously juicy and tender pork chops every single time.
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total: 1 hour 30 minutes
Yield:4 pork chops

Equipment

  • Large pot or other large, heat-resistant container
  • Sous vide immersion circulator
  • Cutting board
  • large food-safe vacuum sealing bags or large sealable food-safe storage bag
  • vacuum sealer optional, see Notes for alternative
  • Large skillet
  • Tongs
  • Meat thermometer optional 

Ingredients

  • 4 medium bone-in pork chops each approximately 1 ½ inches thick
  • salt to taste
  • pepper to taste
  • 2-4 sprigs fresh herbs of choice thyme, sage, rosemary, etc.
  • 1 clove garlic peeled, smashed
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter see Notes

Instructions

  • Fill large pot or other large, heat-resistant container with water. Insert sous vide immersion circulator and set to 140° Fahrenheit (see Notes below for alternate temperatures). Note: pot must be deep enough that water level falls between minimum and maximum indicators on circulator.
  • Lay pork chops out on cutting board. Generously season each pork chop with salt and pepper, then flip pork chops over and season other sides of each. Transfer seasoned pork chops to food-safe bag and add fresh herbs, smashed garlic, and olive oil.
    Overhead view of seasoned pork chops, sprigs of fresh herbs, and smashed garlic in a large Ziploc bag.
  • After adding ingredients, close bag and use vacuum sealer or water displacement method (see Notes) to remove as much air from bag as possible.
  • Once water bath is preheated to 140° Fahrenheit, place sealed bag in pot, making sure pork chops are entirely submerged in water. Weigh bag down with weights or silverware attached to bottom of bag if needed. Food must be fully submerged to cook properly.
  • Cook pork chops in water bath for 1 hour.
  • Toward end of 1-hour cook time, warm large skillet on stove over medium-high heat. Once pan is warm, add butter. Let butter melt completely, swirling pan periodically to coat bottom of skillet with butter.
  • Carefully remove bag of pork chops from water. Open bag and transfer cooked pork chops directly into skillet of melted butter. Sear pork chops 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown on underside, then flip pork chops over and cook another 2 to 3 minutes until other side is golden.
    Overhead view of two pan-seared pork chops in a large skillet on a wooden tabletop.
  • Transfer pan-seared pork chops to serving plates. Serve immediately with desired sides.

Notes

  • For a crispier crust, pat the pork chops dry with paper towels after removing them from the sous vide bag, before placing them in the skillet.
  • If your pork chops are thicker than 1 ½ inches, add an extra 15 minutes to the sous vide cook time for every additional ½ inch of thickness.
  • Water Displacement Method: If you don’t have a vacuum sealer, place your ingredients in an appropriately-sized sealable food-safe bag and seal the bag halfway across the top. Heat the water with the sous vide immersion circulator as instructed, then slowly lower the half-sealed bag into the heated water. The temperature difference outside the bag will force the air out of the bag - you should see the plastic cling to the food. Once the food is entirely submerged and the air is all out, seal the bag completely and continue with the cooking.
  • Make it Whole30/Paleo: Use ghee instead of butter.
  • Make it Dairy Free: Use a plant-based butter.
 

Temperatures and Results

  • For medium-rare pork chops, set the sous vide to 140° Fahrenheit. Medium-rare pork chops are tender and juicy, but not chewy or slippery like rare pork chops.
  • For medium-well pork chops, set the sous vide to 150° Fahrenheit. Medium-well pork chops are slightly less tender and juicy than medium-rare pork chops, but not yet dry and tough.
  • For well-done pork chops, set the sous vide to 160° Fahrenheit. Well-done pork chops are much dryer and tougher than medium-well pork chops, but still a little juicy.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1pork chop | Calories: 372kcal | Protein: 35g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 132mg | Sodium: 139mg | Potassium: 589mg | Total Carbs: 0.3g | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.01g | Vitamin A: 188IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1mg
Recipe By:Sam Guarnieri