This Seared Pork Chops in Caper Sauce recipe is truly one of those dishes that looks gorgeous, and is equally as delicious.
Boy, oh boy…just look at those chops! And that sauce!
Watch us show you how easy it is to make this amazing Seared Pork Chops in Caper Sauce recipe.
Get ready though…you’re going to get really hungry!
WHAT IS THE BEST CHOP TO USE?
We love starting with 1-inch-thick, bone-in, center-cut pork chops. Bone-in means more flavor!
To learn more about the different types of pork chops read this Complete Guide to Pork Chops on kitchn.
Lightly season the chops and then sear them up in a good sturdy skillet!
This is going to be good!
WHY WE LOVE SEARED PORK CHOPS SMOTHERED WITH A CAPER SAUCE
These pork chops are succulent and truly wonderful on their own. But, why not kick things up another level? A sauce almost ALWAYS enhances a dish on every level, from flavor profile, to texture, to appearance.
We just love the tangy taste of capers, combined with a top-notch Sherry vinegar, Dijon mustard, shallots and garlic.
Talk about a flavor sensation. This sauce is the bomb!
Mmmmmm.
Now, how about a little cream?
Just for good measure?
Oh, yes. This really is the perfect sauce. Another great sauce is with our Turkey Cutlets and Honey Mustard Sauce.
SEARING THE CHOPS LOCKS IN THE FLAVOR
Talk about searingly delicious.
Center-cut pork loin chops are so flavorful and found in most the meat department of most major supermarkets.
These chops are so delicious and tender. And topped with an amazing Caper Sauce! It all comes together for something divine.
OTHER AMAZING PORK RECIPES TO TRY
Balsamic Grilled Pork Chops
Italian Smothered Pork Chops
Perfect Pork Loin Roast
Southern Country-Style Pork Spareribs
Roasted Stuffed Pork Loin
Pan-Seared Pork Chops with Cajun Rice
Now, go ahead and make this amazing Seared Pork Chops in Caper Sauce recipe!
Seared Pork Chops with Caper Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 1-inch thick center-cup, bone-in pork loin chops (allow chops to sit at room temp for 30 mins)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 medium shallot, diced
- 2 tsp garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup capers, drained
- 2 tbsp Sherry vinegar
- 1/4 cup chicken stock
- 1 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 200°F.
- Pat chops dry with a paper towel, and then generously sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the chops and sear on one side for about 4 to 5 minutes, until golden brown on the bottoms. Flip the chops over and sear the other sides for another 4 to 5 minutes. (The chops should be firm to the touch, but still have a little give).
- Transfer the chops to the oven to keep warm while preparing the sauce.
- Pour all but about 1 teaspoon of oil from pan and reduce the heat to medium.
- Add the shallots and garlic and cook until soft, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the capers and cook for 30 seconds
- Add the vinegar and cook until slightly reduced, about 2 minutes.
- Add the stock, mustard, a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until slightly thickened, about 2 - 3 minutes.
- Stir in the cream.
- Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Place chops on plate or platter and pour sauce over them. Pass remaining sauce at the table.
I made lightly pan fried red fish and put the caper sauce on it. I served with a side of mushroom/asparagus (asparagus was fresh from our garden) rice. Great combination. I can’t wait to try the sauce on a chicken breast! Absolutely delish!
Hi Cathy!! We love that you put the caper sauce on fish!! Along with garden-fresh asparagus and rice? You’re making us hungry!! That all sounds heavenly. Thanks so much for letting us know and for the wonderful review! That honestly means the world to us!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
This is the best dish I’ve ever made. I have shared with so many people. Haven’t tried it yet but thinking it would be good on a baked fish filet. We are big fisher people and have a ton of fish and I’m always looking for new ways to prepare. Thanks for this recipe. This sauce is AMAZING!
Hi Cathy!! That is wonderful to hear! We are so so happy that you are loving the pork chops in caper sauce recipe! And YES!! It is amazing on fish!! Let us know if you make it and what you think!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Awesome recipe exactly as printed! Gravy would be great on beef, salmon, a burger, etc.
Hey Reg!! Woo hoo!! We agree, the gravy is pretty off-the-charts delicious. And that’s a great idea for topping steaks, fish, and a burger!!! Now we’re hungry!! LOL!! Thanks again for letting us know your results and for the wonderful review. That means so much to us!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Love Wesley but talks so load you can’t hear the directions!
I used yogurt instead of cream just as yummy
This is FANTASTIC!!! I used Macadamia Nut Milk instead of heavy cream as I’m dairy intolerant. Worked GREAT! I, too, think I’d double the sauce recipe! Soooo yummy!!!
Hi Debbie! That is so awesome to hear and that sounds amazing with the macadamia nut milk. GREAT tweaks!! And thank you so much for letting us know and for the great review!! We appreciate that so so so much! Stay in touch and take care!! Best, Kris & Wesley
this recipe came out beautifully! i wish i had taken a photo. it was perfect for the atkins diet my husband and i follow. thank you!
That is so wonderful to hear! We are so very happy that you had success with the pork chops! We love this dish, too, and make it all the time! And thank you so very much for letting us know!!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
This sounds amazing but is there anything I can sub in for the Dijon? We have an allergy in our house and I can’t use any mustard.
Hi Kitty, if dry mustard isn’t a problem, then try 1 tbsp dry mustard mix with 1 tbsp mayo, 1 tsp of white wine vinegar, and a pinch of sugar. If not, then try Italian vinaigrette dressing. Hope this helps!
What temp do you cook the chops in?
Hi Carol, we sear them in a skillet over medium-high heat. You’ll want the internal temperature of the pork chop to reach 145° to 155°F. We use an instant-read meat thermometer to gauge this. If you choose to bake the chops, we recommend setting your oven to 350°F and bake for about 25 minutes, or until internal temp reaches 145°F. Since pork chops vary in thickeness, a thermometer really helps a lot! Let us know if you have any other questions!
This is a fantastic recipe. The only change I made was to use a white sauvignon instead of the vinegar. I doubled up on the sauce because you can never have too much sauce. I’ve also used chicken cutlets. Same results, different meat. Broccoli as a side dish. But beware, you may want to eat both chops!
Planning to have dinner party for 6. I am thinking of cooking 8. I guess I should double the sauce. I love capers and mustard. Might even add mushrooms.
Dinah, that all sounds perfect. Doubling the sauce would be a good call. This sauce is so delicious, you really can’t have too much on hand! And, oh yes, indeed, add in some sautéed mushrooms. That would be a wonderful addition. Let us know how it turns out and have a FABULOUS dinner party!! Cheers!! Kris & Wesley
I made this tonight and it is, hands down, the best pork I’ve ever had! The sauce is so delicious that I decided to make some egg noodles on the side with a bit of sauce and it was amazing. The only change I made was to double the heavy cream and double the chicken stock, and that was only because I wanted more sauce. Great recipe!
Amanda, you can’t imagine how happy that makes us to hear! And we get it with the sauce…that is brilliant to double the sauce and add it to egg noodles. Yum Yum Yum. We are so glad you had success with these pork chops and thank you so very much for letting us know. We love it!!! Please stay in touch! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Thanks for sharing, trying these tonight. And suggestions for sides to compliment the dish. I am going with Brussels sprouts as a start.
Awesome! Roasted potatoes with balsamic and herbs would be wonderful! Sorry if we were too late to respond!
Can I use loin chops without the bone? I am really looking forward to trying this recipe.
Hi Colleen! Absolutely! Depends on how thick the chops are, but sear of about 4 to 5 minutes per side, should work perfectly. We really think you’ll love these chops, and the sauce is really special! Let us know if you make them and what you think. All the best, Kris & Wesley
Two thumps up! This was incredible, thank you for share this AMAZING sauce.
I need to know if I can share this on FB.
Thank you so much!! Of course, please share away!! And come back often and please stay in touch!! xo Kris & Wesley
I spotted this, had most the ingredients, so decided to give this a try. It was delicious! I think it would be even better with heavy cream, but I only had skim milk! It’s a little different and added needed variety to our dinner menu.
Hi Regina!! We are so glad you enjoyed this dish! We absolutely love these pork chops, too. You’re right that the skim milk will change the taste and texture somewhat, but fortunately, there is a lot of flavor packed into this recipe, that we bet it was still delicious. Thanks so much for letting us know and please stay in touch!!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
I can’t find find sherry wine vinegar!! Can I order it? Can I substitute? I made it with rice vinegar but it was a little sour.
Hi Jane,
You’re right, rice vinegar would be a little too pronounce. You could certainly go with white wine vinegar, or Champagne vinegar, and be fine. Even apple cider vinegar! 🙂
I used white wine in place of the vinegar and it was perfect.
That sounds absolutely perfect, Janet!! And thank you for letting us know! We truly appreciate that! Please stay in touch! All the best, Kris & Wesley
How about sherry in lieu of sherry vinegar?
Hi Claudia! Sure! Sherry would be a lovely addition and could substitute for the vinegar, no problem.
I made this for dinner tonight and it was amazing! The only change I would make the next time-I’d use less salt. Delicious!
Thanks so much, Patti! We’ll check on the salt measurement…thanks for letting us know!
I made these tonight with thin pork chops. I love capers so this was exciting. Next time I’ll use less mustard and less salt, but other than that, fantastic!
Awesome!! So glad you liked these pork chops…we love them, too! And thank you for letting us know, we really appreciate it!! Stay in touch, Amy!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Hi, guys–I’m about to make this wonderful recipe and just wondering how much oil to use in the pan for searing…I’m guessing about 2 Tbsp.?
Thanks! Love your site, your recipes, and both of you!
Hi Marie!! So sorry about that, but you are exactly right. The 2 tbsp of oil somehow didn’t make it into the ingredients. Recipe has been updated. Thank you so much! And really hope you like the chops and sauce!! xoxo Kris & Wesley
Made these chops last night
Asked my wife “ is this a keeper?”
She replied in a Loon like manner
“Why heck yes”
Had the Loon Negronis while preparing the chops!
Everything about this is absolutely fantastic!!! Please give our Loon love to your wife for the good review, and good job for what sounds like a wonderful evening of drinks and food! Cheers! Here’s to lots more food and fun! Kris & Wesley
I found this recipe while searching for a low carb pork chop idea for dinner. This was so delicious I don’t know that I ever want to eat them any other way!
That’s so awesome to hear, Jennifer! I know! These chops in the sauce are so delicious, right? As you can imagine, we’re constantly developing new recipes, so we don’t get to go back to previous favorites often, but this dish always stays in the rotation. Thank you so much for letting us know!! Take care and stay in touch! xoxo Kris & Wesley
Excellent recipe! A new family favorite! Thank you!
Awesome!! Thank you so much for letting us know, Stacey. We are so happy that you and your family enjoyed it. We love it, too! Stay in touch, all the best, Kris & Wesley.