Easy Skillet Pork Chops with Tomatoes

pork chops with tomatoes on rice
Diana Rattray
  • 80 mins
  • Prep: 10 mins,
  • Cook: 70 mins
  • Yield: 4 to 6 Servings
Ratings (7)

By Diana Rattray

Updated 11/20/17

These easy pork chops are slowly simmered with tomatoes and seasonings for a simple main dish everyone will enjoy. It's also a great starting point for other flavor combinations.

This is a simple, no frills pork chop skillet dish, and it's super easy to prepare and cook. The chops are excellent served with hot cooked rice, or serve them with potatoes or a rice pilaf.

The pork chops are also versatile, and you can season them with some Creole or Cajun seasonings and stewed tomatoes or add chili style tomatoes and chili powder for Tex-Mex chops. Add some basil and garlic for Italian-style. You'll find more suggestions below the recipe.

This Spanish-style pork chop bake is similar to this recipe, but it's baked in the oven with rice.

What You'll Need

  • 4 to 6 shoulder pork chops
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons chopped onions
  • 1 green bell pepper (sliced into rings or chopped)
  • 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with juice
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • Optional: cooked rice, noodles or potatoes (for serving)

How to Make It

  1. Heat a large skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil to the hot pan and sear the pork chops, turning to brown both sides; drain off excess fat. Add onion, green pepper, and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low. Continue cooking for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the pork chops are very tender.
  3. Remove the chops and arrange them on a warm serving dish or platter with hot cooked rice, noodles, or potatoes in the center, if desired.

    Serves 4 to 6.

    See Meat Temperature Chart and Safe Cooking Tips

    Expert Tips and Variation Suggestions

    • Pork shoulder chops benefit from long, slow cooking. If you are substituting loin chops or rib pork chops, decrease the simmering time to about 20 minutes. 
    • For extra sauce, add a small can of tomato sauce (8 ounces).
    • Cajun or Creole-Style Pork Chops: Increase the onions to 1/4 cup and add about 1/4 cup of chopped celery. Replace the tomatoes with stewed tomatoes and replace the salt with Creole seasoning. Taste and add more salt, as needed.
    • Tex-Mex Pork Chops: Replace the diced tomatoes with chili style tomatoes or tomatoes with green chile peppers and add 1 teaspoon of chili powder and a dash of cumin. Add some hot or mild chili peppers for heat, and serve them with beans and this easy Mexican style rice.
    • Italian-Style Pork Chops: Add 1 clove of minced garlic along with the onion and green pepper and add 1/2 teaspoon of dried leaf basil. 

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    Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
    Calories 323
    Total Fat 20 g
    Saturated Fat 6 g
    Unsaturated Fat 9 g
    Cholesterol 89 mg
    Sodium 468 mg
    Carbohydrates 5 g
    Dietary Fiber 1 g
    Protein 30 g
    (The nutrition information on our recipes is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. Individual results may vary.)