These Instant Pot pork chops are moist and tender and they're finished off with a rich and flavorful gravy. It's a perfect combination for an easy weeknight meal that's ready in under 30 minutes!
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Why this Recipe Works
If you're like me, you can never have enough quick and easy weeknight dinner recipes. On busy weeknights, I aim for recipes I can have ready in around 30 minutes. And the less cleanup the better. Some of my absolute favorites are Instant Pot recipes like this one and sheet pan meals like my lemon chicken with potatoes and broccoli.
Most of you probably know this by now, but the Instant Pot is perfect for one-pot meals. It allows you to whip up delicious comfort food dishes and soups that typically take hours in almost no time at all. And you can sear, pressure cook, or slow cook all in one appliance, so it's super versatile.
This Instant Pot pork chops recipe is a perfect example. Searing the pork chops adds tons of flavor. And pressure cooking pork chops results in tender, juicy meat in minutes, and the leftover cooking liquids make for a delicious gravy too!
Ingredient Notes
See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients and measurements.
- Pork Chops - For this recipe, I recommend using bone-in pork chops that are at least 1 inch thick.
- Chicken Stock - Using high-quality chicken stock for the cooking liquid adds flavor to the pork chops and makes for a more flavorful gravy.
How to Cook Pork Chops in an Instant Pot
Note: this recipe was developed on a 6 qt Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus.
- Set your Instant Pot to sauté mode. While it preheats, season the meat with salt, pepper, thyme, and garlic powder. Add olive oil to the pot, then sear the pork chops, two at a time, for about 2 minutes per side, until browned. Repeat with the remaining pork chops and set aside on a plate.
- Turn off the pot and add ¼ cup of broth to the pot. Scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. This will help to flavor the gravy and also helps prevent a burn warning.
- Add the pork chops back to the pot with any juices from the plate and the remaining broth, then cover and lock the lid.
- For thick-cut, bone-in pork chops, set to high pressure for 8 minutes. For boneless pork chops, reduce the cooking time to 5 minutes. See notes in the recipe card for cooking time adjustments.
- After the cooking cycle, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then carefully quick release any remaining pressure before removing the lid. Transfer the pork chops to a plate and cover loosely with foil. Leave the cooking liquids in the pot.
How to Make the Gravy
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode. Whisk together the cornstarch and water, then add to the cooking liquids leftover in the pot. Whisk constantly and bring to a simmer.
- Cook for 1-2 minutes until the gravy is thickened. Stir in 1-2 teaspoons of chopped parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.
What to Serve with Pork Chops
For this pork chops and gravy recipe, a starchy side is a must to soak up that yummy gravy. My roasted garlic mashed potatoes are a great option, as is a simple side of steamed rice. A green veggie like my quick and easy garlic butter green beans is another good choice.
Recipe Tips and FAQs
Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Add a splash of water to the gravy to loosen it up and reheat in the microwave until warmed through.
Pressure cooking is intense and, despite the moist environment, it can actually dry out the meat. Allowing the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes allows the meat to cool slightly and allows time for the meat to reabsorb some of the juices that were released during the pressure cooking phase. This step is crucial to producing tender juicy pork chops.
This recipe will work with boneless pork chops as well, but you will need to reduce the pressure cooking time to 5 minutes. If they are thinner than 1 to 1 ½ inches you will need to reduce the cooking time further.
More Instant Pot Recipes
- Instant Pot London Broil
- White Bean Soup with Kale and Chicken Sausage
- Instant Pot Turkey Pot Pie
- Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup
- Instant Pot Baked Beans
📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Pork Chops and Gravy
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in pork chops, around 1" thick
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1-2 teaspoon chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
- ¼ cup water
- 1 Tablespoon corn starch
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode and allow it to preheat. As it heats season the pork chops on both sides with salt, pepper, thyme, and garlic powder.
- When the pot is preheated, add the olive oil to the instant pot and, working in batches, sear the pork chops on each side for 1-2 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Turn the instant pot off and pour ¼ cup of the broth into the empty pot and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Add the pork chops back to the pot along with the remaining broth.
- Place the lid on the pot and lock. Cook on manual for 8 minutes. After the cooking cycle ends allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes, then vent any remaining pressure before removing the lid. Transfer the pork chops to a serving plate then cover loosely with foil. Leave the cooking liquids in the pot.
- Whisk together the cornstarch and water. Turn the instant pot on to saute and whisk in the cornstarch mixture in with the reserved cooking liquids. Whisk constantly until gravy is thickened then turn off the pot. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Spoon the gravy over the pork chops then garnish with additional chopped parsley and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
* All nutrition information we provide are estimates based on third party calculators. We encourage you to calculate these on your own for accurate results.
Cathie says
We made this tonight with a little thicker than 1/2” boneless pork chops. We cooked for 10 minutes, then tread the above review and released the steam at about 6 minutes. They were still a bit over cooked, but my husband said they were perfect (he comes from a family that over cooked all meats😬). Next time we will cook about 8 minutes. Loved the recipe!
Scott says
Hi Cathie, thanks so much for the feedback! For 1/2" boneless chops I would reduce the cook time to 5-6 minutes, instead of 10. I haven't tested this recipe with thinner boneless pork chops yet, but the natural release may need to be shortened by 1-2 minutes as well. I have added clarification on this in the post and recipe and also added some new pictures of the chops I use in this recipe. I typically use 1 inch thick bone-in pork chops for this dish.
Donna E says
I made this recipe with very thick 1 1/2” boneless pork chops. I followed the recipe minus the parsley. It was delicious! However, 10 minutes was way too long to pressure cook. Next time I make this, I will only cook for 8 minutes. This recipe was easy and quick!
Scott says
Thanks so much Donna!