Pork Chops in Lemon-Caper Sauce
Updated March 16, 2026
- Total Time
- 35 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 4bone-in pork chops (about 8 ounces each)
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- ½teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 2tablespoons olive oil
- 4tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1very small shallot, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 2garlic cloves, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
- 2teaspoons all-purpose flour
- 1cup dry white wine
- 1½cups chicken stock, homemade or low-sodium, if store-bought
- 2tablespoons drained capers
- 2tablespoons minced fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
- 1teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest, plus 2 tablespoons juice
- Hot sauce (optional)
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
545 calories; 40 grams fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 17 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 50 grams protein; 988 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Dry the chops with paper towels, and season aggressively with salt, pepper and the thyme. Swirl the olive oil into a large skillet, and heat over medium until the oil begins to shimmer. Add chops, and cook until well browned on each side and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer chops to a plate, and cover to keep warm.
- Step 2
Drain the fat from the skillet, then melt 2 tablespoons of butter in it over medium heat until sizzling. Add the shallot and garlic, and sauté until the aromatics soften, reducing the heat if necessary, about 1 minute. Sprinkle in the flour, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Whisk in the wine and chicken stock, raise heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook, uncovered, until the liquid is reduced by half, 7 to 10 minutes.
- Step 3
Stir in the capers, parsley, lemon zest and juice and hot sauce to taste (if you’re using it), and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter until it’s melted and the sauce looks smooth. Nestle the pork chops into the sauce, and allow them to warm up for a couple of minutes, then serve, pouring sauce over each pork chop to taste. Garnish with more fresh parsley.
Private Notes
Comments
Searing aggressively for about 1-1/2 to 2 minutes per side, and finishing cooking in the sauce until an internal temperature of 143-145°F is reached is definitely the way to go. Don't go by time; use temperature to determine when cooked through. The interior should be pink and juicy, not grey. Use an accurate, instant-read thermometer for consistent results every time. Clocks are for telling time. Thermometers are for telling when food is cooked properly.
In response to Vanessa: 2 teaspoons create a sauce. 2 tablespoons (in conjunction with 1 1/2 cups of stock and 1 cup of white wine would create more of a gravy.
Sounds good, but the thing is: Pork chops sold today are almost fat free, You can cook them any way you want, and you'd still have tasteless meat (and if well done, then they're really hideous, tasteless cardboard). Switch to Pork shoulder (aka pork butt), cut it into 1 inch slices / steaks and cook / grill them with some oil, salt and pepper (or cook them according to this recipe but only 2 minutes per side). You'll never touch pork chops again. PS: Costco has them for about $2/lb
Dredge the chops in flour instead of spreading it in the pan. Pan sauce should be done in stages (shallots, wine, stock) instead of pouring into the pan all at once.
Another "lick the plate" recipe from NYT cooking! I only cooked two pork chops but kept the other proportions the same, since my wife and I are sauce/gravy fiends. Used Sauvignon Blanc for the wine - delish! As others have commented, it needs more flour than 2 tsp; I used 3 tsp, so about 1 Tbsp. It came out a little saltier than I would have liked; I will be slightly less aggressive with the salt next time. Great recipe - will definitely make again.
Beyond delicious. Cut the prep time by preparing the sauce ingredients prior to cooking the pork chops to be on the ready as many recipes fudge on the actual prep time it takes for a non-chef.