Sheet Pan Pork Chops with Potatoes and Green Beans makes a complete, healthy dinner in less than 40 minutes that's all cooked on a single sheet pan. It's a favorite sheet pan along with these Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas and Sheet Pan Chicken Parm.
Cooking pork chops right on a sheet pan with everything else you need for a complete dinner just makes sense. The pork chops come out perfectly tender and delicious with a nice crust. The potatoes are crispy on the outside and the green beans get that amazing roasted flavor. Plus it couldn't be easier. Sheet pan meals are the best.
Growing up we really only ate pork chops one way, covered in Ah-So sauce and thrown on the grill. If you have never had Ah-So sauce before, it's a Chinese style sauce that is sticky, sweet, and a deep shade of hot pink. It's really popular in New England for some reason and was something we always ate on pork and loved. But it isn't the healthiest option since it is packed sugar and a bunch of other hard to pronounce ingredients. And it is virtually impossible to find in California.
So I have been experimenting with all different pork marinades and sauces to find a healthier replacement that we enjoy just as much. And this one is it. It's sweet and savory from the combination of ketchup, brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce with just a hint of spice from the chili powder. Delicious. Plus since it is baked with the potatoes and the green beans, it's a complete meal that requires almost no clean-up.
Tips for Making Sheet Pan Pork Chops
- If you don't like things spicy, leave out the chili powder from the recipe. And if you like things extra spicy, double it!
- To get the pork chops nice and brown on the top, make sure to broil them the last couple minutes. This will help the sugar caramelize and the pork chops will be a nice, golden brown.
- When it comes to pork chops, you can use bone-in chops or boneless chops. Boneless chops will be lower calorie and tend to be leaner but many people like the bone-in chops since they pack in more flavor. Also, the cooking time may vary depending on the thickness of the pork so be careful not to overcook them.
- To make sure the potatoes are fully cooked, you want to cut them in pieces no larger than an inch. This will mean halving or quartering the baby potatoes. For regular potatoes, just chops them down into smaller pieces so they cook through.
- Swap in sweet potatoes or butternut squash for the white potatoes for a healthier twist.
- If you don't like green beans, you can substitute in another veggie that cooks in about 15 minutes. I like using asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, or even sliced cabbage.
What temperature should pork chops be cooked to?
According to the National Pork Board, pork chops need to be cooked to at least 145 degrees but can be cooked up for 160 degrees. Using a digital thermometer is the best way to get an accurate temperature and measure it at the thickest part of the pork chop. Since pork chops are lean, it is important not to overcook the pork. It is also recommended to let the pork chops rest for 3 minutes.
Can pork be a little pink?
As long as the pork is cooked to 145 degrees, then it is fine if it still looks a little pink. Some cuts or pork will appear pinker than others.
How to keep pork chops from drying out?
The best way to ensure pork chops don't dry out is not to overcook them. Check the temperature using a thermometer and take them out as soon as they reach 145 degrees.
Additionally, you can tenderize the pork chops using a meat mallet to help them stay tender. Marinades also help pork chops from drying out. For this recipe, you can marinate the pork chops the night before for added flavor and tenderness.
Here are some of the things I used when preparing this recipe:
- Baking sheet: There are so many options out there but I have been using this brand for years and find they hold up really well.
- Heavy duty aluminum foil: There is nothing I hate more than when I cover a baking sheet in foil for easy clean up only to find out the foil has ripped or leaked during cooking. After trying lots of different foils, I almost always use this heavy duty one and it never leaks on me.
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