French Onion Pork Chops

close up shot of french onion pork chop in skillet garnished with fresh thyme

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Juicy pork chops smothered in a rich onion gravy and topped with melted cheese!

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Total Time50

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: French, Western

Servings:

Author: Chris Collins

Cost: £2 / $2.50

Equipment

Large Oven-Safe Pan (see notes)
Wooden Spoon
Tongs
Cheese Grater
Jug (for stock)
Sharp Knife & Chopping Board (for onions)

Ingredients

4x 4-5.3oz/120-150g Pork Chops, brought close to room (see notes)
2 large White Onions, finely sliced (approx 14oz/400g weight of both BEFORE peeled)
1 cup / 250ml Beef Stock
1 cup / 100g grated Gruyere, or as needed to cover pork (see notes)
1 tbsp Butter
1 tbsp Olive Oil, divided in two
1 tbsp Flour
1/2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
Salt & Black Pepper, as needed
Fresh Thyme, to garnish

Instructions

Add 1 tbsp butter and 1/2 tbsp olive oil to a pan over medium heat, then add in the onions. Fry for 15mins, stirring somewhat frequently, until the onions turn soft and golden.
Add in 1/8 tsp salt & black pepper, then lower the heat slightly to low-medium and continue frying for another 10-15mins, or until completely soft, deep golden and sticky/sweet. If any fond (flavour/char) builds up in the pan at any point, just add a dash of water and use your wooden spoon to scrape it off. Remove onions from pan when done.
Meanwhile, generously season both sides of the pork chops with salt and pepper and score the fat if it's relatively thick. Turn heat to high and add 1/2 tbsp olive oil. Place in the pork chops and fry for a couple of minutes on each side until golden brown (should only just be cooked through the centre). Stack the chops on top of each other with the fat aligning, then use your tongs to flip them on the sides and sear the fat for a couple of mins. Remove from pan and place to one side. Lower heat to medium.
You should be left with around 1 tbsp oil/fat left in the pan. Top up with butter or oil to make around that if needed (just eyeball it). Add the onions back to the pan and stir in 1 tbsp flour. Pour in 1 cup beef stock, stirring as you go to ensure no lumps form. Stir in 1/2 tsp Worcestershire, any resting juices from the pork and seasoning to taste, then add the chops back in. Spoon over some of the onions, top with cheese then place under the grill and broil until the cheese has melted (add a lid on top to melt the cheese if your pan isn't oven safe).
Garnish with fresh thyme then serve up and enjoy!

Video

Notes

a) What kind of pan should I use? - Okay, here are a few different options:

Non-Stick and Oven-Safe: This is great because the onions won't stick and you can pop it under the grill at the end.
Oven-Safe but NOT Non-Stick: I.e something like a cast iron skillet. Just make sure it's well seasoned so it doesn't cause too much sticking. Or, make the caramelized onions in a separate non-stick pan.
Non-Stick, but NOT Oven-Safe: If this is what you have then you'll need to make sure it's got a lid so you can melt the cheese at the end. Or, make the onions and continue the recipe in an oven-safe pan.

b) Pork Chops - Here I use boneless pork loin chops. They're relatively small, so they don't need long to cook at all. I keep the fat on and render it down in the pan for added flavour. You could remove it if you'd prefer, you'll just need to top up the fat before stirring in the flour to create a roux. You could also use larger pork chops, they'll obviously just take longer to cook. In all cases, you'll want to get the internal temp of the pork to at least 63C/145F (will be a blush of pink at this temp).

c) Caramelized Onions - Don't rush this process. Caramelizing the onions is crucial as it gives them a gorgeous sweet flavour.

d) Cheese - Gruyere is the classic option so use that if you can (has a gorgeous sweet and nutty flavour too). Failing that you could just use some slices of Swiss cheese.

e) Make/Prep Ahead - I don't recommend making the whole recipe ahead of time, but you can certainly caramelize the onions ahead of time (which takes up most of the time). Just allow to completely cool and tightly store in the fridge until needed.

f) Serving - Here I've served with Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans, but do check out all my Side Dishes for more inspo!

g) Calories - Whole recipe divided by 4 assuming 5.3oz/150g chops and no sides.

Nutrition