Baked BBQ Pork Chops
Baked BBQ Pork Chops are tender boneless chops baked in a sweet and sticky barbecue glaze, no grill needed. The oven does the work, and dinner is ready in about 35 minutes.
Thick boneless pork chops under a honey and brown sugar barbecue glaze with a touch of Dijon.
These are my answer to a barbecue craving when the grill is not an option. The glaze stirs together while the oven heats, and the whole dish goes straight from oven to table. Nobody at my table has ever asked where the grill marks went.
Slow Cooker Lasagna Recipe Highlights
- Six-ingredient glaze stirred together in two minutes
- No searing and only one dish to wash
- Oven to table in about 35 minutes
- Doubles easily for a crowd
- Leftovers reheat well for lunch the next day
Ingredient Notes
Please check the recipe card below for a detailed, printable ingredient list.
PORK CHOPS – Buy boneless chops about 1 inch thick, 6 to 8 ounces each, usually labeled center-cut loin chops. The National Pork Board has a clear guide to the cuts for your next trip to the meat counter. Thinner chops work too and finish sooner, so start checking them at 15 minutes.
SALT – A light sprinkle on the chops before the glaze goes on seasons the meat itself. Table salt or kosher salt, either one.
BBQ SAUCE – Use whatever bottled sauce your family likes. A thick, sweet, and smoky style clings to the chops best. Homemade works too if you have a batch in the fridge.
HONEY AND BROWN SUGAR – Maple syrup swaps in for the honey, one for one. Light or dark brown sugar both work, and dark gives a deeper color.
DIJON MUSTARD – Yellow mustard or whole-grain mustard works in the same amount. Spicy brown mustard is a good match with the barbecue sauce too.
GARLIC POWDER AND BLACK PEPPER – Two cloves of minced fresh garlic can stand in for the powder. Stir it right into the glaze.
How To Make BBQ Baked Pork Chops
Please check the printable recipe card below for more detailed instructions.
- Stir the BBQ sauce, honey, brown sugar, Dijon, garlic powder, and pepper together.
- Season the chops with salt and arrange them in a greased baking dish.
- Pour the glaze over the chops and cover the dish with foil.
- Bake covered, then uncover and broil for a sticky top.
Serving Suggestions
WEEKNIGHT PLATE – Cheesy Mashed Potatoes or Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes soak up the extra glaze. Green Beans with Bacon cook on the stove while the chops bake.
COOKOUT WITHOUT THE GRILL – Coleslaw, Crock Pot Baked Beans, and a pan of Cornbread turn this into a backyard barbecue plate in any season.
SUNDAY SUPPER – Honey Butter Skillet Corn is ready in about 20 minutes, and a bowl of German Potato Salad rounds out the table.
FEEDING A CROWD – Double the chops in two dishes and set out Italian Pasta Salad and Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese alongside.
Planning and Leftovers
STORE – Keep leftover chops in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Spoon the extra glaze from the dish over them so they stay moist.
FREEZE – Cool the chops completely, then freeze them with their glaze in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
REHEAT – Oven: 325º Fahrenheit, covered, with a spoonful of glaze or a splash of water, 10 to 15 minutes. Air fryer: 350º Fahrenheit for 3 to 4 minutes. Skillet: covered, over low heat, with a spoonful of the glaze, about 5 minutes. Microwave: 30-second bursts until hot all the way through.
MAKE AHEAD – Stir the glaze up to 3 days ahead and keep it in a jar in the refrigerator. You can also assemble the whole dish the night before, cover, and refrigerate. Add about 5 minutes to the bake time when it goes in cold.
More Pork Recipes
Serving Suggestions
WEEKNIGHT PLATE – Cheesy Mashed Potatoes or Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes soak up the extra glaze. Green Beans with Bacon cook on the stove while the chops bake.
COOKOUT WITHOUT THE GRILL – Coleslaw, Crock Pot Baked Beans, and a pan of Cornbread turn this into a backyard barbecue plate in any season.
SUNDAY SUPPER – Honey Butter Skillet Corn is ready in about 20 minutes, and a bowl of German Potato Salad rounds out the table.
FEEDING A CROWD – Double the chops in two dishes and set out Italian Pasta Salad and Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese alongside.
Recipe Success Tips
THERMOMETER – An instant-read thermometer takes the guessing out of it. Pull the foil when the thickest chop reads 140º Fahrenheit. Broil until it reads 145º, the number the USDA recommends for pork chops. A little pink in the center at 145º is normal for pork.
FOIL – The foil cover traps steam, so the chops stay juicy and the glaze stays saucy. Leave it on for the full bake and lift it only for the broil.
BROIL – Two to three minutes under the broiler turns the glaze sticky and caramelized. Stay by the oven, because sugar goes from golden to dark in under a minute.
REST – Five minutes on the counter lets the juices settle back into the meat. Spoon the glaze from the dish over the chops right before serving.
Expert Tip – Pat the chops dry with paper towels before the salt goes on. Dry meat grips the glaze, so it bakes onto the chops in a thick, even coat.
Commonly Asked Questions
How Do You Make BBQ Pork Chops in the Oven?
Baked BBQ Pork Chops need one baking dish, a foil cover, and about 25 minutes at 375º Fahrenheit. Salt the chops, pour the glaze over them, and cover the dish. Bake until a thermometer reads 140º, then uncover and broil for 2 to 3 minutes. The glaze bubbles, the chops reach 145º Fahrenheit, and dinner is done.
Can I Make the Glaze Less Sweet?
Yes, leave out the brown sugar and keep the honey. The glaze still thickens and clings to the chops. For a tangier version, stir a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar into the glaze or start with a vinegar-forward bottled sauce. The full recipe leans sweet, and that is the version in the photos.
Do I Have to Cover the Dish With Foil?
Covering the dish keeps the chops juicy, so I recommend it for the full bake. The foil traps steam and keeps the glaze saucy. Without it, the glaze thickens faster and the chops cook a little quicker. If you bake uncovered, check the chops 5 minutes early and add a splash of water to the dish.
Can I Grill These Instead of Baking?
Yes, grill 1-inch chops over medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes per side. Salt the chops and grill them plain first. Brush the glaze on during the last few minutes so the sugar caramelizes. Pull the chops at 145º Fahrenheit and rest them 5 minutes before serving.
Can I Make These in the Air Fryer?
Yes, and I have a recipe built for it. My Air Fryer Pork Chops use the same 1-inch boneless chops with a smoked paprika rub and cook in about 15 minutes. A sugar glaze like this one browns fast under an air fryer’s hot air. The rub version is the one I reach for on air fryer nights.
What About Bone-In or Thinner Chops?
Bone-in chops need a few extra minutes, and thinner chops finish sooner. Either way, the thermometer makes the call at 145º Fahrenheit. Start checking ¾-inch chops at 15 minutes and thin ½-inch chops at 12. Bone-in chops of the same thickness usually need about 5 more minutes than boneless.
|
Chop |
Start checking at |
What to expect |
|
Boneless, 1 inch (this recipe) |
20 minutes |
20 to 25 minutes covered, then the broil |
|
Boneless, ¾ inch |
15 minutes |
About 5 minutes sooner |
|
Boneless, ½ inch |
12 minutes |
Done fast, so check early |
|
Bone-in, 1 inch |
25 minutes |
About 5 minutes longer |
More Hearty Pork Dinners
When the chops are gone and the craving is not, these are the pork dinners on repeat at my house.
Krautfleckerl – Buttery cabbage and egg noodles, old-world comfort food from a handful of ingredients.
Ham and Potato Casserole – Diced ham and tender potatoes baked in a cheesy sauce, a great home for leftover ham.
Hunter’s Schnitzel – Crispy schnitzel under a rich mushroom gravy, the German classic.
Slow Cooker Carnitas – Slow-cooked pork shoulder crisped in a skillet for taco night at home.
BBQ Baked Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 4 pork chops 1 inch thick (6 to 8 ounces each)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup BBQ sauce
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Garnish (optional)
- 1 tablespoon parsley optional, freshly chopped for garnish
Instructions
Prep
- Preheat the oven to 375º Fahrenheit. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Stir the BBQ sauce, honey, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, and black pepper together in a medium bowl until smooth.
- Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels and sprinkle both sides with the salt.
- Arrange the chops in a single layer in the dish. Pour the glaze over them and turn to coat.
Bake
- Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer in the thickest chop reads 140º Fahrenheit.
Broil and Serve
- Remove the foil and switch the oven to broil. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes, until the glaze bubbles and the chops read 145º Fahrenheit. Watch closely.
- Rest the chops in the dish for 5 minutes. Spoon the glaze over the chops and sprinkle with parsley before serving.
Notes
REST TIME
The 5-minute rest is not included in the total time.FOOD SAFETY
USDA guidance for pork chops is 145º Fahrenheit measured while the chops are still in the oven, followed by a 3-minute rest. The 5-minute rest here covers it.Nutritional Information
Nutritional Disclaimer
Cheerful Cook team members are not trained nutritionists or medical professionals. Calorie information and nutritional values are estimates. If you have nutritional concerns, we recommend using a nutritional calculator.
Maike Corbett grew up in German kitchens learning to cook and bake alongside her Omas before spending over a decade running full-service restaurants in the US. She founded Cheerful Cook in 2017 to share practical, tested comfort food recipes that actually work on busy weeknights, drawing on both her American restaurant experience and her German home-cooking roots. Her work has been featured on MSN, Yahoo, the Associated Press, and other major media outlets.