These Creamy Mushroom Pork Chops are a 35-minute skillet dinner that turns affordable pork into a restaurant-style meal. Learn the simple tenderizing trick and mushroom searing technique for juicy pork chops and a silky, savory gravy the whole family will love.

5 servings

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Close up photo of a pork chop in creamy mushroom gravy.

What makes this recipe great

This is one of those hearty, “real food” meals that makes the house smell amazing while it’s cooking. It feels fancy, like something you’d order at a steakhouse, but the ingredients are probably sitting in your fridge right now.

Family Favorite: Even my kids, who usually pick around mushrooms, love this sauce over a side of mashed potatoes.
Tenderizing Secret: A quick 30-second prep trick makes sure these chops stay juicy every time.
One-Skillet Cleanup: You sear the meat and build the sauce in the same pan, so you aren’t scrubbing extra dishes after dinner.
Budget Steakhouse Vibes: Pork is almost always cheaper than beef, but with this savory gravy, you won’t feel like you’re compromising.

Let’s see how we make this:

Ingredients we’re going to use

This is about swaps and notes – jump to the ingredient list for the measurements etc.

I usually go for boneless chops about an inch thick. If they’re on sale, bone-in works too, just add a couple of minutes to the sear time. And grab the pre-sliced baby bellas or white buttons to save time!

We’re using a double-whammy of a flour roux and a tiny bit of cornstarch. This gives the sauce that “glossy” restaurant look that actually clings to the meat. Plus, the cornstarch helps to stabilize things, which means your sauce is less likely to split.

For the seasoning, I keep a jar of Kinder’s on hand. It’s a huge time-saver compared to measuring out five different individual spices – but you can absolutely do that if it’s what’s in your spice drawer!

Ingredients for creamy mushroom pork chops with text labels.

Recipe walkthrough

This is about tips and hints, and the process photos if you need a visual guide. Jump to the instructions for the precise steps.

1: Prep the pork.

For the best results, don’t skip the light pounding.

You don’t need to turn them into paper-thin cutlets; just a few taps with a rolling pin or the flat side of a mallet breaks up the fibers. It makes the pork much more tender and helps the seasoning really stick.

2: Sear the pork.

If you have a cast iron skillet, use it here! There’s really nothing that sears pork chops quite like that. Make sure to cook the pork until it is done all the way through – then set it aside.

3: Sauté the mushrooms.

When you toss the mushrooms into the pan after the pork, resist the urge to stir them constantly. Let them sit for a few minutes so they can actually brown.

If you stir too much, they just steam and get rubbery. You want that golden-brown color for a deeper color and flavor.

4: Start the gravy.

Make sure to do this step over medium-low heat!

Once you have stirred the butter and flour into the mushrooms, add the chicken broth and stir until not a single lump of flour is left. Only then increase the heat to a simmer to thicken the sauce!

Starting roux in a cast iron skillet with seared mushrooms.

5: Bring it all together.

Once you whisk the cornstarch into the cream and add it to the pan, keep the heat low. We want a gentle simmer to thicken everything up.

If you let it reach a rolling boil, the cream might separate, and you’ll lose that silky texture.

Creamy mushroom gravy in cast iron skillet.

6: How to serve.

Once you have simmered the pork chops gently in the sauce to heat them through, serve this immediately.

We like it with mashed potatoes and I usually make something like green beans or broccoli on the side as well.

Serving creamy mushroom pork chops in a cast iron skillet.

Tl; dr: All the important stuff at a glance

If you read nothing else in this post, this is what you need to know:

Tenderize first: Even if the chops look fine, a light pounding makes sure they don’t toughen up the second they hit the heat.
Deglaze with the broth: Use your wooden spoon to scrape up the “fond” — those brown bits left from the pork and mushrooms. That is where all the savory flavor is hidden.
The cornstarch hack: Mixing the cornstarch into the cold cream before adding it to the pan prevents those annoying little white clumps from forming in your gravy. It also helps to keep the cream stable, so it won’t easily curdle on you.
Quick recipe rundown: Sear the pork and set aside. Sauté the mushrooms. Make the roux, deglaze with chicken broth. Simmer until thickened, then finish with cream. Add pork chops to heat through.

FAQs

Can I use chicken instead?
Definitely. This sauce is incredible over boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs. Just follow the same browning steps.

Can I make this without the heavy cream?
If you’re out of cream or want a lighter version, you can swap it for half-and-half or evaporated milk, but you’ll need to be extra careful not to let the sauce boil or it will curdle. You can also add some full-fat sour cream at the very end (off the heat), this gives it a great tangy flavor similar to a stroganoff.

How do I keep the chops from drying out?
The key is to remove them from the pan the second they are cooked through. They will continue to cook slightly while they rest on the plate, and then they get a final warm-up in the sauce right before serving.

If you want more one-pan comfort food that your family will actually finish, check out my Easy Salisbury Steak with Gravy, the Smothered Pork Chops, or this Caprese Chicken Skillet that is a staple in my house!