Italian dressing pork chops: a simple and flavourful recipe

Low on time but still want to enjoy a nutritious and tasty meal? It may seem like an impossible challenge, but it’s not. All you need to learn is to make the following tender, flavourful Italian dressing pork chops. We’ll guide you through creating this easy and delicious recipe. Once you’ve mastered it, you can use it anytime, even if that’s to impress your friends or neighbours at your next dinner party.

Why Use Italian Dressing for Pork Chops?

Pork chops are surprisingly good for you. They are high in protein, with approximately 26g of protein in one serving. They are also full of vitamins such as B6, B3, B2, and B1. Alongside this, pork chops marinated in Italian dressing contain zinc, iron, and selenium: all beneficial to your health. Of course, if you want to enjoy your chops, you need to take it up a notch. That’s where baked pork chops with Italian dressing step in. The dressing adds flavour and helps to tenderise the pork, creating a juicy morsel of meat which melts in your mouth.

Best of all, the Italian dressing contains just a few ingredients; it can be created in minutes.

Ingredients You’ll Need

To create your Italian dressing pork chops, you’ll need several key ingredients.

• Pork chops, ideally one inch thick and one or two per person

• 4 Tbsp olive oil

• 2 Tbsp vinegar – preferably white wine

• Fresh herbs – approximately two tablespoons of your favourite fresh herbs finely chopped

• Salt and pepper – to taste

If you want to add an extra kick to your marinated pork chops Italian dressing, then add half a tablespoon of red pepper flakes or even chilli flakes.

That’s it. We said making Italian-dressing pork chops was simple.

How to Prepare Italian Dressing Pork Chops

You’ll need to start by choosing your pork chops. The main decision is whether to have a bone in your chop or not. Deciding is straightforward. Chops with bones in will have additional flavours as the bones add to the flavour of the meat. In contrast, boneless chops will be quicker to cook, and they generally have less fat. When you’re making pork chops marinated in Italian dressing and don’t have much time, we recommend boneless.

Step 1 - Marinate the Pork Chops

Let’s get marinating. You’re going to need to place the olive oil into a bowl. We recommend you choose a high-quality Italian EVO olive oil. Then, add your herbs, vinegar and any salt or pepper you desire.

Pop your chops into a plastic bag, preferably a resealable one. Now, pour your Italian dressing over the chops in the bag. You know need to leave the pork chops in the dressing for at least 30 minutes. Anything up to four hours is good, but make sure they are in the refrigerator.

Alternatively, do this stage in the morning and leave them to marinate all day.

Step 2 - Baking the Pork Chops

To create the perfect baked pork chops with Italian dressing, you need to remove them from the refrigerator 15 minutes before you cook them. This will give you time to get the oven to 400°F (that’s 200°C). Slide the chops out of the bag and onto a baking tray, then cook for 25-30 minutes. That’s it; simply take your marinated pork chops with Italian dressing out of the oven and enjoy.

Tips for Perfect Italian Dressing Pork Chops

The biggest tip is to marinate your chops properly. This is the stage where the chops soak up the flavour, and the juice helps to ensure they are tender. We recommend they be allowed to marinate for four hours; more is okay. Less is likely to mean a less flavourful but still delicious experience.

It’s also important to keep the oven at the right temperature and avoid overcooking them. You want them to fall apart in your mouth.

Conclusion

There you have it. Prepare your pork chops in Italian dressing in the morning, and when you’re hungry, it will take you just 30 minutes to cook them. No more excuses. You can have a delicious and nutritious meal even after a hard day at work.