Broke Gourmet: French Onion Smothered Pork Chops

Published 1:30 am Thursday, August 13, 2026

This week’s recipe is French Onion Smothered Pork Chops, a comforting steakhouse-inspired dinner that’s surprisingly easy to make at home. Thick-cut pork chops are seared until golden brown, then finished with a rich French onion gravy made from slowly caramelized onions, topped with melted provolone cheese, and served over creamy garlic mashed potatoes with roasted asparagus.

One of the things I love about this recipe is that it takes familiar, affordable ingredients and turns them into a meal that looks and tastes like something you’d order at a restaurant. It’s hearty, full of flavor, and perfect for anyone looking to make an impressive dinner without a complicated recipe.

As always, the full step-by-step video is available on my YouTube channel, Broke Gourmet, where I focus on creating restaurant-quality meals at home on a realistic budget.

I hope you enjoy it!

French Onion Pork Chops

Serves 4

Ingredients

Pork Chops

• 4 thick-cut bone-in pork chops

• Salt and black pepper, to taste

• 1 tbsp oil

Caramelized Onions

• 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced

• 2 tbsp butter

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• ½ tsp salt

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• ½ tsp dried thyme

Onion Gravy

• 1 tbsp butter

• 1 tbsp flour

• 2 cups beef broth

• 1 tsp Better Than Bouillon Beef Base

• 1½–2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Topping

• About 1 cup shredded Gruyère or Swiss cheese

Directions

1. Caramelize the Onions

Melt 2 tablespoons butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Add the sliced onions and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook uncovered for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and golden.

Add the minced garlic and thyme during the last 1–2 minutes of cooking.

Remove the onions from the skillet and set aside.

2. Sear the Pork Chops

Pat the pork chops dry and season both sides with salt and black pepper.

Add about 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet. Sear the pork chops for approximately 2½–3 minutes per side, until nicely browned.

Remove the chops from the skillet and set aside.

3. Make the Onion Gravy

Reduce the heat if necessary and melt 1 tablespoon butter in the same skillet.

Stir in 1 tablespoon flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly to cook off the raw flour taste.

Slowly whisk in the 2 cups beef broth, scraping up all those browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Those bits have flavor, so naturally we’re not throwing them away like civilized people apparently sometimes do.

Stir in the Better Than Bouillon Beef Base and Worcestershire sauce.

Return the caramelized onions to the skillet and bring the gravy to a gentle simmer.

4. Finish the Pork Chops

Nestle the pork chops into the onion gravy, keeping the browned tops exposed as much as possible.

Simmer gently until the thickest part of each pork chop reaches an internal temperature of 145°F.

5. Add the Cheese

Sprinkle the shredded Gruyère or Swiss cheese over the tops of the pork chops. Keep the cheese concentrated on the meat rather than covering the entire skillet.

Cover briefly and allow the cheese to melt.

Serve immediately with plenty of the French onion gravy spooned around the pork chops.

Roy Mosby is a Marysville resident and the creator of the YouTube channel Broke Gourmet.