What to Make With Pork Chops and Rice: 3 Fast Weeknight Dinners
Pork chops and rice punish a thick chop on a weeknight. Ask the store for thin chops, or pound them, so they finish with the rice instead of needing a long braise. These three are a skillet with pan sauce, a one-pot pilaf, and a soy-garlic chop over rice. The chop is done at a pale blush or just opaque, not dried out. Got more in the fridge? Snap a photo and we'll pick dinner for you. Free.
Quick picks: 3 dinners with pork chops and rice in 30 minutes or less
Fastest option: a 18-minute dinner
18 min
Soy garlic pork chops
Total time, start to plate · One skillet · serves 4 · Kid-friendly
Thin chops glaze with soy and garlic in the last minute, then sit on rice.
Ingredients
- 4 thin pork chops
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 tsp salt
Steps
- Salt the pork chops lightly. Soy sauce will add more.
- Sear them in a hot skillet until just cooked. Don't walk away. Thin chops go from perfect to tough quickly.
- Add the garlic and soy sauce and turn the chops once so they pick up the glaze.
- Serve over warm rice with the glaze poured on. There should be a spoonful, not a puddle of salt.
Keeps: Fridge for 3 days.
One-pan or sheet-pan option
30 min
One-pot pork chop rice
Total time, start to plate · One pot · serves 4 · Kid-friendly
Thin chops brown, raw rice toasts, and both finish covered.
Ingredients
- 4 thin pork chops
- 1 cup rice
- 1 3/4 cups water
- 1 onion
- 1 tsp salt
Steps
- Salt the pork chops and brown them in a pot. Set them aside.
- Soften the onion. Stir in the rice until it smells toasted.
- Add the water, lay the chops on top, cover, and cook 16 minutes.
- Rest 5 minutes. The rice should be tender and the chops cooked through, not dry.
Keeps: Fridge for 3 days.
The other dinner
20 min
Skillet pork chops and rice
Total time, start to plate · One skillet · serves 4 · Kid-friendly
Thin pork chops sear, then a quick pan sauce goes over rice.
Ingredients
- 4 thin pork chops
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup water
Steps
- Salt the pork chops and dry them. Warm the rice.
- Sear the chops in oil, a few minutes a side, until just cooked. Rest them on a plate.
- Add the garlic and water to the skillet and scrape up the browned bits.
- Spoon that sauce over the chops and rice. The chops should still be juicy when you cut one.
Keeps: Fridge for 3 days. Don't recook the chops hard.
Make it with leftovers
Cold rice sits under a just-cooked chop. Cooked chopped pork can warm in the soy skillet. The pilaf wants raw rice and raw chops under the lid. Don't slice leftover pork and boil it in the pilaf.
Pantry staples you'll need
- Salt
- Oil
- Garlic
- Soy sauce
- Chicken broth or water
No rice: the same thin chops are fine with potatoes. See pork chops and potatoes. No chops: chicken thighs in the pilaf are the chicken and rice card.
Picky-eater and healthy tweaks
A plain salted chop and plain rice is the dinner. Soy sauce on the side. Trim the fat cap if a child picks around it. Cut the meat off the bone in the kitchen if bones are a stop sign.
Thin chops cook in less oil because they don't have to sit and render for ages. Skip a sugary glaze. Garlic and salt are enough.
Have something else in the fridge?
Got more in the fridge? Snap a photo and we'll pick dinner for you. Free.
Snap your fridgeRelated dinners
Questions
What can I make with pork chops and rice in 20 minutes?
Soy garlic pork chops takes 18 minutes, start to plate. Thin chops glaze with soy and garlic in the last minute, then sit on rice.
What's the easiest dinner with pork chops and rice?
Skillet pork chops and rice is the low-fuss one: one skillet, 20 minutes. Thin pork chops sear, then a quick pan sauce goes over rice.
Can I make this with leftover or cooked pork chops?
Cold rice sits under a just-cooked chop. Cooked chopped pork can warm in the soy skillet. The pilaf wants raw rice and raw chops under the lid. Don't slice leftover pork and boil it in the pilaf.
What else can I add to pork chops and rice for a full meal?
The cards already use pork chops, cooked rice, salt. A piece of fruit or a handful of frozen vegetables is enough if you want more on the plate. Don't make a second shopping trip.
Is pork chops and rice a healthy dinner?
Thin chops cook in less oil because they don't have to sit and render for ages. Skip a sugary glaze. Garlic and salt are enough.
How do I make pork chops and rice kid-friendly?
A plain salted chop and plain rice is the dinner. Soy sauce on the side. Trim the fat cap if a child picks around it. Cut the meat off the bone in the kitchen if bones are a stop sign.
Can I make pork chops and rice in one pan or a sheet pan?
One-pot pork chop rice uses one pot and takes 30 minutes. Thin chops brown, raw rice toasts, and both finish covered.
What if I don't have rice?
No rice: the same thin chops are fine with potatoes. See pork chops and potatoes. No chops: chicken thighs in the pilaf are the chicken and rice card.