Shortcut Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker Boneless Pork Chops
These Shortcut Pressure Cooker (Instant Pot) Boneless Pork Chops are a great last-minute meal that calls for ingredients you likely already have on-hand. These boneless pork chops are cooked until they’re fork-tender in an easy tomato-mushroom gravy—made pressure-cooker quick using onion soup mix, mushrooms, and tomato paste.
When I posted my Easy Pressure Cooker Pork Chops in Mushroom Gravy, I got a number of questions about making boneless pork chops in the pressure cooker. So this week, I thought I’d share a boneless pork chops recipe so you could compare.
Terry, a long-time Pressure Cooking Today reader, sent me this recipe. It’s been a go-to meal at our house when I needed something quick and easy because it calls for ingredients I almost always have on hand.
Update: To show you how quick this recipe comes together, we made a little video. I love how this video really shows the impact browning the meat has on the flavor. About 25 seconds in, we add the water. Then we scrape up the browned bits and the sauce turns brown with flavor. Don’t skip this step!
Tips for Making Pressure Cooker Boneless Pork Chops in an Instant Pot
Pork chops can be a little tricky to prepare in the pressure cooker. This is mostly due to the different thicknesses and cuts of “pork chops” out there.
Different Cuts of Pork Chops
The different cuts of pork chop available—pork loin blade chops, pork chop end cut, center-cut loin chop, boneless pork chops, to name a few I saw in my grocery store—all are made of different types of meat with different cooking needs.
Some of these chops need a long cook time to break down the tissue to result in fork-tender chops, while other chops need liquids and braising to help keep the meat from drying out.
Boneless pork chops are generally very lean and benefit from cooking in the moist pressure cooking environment. They also cook more quickly than other chops.
If you want more in-depth information, the Kitchn has a great explanation of the different cuts and what they look like and recommended cooking methods.
Different Thickness of Pork Chops
The thickness of the pork chops you purchase also makes a huge difference in the cook time of the meat. Thicker pork chops are less prone to overcooking.
This recipe calls for boneless pork chops that are at least 1-inch thick.
If you’re using a thinner chop, you’ll need to cut the pressure cooking time down. For example, if they’re 1/2-inch thick, I would cut the cook time in half and use an 8 minute cook time with a 10 minute natural release.
If you want a sliceable pork chop, not fork tender, you can use a 1-minute cook time with a complete natural release.
I cooked these chops at High Pressure for 15 minutes, which resulted in a fork-tender chop that registered over 200°F! (I prefer my pork fork tender.)
However, if you like your pork to be firmer and need a knife to cut through the meat, you will want to reduce the cook time—as long as an instant-read thermometer shows the chops are cooked above 145°F, they’re good to go.
Doubling or Halving the Recipe
If you want to add more, you can double the meat without needing to add additional liquid to this recipe. But if you’d like to have more gravy, you can also double the liquid. Either way, you will not need to add any additional cook time.
While I always love leftovers, I know some people prefer to cook just what they need. When I half the recipe, I prefer to reduce just the meat and still make the full amount of gravy, because I hate to use just half a can of something and I also want to make sure there’s enough liquid in the pot to come to pressure. However, if you want to half this recipe, you can also half the liquids as well. Again, no change to the cook time.
Adding the Cornstarch
When you make the tomato-mushroom gravy, it’s important to be patient when adding the cornstarch and allow the contents of the pot come to a boil. The cornstarch won’t thicken until it reaches a certain temperature (203°F at sea level, a little lower at altitude). Once that temperature is reached, it thickens quickly.
If you’re impatient and add more cornstarch before the temperature is reached, your gravy can get a little jello-y. Another way to avoid clumps is to add the cornstarch to cool water and stir until well combined, then stir constantly as you add it to the cooking pot.
My family really enjoyed the tomato-mushroom sauce served generously over the pork and rice—my grandson did a little “happy mushroom dance” every time he found one in his rice. (I may have scooped out extras just for him to enjoy). I hope you and your family enjoy these Shortcut Pressure Cooker (Instant Pot) Boneless Pork Chops as much as we did.
Shortcut Pressure Cooker (Instant Pot) Boneless Pork Chops
These boneless pork chops are cooked until they're fork-tender in an easy tomato-mushroom gravy—made pressure-cooker quick using onion soup mix, mushrooms, and tomato paste.
Ingredients
- 4 thick boneless center-cut pork chops (about 4 to 5 ounces each and at least 1-inch thick)
- 1 tablespoon oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 packet onion soup mix (use your favorite flavor, I used Beefy Onion Soup Mix)**
- 1 can (8 ounces) mushrooms, drained
- 1/4 cup tomato paste (I use tomato paste in a tube)
- 2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cold water
Instructions
- Generously season the pork chops with salt and pepper. Select Saute to preheat the pressure cooking pot. When hot, add the oil and brown the pork chops on both sides—do not crowd the pan.
- When pork chops are browned, add 2 cups of water to the pressure cooking pot, and stir to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
- Add the onion soup mix and tomato paste, and stir to combine. Lock the lid in place, select High Pressure and 15 minutes cook time.
- When timer sounds, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then finish with a quick pressure release. Carefully remove the lid.
- Remove the pork chops to a serving bowl. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and cold water, stirring until well combined.
- Select Saute and pour the cornstarch slurry into the pressure cooking pot, stirring constantly. Add the canned mushrooms to the gravy and stir until the gravy thickens. Turn off the pressure cooker.
- Salt and pepper the gravy to taste.
- Pour gravy over the pork chops in the serving bowl. Serve pork chops over prepared rice or mashed potatoes.
Notes
*If using thin pork chops, remember to reduce the cook time.
**Onion Soup Mix substitution:
- 1/4 cup dried minced onion
- 2 tablespoons beef bouillon granules
- 1/8 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon parsley flakes
- 1/8 teaspoon celery salt
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 170Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 894mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 12g
Nutrition information is calculated by Nutritionix and may not always be accurate.
More pork recipes you’ll love:
If you like beef stroganoff, you’ll love this Pressure Cooker Pork Stroganoff! It features tender strips of pork in a rich, creamy gravy that’s kicked up a notch with a little chili sauce, dry mustard, and sherry.
This Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker Pork Tenderloin Marsala is a quick and easy dinner that’s also gluten free. You’ll love the Marsala wine sauce, which pairs well with the smokey bacon and the tender pork tenderloin.
These fork-tender, fall-off-the-bone Easy Bone-In Pork Chops in Mushroom Gravy are a family favorite! Serve over creamy pressure cooker mashed potatoes for the perfect meal that’s all old-fashioned comfort-food.
Pressure Cooker Honey-Orange Pork Roast is made from fork-tender pork roast coated in a sweet and zesty orange sauce sauce.
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Since being new at this I just sauted my two pork chops added a can of tomatoes pt it on 25 minutes and hubby put it over rice an enjoyed it.
I used bone in chops so I cooked them a bit longer. Also sauteed mushrooms and onions in butter and tossed them in. Fork tender and delicious!!
Hi
I made the recipe with chicken broth that I had leftover instead of the water. Turned out wonderfully! Thanks for the recipe.
Sounds like a delicious change – thanks Robert!
Costco boneless pork chops are 1 3/4” thick (at our nearby Costco, anyway). How long should I pressure cook for 2 chops? For 4 chops?
Hi Susan – sometimes I’ll slice the Costco chops in half before cooking. But if you don’t want to cut them I’d try 20 minutes.
Made this tonight as an IP Duo Evo Plus newbie! Delicious!
Thank you for a simple ingredient recipe for pork chops! Will be trying more of your IP recipes!
That’s great – thanks Barbara!
Delicious. Pleasantly surprised. Will be on the rotation for sure.
Thanks Leslie!
This was delicious! Loved the gravy. I did sauté fresh mushrooms in butter instead of using jarred mushrooms. A simple and easy recipe. Thank you for sharing!
Do you have nutrition information for this recipe?
Hi Lynn – I’ve updated the recipe to include the nutritional information. Thanks!
Can I cook 8 chops at a time? If so, do I need to double everything, including the water?? New to Instant Pot cooking . 🙂
Great question Nancy. You can double the meat without needing to add additional liquid to this recipe. But you can if you’d like to have more gravy. You should not need to add any more time either way.
Thanks for the quick reply!!!
my pot won’t go from saute to pressure
Hi Sharon – you have to press the cancel button in between. So when you’re done sauteing, press cancel and the select a pressure cooking function.
We really liked it! We put in real mushrooms to cook with the mix. I recommend adding 1 minute to the pressure time if you use raw veggies.
As all the recipes you have posted this was delish! I am new to this and enjoying all the posts.
That’s so nice – thanks Linda!
I like to use Wondra instead of corn starch or flour. It thickens better, has/adds very little floury taste to any gravy. It comes in a tall round blue container with white lettering. About the same size as a container of bread crumbs. Works wondra-fully! Lol.
Thanks for the tip Steve!
I’m cooking for 2 and don’t always want leftovers. If the recipe is four servings can I cut it in half? Would I cut the cooking time in half?
Hi Teri – as long as the sauce has enough liquid to come to pressure you can cut it in half. Or, you can always make the entire sauce recipe and half the protein.
Minutes thin pork chops in ip?
Hi Diane – for thin pork chops you may want to try 1 minute at pressure and a natural release.
Did you really mean ONE minute for a thin pork chop (1/2 inch) or is that a typo? Did you mean 10 minutes?
I’ve updated the post. 1 minute if you want a sliceable 1/2 inch pork chop. 8 minutes if you want a fork-tender pork chop. Enjoy!
This sounds great. Can you use frozen pork chops and would I add more cooking time being frozen ?
Thanks Alana – you can use frozen pork chops but they don’t brown well, so skip that part. You may need to add a minute or two.
I have a big pork loin in my freezer. Do think I could slice it and use it for this?
Hi Marci – yes, if you slice them thickly, this should work well.
I have only made bone in pork chops in the pressure cooker up until now-looking forward to giving these a try. The sauce sounds delicious! We’ve had our fair share of chicken this past week so will go poking in the freezer to see if I have some pork chops hiding to give this a try.
Great! Let me know if you give it a try.
To avoid “jello-y” gravy, you might consider thickening the liquid with a flour slurry rather than using cornstarch. I typically tend to make my gravies with flour and thicken sauces for Asian dishes with cornstarch. Be sure, if using flour, to cook long enough that the flour is “cooked” and the gravy doesn’t taste raw or “flour-y”
Thanks for sharing your tips! I tend to use flour just with beef gravies because I usually like the clearer sauce, but the original recipe did call for a flour slurry. Generally you’ll need more flour than cornstarch so you’d want to use 3 to 4 tablespoons flour if you do substitute it. 🙂
Could you use bone in cops and well?
Hi Linda – you can use bone in chops, you might want to cook them a little longer, since they tend to have a little more fat and can tolerate a longer cook time so they’re nearly fall apart tender.
I didn’t have corn starch and used flour instead. Separate con
Container, added a little water so there were no lumps, and then slowly poured it into the pot when pork chops were done.
This is a great recipe . Thank you for sharing it with us.
Susanne
Thanks Susanne – flour is a great option, but as you noted, you do have to make sure there are no lumps.
After browning pork chops do you remove them from the pan while making sauce and then return them once sauce is made?
I just pushed the meat over to the side to stir the sauce together before pressure coooking. After pressure cooking, I did remove them to a platter while I added the cornstarch to the sauce.
Do you think that one could use fresh mushrooms instead of canned? My hubby hates canned mushrooms!
Definitely! You’ll probably want to saute them in a pan with a little butter while the chops are cooking, since the long cook time in the pressure cooker would make them a little rubbery.
I’ve been reading to see how to adjust the cooking time for thinner pork chops. One minute and natural release? Really? I’m referring to boneless chops which are about a half inch thick. I like them to be fork tender. The original recipe calls for 15 minutes with 10 minutes natural release. If I let my pot come to to complete NR it’s about 15 minutes or so.
Hi Carol – if you want them to be fork-tender, I would use an 8 minute cook time for one half inch chops. Let me know how it goes.
I used fresh mushrooms and it came out perfect. I added them in with the pork chops.