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Slow Cooker Pork Chops are the dinner I lean on when the day gets away from me, golden seared chops tucked over sliced mushrooms and slow cooked in a creamy mushroom gravy until they practically fall off the bone. I set them up before school pickup on a busy Tuesday afternoon and by dinner the whole house smelled like Sunday. If you love our crock pot pot roast, this is the weeknight pork version.
Five minutes of prep, one quick sear, and your crock pot handles everything else while you get on with your day.
Slow Cooker Pork Chops Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 5 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 5 hours 10 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: About 5 hours 15 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 6 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 480kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Savory and rich, tender pork in a creamy mushroom gravy with garlic and Italian herbs
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, even simpler than our easy pork chops with gravy on the stovetop
Quick Answer
Sear 3 pounds of bone in pork chops in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat until golden. Spread 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms in the bottom of a slow cooker and lay the chops on top. Whisk 2 cans of condensed cream of mushroom soup with a packet of au jus gravy mix, 1 tablespoon Italian herbs paste, and 1/2 teaspoon each black pepper and garlic powder, then whisk in 1 cup of water. Pour the sauce over the chops and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or high for 2 to 3 hours until fork tender.
Jump to:
- Slow Cooker Pork Chops Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Slow Cooker Pork Chops
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Slow Cooker Pork Chops FAQs
- Other Recommended Pork Chop Recipes
- Slow Cooker Pork Chops
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- A quick sear builds the flavor. Browning the chops in a hot skillet for a few minutes creates a golden crust and deep savory notes that a slow cooker can never make on its own. Those browned bits melt into the gravy as everything cooks.
- Bone in chops stay juicy. The bone slows down how fast the meat cooks and adds richness to the sauce. That extra margin is exactly what you want over a long, gentle cook, so the chops turn tender instead of dry.
- Mushrooms on the bottom protect the pork. A layer of sliced mushrooms lifts the chops off the hot base of the crock and releases moisture as they cook. They act like a little rack and flavor the gravy at the same time.
- Two kinds of gravy flavor in one sauce. Cream of mushroom soup brings body and creaminess, while the au jus gravy mix adds a beefy, roasted depth. Together they taste like a gravy you spent an hour on.
- Low and slow breaks down the pork. Pork chops are lean, so they need gentle heat to stay tender. Cooking on low keeps the sauce at a soft simmer and gives the connective tissue time to relax without squeezing out all the juice.
- Thinning the sauce with water keeps it smooth. Adding the water a little at a time while you whisk prevents lumps and gives the gravy the right pourable texture. It thickens again as the chops release their juices during the cook.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It takes about five minutes of hands on work, so it fits on the busiest weekday and still tastes like a slow Sunday dinner.
- The creamy mushroom gravy is so good you will want something to soak it up, which is why we always pile these over a big scoop of creamy mashed potatoes.
- It is a budget friendly family dinner that uses pantry staples, feeds six, and reheats beautifully for lunch the next day.
Key Ingredients
This is a short list of simple ingredients, and every one of them pulls its weight.
- Bone In Pork Chops: Look for chops about 3/4 to 1 inch thick. Thicker chops hold up to the long cook and stay juicy, and the bone adds flavor to the gravy.
- Olive Oil: Just enough to get a hot, even sear in the skillet. Any neutral cooking oil works if that is what you have.
- Baby Bella Mushrooms: Also called cremini, they have more flavor than white button mushrooms and hold their shape through hours of slow cooking.
- Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup and Au Jus Gravy Mix: The shortcut gravy duo. The soup makes it creamy and the gravy packet adds that savory, roasted flavor, the same trick that makes our slow cooker Mississippi cube steaks so rich.
- Italian Herbs Paste, Garlic Powder, and Black Pepper: The seasoning. The herb paste is optional but adds a fresh, bright note. Dried Italian seasoning is an easy swap.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This recipe is easy to make your own with whatever you have in the kitchen.
- Use boneless pork chops. Boneless chops cook faster, so check them at the early end of the cook time, about 3 to 4 hours on low.
- Swap the soup. Cream of chicken or cream of celery soup works in place of cream of mushroom, or use one of each for a milder gravy.
- Add onions or potatoes. Tuck sliced onions in with the mushrooms, or add halved baby potatoes under the chops for a complete one pot dinner.
- Make it ranch style. Use a ranch seasoning packet instead of the au jus mix for a tangy, herby gravy the kids love.
- Give it a little kick. Stir a pinch of crushed red pepper or a spoonful of Dijon mustard into the sauce before you pour it over the chops, a flavor we love in our crock pot lemon garlic chicken thighs too.
- Try it with beef. The same gravy is fantastic on cube steak or chuck roast. If you love it, our Mississippi pot roast is the next one to try.
How to Make Slow Cooker Pork Chops
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and sear the pork chops until golden brown on both sides, then set them aside. Spread the sliced mushrooms in a single layer across the bottom of an 8 quart slow cooker.
- Arrange the seared pork chops on top of the mushrooms, overlapping them slightly if needed so they fit in an even layer.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the condensed cream of mushroom soup, au jus gravy mix, Italian herbs paste, black pepper, and garlic powder. Slowly whisk in the water a little at a time until the sauce is completely smooth.
- Pour the sauce evenly over the pork chops so every chop is covered.
- Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or on high for 2 to 3 hours, until the pork is fork tender and reaches at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Lift the pork chops out with a large spoon and serve right away with the mushrooms and plenty of gravy spooned over the top.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Pat the chops dry before searing. Moisture is the enemy of a good crust. Dry chops brown fast and evenly instead of steaming in the pan.
- Do not crowd the skillet. Sear the chops in two batches if needed. A crowded pan drops the temperature and you lose that golden color.
- Cook on low when you can. High works in a pinch, but low heat gives you the most tender chops. Long, gentle cooking is the whole point of this recipe.
- Keep the lid on. Every peek lets out heat and can add 15 to 20 minutes to the cook time. Trust the process and check near the end.
- Use a meat thermometer. Pork is safe at 145 degrees Fahrenheit. A quick check takes the guesswork out, the same way it does for our brown sugar brined grilled pork chops.
- Thicken the gravy if you like. Stir a slurry of 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 2 tablespoons cold water into the sauce for the last 20 minutes on high for a thicker gravy.
- Taste before serving. The soup and gravy mix are salty on their own, so taste the sauce at the end and add a little more pepper or garlic powder only if it needs it.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Mashed potatoes are the classic partner here because that gravy needs somewhere to go. Our slow cooker mashed potatoes cook right alongside the pork if you have a second crock pot, and roasted garlic mashed potatoes are what I make for company.
For a green vegetable, a quick green bean stir fry or a plate of crispy fried green beans balances out the creamy sauce. Warm Southern buttermilk biscuits are perfect for wiping the plate clean, and a bowl of homemade crock pot applesauce on the side is a classic pairing with pork that never gets old.
If you are planning a cozy week of slow cooker dinners, these pork chops rotate nicely with beef stroganoff, creamy chicken stroganoff, and meatballs and gravy. Our Salisbury steak has that same comforting gravy over everything feeling too.
Hosting a game day or busy weekend? Set out a crock of slow cooker buffalo chicken sandwiches or slow cooker brats and sauerkraut with apples next to these chops and let everyone build their own plate.
Slow Cooker Pork Chops FAQs
You do not have to, but it makes a big difference. Searing creates a golden crust and savory flavor that carries into the gravy. If you are really short on time you can skip it, the slow cooker pork chops will still be tender, just a little paler and milder.
Yes. Boneless chops work well but cook a bit faster, so start checking them after about 3 hours on low. Thicker boneless chops, about 1 inch, hold up best and stay juicy.
Cook them on high for 2 to 3 hours, or on low for 4 to 5 hours. Low gives the most tender results, but high is great when you get a late start. Either way, they are done when the pork reaches at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit and pulls apart easily with a fork.
Yes. Cream of chicken or cream of celery soup are easy swaps. For a from scratch version, whisk 1/4 cup flour into 2 cups of beef broth and 1/2 cup heavy cream and use that in place of the soup and water.
Let the leftovers cool, then store the chops and gravy together in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave with a splash of water or broth to loosen the gravy. You can also freeze them for up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the fridge.
Usually they were cooked too long on high or the chops were very thin. Use thicker chops, cook on low, and check the temperature near the end. If you want a leaner cut that cooks fast, our air fryer pork tenderloin is a great option.
Looking for more easy pork dinners? Our Ritz cracker oven baked pork chops and brown sugar brined grilled pork chops are family favorites, and you can find even more cozy ideas in our roundup of crockpot fall recipes.
Slow Cooker Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 3 pounds bone in pork chops about 6 chops
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms sliced
- 2 condensed cream of mushroom soup 10.5 ounce cans
- 1 ounce au jus gravy mix 1 packet
- 1 tablespoon Italian herbs paste optional
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and sear the pork chops until golden brown on both sides, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Set them aside.3 pounds bone in pork chops, 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Spread the sliced mushrooms in a single layer across the bottom of an 8 quart slow cooker.8 ounces baby bella mushrooms
- Arrange the seared pork chops on top of the mushrooms.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the condensed soup, au jus gravy mix, Italian herbs paste, black pepper, and garlic powder until smooth.2 condensed cream of mushroom soup, 1 ounce au jus gravy mix, 1 tablespoon Italian herbs paste, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Slowly whisk in the water a little at a time until the sauce is completely smooth.1 cup water
- Pour the sauce over the pork chops, cover, and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or on high for 2 to 3 hours, until the pork is fork tender and reaches at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Serve the pork chops right away with the mushrooms and plenty of gravy spooned over the top.
Notes
- Bone in chops stay juicier in the slow cooker, but boneless chops work too. Check boneless chops at the early end of the cook time so they do not dry out.
- Do not skip the sear. It only takes a few minutes and adds a deep, savory flavor to the gravy.
- If you want a thicker gravy, stir in a slurry of 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 2 tablespoons cold water during the last 20 minutes.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat with a splash of water or broth.
Nutrition
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Shared at Full Plate Thursday and Weekend Potluck.
