LongHorn-Style Cowboy Pork Chops bring the steakhouse pork chop home: two thick bone-in chops brushed with olive oil, rubbed with paprika, garlic powder and cayenne, seared hard in a hot skillet, then finished in butter and crushed garlic until they reach 145°F. It serves 2 and takes about half an hour.
How to make it: Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Brush the chops with oil, cover them in the spice rub, and sear about 4 minutes per side. Turn the heat to medium, add butter and garlic, spoon it over the chops for about 2 minutes, then rest them for 3 minutes before serving.
Why You’ll Love It
- A real steakhouse crust: a hot pan and a paprika rub give the chops a deep brown outside.
- Seven ingredients: pork chops, three spices, olive oil, garlic and butter.
- Quick: 10 minutes of prep and about 20 at the stove, plus a 3-minute rest.
- Garlic butter finish: the chops cook through in butter and garlic you spoon over the top.
Ingredient Notes
Bone-in pork chops: Two chops, each about 1 1/2 inches thick. Bone-in chops tend to be juicier and more flavorful, which is why they make the closest restaurant-style chop. LongHorn’s own Cowboy Pork Chops are described on its menu as center-cut boneless chops seared to a golden brown, so boneless center-cut chops work too; just start checking the temperature sooner.
The rub: One tablespoon of paprika, one teaspoon of garlic powder and half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Paprika gives the color, garlic powder the savory base, and cayenne a little kick. Use less cayenne for a milder chop.
Olive oil: Two tablespoons, brushed over both sides of the chops so the rub sticks and the meat sears instead of sticking to the pan.
Garlic and butter: Two cloves of crushed garlic and two tablespoons of butter go into the pan at the end. They make a quick garlic butter that you spoon over the chops as they finish.
Ingredients
- 2 bone-in pork chops, 1 1/2 inches thick
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 tablespoons butter
How to Make LongHorn-Style Cowboy Pork Chops
1. Heat the pan. Heat a heavy skillet or grill over medium-high heat.
2. Mix the rub. In a small bowl, mix the paprika, garlic powder and cayenne pepper.
3. Oil the chops. Brush both sides of each pork chop with the olive oil, coating them evenly.
4. Season. Rub the spice mixture generously over both sides of the chops until they are fully covered.
5. Sear. Place the chops in the hot skillet without crowding them and cook about 4 minutes per side, until a brown crust forms.
6. Finish with garlic butter. Lower the heat to medium, add the crushed garlic and butter, and cook about 2 minutes more, spooning the butter over the chops, until the thickest part reaches 145°F on a food thermometer.
7. Rest. Move the chops to a plate and let them rest for 3 minutes before serving.
How to Get a Steakhouse Sear at Home
The whole point of a steakhouse pork chop is the outside: a deep brown, well-seasoned crust over a juicy center. Four habits get you there in a home kitchen.
Start with a hot pan. Let the skillet heat over medium-high before the chops go in. A preheated grill works too.
Dry the chops, then oil them. Pat the chops dry with paper towels, then brush both sides evenly with the olive oil before the rub goes on.
Do not crowd or move them. Give each chop its own space in the pan, and leave it alone while it sears. Moving the chops around keeps the crust from forming. After about 4 minutes, turn them once and sear the second side.
Finish gently in garlic butter. Once both sides are brown, turn the heat down to medium and add the butter and garlic. Tilt the pan and spoon the melted garlic butter over the chops while they finish. This is the stage where you check the temperature.
LongHorn’s Cowboy Pork Chops vs. This Copycat
At the restaurant, Cowboy Pork Chops come as two center-cut boneless pork chops seared to a golden brown, and LongHorn does not share how it seasons them. This copycat keeps the part you can see and taste on the plate, a hard sear and a well-browned, seasoned outside, and makes it with ingredients most kitchens already have.
The main difference is the cut. This recipe uses thick bone-in chops, about 1 1/2 inches each, because bone-in chops tend to stay juicier. If you want it closer to the menu, use center-cut boneless chops and cook them the same way, checking the temperature sooner.
Making Four Chops Instead of Two
The recipe makes 2 chops. For four, double every ingredient: 4 chops, 2 tablespoons of paprika, 2 teaspoons of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of cayenne, 4 tablespoons of olive oil, 4 cloves of garlic and 4 tablespoons of butter. Sear the chops in batches, or in a skillet big enough that they do not touch, so the pan stays hot and every chop gets a crust. Finish each batch in its own butter and garlic, check each chop for 145°F, and rest them all for 3 minutes before serving.
What Temperature Should Pork Chops Reach?
Pork chops are done at 145°F in the thickest part, measured with a food thermometer away from the bone, followed by a rest of at least 3 minutes. That is the USDA safe minimum for whole cuts of pork, and the rest is part of it, so do not skip it.
Thick chops can need longer than the 4 minutes per side plus 2 minutes in the butter. If the outside is well browned but the center is still below 145°F, keep the heat at medium and keep basting until it gets there. Thinner or boneless chops can get there sooner, so start checking early.
Tips for Success
Should I use bone-in or boneless chops?
Bone-in chops about 1 1/2 inches thick give you the restaurant-style chop this recipe is built on. Boneless center-cut chops also work; check the temperature sooner.
Can I cook these on the grill?
Yes. Heat the grill to medium-high, sear the chops about 4 minutes per side, and finish them with the garlic butter spooned over the top until they reach 145°F.
How spicy are they?
Half a teaspoon of cayenne for two chops gives a mild kick. Cut it back if you want them milder, or leave it out.
Can I add more seasoning?
Yes. A fuller rub adds onion powder, Italian seasoning, Creole seasoning, salt and black pepper to the paprika and garlic powder.
Variations
- Bigger rub: Add onion powder, Italian seasoning, Creole seasoning, salt and pepper to the spice mix.
- Fresh herbs: Finish the chops with chopped fresh parsley.
- Grilled: Sear the chops on a preheated grill instead of a skillet.
- Boneless: Use center-cut boneless chops, like the ones LongHorn’s menu describes, and start checking the temperature sooner.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate: Put leftover chops in a shallow covered container in the refrigerator within 2 hours of cooking and eat them within 3 to 4 days.
Freeze: Wrap cooked chops well and freeze them for 3 to 4 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator.
Reheat: Cover the chops and reheat them in the oven or microwave until they reach 165°F.
What to Serve With It
Serve the chops warm with mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables or your favorite steakhouse sides, and spoon the garlic butter left in the pan over the top just before they go to the table.
For more pork chop dinners, try honey garlic pork chops, Parmesan baked pork chops, smothered baked pork chops, French onion pork chops, Italian breaded pork chops or baked pork chops and rice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this LongHorn’s actual recipe?
No. LongHorn does not publish its recipe. This is a copycat-style chop made the way the restaurant describes its Cowboy Pork Chops: center-cut and seared to a golden brown.
How long do I cook pork chops in a skillet?
About 4 minutes per side over medium-high heat, then about 2 minutes more in the butter and garlic. Go by the thermometer, not the clock: they are done at 145°F.
Can you use cowboy butter on pork chops?
Yes. This recipe finishes the chops in a simple garlic butter spooned over the top, and any flavored butter can go on the same way at the end.
Why rest pork chops after cooking?
The USDA safe temperature for pork chops is 145°F followed by at least a 3-minute rest, so the rest is part of cooking them safely.
How thick should the pork chops be?
About 1 1/2 inches thick for bone-in chops, the size this recipe and its cooking times are built on. Thinner chops cook faster, so start checking them early.
Do I need to pat the pork chops dry?
Yes. Pat them completely dry with paper towels before you brush on the oil and add the rub.
Can I make these with thinner chops?
Yes, but they cook faster. Sear them until browned and start checking the temperature early so they do not go past 145°F by much.
Final Notes
Get the pan hot, leave the chops alone while they sear, and finish them in garlic butter with a thermometer in hand. If you make these LongHorn-style cowboy pork chops, tell me how they turned out in the comments.
LongHorn-Style Cowboy Pork Chops
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Ingredients
- 2 bone-in pork chops 1 1/2 inches thick
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Heat a heavy skillet or grill over medium-high heat.
- In a small bowl, mix the paprika, garlic powder and cayenne pepper.
- Brush both sides of each pork chop with the olive oil, coating them evenly.
- Rub the spice mixture generously over both sides of the chops until they are fully covered.
- Place the chops in the hot skillet without crowding them and cook about 4 minutes per side, until a brown crust forms.
- Lower the heat to medium, add the crushed garlic and butter, and cook about 2 minutes more, spooning the butter over the chops, until the thickest part reaches 145°F on a food thermometer.
- Move the chops to a plate and let them rest for 3 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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