Savory Herb Slow Cooker Pork Chops

Why This Savory Herb Slow Cooker Pork Chops Works

During the quick sear in the skillet, the outside of the pork chops browns and firms up a bit. That thin browned layer keeps the meat from drying out later in the slow cooker, so the chops stay juicy instead of turning stringy. At the same time, the heat wakes up the garlic, onion, thyme, and rosemary on the surface, so they cling to the meat instead of washing off.

Once the pork chops sit in the slow cooker, the low, steady heat slowly loosens the tough fibers in the meat. Over a few hours, those fibers relax and the chops become tender enough to cut with a fork. While that happens, the chicken broth and Worcestershire sauce soak into the meat and into all the browned bits from the pan.

In the skillet, the flour and sour cream turn the broth into a smooth sauce before it even goes into the slow cooker. As everything cooks, that sauce thickens just enough to coat the pork chops, so it ends up creamy and clingy instead of thin and watery.

Mistakes To Avoid

Letting the pork chops cook for much longer than 5 hours on low can make them dry and stringy instead of tender. The slow cooker keeps heating the meat even when it looks done, so the chops lose moisture and the sauce can start to taste flat and pasty.

Skipping the sear in the skillet often leads to pale, slightly rubbery pork. Without that quick browning, the outside never firms up, so the chops can feel boiled and the sauce around them looks dull and gray.

Pouring cold sour cream straight into very hot broth in the skillet can cause the sauce to look grainy and split. The dairy tightens up in the heat instead of blending in, so the final sauce in the slow cooker stays lumpy instead of smooth and creamy.

Adding a lot more flour than listed to “thicken extra” can make the sauce gluey and pasty. As it cooks in the slow cooker, the flour keeps swelling, so the sauce can turn into a thick, gummy coating on the pork instead of a pourable gravy.