These smothered bone-in pork chops made with cashew cream instead of dairy are the perfect cold weather comfort food! The sauce is made with sweet caramelized onions, flavorful herbs, and a smooth and luscious cashew cream that is 100% dairy free. An ideal cozy dinner that will warm you up from the inside out.
My grandma knew how to make a good smothered pork chop
Being from Wisconsin and growing up in my Grandma’s classic Midwest kitchen, smothered pork chops were often on the dinner table. Usually just served with rice and a green vegetable (often just frozen peas or green beans, though in true Midwestern style a canned veg did make an occasional appearance), it was always one of my favorite meals.
And while I will always have a soft spot in my heart for her recipes, I’ve built NK to be a place where those comfort-food classics are re-made with a gluten-free and dairy-free framework in mind.
These Smothered Caramelized Onion Meatballs are another cozy recipe in the NK archives that captures that GF / DF comfort food goal perfectly.
And this recipe? Well, these dairy free bone in pork chops genuinely feel like a hug on a plate. Like being transported back to Grandma’s kitchen on a dang-it’s-cold-outside kind of day.
I love serving it with creamy dairy-free mashed cauliflower and oven-roasted broccolini for a complete meal that’s as nourishing as it is delicious – which is to say, very.
Recipe testing notes
Dry brining
Pork can easily turn dry if overcooked. But there’s an excellent and incredibly easy way to make sure that doesn’t happen, and it’s dry brining.
🤓 I love using a dry brine for everything from a NY strip steak to a whole chicken to pork chops. I’m not a food scientist, so I don’t know exactly how it works, but I do know that it integrates the salt into the meat and, by doing so, results in a juicier bite every time through the magical process of osmosis.
If you’re in a hurry, you can skip this step, but I highly recommend it if you have the time. Overnight is ideal, but even 30 minutes is enough time to yield juicier pork chops!
Why I love using cashew cream instead of other dairy free alternatives
If you browse through the tons of flavor-packed dairy free dishes on NK, you’ll notice that I primarily use cashew cream as a dairy substitute instead of other alternatives.
This is because (through trial and error), I have found it has the most neutral flavor and the best creamy texture that naturally thickens as it simmers in soups and sauces in a way that genuinely mimics how dairy acts in a recipe.
A few quick recipe and ingredient notes
This recipe relies on 2 main things to maximize flavor:
- Caramelization of the pork chops and onions in the skillet – so don’t cut corners on those steps.
- The all-purpose seasoning, nutritional yeast, and coconut aminos, which add a significant amount of umami-rich depth.
The pork chops
I love using bone-in pork chops for recipes like this because the meat stays more moist and tender, and the flavor is also richer and more complete. Especially with the dry brine, bone-in pork chops are always going to be less dry than boneless chops.
If you enjoyed these pork chops I’d love it if you would take a moment to rate and review it below! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 It’s also a great place for questions, and super helpful for other readers if you share any modifications you made to the recipe.
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Dairy-Free Smothered Bone-In Pork Chops
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Paleo
Description
These smothered bone-in pork chops made with cashew cream instead of dairy are the perfect cold weather comfort food! The sauce is made with sweet caramelized onions, flavorful herbs, and a smooth and luscious cashew cream that is 100% dairy free. An ideal cozy dinner that will warm you up from the inside out.
Ingredients
- 4 thick cut bone-in pork chops – about 2 pounds worth
- For dry brining: 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt per half pound meat – about 1/2 teaspoon per pork chop
- 1/2 cup raw cashews OR 1/2 cup raw macadamia nuts + 1 tablespoon sunflower seed butter
- just boiled water to cover the cashews (or macadamia nuts)
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 medium sized onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
- 1 teaspoon all-purpose seasoning
- pinch of cayenne (optional)
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 cups chicken, beef, or vegetable broth
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley or fresh thyme to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Dry brine pork chops. Evenly season the pork chops with kosher salt and move to the refrigerator in a covered container to dry brine for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight.
- While the pork chops are brining, soak your cashews. In a heatproof bowl cover cashews with just boiled water. Allow to soak for at least 30 minutes. (If using the cashew substitutes, soak the macadamia nuts the same as you would the cashews).
- Move pork chops to room temperature. When you’re ready to start cooking, remove pork chops from the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature while you prep and measure the other ingredients.
- Sear the pork chops. Heat 2 tablespoons avocado oil over medium high heat in a large skillet until shimmering. Pat pork chops very dry with paper towels. Sear (in two batches if they’re too big to fit in the pan without overcrowding) for about 3-4 minutes per side – until golden brown. Remove to a plate and set aside.
- Cook the onions. Reduce heat to medium and add sliced onions with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until transluscent and starting to caramelize – about 5 minutes. Add a small splash of water as needed if they’re browning too quickly.
- Make cashew cream sauce. While onions are cooking drain and rinse cashews. Add to a blender with broth and blend on high until smooth and creamy with no visible pieces of cashew remaining. Set aside. (For cashew cream substitute, drain and rinse the macadamia nuts and add the sunflower seed butter to the blender as well).
- Add remaining aromatics and spices. When onions are nicely caramelized, add chopped garlic, nutritional yeast, pinch of cayenne, all purpose seasoning, coconut aminos, and thyme. Cook, stirring frequently, for one minute, until spices are aromatic.
- Add blended cashew cream to the skillet and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer reduce slightly until sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon – about 3-5 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper if desired.
- Finish cooking the pork chops. Add pork chops back to the pan along with any juices that have collected on the plate, and turn to coat. Cover and reduce heat to a bare simmer. Simmer until pork chops are fully cooked, flipping halfway through cook time, for about 15-20 minutes. Exact time will depend on the thickness of your pork chops.
- Garnish with fresh herbs if desired, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
If you prefer boneless pork chops you can easily substitute those for bone in. Keep in mind they will cook a lot faster than bone in pork chops, so you’ll likely be able to reduce the cooking time in the final step.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: American
Victoria says
Honestly, completely amazing. I cannot believe there is no dairy in this. It’s SO good, I cannot recommend enough. I’m not eating true whole 30 so I used soy sauce instead of coconut aminos and I also used pork loin instead of chops. I have pinned this recipe to my favourites, I will make this dish the rest of my life!!!
Nyssa Tanner says
Thank you, thank you, Victoria! So thrilled that you loved this recipe so much. Those sound like the perfect substitutions if you’re not doing a strict Whole30! I bet the pork loin cooks even faster than pork chops – a great perk! Happy cooking 🙂 – Nyssa
Takreem Dambreville-Russo says
I really want to try this recipe. I love good old fashion smother pork chops, and looking to try whole 30 recipes now. My biggest problem is I am allergic to tree nuts. This problem has prevented me from doing a lot of vegan recipes or diets. Peanuts are my go to, as they are a seen and not a nut. Nuts are a huge part of plant based diets and keto/ paleo, and whole 30 nutrition. I do not think that the substitute of peanuts in this dish will be great. Do you have any suggestions.
Nyssa Tanner says
Hi Takreem! Ah I totally understand. I use cashews a lot and have quite a few readers who have allergies so I’m always looking for good substitutes. Normally I recommend using Nutpods creamer as a cashew free alternative but it does have other nuts in it, so not a great option in this case. I have plans to play around with some different ideas for a nut free version of this sauce, and will follow up with what I figure out so we can hopefully make this cozy recipe accessible for you! Stay tuned! – Nyssa
Nyssa Tanner says
Hi Takreem, I wanted to follow up up with a suggestion for how to make the sauce without cashews that I tested last night (husband approved!).
Here’s the idea:
Simmer 1/2 cup peeled and large diced yukon gold potatoes in water until tender when pierced with a fork. Drain and add to blender with 2 cups dairy free milk of choice (I used oat milk – the higher the fat content the creamier the sauce will be), and 1 tablespoon better than bouillon (or to taste). Blend until smooth and creamy, and proceed with the recipe as it’s written, using this blended mixture instead of the cashew cream mixture. It can be thinned with additional dairy free milk or broth if needed.
Alternatively, if you’re feeling more ambitious you could make a batch of this nut free gravy and use it in the pork chop recipe, too!
Hope that is helpful, I’d love to know if you give either of those options a try! Happy cooking 🙂
Tylre says
This will be a new staple in my house. My husband literally raved all evening after dinner about how FABULOUS it was! I tripled the sauce so I could have leftovers and I’m so glad I did! It’ll be so yummy over some pot roast tonight!!!
Nyssa Tanner says
Extra sauce, always! So glad you and your husband enjoyed it so much. Thanks for the thoughtful comment! Happy cooking! – Nyssa
Laurie says
Could you do this in a crockpot?
Nyssa Tanner says
Hi Laurie! I probably wouldn’t recommend it. By the time you got to the point in the recipe where everything would be added to the crockpot the dish would pretty much be done. If you decide you do want to finish it in the crockpot, transfer the finished sauce and seared pork chops to the crockpot (making sure they are all or mostly submerged under the sauce), and cook on low for 2-3 hours or on high for 1-2 hours. Hope that helps! Happy cooking!
Janet says
My husband actually found this recipe! It was fabulous! Definitely a keeper recipe. We were a little skeptical of how the gravy would be, but it was so tasty!! I made mashed potatoes to go with it…comfort food wonderfulness!
Nyssa Tanner says
This recipe plus mashed potatoes is my comfort food heaven! So glad you and your husband enjoyed it 🙂 Thank you for the note!
Alexandra says
Literally one of the best recipes I have ever cooked. No subs. Amazing for a Whole30 dinner! Thank you for this lovely meal.
Nyssa Tanner says
Oh my gosh yes! This made me so happy. I’m so happy you enjoyed it so much 🙂 Thank you for the comment!
francesca says
Insanely delicious! We chose to add mushrooms like she suggests in the notes. We also used pork chops vs bone in, amazing. Will definitely be making this again!
Nyssa Tanner says
So glad you liked it! And yess to the mushrooms – I love the flavor and nutrients that they add 🙂
Angela says
Did this recipe used to call for Sunflower butter?
Nyssa Tanner says
Hi Angela! Yes – the recipe is supposed to offer a cashew-free alternative of macadamia nuts + sunflower seed butter. Not sure why it reverted to a different version. I just updated it to include that option. Thanks for bringing that to my attention!
leellyn says
I had my doubts about the gravy in this recipe, but needed a dairy free gravy. Wow was I surprised! This was delicious and will use it even if I return to a regular diet. I couldn’t get over how the cashews turned this into thick gravy with a taste that tasted better than regular gravy! Thank you, Nyssa.
Nyssa Tanner says
Aw yes! I’m so happy you loved it! The magic of cashews as a dairy alternative always blows my mind 🙂 Thanks for the thoughtful comment!
Lori says
HI !! I thought I posted a comment earlier, but I don’t see it…so I apologize if this is a duplicate comment. I’m excited to try this recipe….what kind of broth do you recommend?
Lori says
Hi! Anxious to try this. What kind/flavor of broth do you recommend using?
Nyssa Tanner says
Hi Lori! I usually use chicken broth, but mushroom broth or beef broth would also work! Really any good tasting broth (besides seafood) would do the trick. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Candara says
Do you think this recipe could also be done with chicken?
Nyssa Tanner says
Absolutely! I would prepare it exactly the same but substituting either 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, or 4-5 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs instead of pork chops. 2 pounds of meat is probably still a good amount, although you may want to reduce it slightly depending on the size of the chicken pieces.
Candara says
This is the second recipe I’ve made of yours and it was another hit, thank you for sharing it! I love your recipes they make me feel like a pro chef
Nyssa Tanner says
The ultimate compliment! I’m so glad you loved it and thank you for the thoughtful comment 🙂 Happy cooking!
Kristen Bagley says
I don’t have a high speed blender. I am curious if I could use cashew nut butter. What are your thoughts?
Nyssa Tanner says
Hi Kristen! This is actually something I’ve been meaning to test. I think that it would work well if you start with raw cashew butter. If you want to give it a try I would suggest starting with an equal ratio of cashew butter and hot water, and whisking to combine – maybe 1/4 cup of each to start. If the cashew sauce ever seems too thick or sort of seizes up you can always thin with more water. Hope that helps! Let me know if you try it and I’ll be sure to let you know once I have a chance to test this out.
Todd says
This was delicious. My bf and I are doing Whole30, and this tasted as good as if it had heavy cream in it. Served with roasted Brussels sprouts, which the sauce complimented nicely. Will definitely be making again (and will add some mushrooms next time). Thank you!
Nyssa Tanner says
I’m so glad you liked it! Isn’t cashew cream just amazing? The flavor and texture are so close to dairy it blows my mind! I bet it was so good with Brussels sprouts!
Angelique Williams says
This is truly a keeper! My entire family really liked this (they are not on Whole30).The nutritional yeast really adds a great flavor. This warms up really nicely too. . Had a lot of sauce left over and will freeze for 1-2 more chops.
Nyssa Tanner says
I’m so happy you and the fam love it! Always so awesome when you find Whole30 recipes that everyone enjoys. Thank you for the thoughtful comment! 🙂
Jennifer says
Really really good. So much flavor. Gravy was amazing. I paired this with your whipped parsnips. Thank you.
Nyssa Tanner says
Yayy Jennifer! So glad you enjoyed. Flavorful gravy is like kitchen magic, isn’t it?!
Thanks for sharing your kitchen with me!
xo – Nyssa
Ashley Musson says
This recipe was delicious! I don’t usually eat ‘creamy’ dishes. This Whole30 recipe was packed with amazing flavors! My 12 y/o son kept saying that it was the best gravy he’d ever had! I highly recommend it and would suggest sharing the meal with friends and/ or family that aren’t Whole30 –
They will love it as much as you will!
Nyssa Tanner says
Ahh YES! Such a win! I’m so happy that you and the whole family loved it – nothing like a delicious gravy to win over any skeptics at the table 😉
Kim New says
I made this recipe last night. I used boneless pork tenderloin and did throw in mushrooms :). It was wonderful. Definitely will make this again.
Nyssa Tanner says
Ohh love love the addition of mushrooms! Will definitely be trying that next time. So glad you enjoyed this one!
Kristen says
This was delicious! Will do again for sure. We have a nut allergy so subbed coconut milk.
Nyssa Tanner says
Ohh I love that swap! So glad you enjoyed 🙂