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
Vanessa says
WOW! Came across this recipe while looking for a dairy free pork chop recipe. Most recipes call for condensed soup, and we have a milk allergy in the house. I was skeptical thinking but the sauce is AMAZING! We served with rice and used the creamy, rich broth as a gravy. Will definitely be making again
Nyssa Tanner says
Hooray! So glad that you enjoyed this one. Thanks for taking the time to leave your thoughtful review, and happy cooking! – Nyssa
Ilene says
Oh my goodness!! These are the BEST chops I’ve ever made!! My husband made a face tonight when I said I was making pork chops because they are always tough and dry. Not tonight! He had seconds and didn’t even take a breath while eating!! hahah Thanks for the best recipe! This is going into my rotation!!
Nyssa Tanner says
Yes!! This review made my day! 🙂 Such a huge compliment, & I’m so glad that you and your husband enjoyed these pork chops. I hope that you continue to enjoy them just as much and that you’ll come back and try more recipes! Happy cooking!! – Nyssa
Julie says
Thank you for this recipe! I am on Day 19 of the Whole30 (my husband is not) and this made such a delicious date night dinner at home for both of us (he loved it)! We served it with roasted broccoli and a simply dressed mixed greens salad. The sauce is so decadent. Yum!
Nyssa Tanner says
Oh that’s wonderful, Julie! So happy you were able to enjoy a meal together that felt special and date night worthy (and love the additions of those sides)! Thanks for sharing, and happy cooking 🙂 – Nyssa