Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 4 to 6 hours on LOW (or 3 to 4 hours on HIGH)
Total time: about 5 to 6 hours
Servings: 4 to 6
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Method: Slow cooker / Crockpot
Equipment
- 6-quart slow cooker (oval fits chops best)
- Instant-read meat thermometer
- Whisk or spoon for stirring the sauce
- Small bowl (optional, for mixing the soup before pouring)
- Skillet (optional, for searing)
Ingredients
For the pork chops
- 4 to 6 thick-cut pork chops, 1 to 1½ inches thick, bone-in or boneless (about 3 lb total)
- 1 packet (1 oz / 28 g) dry ranch seasoning mix
For the creamy mushroom sauce
- 2 cans (10.5 oz / 298 g each) condensed cream of mushroom soup
- Black pepper, to taste
Optional extras
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (the video caption mentions a garlic mushroom sauce)
- 8 oz (225 g) sliced fresh mushrooms
- ¼ cup (60 ml) chicken broth or milk, to loosen the sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil, for searing
- Fresh parsley or chives, for garnish
Instructions
1. Pat the pork dry. Remove the chops from the packaging and blot both sides with paper towels. Dry meat seasons better and, if you sear, browns better.
2. Sear (optional but worth it). Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chops for 1 to 2 minutes per side, just until golden. This adds flavor and color, but it isn’t required. The video skips it, and the recipe still works without it.
3. Arrange in the slow cooker. Place the chops in a single layer on the bottom of the slow cooker. They can overlap slightly at the edges, but avoid stacking them directly on top of each other. If you must stack, swap the top and bottom chops halfway through cooking.
4. Sprinkle with ranch seasoning. Sprinkle the dry ranch packet evenly over the chops, making sure both the meat and the exposed bottom of the pot get a little seasoning, as shown in the video. Add a few grinds of pepper.
5. Add the garlic and mushrooms (optional). Scatter the minced garlic and fresh sliced mushrooms around and between the chops.
6. Pour on the soup. Spoon or pour both cans of cream of mushroom soup right over the chops. Don’t dilute the soup. Pork releases juices as it cooks, which thins the sauce to the right consistency. If you prefer a looser gravy, stir in ¼ cup of broth or milk now.
7. Cover and cook. Put the lid on and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours, or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the pork reaches at least 145°F (63°C) at the thickest part, with a 3-minute rest.
8. Decide how tender you want it. At 145°F, chops are juicy and sliceable. If you love the “fall-apart” texture from the video, cook bone-in chops a bit longer, up to 7 hours on LOW, until they’re nearly fork-shreddable. Boneless chops dry out faster, so check them earlier.
9. Stir the sauce. Lift the chops onto a plate and whisk the sauce until smooth and creamy. As the video says, let it blend smoothly. Taste it and add pepper, or a splash of broth if it’s too thick.
10. Serve. Return the chops to the sauce or plate them over creamy mashed potatoes, then ladle the mushroom gravy generously over the top and garnish with parsley.
Recipe Notes and Tips
Choose thick chops. Thin chops turn dry and stringy in a slow cooker. Look for cuts at least 1 inch thick. Bone-in rib or center-cut chops give the best flavor and moisture.
Don’t skip the thermometer. Slow cookers vary a lot. A thermometer is the easiest way to avoid dry pork, and it removes the stress of guessing.
Mind the salt. Ranch seasoning and condensed soup both contain plenty of sodium, so you probably won’t need to add salt. Choose low-sodium or “healthy request” soup if you want to cut it back.
Make a thicker gravy. If the sauce is thin at the end, whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water, stir it in, and cook on HIGH with the lid off for 10 to 15 minutes.
Make your own cream of mushroom soup. To skip canned soup, simmer 8 oz sliced mushrooms in 3 tablespoons butter, stir in 3 tablespoons flour, then slowly whisk in 1½ cups milk and ½ cup broth until thickened. This replaces both cans.
Slow cooker liners are fine. They make cleanup easy with this creamy sauce.
Variations
- Garlic mushroom version: Add 4 minced garlic cloves and 8 oz fresh mushrooms for a heartier, restaurant-style sauce.
- Gluten-free: Use gluten-free cream of mushroom soup and check that your ranch seasoning is gluten-free.
- Dairy-lighter: Use a reduced-fat soup and swap the milk for broth.
- Extra veggies: Add baby potatoes or carrots to the bottom of the pot, under the chops, where they’ll soak up the juices.
- Instant Pot method: Pour in ½ cup broth, add the chops, ranch, and soup, and pressure cook on high for 10 to 12 minutes, then natural release for 10 minutes.
Troubleshooting
- The pork is dry. It cooked too long, or the chops were thin or boneless. Next time, use thicker bone-in chops and start checking temperatures earlier.
- The sauce is too thin. Cook it uncovered on HIGH for 15 to 20 minutes, or thicken it with a cornstarch slurry.
- The sauce is too thick. Whisk in broth or milk a tablespoon at a time.
- The sauce looks separated. Whisking vigorously at the end brings it back together.
- It tastes too salty. Serve over unsalted potatoes or rice, and use low-sodium soup next time.
What to Serve With It
- Creamy mashed potatoes, as in the video
- Buttered egg noodles or white rice
- Steamed green beans or roasted broccoli
- Honey-glazed carrots
- Warm biscuits or crusty bread for the gravy
- A simple side salad
Storage
Refrigerate: Store chops with the sauce in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Freeze: Freeze for up to 3 months. Cream-based sauces can look a bit grainy after thawing, but whisking while reheating fixes it.
Reheat: Warm gently in a covered skillet over low heat with a splash of milk or broth, or microwave at 50% power in short bursts.
Nutrition (Estimated, Per Serving, Based on 5 Servings)
- Calories: about 430
- Protein: about 40 g
- Carbohydrates: about 14 g
- Fat: about 24 g
- Sodium: high, so choose low-sodium products to reduce it
These numbers are approximate and will vary with the cut of pork and the brands you use.