Instant Pot Pork Chops in Creamy Mushroom Sauce are fork tender pork chops cooked up in no time in the Instant Pot pressure cooker ~ let’s just call it instant comfort food gratification!
Instant Pot pork chops with creamy mushroom sauce is quick comfort food with a gourmet twist
This Instant Pot pork chop recipe combines pressure cooking with a quick creamy pan sauce, which you can make while the chops are cooking. You get the ease and speed of pressure cooking, but the creamy pan sauce gives it a gourmet flourish.
What you’ll need:
- center cut pork loin chops, bone in ~ thicker bone-in chops work best in the Instant Pot
- olive oil
- butter
- shallot
- chicken broth
- Marsala wine
- fresh thyme
- mushrooms
- grainy Dijon mustard
- cream
- salt, pepper
Slow cooked versus pressure cooked pork chops ~ how they stack up
If you’re used to wooden pork chops (I grew up on them) then you’re going to be pleasantly surprised by what the Instant Pot can do for this cut of meat. Up until now my favorite cooking method for chops has been the slow cooker ~ my Slow Cooked Barbecue Peach Smothered Pork Chops always turn out incredibly tender. The slow cooker really does do an amazing job, but the only problem is, it takes all day doing it!
How does Instant Pot pressure cooking work?
I was interested so I did a little digging and this is what I learned…normal water boils at 212F, but because a pressure cooker is sealed, it’s able to get the boiling liquid to a much higher temperature, and that higher temperature means the food can cook much more quickly. For every five degrees higher the liquid temperature gets, the cooking time is cut in half. On high the pressure cooker cooks food 16 times faster than normal. Wow. And all that pressurized steam also gets forced into the food too, which is why it comes out so moist and tender.
This first step is critical for fabulous pork chops
The first step is almost always the same when you’re dealing with meat, whether you’re pan frying, stewing, or pressure cooking ~ you want to brown the meat over high heat to develop that flavor enhancing caramelization. Luckily the Instant Pot does a great job browning meat: press the sautés button and set to the highest setting. Wait for it to get hot (it will read HOT on the screen) and then brown your chops on both sides.
The golden color = delicious.
Why make the sauce separately?
Once you load the browned chops into the Instant Pot and close the ‘cockpit door’ you’re set. I start the cream sauce on the stove while the IP does its thing.
Why do I do this? It’s simple ~ the intense heat of the Instant Pot is too powerful for a delicate cream sauce. It takes just minutes on the stove, and comes together while the chops are cooking. The sauce is restaurant quality and makes this dish truly special.
more comforting Instant Pot dinner recipes from my collection
- How to Cook Short Ribs in the Instant Pot
- Instant Pot Wild Mushroom Risotto
- Instant Pot Cheddar Risotto with Fresh Sage
- Apple Butter Pulled Pork ~ Instant Pot, oven, or slow cooker!
- Instant Pot Barbacoa Recipe
- Instant Pot Irish Stew
Reader Rave ~
“I just tried this recipe last night. BEST. CHOPS. EVER! They were so tender that they almost flaked apart like fish does. Definitely did not need a knife to cut them. They were so full of flavor and very moist. This is the only way I want to eat pork chops from now on.” ~ Lori
Instant Pot Pork Chops in Creamy Mushroom Sauce
Equipment
- Instant Pot Pressure Cooker buy it here
Ingredients
- 2 lbs center cut pork loin chops, bone in or out (about 4 large) at least 1" thick.
- salt and fresh cracked black pepper
- olive oil
- 1 large shallot, minced
- 1/2 cup Marsala wine
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- a bundle of fresh thyme
gravy
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 3/4 lb button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced (or use a pint package of pre-sliced mushrooms)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3-4 Tbsp grainy Dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup of the reduced broth from the pressure cooker, instructions below.
Instructions
- Season the pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Put a tablespoon of oil into the Instant Pot and press Sauté. When it gets nice and hot, brown the chops for several minutes on each side to get a nice caramelization going. Work in batches so you don’t crowd the pan. Remove and set aside.
- Add another tablespoon of oil to the pot and add the shallots, stir for a minute or two to soften. Add the Marsala and let it bubble while you scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Press Off. Stir in the chicken broth, then layer the chops back into the pot. Add the bundle of fresh thyme. Close the lid, set the vent to Seal. Press pressure cook and set the timer for 8 minutes.
- In the meantime cook the mushrooms in the butter and olive oil in a large skillet until they release their moisture and start to brown. Add the heavy cream, mustard, and the thyme leaves.
- When the machine beeps, press Keep Warm. Let it sit for 10 minutes, then press Off.
- Release the vent and wait for the pressure to come down. Then open the lid and remove the chops to a plate. Strain the liquid into a saucepan and bring to a rapid boil. Boil the liquid until is is reduced by 2/3. Add about 1/2 cup of the reduced sauce to the skillet and bring the sauce up to a gentle simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Nestle the pork chops down into the sauce in the skillet. Spoon some of the sauce and mushrooms over the meat, and heat everything through.
- Serve sprinkled with a little fresh thyme.
Notes
- If your pork chops are boneless, you can cook them for 8 minutes.
- Feel free to double the sauce if you’d like more.
- Make them lower calorie and lower fat by omitting the cream and using the reduced cooking liquid as the base for your sauce.
Nutrition
*This post was originally publishes in 2018, I’ve updated the recipe and notes.
I have made this recipe multiple times, because it is very good. However, the amount of dishes it creates is not my favorite. So this time around I used the instant pot for everything. Brown the chops. Then throw in onion and mushrooms, then masala. Then pressure cook everything together for the given time. Take pork chops out, reduce sauce in IP, then add cream. Turned out delish. Only used one tbsp of the mustard because I find the full amount overpowering. Will continue to make this but is a time commitment, 1.5 hours, from start to finish.
My family loves this recipe! We can’t do dairy so we sub almond milk (unsweetened and no vanilla) instead of cream! Very very good!
This was a keeper. Followed recipe exactly, and had quality pork chops to begin with. The mustard ratio seemed a bit heavy, so I did cut back a bit and tasted until I was happy with flavor. Loved the addition of the Masala! A must! Thank you for sharing!
Delicious recipe! First time that I’ve cooked pork chops and they were tender.
Mine came out tough two times. What am I doing wrong? I’ve literally followed the recipe to a T. Please help because the flavor is amazing!!
Hi Sue what would the procedure be for a stove top P/C? Thanks.
Pretty much the same, but after browning the chops you might make the sauce and finish cooking them in the sauce.
Pork Chops in an Instant Pot…. who would have thought it but these look luscious! I think I need to get myself an instant pot….