Pork Chops with Mushroom Cream Sauce (Instant Pot)

Super easy to make this comforting easy pork chop dinner with few simple ingredients. Your family will love the deliciously rich and creamy mushroom sauce. Cooking Pork Chops in Instant Pot can be quite tricky because of how quickly they cook. However, cooking flavourful and juicy tender Pork Chops is definitely not mission impossible.

4 (1¼" thick) well-marbled pork loin center chops, bone-in (2 lbs)
2 Tbsp. butter (28 g)
8-12 cremini mushrooms, sliced (253 g)
¾ cup chicken stock (188 mL)
2 Tbsp. soy sauce (30 mL)
1 medium onion, sliced (215 g)
4 cloves garlic, minced (16 g)
½ tsp. dried thyme (0.7 g)
½ tsp. dried rosemary (0.9 g)
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, unbleached (20 g)
½ cup heavy cream (125 mL)

Tenderize Pork Chops:
Use back-end of a heavy knife or meat tenderizer to pound both sides of pork chops (make criss-cross patterns as shown in photo). Pat dry pork chops with paper towels. Season one side of pork chops with salt and pepper just before you place them in Instant Pot.

Brown Pork Chops in Instant Pot:
Press "Sauté" button to heat up your Instant Pot using "Sauté Normal" function. Wait until it says "HOT" (~8 minutes).

Pro Tip: Ensure Instant Pot is as hot as it can be in order to induce a Maillard reaction.

Add 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter (28 g) in Instant Pot. Ensure the whole bottom is coated with butter.

Place 2 pork chops in Instant Pot with seasoned side facing down. Brown for roughly 2 minutes per side. Lightly season the other side with salt and black pepper. Set aside the browned pork chops, then repeat browning step for the other 2 pork chops.

Optional Flavour-Enhancing Step - Sauté Mushrooms:
Add in sliced mushrooms, sauté until all mushrooms' moisture have evaporated (about 8 minutes).

Pro Tip: The mushrooms' edges should be slightly crisped and browned.

Sauté Garlic and Onion:
Add in one more Tbsp. of unsalted butter if necessary. Add in sliced onions, minced garlic, ½ tsp. (0.7 g) dried thyme, and ½ tsp. (0.9 g) dried rosemary. If you've skipped the optional mushroom step, add the mushrooms here. Sauté for another 2 minutes.

Deglaze:
Pour in ¾ cup (188 mL) chicken stock, then deglaze by scrubbing all the flavourful brown bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon. Give it a quick mix.

Pressure Cook Pork Chops:
Add in 1 Tbsp. (15 mL) soy sauce. Give it a quick mix.

Note: We're adding the second Tbsp. of soy sauce after pressure cooking.

Place the 4 browned pork chops and meat juice back in Instant Pot.

Pro Tip: Make sure the pork chops are partially soaked in the cooking liquid.

Close lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing position. Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 0 (zero) minute + 8 minutes Natural Release.

Pro Tip: Yes, you can set the Instant Pot to "0 (zero)" minute with the + and - buttons. It will start natural releasing as soon as it reaches high pressure.

Carefully open the lid.

Make the Mushroom Sauce:
While the Instant Pot is natural releasing, mix exactly 2 Tbsp. (20 g) all-purpose flour, unbleached with ½ cup (125 mL) heavy cream.

Set aside pork chops. Bring the content to a simmering with "Sauté" function.

Mix heavy cream mixture into the mushroom sauce in Instant Pot one third at a time until desired thickness.

Season and Serve:
Taste and season the mushroom sauce with 1 Tbsp. (15 mL) soy sauce. Note: Use less or more soy sauce accordingly.

Place pork chops in Instant Pot. Then you're ready to serve these deliciously juicy tender Pork Chops.

Makes 4 servings.