Some dinners don’t need explaining.
They just need a good pan, steady heat, and enough time to let things turn golden.
This is one of those meals.
Garlic butter pork chops are rich without being heavy, familiar without being boring. The spinach wilts down into something tender and forgiving, soaking up what the pan has to give. It’s a dinner that understands midweek life — nourishing, grounding, and done without ceremony.
Why This Works for Keto
- Naturally low-carb
- High-fat, protein-forward
- One pan, no fillers, no starch
Just meat, fat, and greens doing honest work.
Recipe Details
Serves: 2
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: About 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 bone-in or boneless pork chops (about 1 inch thick)
- Salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tsp smoked paprika (optional)
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 5–6 cups fresh spinach
- Optional: squeeze of lemon juice or splash of chicken broth
Instructions
1. Season the pork chops
Pat the pork chops dry with a paper towel.
Season generously on both sides with salt and cracked black pepper.
Let them sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes if time allows — this helps them cook evenly.
2. Sear until golden
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the pork chops and cook undisturbed for 4–5 minutes per side, until a deep golden crust forms and the internal temperature reaches 145°F.
Remove pork chops from the skillet and set aside to rest.
3. Build the garlic butter
Reduce the heat to medium-low.
Add butter to the skillet. Once melted, stir in the garlic, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes.
Cook gently for 30–45 seconds, just until fragrant. Do not brown the garlic.
4. Wilt the spinach
Add spinach to the skillet, handful by handful, tossing gently with the garlic butter.
The spinach will look like too much at first — let it collapse.
Season lightly with salt if needed.
If the pan feels dry, add a splash of chicken broth or a squeeze of lemon juice.
5. Bring it together
Return the pork chops to the skillet.
Spoon the garlic butter over the chops and let everything warm together for 1–2 minutes.
Serve
Serve the pork chops over the wilted spinach, with plenty of garlic butter from the pan.
This dish doesn’t need sides, but it won’t argue with:
- Roasted cauliflower
- Sautéed mushrooms
- Or a simple salad if the night calls for it
Notes
- Bone-in chops stay juicier, but boneless works well if thick-cut
- Letting the pork rest keeps it tender
- Spinach shrinks dramatically — don’t be shy
Salt,Ink, & Soul 