Pan seared pork chops make a wonderful dinner. But if you want a ‘surf and turf’ twist on easy pork chops, considering adding shrimp! There are many meat dishes which also include seafood. Even if it doesn’t sound like a good match, this shrimp and pork chops recipe works beautifully. The butter herbed shrimp are flavourful and this easy pork chops recipe will become family favourite. These are the best pork chops!
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Dishes such as surf and turf, with shrimp or lobster, are always popular. Shrimp is incredibly versatile, and pairs just as well with pork as it does with steak. Butter herbed shrimp complements the other flavours in this exciting recipe.
This isn’t the only recipe where pork and shrimp are the stars. There are Portuguese and Spanish recipes combining these two. In Chinese cuisine, pork and shrimp appear together in soups and main dishes. They are also found in stir fries and rice or noodle dishes. Leftover pork and shrimp can be added to all kinds of recipes actually.
Pork Chops with Shrimp Ingredients
The main ingredients in this pan seared pork chops dish is of course the meat. Choose bone-in pork chops for this dish (but boneless pork chops would work, too with cooking time adjusted). The shrimp can be fresh or thawed. If you are thawing them, you can either do this in a bowl of cold water, or leave them overnight in the refrigerator.
Use small, medium or even large shrimp here. It’s easier to use peeled, de-veined shrimp. I used tail-off but you could use tail-on for the presentation if you prefer.
Olive oil and butter go into this steakhouse style pork chops recipe. Then you have garlic, parsley, thyme and lemon for flavour. Pork has a lighter taste than beef, so the savory flavors which match well with shrimp will also suit the pork. A pork and shrimp combo is always a good idea and sure to be a family favorite.
Preparation Tips for Pan Seared Pork Chops
Once you have gathered and prepared all the ingredients for this shrimp and pork chops recipe, you need to heat some olive oil. Keep heating it until it’s just starting to smoke. Next you can add the pork and shrimp and cook them together in the large skillet or frying pan.
Bear in mind smaller shrimp cook faster than larger ones, so once they are opaque all the way through you can remove them to a plate and keep them warm. Opaque means they are cooked, while curled up like a tight C-shape means they are maybe a little too cooked!
The butter, garlic, parsley and thyme all go into the pan together. Finally you can add a bright zip of flavour with fresh lemon juice. The result is juicy pork and butter herbed shrimp which tastes phenomenal.
Side Dish Options for Easy Pork Chops
Pair the surf and turf dish with your preferred starch and vegetables. Mashed potatoes would go well, or even noodles or rice. Then any vegetable would also be good. Consider broccoli, snow peas, green beans, or anything else you want to have with these pan seared pork chops.
If you want to have wine with this pork surf and turf dish, you have several choices. Anything from a light-bodied red to a crisp dry white wine would work nicely.
How Do You Know When Pork Chops are Cooked?
You can tell when beef is cooked by pressing down on it and gauging the texture or using an instant-read thermometer. You can tell when fish or shrimp is cooked because it turns from glossy to opaque. But what’s the deal with pan seared pork chops? How do you know when they’re done?
If you are using small shrimp to make the butter herbed shrimp, you might need to remove that from the pan first. The pork might take a little longer. One of the tricks to perfecting pan seared pork chops is to cook them to your desired level of doneness.
Unless you know how to tell doneness by pressing on the meat (and that’s a handy skill to have!) you’ll need a thermometer. An instant-read meat thermometer is best here, since it will tell you within seconds whether or not the pork needs longer based on the internal temperature.
Stick the thermometer into the thickest part of the chop but make sure it isn’t touching the bone. The pork is rare at 145 degrees F, medium between 150 and 155 degrees F, and then 155 to 160 degrees F would give you medium well. If you prefer your pork well done, you’ll need to get the meat up to 160 degrees F.
Pork Chop Surf and Turf FAQs
If you happen to have leftovers, either pork or shrimp (or both) you can chop them and add to another dish the next day. Throw them into a pasta dish or risotto. They would also be good in an omelette or frittata. You can give this surf and turf dinner a whole new taste in leftovers. Pork chop and shrimp recipes are very versatile in leftovers!
This recipe uses bone-in pork chops for the steakhouse pan seared style of dish. However, boneless pork chops will work, too.
Butter Herbed Shrimp and Pan Seared Pork Chops Recipe
Butter Herbed Shrimp and Juicy Pan Seared Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 500g shrimps
- 4 pork chops bone in
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp butter unsalted
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup parsley fresh
- 1 tsp thyme fresh
- 1 lemon
Instructions
- Wash and pat dry shrimps and pork chops.
- Heat a large nonstick pan on medium high heat with olive oil until it smokes hot. Lay pork chops on one side and shrimps on the other side of the pan. Sear chops on both sides for about 4 – 5 minutes and shrimps until nicely pink
- Reduce heat to medium and add butter, garlic, parsley and thyme. Stir well. Now squeeze lemon to get the fresh juice out and add quartered lemon in the pan. Stir again.
- Remove from heat and let rest for 2 minutes.
- Serve juicy pork chops and shrimps on a plate with potato wedges or salad.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
Let me know if you try this pan seared pork chop surf and turf! The butter herbed shrimp are SOOO tasty and this shrimp and pork chops recipe will be an instant favourite. This will be your go-to easy pork chops recipe.
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Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella is a storyteller, food lover, dog mom and adventure seeker living on the Pacific coast. She shares her passion for recipes, dogs, sustainability, adventures, travel and philanthropy, in hopes of encouraging followers to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places and stand for a cause. Bella lives with Type 1 Diabetes and Celiac Disease.
Bella Bucchiotti is a freelance food, travel, and lifestyle writer for MSN and the Associated Press Wire.
OMG shrimp and pork chops sound amazing together. I wonder why I’ve never tried this combo before.
My kids would be all about this. They love their shrimp!
What a great recipe for shrimp and pork chops! It’s a unique combo but the flavors come together perfectly. Loved it and will make it again.
Shrimp and porkchops sounds so good! Great combo
I never thought in combining pork and prawns
I cooked this tonight. It was delicious!! Everyone loved it. I didn’t have any lemons, but I did have an orange. I put a little lemon juice and added the orange slices. This is a definite keeper!! Thank you for sharing.