Paleo French Onion Smothered Pork Chops {Whole30, Keto}

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This Paleo French Onion Smothered Pork Chops is made all in one skillet and has become a family favorite! The pork chops are pan fried and loaded with caramelized onions and sautéed mushrooms, a savory gravy and an addicting dairy free “cheese” sauce. This easy, flavor-packed dinner is quick enough for weeknights and the leftovers are delicious too! Whole30 compliant and keto friendly.

Whenever I create a recipe I tend to have to pull myself back from adding TOO many of my favorite ingredients.

I could just keep going when it comes to “toppings” for my chicken, pork chops etc., you know?

So, for the sake of SOME simplicity I decided to stick to a theme for this one – French onion smothered pork chops!

And yes – I did decide to sneak some mushrooms in there because “smothered” just doesn’t taste right without mushrooms.  But no – I didn’t add bacon this time, but if the bacon calls to you (and you have the time!) I say do it!

What You Need to Make Paleo French Onion Smothered Pork Chops

There are three basic components to the recipe – 1. Pork chops (of course!) 2. onion mushroom gravy 3. cashew based cheese sauce.

I’ll separate the components of the recipe into two sections below, the cashew cheese sauce and the pork chops + gravy:

Cashew Cheese Sauce:

• raw cashews
• garlic powder
• nutritional yeast
• sea salt
• lemon juice
• warm water or plain almond milk 

Pork Chops + Gravy:

• ghee or refined coconut oil
• yellow onions
• mushrooms
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste
• boneless pork chops
• garlic powder
• dried thyme
• dried oregano
• tapioca flour or arrowroot
• beef bone broth or beef stock
• fresh thyme or parsley for topping

How to Make Paleo French Onion Smothered Pork Chops

Begin with the cashew Cheese Sauce.  Place all ingredients in a high speed blender (I used a smaller one – Nutribullet) and blend/pulse until very creamy. You will need to stop blending to scrape down the sides and incorporate all the cashews.  Once done, set aside until ready to use and make the pork chops and gravy.

Preheat your oven to 375° F.  In a large oven proof skillet, over medium heat, melt the ghee or coconut oil.  Add the onions and saute onions 3-4 minutes until translucent then sprinkle with a little salt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally so the onions don’t burn, for about 10 minutes longer until browned and very tender.  Add a little more fat to the pan and then add the mushrooms and cook until tender, about 5 more minutes.  Transfer to a bowl or plate and set aside.

Add a bit more fat to the skillet if needed and cook the pork chops, about 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown, then transfer them to a plate.

Return cooked onions and mushrooms to the skillet and sprinkle with tapioca or arrowroot flour. Stir to coat and cook about a minute. Add the beef broth and stir often until mixture comes to a boil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Return the pork chops to the pan and spoon some of the sauce over each chop.

Top the pork chops with the cashew cheese sauce and transfer the skillet to the preheated oven. Bake for about 6-8 minutes until the pork is cooked through.  The cheese sauce will thicken in the oven. 

Spoon some of the gravy over the top of the pork and garnish with thyme and/or parsley and serve right away.  Store leftovers in a tightly lidded container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. 

How to Make this Recipe Lower in Carbs

While the recipe is relatively low in carbs to begin with, there are ways to lower the carb count more.

First, instead of using tapioca or arrowroot starch, you can sub in about 3/4 tsp of xanthan gum.  Simply stir it into about 1/2 cup of the broth and add it in with the remaining broth.

Second – and this is only if you do not need this recipe to be dairy free – you can replace the cashew cheese with actual cheese.  About 4 slices of provolone or mozzarella cheese – one for each chop – will work well.

The real cheese is not an option if you are doing the Whole30, want to keep your diet strictly paleo, or can’t have any dairy for another reason.  It’s only for those who want to make the recipe very low in carbs without the additional carbs from cashews.

How to Make Cashew Cheese Sauce

Making cashew cheese is super simple and so rewarding if you miss cheese!  

I like to soak my cashews for at least 2 hours in hot water.  This helps soften them to make blending easier.   If you’re short on time, soak in boiling water for 30-60 minutes.  If your blender is super powerful you might find that you don’t even need to soak them at all.

Place all the ingredients in a high speed blender (I used a smaller one – Nutribullet) and blend/pulse until very creamy. You will need to stop blending to scrape down the sides and incorporate all the cashews.  Once it’s nice and smooth, set aside until ready to use.

I hope you’re ready for a seriously tasty pork chop recipe that’s sure to become a favorite!  Grab your skillet and your ingredients because it’s time to cook – let’s go!

Paleo French Onion Smothered Pork Chops {Whole30, Keto}

Paleo French Onion Smothered Pork Chops

This Paleo French Onion Smothered Pork Chops is made all in one skillet and has become a family favorite! The pork chops are pan fried and loaded with caramelized onions and sautéed mushrooms, a savory gravy and an addicting dairy free “cheese” sauce. This easy, flavor-packed dinner is quick enough for weeknights and the leftovers are delicious too! Whole30 compliant and keto friendly.

Author: Michele Rosen

Prep Time: 12 minutes

Cook Time: 33 minutes

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: keto, low carb, Paleo, Whole30

Keyword: cashews, gravy, onions, pork chops, whole30

Servings: 6 servings

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4.66 from 29 votes

Ingredients

Cashew Cheese Sauce:

• 1 cup raw cashews soaked in hot water for an hour* then drained
• 3/4 tsp garlic powder
• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2-2/3 cups warm water or plain almond milk

Pork Chops:

• 4 Tbsp + 1 Tbsp ghee or refined coconut oil, divided
• 2 yellow onions thinly sliced
• 8 oz mushrooms sliced
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 lbs boneless pork chops about 4 pork chops 1-1.5” thick
• 3/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 Tbsp tapioca flour 3/4 tsp xanthan gum can be used for fewer carbs
• 1 1/3 cups beef bone broth or beef stock (no added sugar)
• Cashew Cheese see above
• fresh thyme or parsley for topping

Instructions

Cashew Cheese Sauce:

1. Place all ingredients in a high speed blender (I used a smaller one - Nutribullet) and blend/pulse until very creamy. You will need to stop blending to scrape down the sides and incorporate all the cashews. Once done, set aside until ready to use.

Pork Chops and Gravy:

1. Preheat your oven to 375° F. In a large oven proof skillet, over medium heat, melt the ghee or coconut oil.  Add the onions and saute onions 3-4 minutes until translucent then sprinkle with a little salt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally so the onions don't burn, for about 10 minutes longer until browned and very tender.  Add a little more fat to the pan and then add the mushrooms and cook until tender, about 5 more minutes. Transfer to a bowl or plate and set aside.

2. Season the pork chops on both sides with salt, pepper and the herbs. Add a bit more fat to the skillet if needed and cook the pork chops, about 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown, then transfer them to a plate.

3. Return cooked onions and mushrooms to the skillet and sprinkle with tapioca or arrowroot flour. Stir to coat and cook about a minute. Add the beef broth and stir often until mixture comes to a boil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Return the pork chops to the pan and spoon some of the sauce over each chop.
4. Top the pork chops with the cashew cheese sauce and transfer the skillet to the preheated oven. Bake for about 6-8 minutes until the pork is cooked through. The cheese sauce will thicken in the oven. If you prefer, you can pour the cheese sauce after baking to keep the texture.
5. Spoon some of the gravy over the top of the pork and garnish with thyme and/or parsley and serve right away. Store leftovers in a tightly lidded container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

*soaking the cashews is not always necessary depending on your blender.  It softens them to make blending easier, but if you're using a high speed blender this step is not terribly important if you don't have the time.

**Nutrition was calculated per serving based on 6 total servings, using the original version of the recipe without the lower carb substitutions.

Nutrition

Calories: 433kcal

Carbohydrates: 15g

Protein: 33g

Fat: 27g

Saturated Fat: 11g

Cholesterol: 101mg

Sodium: 372mg

Potassium: 789mg

Fiber: 2g

Sugar: 4g

Vitamin C: 5mg

Calcium: 24mg

Iron: 3mg

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Want more Whole30 and Low Carb Skillet Recipes?  Try One of These!

French Onion Chicken

Creamy Tuscan Chicken

Spinach Artichoke Salmon

Creamy Herbed Pork Skillet

Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry

Chicken Marsala with Bacon

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