Sheet Pan Pesto Pork Chops with Baby Potatoes
Sheet Pan Pesto Pork Chops are a simple and healthy weeknight dinner that’s easy to make in just 30 minutes start to finish. This balanced meal features fresh pork smothered in flavorful pesto, baby potatoes, and spring vegetables for a bright burst of flavor in every bite!
Gluten Free, Nut Free, Soy Free, Egg Free
Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by the National Pork Board. Thank you for supporting the brands that make the Chelsey Amer Nutrition blog possible.
A vastly underrated component of self-care is planning ahead. Oftentimes my clients don’t think it’s “intuitive” to plan in advance… and I can see why.
But in reality, planning ahead can help you be a more mindful eater.
Think about it: you can rush to get dinner on the table after work and sit down to eat when you’re over-hungry and exhausted, then mindlessly eat in front of the TV…
Or you can take the time to roughly plan some of your meals in advance to make your week easier. By simplifying your life in any way possible (like planning your meals), you’ll be able to be more present in the moment. Including when eating!
My favorite meals to plan ahead are sheet pan meals. I’ve shared nearly 10 sheet pan meals on my blog because they’re practical, easy, affordable, and balanced.
But these Sheet Pan Pesto Pork Chops are my first sheet pan meal made with pork… and it’s one you’re going to return to time and time again.
Cooking with pork can be a part of a nutritious lifestyle that’s delicious, affordable, and balanced!
These Sheet Pan Pesto Pork Chops are made with baby potatoes and spring vegetables for a simple weeknight dinner.
Sheet Pan Pesto Pork Chops are…
- Loaded with flavor
- A 1-pan meal
- Easy to make in less than 30 minutes start to finish
- Balanced with high quality protein, veggies, carbs, and healthy fats
- Delicious
- Great to prep in advance
What Type of Pork Should You Buy for This Recipe?
This sheet pan recipe was made with pork loin chops. Pork chops are a lean cut of pork, but packed with protein, making this meal super filling and satiating.
When buying pork, you can decide what thickness you’d like the chops to be. For this recipe, I purposely chose 1-inch thickness because this ensured a longer cooking time than a ½-inch chop. Sheet pan meals require an even cooking time for all components, so a thicker pork chop allowed the vegetables to cook in the same 23 minutes.
If you have a thinner pork chop, just cut the vegetables into smaller pieces to ensure they cook in the same amount of time.
Pork Nutrition
I’m so excited to share this pesto pork chop recipe with you because pork loin chops are an excellent source of lean protein (with over 20 grams of protein per 3oz!). Eating enough protein at meals and snacks is essential to promote satiety, satisfaction, and build lean muscle.
Pork raised today is actually much leaner than pork that was produced 30 years ago. Did you know pork tenderloin is actually just as lean as a chicken breast?! You can learn more about pork here!
So, pork packs a protein punch, but what about the rest of a balanced meal?
Sheet Pan Pesto Pork Chops are a balanced meal… here’s how:
One of my favorite parts of sheet pan meals is that they’re an easy way to make a balanced meal with minimal clean up. You can design a flavorful meal that has protein, carbs, fat, and plenty of veggies, all on one sheet pan!
Remember, a balanced meal contains:
- Protein
- Veggies
- Carbs
- Fats
So how does this sheet pan meal stack up?
Protein: Pesto pork chops contain over 20g protein per 3oz serving.
Veggies: Spring veggies, like asparagus and green beans, were my go-to choice because their earthy flavors complement the pesto really well.
Carbs: Baby potatoes are now in season and the perfect carb to add to this meal.
Fats: This recipe uses olive oil throughout, which contributes healthy fats to the meal.
Ingredients you need to make Pesto Pork Chops into a sheet pan meal
Although the ingredient list on the recipe below looks long, you need less than 10 ingredients to make this complete balanced sheet pan meal.
You’ll need:
- Pesto
- Baby potatoes
- Green beans
- Asparagus
- Red onion
- Olive oil
- Salt & pepper
- Pork chops
Of course, if you want to make your own pesto, I included a quick recipe that adds just 3 ingredients: basil, spinach, and garlic.
You can also cut down on the number of ingredients by choosing either asparagus or green beans, but I like the variety of flavor that it offers.
How to make Sheet Pan Pesto Pork Chops with Baby Potatoes and Spring Veggies
As promised, this sheet pan meal takes just 30 minutes start to finish, especially if you’re using pre-made pesto. If you’re making the pesto as in the recipe below, I suggest tacking on an additional 5 minutes.
How to Make Spinach Basil Pesto
Store-bought pesto is a great time-saving hack, but if you have food allergies, it may not always be possible.
Pesto is super simple to make. The most difficult part is getting out the food processor!
Combine basil and spinach with garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper and pulse until combined. I had to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula a few times to get the right consistency. You’ll definitely have leftover pesto from the recipe listed below so you can throw it on pasta, a sandwich, fish, or use lots of extra on your pork chops.
How to make Sheet Pan Pesto Pork Chops
Sheet pan meals are so easy to make because you toss all of the ingredients together and bake – all on one sheet pan for easy clean up.
First, toss together your baby potatoes and veggies with olive oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl. We’re keeping this recipe super simple! To be 100% honest, I usually mix my ingredients together right on the sheet pan instead of using a bowl – but either works. Distribute the veggies and potatoes on a large, rimmed parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Then you’re going to brush both sides of the pork chops with the pesto. Create some room amongst the veggies and baby potatoes so the pork chops are on the parchment paper, not on top of the veggies.
You can toss the veggies in the extra pesto too, if you wish, but I preferred to keep the veggies simpler so the pesto pork chops really shine through on your finished plate. However, be sure to reserve some pesto for the second marinating when the pork chops are nearly done cooking.
Bake the sheet pan pesto pork chops for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the sheet pan from the oven and add additional pesto on top. Cook for just another 3-5 minutes, until the pork chops are fully cooked.
How do you know your pork is fully cooked?
Pork chops are considered fully cooked and safe to eat when the internal temperature reaches 145ºF. I let my pork chops reach 155ºF because I prefer meat a bit more medium to well done.
You can learn more about pork cooking temperatures here.
Helpful Kitchen Tools to Make This Recipe:
You may find these kitchen tools helpful to make these sheet pan pesto pork chops:
- Large rimmed baking sheet
- Tongs
- Silicone brush
- Food processor
- Parchment paper
- Silpat (instead of parchment paper)
Let’s cook!
PrintSheet Pan Pesto Pork Chops with Baby Potatoes
Sheet Pan Pesto Pork Chops are a simple and healthy weeknight dinner that’s made in 30 minutes. This balanced meal features fresh pork smothered in flavorful pesto, baby potatoes, and spring vegetables for a bright burst of flavor in every bite!
Ingredients
For the Spinach Basil Pesto:
- 3 cups fresh basil, loosely packed
- 3 cups baby spinach, loosely packed
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Sheet Pan Pork Chops:
- 1 pound baby potatoes, quartered
- 10 ounces green beans, trimmed (approximately 3 cups)
- 1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed and cut in half (approximately 3 cups)
- 1 small red onion, sliced (approximately 1 cup)
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 pork chops, 1-inch thick
Instructions
To make pesto:
- In a food processor or blender pulse together basil, spinach, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper until a paste-like consistency forms. You may need to pause to scrape down the sides of the food processor.
- Use immediately or store in a covered airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
To make the Sheet Pan Pesto Pork Chops:
- Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl toss together baby potatoes, asparagus, green beans, red onion, olive oil, salt and pepper. Distribute the baby potatoes and vegetables on the baking sheet.
- Brush pesto on both sides of the pork chops. You will have leftover pesto for a second brushing after cooking.
- Make room for the pork chops on the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the sheet pan from the oven and brush with additional pesto. Return to the oven for an addition 2-3 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches at least 145ºF. Serve warm and enjoy!
Don’t Forget to PIN IT…
XO