Gollita’s Mexican Pork Chops with Tomato Sauce & Caramelized Onions

This Mexican pork chops recipe is a Familia Kitchen community favorite sent in by Brian Quaid of Chicago. He learned how to make these chuletas from his mother in law, Gregoria González, called “Gollita” by all, and one of our favorite Mexican abuela cocineras. Gollita loves to cook and teach her family to make her traditional Mexican recipes—and one of her best students is Brian. At family fiestas, he parks himself in her kitchen, watching Gollita add a little this, a little that—to make sure he masters her family-famous recipes.

These sweet and savory pork chops are one of Gollita’s most-requested meals: a go-to dinner favorite when all her kids and grandkids come over. Gollita grew up in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, and learned to cook from her mother, who was a great cook. Gollita lives close to Brian and daughter Ana in Illinois. She takes pride in passing on her family-famous recipes to the next generation—so they can cook their way home, too.

Brian loves this dish that he learned to make by watching his mother in law by watching Gollita’s simmer the chops in a rich, stewy tomato sauce with caramelized onions. Cumin adds just the right amount of smoky flavor. His one tweak is using slightly less tomato sauce, reducing the amount from 30 oz to 20 oz, so that the chops are a little bit less saucy and more texturized.

If you like this recipe, check out more recipes from Gollita’s family: her daughter Sagra’s shrimp, cucumber and chiles ceviche, her daughter Gracie’s chilaquiles verdes, her daughter Ana’s nopales with pickled jalapeños, her sister Nata’s pozole rojo, and (last but the opposite of least) her very own Familia Kitchen Recipe Contest-winning Gollita’s essential guacamole!

Ready to Make These Easy & Delicioso Mexican Pork Chops?

Gollita’s Mexican Pork Chops With Tomato Sauce and Caramelized Onions

Recipe by Gollita González

4.0 from 13 votes

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Ingredients

• 6 pork chops, bone-in

• 2 Tbsp adobo or any all-purpose seasoning salt

• 1 Tbsp garlic powder

• 1 Tbsp. onion powder

• 1 Tbsp cumin

• 1 twist black pepper, freshly ground

• 1 pinch salt

• 2 Tbsp canola oil

• 1 white onion, large, chopped

• 20 oz tomato sauce

• 1 Tbsp sugar

Directions

• Blend spices in a bowl and generously season both sides of chops.
• Add canola oil to a pan on medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add pork chops—in batches if you need to, so as not to crowd.
• Brown the pork chops, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side.
• Add the onions, stirring them on and around the porkchops. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the tomato sauce and sugar. Stir, cover and simmer for about 5 minutes, on medium heat.
• Serve with warm corn tortillas, freshly sliced avocado, black beans, Mexican rice, hot sauce and your favorite salsa.

Notes

• His mother-in-law Gollita’s original recipe calls for 30 oz of tomato sauce, but Brian recommends using a little bit less: “closer to 20 oz”—so we updated this recipe.