This is the kind of no-fuss supper my sister leans on when the day gets away from her but she still wants a real, sit-down meal. These slow cooker 3-ingredient ranch pork chops are wrapped up individually so they stay tender and juicy, almost like little Sunday-dinner care packages waiting for you. It reminds me of the way my mother used to tuck potatoes into the coals at the edge of a bonfire—everything sealed up so the flavor stayed put. Here we lean on a packet of ranch, a stick of butter, and good old pork chops. The slow cooker does the work while you’re off at your job, running errands, or chasing grandkids, and you come home to the smell of comfort food ready to plate.
These chops are rich and buttery, so they’re lovely with simple, down-home sides. Spoon the buttery ranch juices over mashed potatoes or egg noodles, and add a green vegetable like steamed green beans, peas, or a simple tossed salad to balance things out. Warm dinner rolls or a slice of crusty bread are perfect for soaking up every last bit of that seasoned butter from the foil packets. If you like, add a side of applesauce or coleslaw for that classic Midwestern meat-and-three feeling.
Slow Cooker 3-Ingredient Ranch Pork ChopsServings: 4
Ingredients
4 boneless pork chops, about 1-inch thick
1 (1-ounce) packet dry ranch seasoning mix
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, sliced
Directions
Lay out 4 sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil, each large enough to wrap one pork chop into a sealed packet. If your foil is thin, double it so the juices don’t leak out during cooking.
Pat the pork chops dry with a paper towel so the seasoning sticks well. Place one pork chop in the center of each sheet of foil.
Sprinkle the dry ranch seasoning evenly over the tops and sides of all four pork chops, dividing the packet between them as evenly as you can.
Top each seasoned pork chop with an equal portion of the sliced butter, laying the slices right on top so they melt down over the meat as it cooks.
Fold each piece of foil up and over the pork chop, bringing the long sides together first and rolling them down to seal, then folding in the ends tightly. You want each chop wrapped individually in a snug packet so the juices stay inside and steam the meat.
Place the foil-wrapped pork chops in a single layer in the bottom of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. It’s fine if they’re close together, but avoid stacking if you can so they cook evenly.
Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours, or on HIGH for about 3 to 3 1/2 hours, until the pork chops are very tender and cooked through. They should be easy to cut with a fork and no longer pink in the center.
When ready to serve, carefully lift each foil packet out of the slow cooker using tongs. Open the packets slowly, facing them away from you, as the trapped steam will be hot.
Transfer each pork chop to a plate and spoon some of the buttery ranch juices from the foil over the top. Serve right away while they’re hot and juicy, using the extra juices as a simple sauce over your potatoes or noodles.
Variations & Tips
If you like a little more tang, you can use a buttermilk-style ranch seasoning packet instead of the regular one. For thicker, center-cut chops, stick with the LOW setting and lean toward the longer cooking time so they stay tender rather than drying out. Bone-in pork chops also work nicely; just be sure they fit into your foil packets and add about 30 minutes to the LOW cook time. If you’re cooking for two, simply halve the recipe and keep the same cooking time, as the thickness of the chops matters more than the number of packets. To keep the 3-ingredient promise, resist the urge to add extras, but once you’ve tried the basic method, you can tuck a thin lemon slice or a pinch of black pepper into each packet for a slightly different flavor. Leftovers reheat well: keep them in their foil packets in the refrigerator, then warm gently in a low oven or back in the slow cooker with a splash of water in the bottom so they stay moist.
