This Chuletas a la Mexicana or Mexican pork chops is the perfect comfort dinner for any day of the week. Cooked in a mixture of tomatoes, onions, and chilies, the pork meat infuse with Mexican flavors making it a satisfying dish that is perfect for any occasion

Chuletas a la Mexicana is a popular Mexican dish that consists of pork chops seasoned with a blend of spices and cooked in a tomato-based mixture.

The term “a la Mexicana” refers to the style of preparation, which typically includes tomatoes, onions, and green chili peppers —  for example, huevos a la Mexicana.

My version to make Mexican pork chops starts with preparing a paste out of cumin seeds, garlic, and peppercorns to season the meat. This paste doesn’t only make the pork chops uniquely flavorful but also gives them a beautiful crust.

Next, a flavorful mixture is made by sautéing onions, garlic, and chili peppers, and then adding tomatoes to create a rich and flavorful sauce where the pork will simmer until nicely cooked through and tender.

I often serve this dish just with a side of arroz rojo and warm corn tortillas, but no matter how you serve them, chuletas a la Mexicana are a delicious and satisfying dish that is sure to be a hit with your family and friends.

Ingredients

  • Pork chops: Bone-in pork chops are best for this chuletas a la Mexicana recipe as they tend to be more flavorful. If you have a Mexican butcher near you, ask for chuletas de cerdo or chuleta ahumada.
  • Tomatoes: I always like to use fresh tomatoes to have a balanced flavor, but canned tomatoes will work too.
  • Onion: I use white onion because it’s milder in flavor and doesn’t overpower the other ingredients.
  • Jalapeños: If you want to keep the dish mildly hot, use only one jalapeño or serrano. If you like it spicier, feel free to add more!
  • Oregano: It pairs well with the three ingredients above and brings a more complex flavor overall.
  • Seasoning paste: The paste is made of cumin seeds, garlic, peppercorns, and a little bit of salt. Adding cumin gives a slightly sweet yet warm flavor to the pork chops.
  • Cilantro: Optional, but it adds a nice pop of color, freshness, and aroma.
  • Oil: I use extra virgin olive oil for searing the pork chops, but you can use any neutral-flavored one.

How To Make Chuletas a la Mexicana

Place cumin seeds, garlic cloves, peppercorns, and 1 teaspoon of salt in a molcajete or mortar. Pestle the spices until you’ll have a paste.

Showing the spices paste made in a molcajete.

Top Tip: If you don’t have a molcajete, use ground spices and combine them in a small bowl with a little bit of water to make a paste.

Place the pork chops on a plate and nicely season them with the garlic paste, making sure you spread it on all sides.

Pork chops chuletas seasoned in a plate.

Heat the olive oil in a cooking pan or a large skillet over medium heat.

Add the pork chops and sear them on both sides until nicely browned (about 3 minutes per side).

Seared chuletas in a cast iron skillet.

Remove the pork chops from the pan and place them on a plate, then cover them with foil to prevent the meat from drying out.

Add onion to the pan and cook stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Stir in the chili peppers and keep cooking until the onions are nicely soft and translucent.

Cooking onion and chili peppers in a cast iron skillet.

Mix in the tomatoes and season with salt. Cook constantly stirring until tomatoes are soft and cooked through.

Pour 1 cup of water and mix in the oregano.

Cooking the chunky sauce for Mexican pork chuletas.

Bring the mixture to a simmer and return the pork chops to the pan. Cover and cook over medium heat until pork chops are well done and the sauce has thickened.

Uncover the pan and allow the sauce to reach the desired consistency.

Close-up of Chuletas a la Mexicana.

Adjust seasonings to taste and sprinkle the chopped cilantro. Serve with your favorite sides and warm tortillas.

Expert Tips

  • For Mexican-style pork chops, it’s best to use bone-in pork chops that are about 1 inch thick. This will help ensure that they cook evenly and stay juicy.
  • Pat the pork chops dry with a paper towel before seasoning them to help the paste stick better, lock in the flavors, and give it a nice crust.
  • Cover the freshly cooked meat with foil while preparing the sauce to keep it warm, tender, and juicy.
  • If you like your food spicy, feel free to add more chilies or use a hotter variety like serrano peppers. If you prefer milder flavors, use less chile jalapeño or remove the seeds and membranes.
  • In Mexico, this dish is also prepared with chuletas ahumadas (smoked pork chops) which adds an incredible depth of flavor to the recipe.

Serving Suggestions

You can serve chuletas a la mexicana as a main dish with classic sides like arroz blanco, frijoles de la olla, or refried beans.

You can also cut the pork chops into small bites and make tacos with soft flour tortillas de harina or traditional blue corn tortillas.

Add other accompaniments like sliced avocado, or a fresh cabbage salad for a change. And don’t forget a spicy salsa, I recommend my molcajete salsa for an authentic Mexican eating experience!

Store & Reheat

While these Mexican pork chops are best savored right away, it also gets better with time. If you have leftovers, the best way to store them is in an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 3 days.

You can also freeze this dish for up to 3 months in resealable bags or freezer-proof containers.

When you are ready to enjoy chuletas a la Mexicana again simply thaw them overnight and place the leftovers in a cooking pan with a splash of water or beef stock to rehydrate the sauce.

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Recipe Card

Chuletas a la Mexicana recipe.

Chuletas a la Mexicana

4 servings
Chuletas a la Mexicana is a tasteful dish made of pork chops seasoned with hearty spices and cooked in a flavorful chunky sauce prepared with tomatoes, onion, and chili peppers.
prep 10 minutes
cook 20 minutes
total 30 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 4 large pork chops
  • 3 medium tomatoes (diced)
  • 1 medium onion (diced)
  • 1 jalapeno pepper (chopped)
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 2 large garlic cloves
  • ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
  • ½ Tablespoon oregano
  • 2 Tablespoons cilantro (chopped)
  • 4 Tablespoons olive oil
  • salt (to taste)

Instructions
 

  • Place cumin seeds, garlic cloves, peppercorns, and 1 teaspoon of salt in a molcajete or mortar. Pestle the spices until you’ll have a paste.
  • Season the pork chops with the spices paste on all sides.
  • Heat the olive oil in a cooking pan or a large skillet over medium heat.
  • Add the pork chops and sear them on both sides until nicely browned (about 3 minutes per side).
  • Remove the pork chops from the pan and place them on a plate, then cover them with foil to prevent the meat from drying out.
  • Add onion to the pan and cook stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Stir in the chili peppers and keep cooking until the onions are nicely soft and translucent.
  • Mix in the tomatoes and season with salt. Cook constantly stirring until tomatoes are soft and cooked through.
  • Pour 1 cup of water and mix in the oregano. Bring the mixture to a simmer and return the pork chops to the pan.
  • Cover the pan and cook over medium heat until the pork chops are well done and the sauce has thickened.
  • Uncover the pan and allow the sauce to reach the desired consistency.
  • Adjust seasonings to taste and sprinkle the chopped cilantro. Serve with rice and tortillas.

Notes

  • If you don’t have a molcajete, use ground spices and combine them in a small bowl with a little bit of water to make a paste.
  • Pat the pork chops dry with a paper towel before seasoning them to help the paste stick better, lock in the flavors, and give it a nice crust.
  • Cover the freshly cooked meat with foil while preparing the sauce to keep it warm, tender, and juicy.
  • If you like your food spicy, feel free to add more chilies or use a hotter variety like serrano peppers. 
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 366kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 130mg | Potassium: 794mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 843IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 2mg
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Recipe Rating




One Comment

  1. 5 stars
    I made this chuletas mexicanas recipe for dinner last night. They were delicious but I think they missed a little bit more spicy, I’ll add 2 jalapeño peppers next time! Btw, I served them with a side of noodles and my kids love them!!