Garlic Butter Pork Bites with Lemon
Indulge in these juicy, tender garlic butter pork bites with lemon! Perfectly pan-seared, each bite-sized piece of pork is coated in a rich, flavorful garlic butter sauce that melt in your mouth. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice or with your favorite veggies! Best of all, this skillet pork recipe comes together in less than 28 minutes!
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If you love quick and easy pork recipes, be sure to check out our Brown Sugar Brined Pork Chops and Panko Parmesan Pork Chops! Or, try one of these ten incredible 30-minute recipes using thin pork chops.
Why We Love this Recipe
- Big flavor, simple ingredients – Just a handful of pantry staples deliver rich, buttery goodness.
- One pan – All the action happens in a single skillet.
- Versatile-Serve these pork chop bites over rice, mashed potatoes, or pasta to soak up the rich lemon garlic butter sauce, and pair them with your favorite veggie sides.
- Kid-friendly– This easy pork dinner is bite-sized, just the way our kiddos like it!
🛒 Ingredients & Substitutions
Notes on key ingredients are provided below. Please see the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
Pork chops– Boneless and skinless- cut into small 1-inch cubes for fast cooking! You can also use pork shoulder or pork loin. Bone-in pork chops will work but you will need to allow for extra time to cut around the bone.
Butter– Salted or unsalted. Four tablespoons may seem like a lot, but it helps create extra sauce that can served over rice, mashed potatoes, or any side that soaks up the sauce.
Garlic– Fresh, minced or finely chopped garlic. Be sure to check out our post on how to easily peel garlic!
Chicken broth– We love Better than Bouillon chicken base because it’s concentrated and long-lasting! You can also vegetable broth or beef broth.
Lemon juice– Freshly squeezed lemon juice is best for a brighter and more vibrant flavor.
🧑🏽🍳 Instructions
Step 1. Season pork bites.
Step 2. Cook pork in oil for 4-6 minutes, flipping halfway until brown and crispy. Set aside.
Step 3. Melt butter in the same pan and sauté garlic for 1-2 minutes.
Step 4. Add chicken broth, lemon juice and pork bites and cook together on medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until pork is cooked through. Top pork chop bites with fresh, chopped parsley and serve.
✔️ Expert Tips and Tricks
- Trim away fat to avoid chewy or tough bites.
- Remember to cut pork into small 1-inch pieces for faster browning/cooking. Sometimes a butcher can do this for you to save time.
- Don’t overcook garlic– Burnt garlic can have a bitter taste. We recommend cooking garlic for 1-2 minutes on low or medium heat.
- Don’t pack the pan too full– When it’s crowded, the heat doesn’t spread out right and some bits might end up undercooked, while others get overdone. Use a big enough pan, or if you don’t have one, just split it into two batches.
- Keep an eye on cooking times. Pork bites cook fast, and if you’re not watching them closely, they can go from perfectly crispy and tender to dry and tough in no time. Pork is full cooked at 145°F—just use a trusty meat thermometer to check.
- Top with fresh parsley. Fresh parsley adds so much more flavor to these pan-seared pork bites, plus an awesome pop of color.
- Add lemon zest for extra flavor. Just be sure to add it as a final step when the heat is turned off, as lemon zest can turn bitter in a hot pan.
↪️ Variations
More lemon– We used the juice of one lemon to keep the citrus flavor nice and subtle. But if you’re into a bigger citrus punch, feel free to add more!
Change the protein– Feel free to swap pork for chicken or steak!
Add veggies– There is enough garlic butter sauce that you might consider throwing some veggies into the pan, like mushrooms, green beans, or even broccoli.
More heat– Increase the amount of red pepper flakes or add a different source of spice, like cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, paprika or chili powder.
Serve as an appetizer– They’re bite-sized, making them super easy to enjoy on their own as a quick pork appetizer or snack.
🥗 Side Dish Options
Our pork chops bites pair nicely with these sides:
- Mashed potatoes, rice or pasta– Great for soaking up extra sauce!
- Veggies– Roasted asparagus, steamed broccoli, roasted Brussels sprouts, or green beans, to name a few.
- Side salad– You can’t go wrong with a simple salad to round out this dish.
- Garlic bread or rolls– Our favorite is Pepperidge Farm’s frozen garlic bread.
🧊 Storing and Reheating
Storing: Store leftover garlic butter pork bites in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. You may also freeze pork bites for 1 month!
Reheating: Reheat pork in the microwave for 1-3 minutes or on the stove for a few minutes until warmed throughout. We recommend adding a few drops of water to loosen the sauce when reheating.
Tips for Picky Eaters
- Kids pick the side. Let kids choose the side – like mashed potatoes, rice or pasta – which can also help absorb extra sauce.
- Omit red pepper flakes for a milder version of this dish.
- Offer toppings- Kids can choose their own toppings: parsley, lemon wedges, sesame seeds, or even hot sauce if they like extra heat!
❓FAQ
Chances are your pan’s too crowded or not hot enough. When the pork pieces are packed in too tight, they steam instead of sear—and that’s what gives them that gray look. Try cooking in batches and make sure your skillet is nice and hot before the pork hits the pan.
Just let it simmer for a couple extra minutes so it reduces and thickens naturally. If it still feels too thin, stir in a small amount of cornstarch mixed with water (start with ½ teaspoon). You’ll get a nice, silky sauce in no time.
We think this recipe calls for the perfect amount of lemon juice, but if the lemon flavor is too strong for your taste, try mellowing it out with a little more butter or a splash of cream. You can also add a pinch of sugar to balance the acidity. Next time, start with less lemon juice and add more to taste at the end.
Craft For This Recipe
Lemon Volcano
Celebrate one of this recipe’s featured ingredients – lemons – by having kids make their very own lemon volcanos! All you need is a few simple materials and science to make a fun, colorful eruption!
Garlic Butter Pork Bites with Lemon
Equipment
- 1 large skillet
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless pork chops (cut into 1-inch cubes)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp red pepper chili flakes
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 3 garlic cloves (finely chopped or minced)
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice (or the juice from 1 medium lemon)
- fresh chopped parsley (for garnish (optional))
- lemon wedges (for garnish (optional))
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine pork bites with salt, pepper, onion powder, and red pepper flakes.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet or pan over medium heat. Add pork bites and sear for 2-3 minutes on each side or until brown. Remove pork bites and set aside.
- Reduce heat to low and melt butter in same pan. Add chopped garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes, scraping up pork bits as it cooks. Be careful not to burn garlic.
- Add chicken broth and lemon juice, along with pork bites and cook together for 2-3 minutes on medium heat or until pork is cooked through. Top with fresh, chopped parsley and serve.
Video
Notes
- Trim away fat to avoid chewy or tough bites.
- Remember to cut pork into small 1-inch pieces for faster browning/cooking. Sometimes a butcher can do this for you to save time.
- Don’t overcook garlic– Burnt garlic can have a bitter taste. We recommend cooking garlic for 1-2 minutes on low or medium heat.
- Don’t pack the pan too full– When it’s crowded, the heat doesn’t spread out right and some bits might end up undercooked while others get overdone. Use a big enough pan, or if you don’t have one, just split it into two batches.
- Keep an eye on cooking times. Pork bites cook fast, and if you’re not watching them closely, they can go from perfectly crispy and tender to dry and tough in no time. Pork is full cooked at 145°F—just use a trusty meat thermometer to check.
- Top with fresh parsley. Fresh parsley adds so much more flavor to these pan-seared pork bites, plus an awesome pop of color.
- Add lemon zest for extra flavor. Just be sure to add it as a final step when the heat is turned off, as lemon zest can turn bitter in a hot pan.
Nutrition
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
