Pork Chops
Pork in the Midwest · up 16% this week
Per a typical 140g serving, scaled from the per-100g figures in USDA FoodData Central (Pork, fresh, loin, top loin (chops), boneless, separable lean and fat, raw).
- 1 SoutheastCheapest $2.87/lb
- 2 Northwest $3.02/lb
- 3 Northeast $3.03/lb
- 4 Southwest $3.11/lb
- 5 Southcentral $3.22/lb
- 6 Midwest $3.65/lb
Buying pork chops in the Southeast saves about 21% versus the Midwest this week.
- How to pick a good one
- Look for chops with some marbling and a pink-to-red colour rather than pale grey. Thickness is the critical variable — a chop under an inch will be dry before it browns. Loin chops are leaner, shoulder chops fattier and more forgiving.
- What a good price looks like
- Boneless chops run $3 to $5 a pound. Under $3.50 is a good price. Pork is generally the cheapest of the three main meats per pound, and chops sit in the middle of the pork range — cheaper than tenderloin, dearer than shoulder.
- What you actually get
- A pound of boneless chops cooks to about 12 oz and serves three. Loss is roughly 25%. Boneless loin chops are very lean, so they lose water rather than fat, which is why the margin for error is so narrow.
- How to store it
- Three to five days refrigerated, four to six months frozen.
- In the kitchen
- Modern pork is bred lean and is safe at 63°C with a three-minute rest, which is meaningfully pinker than most people were taught. Cooking it to the old 71°C is the main reason pork chops have a reputation for dryness. Brine for thirty minutes, sear hard, and rest. Thin chops are almost impossible to cook well — buy them at least an inch thick.
- Getting the most out of it
- Modern pork is bred far leaner than it used to be, and the old habit of cooking it to well done is what makes chops dry. Cook to 145F with a rest and a hint of pink is correct and safe. A short brine makes a real difference to a lean chop.
- Crispy & Juicy Air Fryer Pork ChopsRecipe by Spend With Pennies~$1.64 / serving 0 in-season
- French Onion Pork ChopsRecipe by The Recipe Critic~$2.15 / serving 2 in-season
- Grilled Pork Chop CapreseRecipe by The Modern Proper~$2.34 / serving 1 in-season
- Pork Schnitzel RecipeRecipe by Natasha's Kitchen~$2.78 / serving 1 in-season
- Sheet Pan Pork Chops RecipeRecipe by The Recipe Critic~$2.89 / serving 2 in-season
- Balsamic Pork ChopsRecipe by RecipeTin Eats~$3.83 / serving 2 in-season
See all 45 recipes with pork chops →Filter by diet, time, budget, and macros.
Price from the USDA weekly retail meat report (conventional, per lb). Nutrition per typical serving, computed from USDA FoodData Central.
Pork Chops — FAQ
What's the price of pork chops this week?
As of the week of September 4, 2026, the price of pork chops in the Midwest is $3.65/lb, up 16% from last week. Prices come from the USDA's weekly retail meat report.
Which region has the cheapest pork chops right now?
The Southeast has the cheapest pork chops this week at $2.87/lb — about 21% less than the Midwest, where it runs $3.65/lb.
How much protein is in pork chops?
A typical 140g serving of pork chops has about 30.2g protein and 217 calories (9.7g fat), per USDA FoodData Central.
What can I cook with pork chops?
SeasonSort indexes 45 recipes using pork chops, each priced per serving from this week's data — starting from about $1.04 a serving. The cheapest are listed on this page, with a link to the full filtered list.