Dice the onion, mince the garlic, and chop the bell pepper into bite-sized pieces. Prepare all ingredients before starting to cook.

Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels and season both sides generously with salt, black pepper, thyme, and garlic powder.

Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.

Add pork chops carefully to the skillet and sear for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden brown, then remove and set aside on a plate.

In the same skillet with the pork drippings, sauté the diced onion for 2 to 3 minutes until softened and fragrant.

Add minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds, stirring constantly to avoid burning.

Stir in the diced bell pepper and cook for 2 minutes until slightly softened.

Add the uncooked rice and stir constantly for 1 to 2 minutes to toast and coat the grains with oil and aromatics.

Pour the chicken broth over the rice and stir well, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.

Nestle the seared pork chops back on top of the rice mixture.

Cover the skillet with a lid or foil and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until the rice is tender and liquid absorbed, and pork reaches an internal temperature of 145°F.

Remove from oven and let the skillet rest, covered, for 5 minutes before serving to allow rice to finish absorbing liquid and retain pork juices.