Apple Pork Chops

These Apple Pork Chops are smothered in a sweet and savory sauce with freshly cooked apple slices! This recipe is easy to make in a single skillet and has the best flavor!

Be sure to try my Peach Chicken recipe and my Baked Chicken Thighs next!

Apple Pork Chops

Your taste buds are going to flip when you taste these incredible Apple Pork Chops. Mr. Cozy Cook almost fell out of his chair when he first tried this! The flavors are well-rounded and on point.

We’ve got every flavor element represented in this sauce- sweet, savory, tart, and tang, it’s all here, in perfect balance.

Check out the post below for my tips on the best pork chops and apples to use, what to serve this with, as well as my pro tips! Don’t miss those!

How to Make It

See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

Sprinkle each side of the pork chops with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning and let them sit for 35-45 minutes. This brining technique makes them more tender, flavorful, and juicier. If short on time, pat completely dry and season  just before searing. 

Heat olive oil and sear the pork in batches until golden brown and crisp. Set aside.

Deglaze the skillet with white wine. Add butter and garlic, then add sauce mixture (chicken broth, chicken bouillon cube, honey, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, and cornstarch). Bring to a boil and allow it to thicken, then reduce to a simmer.

Add the pork back and apples and spoon the sauce on top. Cover and simmer until the apples are tender, about 5 minutes. Serve! (See below for serving suggestions!)

Best Pork Chops to Use

• Center cut, Bone-in Pork Chops – pictured in this recipe
  • These are the best cut for this recipe as the bone adds more flavor to the meat and sauce. The thicker the cut, the juicier they’ll be. Aim for nicely marbled meat.
• Loin Chops
  • These may also be used, although they are a leaner cut.
• Boneless Chops
  • These will work as well, although they are the leanest cut which makes them prone to becoming dry. Salt them first and let them sit to mitigate this.

Best Apples to Use

Truly, any kind of apple will work here. But here are some of the best varieties to pair with pork:

• Fuji, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Cortland, Jonagold, Braeburn and Granny Smith are all ideal candidates for pork. 
• Gala apples are my personal choice. They’re not too sweet and have a very pleasant taste. They also hold up well in cooking.

What to Serve with Apple Pork Chops

• Sausage Stuffing is the perfect side dish to accompany these incredible pork chops!
• A variety of potato recipes are great too, including sweet potato casserole, roasted or mashed potatoes, or cheesy scalloped potatoes!
• A side of roasted vegetables is great too, especially my roasted carrots.

Pro Tips

• Brining: If you’re able to dry brine the pork chops for 35-45 minutes, you can salt the pork more liberally than you normally would, as the salt will penetrate through the surface and flavor it inside and out. The exact amount of salt will vary, as it depends on the cut and size of pork chops used. 
• Searing: Sear the pork chops in batches, don’t overcrowd the skillet. This allows the edges to get nice and crisp. Use kitchen tongs to prop the pork on it’s side to sear any fat on the edges as well. Adjust heat up/down as needed while you sear.
• Wine: Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon Blanc are my go-to dry white wines for this recipe. My next recommendation would be non-alcoholic white wine, which is widely available. While the wine does really elevate this recipe, chicken broth can be used instead.
• Be sure to try my Peach Chicken recipe next!

 Storage

• Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Leftover pork chops do freeze/reheat well.
• If reheating from frozen: Thaw leftover pork overnight in the fridge (or defrost it in the microwave) and then bake it in a small, lightly greased, covered casserole dish at 350° for 20 minutes or so.

Tools For This Recipe

(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.

• 12-inch skillet– Same one pictured in this recipe.
• Large Measuring Cup with a Spout -This is what I use to combine the sauce ingredients at the beginning. 
• Kitchen Tongs– makes it easy to handle the pork when searing.
• Meat Thermometer– Pork chops should be 145° prior to serving.
• Measuring Spoons– I have these magnetic ones which stay nice and organized in my utensil drawer.

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Apple Pork Chops

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

5 from 8 ratings

Servings: 4 people

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These Apple Pork Chops are smothered in a sweet and savory sauce with tender sliced apples. This is an easy and flavorful skillet recipe that takes dinner to the next level!

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

• ▢ 4 pork chops, see notes
• ▢ Salt/Pepper
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ▢ 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ ½ cup dry white wine
• ▢ 2 tablespoons butter
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢ 1 apple, sliced. See notes.

Sauce

• ▢ 2 cups chicken broth
• ▢ 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• ▢ ½ chicken bouillon cube
• ▢ 2 tablespoons honey
• ▢ 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• ▢ ½ teaspoon EACH: dried thyme, dried oregano, mustard powder, onion powder, parsley
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon EACH: ground sage, cinnamon
• ▢ 1 pinch nutmeg, no more than a small pinch

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Instructions

Prep Work

• Season each side of the pork chops with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. If possible, let them sit out at room temp for 35-45 minutes. This will give the salt a chance to penetrate through the meat and flavor it. It will also make the pork juicier. If you’re short on time: Season the pork chops just before searing.
• Combine the chicken broth with the cornstarch and mix until well combined. Make sure the broth is not warm/hot so that you don’t activate the cornstarch. Mix in the remaining sauce ingredients and store in a cool place until ready to use.

Sear the Pork

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the pork chops and sear 2 at a time for 2-3 minutes on the first side, and 1-2 minutes on the second side. Extra thick cuts can be seared a little longer, and smaller/leaner cuts can be seared more quickly. Set aside and let rest.

Make the Sauce

• Turn the heat off and add the wine. Set heat to medium and use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom and sides of the skillet, the brown bits add more flavor to the sauce.
• Add the butter and garlic. Simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 4 minutes.
• Add the chicken broth mixture (from step 2 of prep work) and bring it to a boil to activate the cornstarch. It will thicken rather quickly once a boil is reached. Once desired thickness is obtained, reduce to a simmer.

Finish the Dish

• Add the pork chops (and any juices from the plate), along with the apples. Spoon the sauce on top. Note: The apples will soften better if they're submerged in the sauce.
• Cover and simmer gently for 5-8 minutes, or until the apples have softened and the pork is nearly 145° F.
• Remove from heat and let the pork chops rest for 3-5 minutes, the internal temperature will increase a few more degrees and the juices will absorb. Serve with sausage stuffing! (See blog post for other great serving options!)

Notes

Best Pork Chops to Use:

• Center cut, Bone-in Pork Chops - pictured in this recipe
  • These are the best cut for this recipe as the bone adds more flavor to the meat and sauce. The thicker the cut, the juicier they'll be. Aim for nicely marbled meat.
• Loin Chops
  • These may also be used, although they are a leaner cut. Note that they will likely require a little less searing time.
• Boneless Chops
  • These will work as well, although they are the leanest cut which makes them prone to becoming dry. Salt them first and let them sit to mitigate this. Note that they will likely require less searing time.

---

Best Apples to Use:

• Fuji, Gala, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Cortland, Jonagold, Braeburn and Granny Smith are all ideal candidates for pork. 

---

Pro Tips:

• Brining: If you're able to dry brine the pork chops for 35-45 minutes, you can salt the pork more liberally than you normally would, as the salt will penetrate through the surface and flavor it inside and out. The exact amount of salt will vary, as it depends on the cut and size of pork chops used. 
• Searing: Sear the pork chops in batches, don't overcrowd the skillet. This allows the edges to get nice and crisp. Use kitchen tongs to prop the pork on it's side to sear any fat on the edges as well. Adjust heat up/down as needed while you sear.
• Wine: Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon Blanc are my go-to dry white wines for this recipe. My next recommendation would be non-alcoholic white wine, which is widely available. While the wine does really elevate this recipe, chicken broth can be used instead.
• Be sure to try my Peach Chicken recipe next!

---

Storage:

• Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Leftover pork chops do freeze/reheat well.
• If reheating from frozen: Thaw leftover pork overnight in the fridge (or defrost it in the microwave) and then bake it in a small, lightly greased, covered casserole dish at 350° for 20 minutes or so.

---

The nutritional information provided is an estimate and is per serving. There are 4 servings in this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 414kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 30g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 107mg, Sodium: 669mg, Potassium: 622mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 16g, Vitamin A: 216IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 37mg, Iron: 1mg

Did you try this recipe?Mention @TheCozyCook on Instagram or tag #thecozycook!

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Author: Stephanie