Caramel Apple Pork Chops
Pork chops are pan seared and then cooked in a simple buttery brown sugar sauce with fresh sliced apples to make a totally fun (and fast!) fall dinner dish. Caramel Apple Pork Chops can be on the table in just 30 minutes!
I originally shared this recipe waaaay back in October 2011, about a month after I started this blog. I have updated the photos (and the embarrassing text - what in the world?!), but the recipe is unchanged! It is a MAJOR favorite in my house!
It's been since this time last year that I added apples to a savory dish with Chicken and Apple Cheddar Dumplings. I have a TON of sweet apple recipes, but I love being able to give my favorite fruit a fun dinner twist. Caramel Apple Pork Chops are where it's at.
This is a super easy 30 minute one-pot dish. The apples turn out like those sweet baked cinnamon apples you can order on the side in homestyle restaurants. You know -- the ones you can't decide to eat for dinner or dessert? Those.
They are tender and brown sugar sweet with just a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg. The pecans add a little richness and some crunch.
Pork chops are not in my normal dinnertime wheelhouse. I have a TON of chicken recipes, but if you've been reading here awhile, you might remember that my dad and his non-cooking skills basically ruined pork chops for me for approximately 20 years. He thought he was extra professional when he realized he could open a can of cream-of-whatever soup, pour it over pork chops, and bake them. For the record, please don't do that.
Anyway. These are not those. The pork chops turn out tender and juicy. The sauce is brown sugar buttery. All of it together is gonna be your new favorite fall meal.
- 6-8 boneless pork chops (½ inch to ¾ inch thick)
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced (A firm apple like a Granny Smith is best)
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- Preheat the oven to 350. Heat the oil in a large skillet, over medium high heat and then brown the pork chops (about 1 minute on each side).
- Remove the browned chops from the skillet and set them aside. In the same skillet, over medium heat, melt butter and add the brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir until the sauce is completely combined and then add the apples.
- Cook the apples in the caramel sauce for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add the pork chops back to the skillet and sprinkle with the chopped pecans.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until pork chops are cooked through. The apples will be tender and the sauce will be bubbly. Spoon the apples and sauce over the pork chops when serving.
These are delicious! My entire family cleaned their plates. Have you tried thickening the sauce? I'm wondering how that would work. I thought about adding a little apple butter next time, maybe? Thanks for the recipe!
YESSSS - apple butter! The sauce is usually thick enough for my liking, but you could certainly reduce it a bit further if you wanted a thicker sauce. So glad you all enjoyed these!
I don't understand the transition from throwing them back in thth skillet to bake them for 25 minutes?
@Tabitha, retains moisture, after you brown the outside it seals in juice then the bake time 25min finishes the chops juicy n tender
@Tabitha, My guess would be direct heat from the stove top would burn the sugar.
Was ABSOLUTELY delicious! Will make again... 🙂
Yaayyyy! Glad you loved this! Thanks, Maggie!
How could I do this recipe as a crockpot recipe? I would love to try it but 30 minutes of undivided attention in the kitchen with my 2 year old boy/girl twins is a very rare experience...
Made this for dinner with fried potatoes. It was awesome. The apples were wonderful. I used honey crisp apples.
Yes! Honey Crisp are the best! So glad you enjoyed!
Just made this again for maybe the third time and it's as good now as the first time I made it! Cooking the apples with the chops infuses them with the flavor and makes them so tender! This is a must try recipe that everyone will love
oh awesome! Thanks so much Jane! Glad you enjoyed it!
My hubby would swoon if I made him this!
These were so so so good. I haven't made them in awhile because for some reason it feels like fall food to me, and in my current state of heat exhaustion all I wanna eat is ice cream and watermelon. Bot it's a super easy recipe! Hope you'll try it! Lemme know how it goes 🙂