Apple Cider Pork Chops with Caramelized Apples
A simple apple cider brine makes these pork chops super juicy and flavorful, and the caramelized apples and apple cider sauce deliver bold fall flavor. If you’re in a rush, you can skip the brine entirely so your Apple Cider Pork Chops are done in under an hour!
★★★★★
“I am not a very good cook but I took a chance and made this last night for my husband. We both loved it and his only complaint was that there wasn’t enough! Thank you for this delicious recipe!” —Danielle
This Is the Best Way to Cook Pork Chops in the Fall
This isn’t your usual pork chop with apples recipe, but it’s still just as comforting!
Bone-in pork chops are seasoned with garlic, salt, pepper, and sage, then cooked in a heavy cast iron skillet with olive oil and butter until browned. Then, they simmer in a creamy apple cider sage sauce and are topped with caramelized apples.
Talk about delicious!
Here’s why you’ll love this recipe too:
✔ Basic Ingredients: The apple cider glazed pork chops taste like something you’d order at a restaurant, but they’re made with just a handful of ingredients. The only special ingredient is the fresh apple cider!
✔ Super Comforting: Meals like this are perfect during the fall, and I like to have a few recipes that fit the “comfort food” bill for any of those cool rainy evenings.
✔ Optional Brine: Brining the pork chops in apple cider makes them so much juicier and more flavorful, but you can skip that step entirely if you’re short on time! I wanted to keep the recipe fairly simple, even though it would be more creative than your typical weeknight dinner, because I know most moms are pretty busy!
Enjoy!
-Katie
Ingredient Notes
This is an elevated take on the standard pork chops with apples. A full list of ingredients with their measurements can be found below, but here are the main ones you’ll need.
- Bone-in pork chops — The bone adds tons of flavor, and they’re usually thicker than boneless chops (which means they’ll be tougher to dry out!).
- Fresh sage — Normally I don’t mind if you replace fresh herbs with dried, but in this case the aromatic flavor of the fresh sage is a must.
- Apples — Any variety of apples may be used, just make sure they are fresh and crisp. Mealy, overripe apples would not work well in this recipe as the apples would fall apart when cooked and not hold their shape well. (Personally, I like using firm, sweet apples like Honeycrisp or Pink Lady.)
- Butter — Cooking both the pork chops and apples in a little butter adds so much richness to this otherwise simple dish.
- Brown sugar — Helps the apples caramelize, so don’t omit!
- Apple cider — Use unsweetened and unflavored apple cider and not the kind that has spices added to it. Double check the ingredients list to make sure you bought the right kind. Look for “fresh apple cider” in the produce department, or fresh pressed apple juice as an alternative.
- Heavy cream — The apple cider sauce is made extra decadent with the addition of cream. You may use half and half for a lighter alternative, but don’t swap in regular milk or the sauce will be runny.
Only have boneless pork chops? You can make this recipe with boneless pork chops too, although you’ll likely need to cook them for less time if they are thin. I would choose 3/4- to 1-inch thick boneless pork chops if I were to use the boneless variety in this recipe.
How to Make Apple Cider Pork Chops
- Brine the pork chops for 2 hours. Brining the pork chops in apple cider isn’t absolutely necessary, but I like to do it when I have the time since it does add extra flavor!
- Cook the pork chops. Pat the pork completely dry before seasoning on both sides. Thick bone-in pork chops need to be seared for 3 – 5 minutes per side in a cast iron skillet over medium heat.
- Caramelize the apples. You can remove the chops from the skillet to keep this a one-pan recipe, or you can caramelize the apples for about 10 minutes in a separate skillet to speed this recipe along.
- Make the apple cider sauce. To the now-empty skillet, pour in the apple cider and simmer until reduced by half. Then, stir in the cream.
- Serve. Return the chops to the pan, spoon the apple cider sauce over top, and either top with the caramelized apples or serve them separately.
The above is simply a quick summary of this recipe for apple cider pork chops. Check out the full recipe in the free printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions.
Tips for Making this Recipe
- Bring the pork to room temperature. Before cooking the pork chops, you need to set them on your counter for 20 minutes. If you place the pork chops in the hot pan while they’re still fridge cold, it’ll take longer for the insides to cook through.
- Pat the pork chops completely dry on both sides before browning. I find that a paper towel works well for this. Pork chops will get a much nicer crust when browning if they are dry to the touch when they go in the pan.
- Remove the pork chops from the pan to prevent overcooking. If you keep the chops in the hot skillet while the sauce reduces and the apples caramelize, they’ll be tough and dry by the time you’re ready to plate everything up. Remove them to a plate after searing to keep them moist and tender.
What to Serve on the Side
Serve these pork chops in apple cider sauce over a bed of mascarpone mashed potatoes, rice, or buttered noodles to soak up all that sauce! Or pair it with one of the following sides:
More Fall Pork Dinner Ideas
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Apple Cider Pork Chops Recipe
A simple apple cider brine makes these pork chops super juicy and flavorful, and the caramelized apples and apple cider sauce deliver bold fall flavor!
Ingredients
For the Pork Brine (Optional)
- 4 cups cold water
- 4 cups fresh apple cider (unsweetened and unspiced)
- 1/3 cup kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed
For the Pork Chops
- 4 bone-in pork loin chops
- 2 teaspoons unsalted butter*
- 2 teaspoons olive oil*
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 - 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
For the Apples
- 1 pound apples, peeled, cored and sliced in ¼-inch slices (I like Pink Lady or Honeycrisp)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar
For the Sauce
- 1/2 cup fresh apple cider (unsweetened and unspiced)
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 - 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
FOR THE BRINE (OPTIONAL)
- Add 2 cups of the water, salt, garlic, peppercorn, and sage to a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
- In a resealable bag or large bowl, combine the remaining 2 cups of cold water, apple cider, and pork chops. Then, add the salt water mixture. Mix well so the mixtures are combine and the pork chops are completely coated and submerged.
- Chill the pork in the brine for at least 2 hours or up to 6 hours. Then, proceed with the recipe as instructed but omit any additional salt on the pork chops as they will be salted throughout due to the brine. Discard the used brine.
FOR THE PORK
- Pat the pork chops completely dry on both sides (paper towels work well). Season to taste with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and f the sage.
- In a large sauté pan or cast iron skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter with 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat until it begins to bubble. Add the chops and cook for 3–5 minutes, or until browned. Then, turn and cook the other side until browned and the pork is cooked through
- While cooking, brush some of the butter and olive oil mixture on the side of the pork facing up.
FOR THE APPLES
- In another skillet, melt the remaining tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add the brown sugar to the butter and cook for 1 minute, or until it begins to melt.
- Add the apples and sauté over medium heat until the apples are browned and tender. This should take about 10–15 minutes.
FOR THE SAUCE
- In the pan with the pork chops, add the apple cider and cook over medium heat until the liquid is reduced by about half.
- Add the cream, bring to a boil and allow it to bubble for a few minutes until the sauce is slightly thickened. Make sure the pork is cooked through to a minimum internal temperature of 145ºF.
- Sprinkle with remaining fresh sage if desired, and season with salt and pepper if needed. Spoon some of the sauce over the pork chops.
SERVING
- If serving immediately, spoon the caramelized apples on top of the pork in the pan. Alternatively, you can pass the apples separately at the table and portion them out directly on the dinner plates.
Notes
Before cooking the pork chops, you need to set them on your counter to come to room temperature. If you place the pork chops in the hot pan while they're still fridge cold, it'll take longer for the insides to cook through.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 384Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 111mgSodium: 189mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 2gSugar: 17gProtein: 28g
GoodLifeEats.com offers recipe nutritional information as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although GoodLifeEats.com makes every effort to provide accurate information, these figures are only estimates.
Pat says
Just finished eating these and I want to say YUM!!!! We loved it. I would have never bought this butter but now it is on my shopping list always. We made noodles to got with this and we put some of the sauce from the chops on the noodles and OMGoodness, that was so great. Try this it is really good.
Danielle Medley says
I am not a very good cook but I took a chance and made this last night for my husband. We both loved it and his only complaint was that there wasn’t enough! Thank you for this delicious recipe!
Marie Herrick says
I love to cook. Creating a meal is a way to express my likes and dislike in food. I love to make new marinades. I love to take whatever if left in the fridge freezer and pantry to create a “surprise” meal. I especially love when my husband says that the “surprise was great but then groans when he find out I did not use a recipe so I may not be able to make it again. Saute Expressions will add to my creativity. I cannot wait to try them on the meat I just purchased (different cuts of steak and pork).
Susan says
I express myself while cooking by not being afraid to change the recipe a bit, but not go too crazy. (I once decided to make cinnamon chicken on my own in college. Never again.)