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★ Why You'll Love this Recipe ★
Just 3 ingredients!
Ready to elevate your weeknight dinner game with minimal effort? Try these mouthwatering Brown Sugar Italian Pork Chops that only require THREE ingredients!
Kid-Friendly
These are unbelievably delicious, kid-friendly and ready in about 20 minutes!
These pork chops offer a zesty, herbaceous flavor from the Italian seasoning, balanced out by sweetness from the brown sugar — which the kiddos love.
Delicious Flavor
Made with moist pork chops, brown sugar, and one packet of Italian dressing seasoning. Rub. Bake. The result? A caramelized crust with savory Italian flavors that'll have your taste buds dancing!
Make it a Meal
Serve over mashed potatoes with leftover seasoned juice for extra moist, perfectly cooked pork. Add a side salad or steamed veggie for a complete homemade meal in no time.
★ Ingredients You'll Need ★
It doesn't get much easier than this. Truly, just 3 ingredients is all you need.
- Pork. Use thin-cut pork chops to speed up cooking, or if you have time, try thick-cut chops for a meatier bite. You will need to add bake time to full cook thicker cuts. Use a meat thermometer to check for an internal temperature of 145ºF.
- Italian dressing seasoning. This is a packet of dry herbs and seasonings. Found in the salad dressing aisle.
- Brown sugar. Use light or dark depending on how much of that rich molasses flavor you want to incorporate.
★ How to Make this Recipe ★
This pork dinner recipe is super simple. Here's a look at the steps:
- Gather Italian seasoning, brown sugar and pork chops.
- Add brown sugar to bowl.
- Mix in Italian seasoning.
- Lay pork chops on baking sheet and rub with seasoning.
- Bake.
- Serve topped with juices from the baking pan.
Easy as that and so yummy!
★ Tips & FAQs ★
Storing Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. Reheat pork in a pan or just until warmed in the microwave.
Freeze leftovers for up to 3 months.
Serve with a grain, pasta, or potato side dish such as mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, or rice. Then add a vegetable. Steamed peas, broccoli, or a delicious salad.
This recipe works well with various pork chop cuts, such as boneless or bone-in chops. Adjust the cooking time based on the thickness of the chops to ensure they are cooked to perfection. The best way to do this is check for an internal temperature of 145ºF using a meat thermometer.
While brown sugar adds a unique flavor and texture, you can experiment with substitutes like honey or maple syrup for a different taste.
You can use your favorite brand of Italian dressing seasoning mix for this recipe. I find Good Seasons Italian dressing mix to have a nice flavor but store brand works too.
Yes, marinating the pork chops for a longer period, like a few hours or overnight, can enhance the flavor. Ensure they are refrigerated during marination to maintain food safety.
To marinate, simply rub the pork on both sides with the brown sugar-Italian seasoning mixture, place on a baking sheet and cover with plastic (or to save fridge space, you can put them in a large ziplock bag). Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Yes. While this recipe suggests baking, you can easily adapt it for the grill. Set your grill to medium-high to achieve a temperature around 400-425ºF and cook for the time directed or until pork is done according to its temperature. Be sure the grill does not get hotter than 425ºF or the sugar may over-caramelize and burn.
Broiling is not recommended as the high temperature will burn the sugar in the rub creating an undesirable taste.
In a pinch, you can create a simple Italian dressing substitute using dried Italian herbs (like oregano and basil), garlic and onion powder, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Adjust the quantities to your taste preferences.
★ More Pork Recipes ★
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3-Ingredient Brown Sugar Italian Pork Chops
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 boneless pork chops thin cut
- ½ cup brown sugar light or dark
- 7 oz packet Italian dressing mix (dry)
Mighty Mrs. is a #WalmartPartner.
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
- Season pork. Mix brown sugar and dry Italian dressing mix together in a small bowl.Coat pork chops on both sides and add to your baking sheet.Sprinkle any remaining mix on top of the pork.
- Bake. Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 145ºF.
- Garnish. Top pork with remaining juices from the pan. Garnish with parsley, if desired.
Notes
- Bake time varies by size and thickness of pork chops. Do not overcook. Check for doneness with a meat thermometer. Pork is done at 145ºF.
- For moist, juicy pork, don't cook much past 145ºF and let pork rest about 3-5 minutes before serving to allow juices to distribute.
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