Seared pork chops simmered with an apple and caramelized onion flavor and all on your table in just 30 minutes. These apple butter pork chops can be paired with mashed potatoes, rice, or steamed vegetables to make a cozy dinner any night of the week.
★ Why You'll Love this Recipe ★
These apple pork chops have all your favorite fall comforts rolled into one. An easy-to-make dinner recipe that results in juicy bites of sweet and seasoned pork chops topped with caramelized onions and soft, tasty apple slices.
The pairing of apples and pork chops is a classic, but this dish takes the flavor up a notch. Plus, the dish can even be made in advance and frozen as part of a freezer meal prep session.
Whip up these apple pork chops for a busy weeknight dinner or as part of a slower, family get-together. The sweet and savory flavor combination makes them the perfect main course for any occasion.
This apple butter pork chop recipe is:
Easy to make: With only 10 minutes of prep time the apple butter pork chops come together in just 30 minutes making it an easy dinner any day of the week.
Comforting: While the apples bring a sweet fall flavor to the dish, the seasoning and caramelized onions contrast it with a savory taste making it a delicious blend.
Versatile: You can serve these apple pork chops with mashed potatoes, rice, or just roasted vegetables to make for a new meal each time. Or you can switch up the fruit for a whole new flavor.
★ Ingredients You'll Need ★
Most of the ingredients you need below are easy to grab from your kitchen making this meal even better for busy nights.
- Pork chops: Boneless pork chops are best as they cook faster and save you time. If you decide to use bone-in pork chops, you’ll need to adjust the cooking time.
- Seasonings: From your spice cupboard you’ll need smoked paprika, garlic powder, dried thyme, salt, and pepper.
- Oil: Used to sauté the onions initially and to brown the chops. Any oil that you have on hand will work.
- Onion: You can use yellow onion or sweet onion to subtly shift the flavor.
- Apples: Honeycrisp apples are used for their sweet flavor; however, you can adjust the dinner by choosing a different variation.
- Apple butter: Adds both taste and a creaminess to the pork chops but applesauce and cinnamon can be used in its place for a similar flavor.
- Broth: Chicken broth will pair best with pork chops but vegetable broth or even beef broth can be used.
- Apple cider vinegar: This will help tenderize the pork chops and add a savory flavor to the dish. White wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar can be used as a substitution if it’s not on hand.
★ How to Make this Recipe ★
Here's a look at how these pork chops are prepared. It's simple. And you only need one pan.
- Mix together seasoning blend.
- Rub evenly onto pork chops.
- Caramelize onions in oil.
- Brown pork chops.
- Add apple slices to onions and cook until tender.
- Whisk together apple butter, broth, and vinegar.
- Pour into onions and apples. Simmer.
- Add pork chops to skillet and cook 3 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let rest before serving.
Simple as that!
★ Tips & FAQs ★
How do I store leftovers?
Let the apple pork chops cool before storing it all in an airtight container in the fridge. It will stay fresh for up to 3 days. To reheat the dinner, place the mixture in a skillet over medium heat and cook until heated through, stirring occasionally. Or microwave it on high for 1-2 minutes stirring once.
Can I freeze this recipe?
Yes. To use these pork chops with apples as a freezer meal, cook everything according to the directions and let it cool fully. Place both pork chops and sauce in a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze it for up to 3 months.
To heat and eat, let it thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
What do you serve with apple butter pork chops?
This dish can be served with a variety of side dishes. Some favorites are mashed potatoes, steamed or roasted vegetables, rice pilaf, roasted baby potatoes, egg noodles, and dinner rolls.
Can I make this recipe with a different kind of fruit?
Sure! You can change the flavor by making this recipe with another fruit of your choice. Peaches or pears work well. Likewise, you can add different fruits to the apple base like cranberries to change the taste, too. Experiment and find your favorite variations.
★ More Recipes You'll Love ★
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Browse all my easy pork recipes and Pin your favorites for later.
This easy apple butter pork chops recipe was featured on South Your Mouth!
Apple Butter Pork Chops
Ingredients
Pork
- 4 pork chops boneless
Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Apples and Onions
- 2 tablespoon olive oil divided
- 1 onion thinly sliced
- 2 Honeycrisp apples cored and thinly sliced
Sauce
- ½ cup apple butter
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
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Instructions
- Season pork. In a small bowl, mix together seasoning (smoked paprika, garlic powder, dried thyme, salt, and black pepper).Rub spice mixture evenly over both sides of the pork chops.
- Cook onions. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and caramelized, about 10 minutes.
- Cook pork chops. While the onions are cooking, heat remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.Add pork chops and cook for 5-6 minutes per side or until browned and cooked through. Remove the pork chops from skillet and set aside on a plate.
- Cook apples. Add sliced apples to the skillet with the caramelized onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender and lightly caramelized, about 5-7 minutes.
- Make sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the apple butter, chicken broth, and apple cider vinegar.Pour sauce into the skillet with caramelized onions and apples. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer.
- Combine pork with apples, onions, and sauce. Add cooked pork chops to the skillet with the apples, nestling them into the sauce and spooning the onions and apples over top.Simmer pork chops in sauce for 3 minutes.
- Let rest then serve. Remove skillet from heat and let the pork chops rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- If using bone-in pork chops, adjust the cook time as needed. Pork is done at 145ºF.
- If you don't have apple butter, use apple sauce with a touch of cinnamon and brown sugar for a similar flavor.
- You can add fruits like pears or cranberries for a different flavor profile.
Equipment
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