This recipe for pork chops with apples and onions is a one-pan wonder and the perfect fall comfort food! You’ll enjoy well-seasoned and perfectly cooked chops in a flavorful sauce. Best of all, the whole meal lands on your table in just 30 minutes.

A spoon about to serve helpings of pork chops with apples and onions.

Every home cook loves a meal that can be prepared in one pan or one pot. Loading up one dish with a range of flavors that complement one another is immensely satisfying – as is not having a towering stack of dishes to contend with afterwards. This easy yet impressive recipe does exactly that.

Pork chops, apples, and onions are a natural combination, especially in the fall, so it’s no surprise that there are dozens of recipes out there bringing these ingredients together. What sets this one apart? A few little things: a cinnamon rub on the chops, a sprinkle of fresh woodsy sage and sharp rosemary, and a mouth-watering pan sauce that makes use of every last browned bit to deliver major flavor.

Good cooking is always the sum of many small things done well, and this recipe is no exception. All the little things combined make this dish sing!

What you’ll need

Scanning your pantry or the store aisles? Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe:

  • Pork chops – as many as you need/fit in your pan. I usually use boneless, but bone-in will work fine if you prefer.
  • Two medium apples – you want a fairly crisp apple here, so it doesn’t fall apart while it cooks. Honey Crisp, Gala, Fuji, or Golden Delicious all work well.
  • One-half of a red onion.
  • Fresh sage and rosemary. So good and worth buying fresh.
  • For the sauce, I love using a combination of chicken broth and Dijon mustard, and adding a bit of apple cider if it happens to be in season. The cider is not necessary but adds one more layer to the dish.
  • Staples: olive oil, butter, salt, pepper, and dried cinnamon.

Making pork chops with apples, step by step

This recipe is easy and approachable, and it relies on some simple techniques to deliver great results, so it’s wonderful for developing cooks.

You’ll start by seasoning both sides of the pork chops with kosher salt, black pepper, and cinnamon. Pro tip: use a plastic cutting board any time you’re working with raw meat, so you can simply pop it into the dishwasher when done. Easy.

Seasoned pork chops on a plastic cutting board.

Warm a bit of olive oil in a large skillet, then add the chops. You’ll want to cook them for 3-4 minutes on one side without touching them, so they brown nicely. Then flip and continue cooking until they are just done all the way through. An instant-read thermometer makes this so easy.

Cooking the chops entirely in this step ensures you’re not compromising later and allowing either the pork or the apples to be under or over-cooked.

While the pork chops are cooking, prep the rest of your ingredients. Core and slice the two apples, coarsely chop a bit of fresh rosemary and sage, and cut the red onion into large chunks.

Chopped fresh rosemary and sage, chopped red onion, and chopped apples on a cutting board.

Separately, measure out the chicken broth and add the mustard and apple cider, if using.

Once the pork chops are done, transfer them to a plate and cover loosely with foil. Turning your attention back to the skillet, melt a pat of butter along with a bit more olive oil, then add the herbs, apples, and onions, and cook.

Cooked apples and onions in a skillet.

After a few minutes, pour in the broth mixture. Let everything simmer. This is the time to scrape the bottom of the pan and release any little browned bits left over from cooking the pork chops. This simple step not only adds amazing flavor to the sauce, it also makes the pan much easier to clean!

Cooked apples and onions simmering in a pan sauce.

After the sauce is reduced a bit and the apples and onions are tender, nestle the pork chops back into the skillet. Spoon some sauce over the chops and let them warm through, if necessary. Garnish with a few more sprigs of fresh herbs, if you’re feeling fancy, and serve!

Any leftovers keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days. I knew this recipe was rock solid when my husband went back for all of the leftovers, gobbling them up for lunch several days in a row. No fridge-leftover-blindness here!

Complete the meal

Serve these pork chops with apples alongside:

More pork recipes

Next, try our favorite pork pineapple kabobs – dreamy for summer grilling – or the most amazing boneless baked pork chops for a last-minute dinner. We also love pan-seared pork chops with balsamic plum sauce for a special occasion.

Enjoy! If you make these Pork Chops with Apples or any other recipe from Nourish and Fete, please rate it and leave a comment below. We love hearing from you, and other readers will benefit from your experience!

A spoon about to serve helpings of pork chops with apples and onions.
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One Pan Pork Chops with Apples

A delicious one pan dinner of pork chops with apples and onions is the perfect fall comfort food. This recipe delivers well-seasoned and perfectly cooked chops in a flavorful sauce, all on your table in just 30 minutes!

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 3-4 boneless pork chops
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 8-10 cranks of fresh-ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 medium apples Honey Crisp, Gala, Fuji, or Golden Delicious
  • 1/2 medium red onion
  • 3/4 cup chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup apple cider optional
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

Instructions

  • Warm 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle both sides of the pork chops with salt, pepper, and cinnamon, then add them to the hot skillet.
  • Sear the pork chops for 3-4 minutes, until browned on the bottom, then flip and continue to cook for about 4-5 minutes, until they reach 145 degrees in the middle. Remove pork chops to a plate, tent with foil, and set aside.
  • While the pork chops are cooking, core and thinly slice the apples, chop the onion into small wedges, and whisk the chicken broth, apple cider, and mustard together in a liquid measuring cup.
  • After removing pork chops, add the butter and remaining tablespoon olive oil to the skillet, then add the apples, onions, sage, and rosemary. Saute for 2-3 minutes, then pour in the broth mixture. Use a wooden spoon to gently scrape the bottom of the pan and release any brown bits.
  • Let the sauce simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, then return pork chops to the pan, nestling them in between the apples. Spoon the sauce over the chops, and serve with fresh herbs, if desired.

Video

Notes

  • Any leftovers keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Nutrition Estimate

Calories: 364kcal, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 30g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 97mg, Sodium: 715mg, Potassium: 670mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 137IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 23mg, Iron: 1mg
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