Juicy bone-in pork chops are served in a slightly sweet and tangy apple cider glaze with caramelized onions and apples. Apple cider pork chops are pure fall comfort food, pretty enough for guests, but easy enough for a weeknight meal.
When I think of fall, I think root vegetables, cozy pots of stew simmering on the stove, and apples. Loads and loads of apples. It’s a no-brainer to pop those apples into pies or tarts, but I like to coax the tart sweetness from them in savory preparations as well.
Pork and apples is a traditional paring, and with good reason. The slight acidity and crisp sweetness of the apples marries well with the flavor of a juicy, savory chop. Today we’re amping up both of those flavors with an apple cider brine (for juicy, flavorful chops), an apple cider mustard glaze, and caramelized apples and onions.
This dish is firing on all fall flavor cylinders and tastes like pure cozy comfort. So set a few apples aside before you make that pie and let’s get cooking.
Let’s make Apple Cider Pork Chops
Combine the ingredients for the apple cider brine in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir until the salt and sugar are completely dissolved. Remove from heat.
Add ice to the brine and stir to cool the brine.
Once the brine is completely cool, add the pork chops. Be sure the pork is fully submerged. Refrigerate for at least and hour and up to overnight.
Remove from the brine and pat dry.
Heat a cast iron or heavy skillet until hot, add the oil and the pork chops. Brown on each side, about 3 mins. Remove the chops to a plate and keep warm.
Add the onions and apples to the pan (leave the drippings in the pan) and cook over medium heat.
Once the apples and onions are caramelized, remove to a plate and keep warm.
Deglaze with white wine, add the cider and seasonings and reduce.
Swirl in the cold butter to thicken the sauce.
Return the pork chops, apples, onions, and any accumulated juices to the pan and cook until just heated through.
Tips for success
For maximum flavor and tenderness, use 1 inch, bone-in pork chops to prevent drying out while cooking.
Why brine? The apple cider brine not only imparts flavor, but the salt solution is absorbed into the pork resulting in an extra tender chop. And no need to season those chops before cooking with additional salt, they’re good to go.
Don’t forget to dry off those brined chops before they hit the pan. We’re looking for a caramelized crust and excess liquid is the enemy of a good sear.
While a brined chop will be a little more forgiving, watch your time and temperature to prevent a dried out chop. Not sure of when they’re fully cooked? Use an instant read thermometer to read between 120-125 degrees
I swear by my cast iron pan for this dish. It holds the heat, gives a beautiful sear, cooks evenly, and cleans up like a dream.
I recommend serving these atop creamy mashed potatoes or pureed squash or sweet potatoes to soak in all of that goodness. And I know you may be tempted to skip the brine in the interest of saving time, but don’t! It’s worth the time and a little planning. Your tastebuds will thank you.
Juicy bone-in pork chops are served in a slightly sweet and tangy apple cider glaze with caramelized onions and apples. Apple cider pork chops are pure fall comfort food, pretty enough for guests, but easy enough for a weeknight meal.
1medium onion,peeled, halved, and sliced thinly into half moons
1apple,cored, halved, and sliced thinly into half moons
1/2cupdry white wine
1cupapple cider
2Tbsplight brown sugar
1TbspWorcestershire sauce
1Tbspstone ground or whole grain mustard
1tspfresh sage leaves,minced
1Tbspunsalted butter,cold
kosher salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Apple Cider Brine
Combine the cider, sugar, salt, sage, and garlic in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat just until the sugar and salt are dissolved, stirring frequently.
Remove from the heat and immediately stir in the ice. Allow the ice to melt and be sure the brine is fully cooled before pouring it over the chops.
Apple Cider Pork Chops
Place the chops in a baking dish. Pour the cooled brine over the chops, being sure they are fully submerged. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour (or up to 24 hours).
Remove the chops from the brine and pat dry.
Heat the oil in a cast iron or large skillet until very hot, but not smoking. Carefully lay the chops in an even layer and sear on each side until browned, about 3 mins per side. Remove the chops to a plate and cover.
Reduce the heat to med/high and add the onions and apple slices. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the onions and apples are browned and beginning to caramelize, about 8 mins. Remove the onions and apples to a plate and cover to keep warm.
Deglaze the pan with the white wine and cook until reduced by half. Add the cider, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and sage. Cook until thickened and glossy and mixture is reduced to 1/4, about 8-10 mins, Swirl in the butter and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Turn the heat to low and return the chops and any accumulated juices to the pan. Turn the chops to coat. Add the apples and onions and cook over low heat until the chops are cooked through, about 5 mins more (internal temperature of 120 – 125 degrees F).
Serve the pork chops with the apples and onions and additional sauce spooned over the top.
Recipe Notes
For maximum flavor and tenderness, use 1 inch, bone-in pork chops to prevent drying out while cooking.
Why brine? The apple cider brine not only imparts flavor, but the salt solution is absorbed into the pork resulting in an extra tender chop. And no need to season those chops before cooking with additional salt, they’re good to go.
Don’t forget to dry off those brined chops before they hit the pan. We’re looking for a caramelized crust and excess liquid is the enemy of a good sear.
While a brined chop will be a little more forgiving, watch your time and temperature to prevent a dried out chop. Not sure of when they’re fully cooked? Use an instant read thermometer to read between 120-125 degrees
I swear by my cast iron pan for this dish. It holds the heat, gives a beautiful sear, cooks evenly, and cleans up like a dream.
Nutrition Facts
Apple Cider Pork Chops
Amount Per Serving
Calories 599Calories from Fat 225
% Daily Value*
Fat 25g38%
Saturated Fat 7g44%
Cholesterol 124mg41%
Sodium 7267mg316%
Potassium 922mg26%
Carbohydrates 50g17%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 42g47%
Protein 36g72%
Vitamin A 115IU2%
Vitamin C 6.8mg8%
Calcium 86mg9%
Iron 1.9mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Update Notes: This post was originally published in November 2017 but was republished with step by step photos and tips in October 2018.
A little recipe inspiration…
Pork chops and applesauce. Growing up, my brothers and I watched every episode of the Brady Bunch over and over (up until Cousin Oliver arrived on the scene 👎), but Peter Brady’s delivery of this iconic phrase was legendary in my house. This episode was easily our favorite, followed closely by the one featuring Peter’s volcano science project and the episode when Mike and Carol install a payphone in the den to teach the kids a lesson about cost of their excessive phone use.
The Brady Bunch was hokey and saccharine and silly and we were as devoted to making fun of it as we were to watching the reruns everyday. We would recite all of our favorite lines right along with Marcia or Greg and many of these sayings and references still turn up in our conversations today. So much so that I can almost never make pork chops without thinking of Peter Brady (doing his best Humphrey Bogart impersonation) telling his dad that they are having pork chops and applesauce for dinner. So if this recipe is up your alley, you can thank the Brady’s for the inspiration! Enjoy!
My food philosophy is simple: everything in moderation. Sweet, savory, healthy, decadent…food, like life, is all about balance. I rely on my background as a trained chef/mom to create family-friendly recipes that will inspire you to cook, not complicate your life.
★ Made this recipe? Make sure to give it a rating below!
Subscribe now to receive my exclusive guide of How to Stock a Pantry delivered straight to your inbox!
Follow What Should I Make For on Instagram and show me what you’re making for…!
Be sure to use the hashtag #whatshouldimakefor
WOW absolutely amazing! I did have to cook the pork a bit longer at the end and also added mulled spices for the heck of it! Turned out mouth wateringue delicious!
First, I have to say that stumbling upon your page is/was the HAPPIEST of accidents!!
Your repertoire, your skill, even your charming, heartwarming and relatable anecdotes are RIGHT UP MY ALLY!!
(I’m sure you get this all the time but, if we were in the same city I’m sure we’d be fast friends
***Even if I had to grease the wheels with a home-y Salted-Caramel Apple Galette, Bananas Foster Tarte Tatin (with or without nuts), one of my many Cinnamon-Roll based desserts, or yummy Butter-Cookies (with a beautiful Chai or Cappuccino to sip on while I pick your brain for shared family experiences, recipes, techniques, and kitchen “war-stories” a-la: “Kitchen Confidential”, LoL (since a disability at the age of 25 barred me from MY dream of being a Chef Extraordinaire (well, Pâttisiére/Pastry-Chef I’m my case) of YOUR caliber!!!)***
But I digress…
This recipe is certainly a stunner!!
Most often my family requests that I make my pork chops with apples and a sweet glaze of some kind– I don’t know WHY it NEVER occurred to me to brine it with apple cider until I saw it in the pre-prepared meat selection at the grocery store and decided (as always) that it would be done BETTER at home with Google as my guide/cookbook…
So enters: “What Should I Make For”– the HAPPIEST “stumble” ever!!!
I’m guessing that it goes without saying that broth/stock could be subbed in place of white wine???
(The BF hates when I cook with wine, he insists it “takes away from the ‘authentic/pure’ flavor/taste of the meat” (and I tell him that the last time I checked, pork didn’t come apple-flavored in the wild, haha!! ) Ah, the maddening joy of being a ‘city-girl’ transported into the country and pairing up with a ‘country-boy’!!)
Our could you sub in whiskey (apparently, whiskey is another flavor that ‘naturally occurs’ in the wildness/unflavored proteins )???
On a side note:
Is there anywhere I could find recipes of YOUR caliber vis-a-vis venison/game meats (I’m not exactly a fan of hunting OR the overly ‘game-y’/’swampy’ taste of ‘Northwoods’ venison; EVEN WITH the buttermilk marinade… but if he drags tons this stuff to the freezer, it’d be nice to make it palatable somehow!!!)
If not, I totally understand, I just figured that you may know since game meats and OFFAL was a culinary ‘trend’ for a time…
AGAIN:
Beautiful site, STUNNING recipes, excellent stories–
Yours is a site I’ll return to again and again, TOTAL FAN!!
Hi there Nique! Wow, I loved your comment! I make these pork chops again and again when the weather turns chilly in the fall. Always a hit with my fam. And yes, extra stock or a splash of whiskey can be subbed for the wine. I don’t know of any sites that focus on venison or game meats offhand, but if I run across one I will let you know. Glad you’re here and really appreciate you taking the time to comment! Stay in touch!
Cindy says
Oh my these look amazing. I am so happy to cook with apple cider as I never quite know how to use it. Thanks for sharing Cathy my mouth is watering!
Cathy says
I love cider in gravies and sauces in the fall. Makes everything taste like the season!
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
These pork chops will be a total hit with my husband Tom Cathy. I love that cider sauce!
Cathy says
If you guys love pork chops, then I know you’ll be a fan of these Mary Ann!
Albert Bevia says
This dish is truly amazing, so many great ingredients that you added and an incredible combination of flavors, this will be a winner in my house!
Cathy says
It’s pure comfort on a cold night.
Wendy O says
Delicious recipe for pork chops, especially on a fall evening. I made the recipe exactly as written and it turned out great!
Cathy Roma says
Thanks Wendy, so glad you enjoyed! One of my favorite fall meals too.
Andrew Watts says
Wow. My wife and I are both chefs and we agree that this is the best pork ever!
Cathy Roma says
What a great compliment Andrew. Much appreciated!
Cait says
WOW absolutely amazing! I did have to cook the pork a bit longer at the end and also added mulled spices for the heck of it! Turned out mouth wateringue delicious!
Cathy Roma says
Love the addition of mulled spices!! Yum!!
NiQue says
Hello Cathy!!!
First, I have to say that stumbling upon your page is/was the HAPPIEST of accidents!!
Your repertoire, your skill, even your charming, heartwarming and relatable anecdotes are RIGHT UP MY ALLY!!
(I’m sure you get this all the time but, if we were in the same city I’m sure we’d be fast friends
***Even if I had to grease the wheels with a home-y Salted-Caramel Apple Galette, Bananas Foster Tarte Tatin (with or without nuts), one of my many Cinnamon-Roll based desserts, or yummy Butter-Cookies (with a beautiful Chai or Cappuccino to sip on while I pick your brain for shared family experiences, recipes, techniques, and kitchen “war-stories” a-la: “Kitchen Confidential”, LoL (since a disability at the age of 25 barred me from MY dream of being a Chef Extraordinaire (well, Pâttisiére/Pastry-Chef I’m my case) of YOUR caliber!!!)***
But I digress…
This recipe is certainly a stunner!!
Most often my family requests that I make my pork chops with apples and a sweet glaze of some kind– I don’t know WHY it NEVER occurred to me to brine it with apple cider until I saw it in the pre-prepared meat selection at the grocery store and decided (as always) that it would be done BETTER at home with Google as my guide/cookbook…
So enters: “What Should I Make For”– the HAPPIEST “stumble” ever!!!
I’m guessing that it goes without saying that broth/stock could be subbed in place of white wine???
(The BF hates when I cook with wine, he insists it “takes away from the ‘authentic/pure’ flavor/taste of the meat” (and I tell him that the last time I checked, pork didn’t come apple-flavored in the wild, haha!! ) Ah, the maddening joy of being a ‘city-girl’ transported into the country and pairing up with a ‘country-boy’!!)
Our could you sub in whiskey (apparently, whiskey is another flavor that ‘naturally occurs’ in the wildness/unflavored proteins )???
On a side note:
Is there anywhere I could find recipes of YOUR caliber vis-a-vis venison/game meats (I’m not exactly a fan of hunting OR the overly ‘game-y’/’swampy’ taste of ‘Northwoods’ venison; EVEN WITH the buttermilk marinade… but if he drags tons this stuff to the freezer, it’d be nice to make it palatable somehow!!!)
If not, I totally understand, I just figured that you may know since game meats and OFFAL was a culinary ‘trend’ for a time…
AGAIN:
Beautiful site, STUNNING recipes, excellent stories–
Yours is a site I’ll return to again and again, TOTAL FAN!!
Sending You MUCH LuVV
And STAY SAFE!!!
Cathy Roma says
Hi there Nique! Wow, I loved your comment! I make these pork chops again and again when the weather turns chilly in the fall. Always a hit with my fam. And yes, extra stock or a splash of whiskey can be subbed for the wine. I don’t know of any sites that focus on venison or game meats offhand, but if I run across one I will let you know. Glad you’re here and really appreciate you taking the time to comment! Stay in touch!
Kat says
Awesome recipe!!!