These apple pork chops are browned in butter, then simmered in the most delicious cider sauce with fresh apples and sage.
These chops are the ultimate fall dinner that’s quick to make and always gets rave reviews! Serve them alongside other fall favorites such as sour cream mashed potatoes and roasted parsnips for a complete meal.
We eat a lot of chicken, but sometimes I buy some pork chops to mix things up a bit. These apple pork chops only have 6 ingredients but are huge on flavor. This recipe is perfect for a busy weeknight but elegant enough to serve to guests, and the flavors just scream fall! Pork chops with apples is a classic flavor combination, and the addition of apple cider here really makes this dish special.
Along with these pork chops, I also like to make some of my other favorite pork recipes like grilled pork tenderloin, crock pot pork roast and smoked pulled pork. If you want to see some other fall favorites, check out this list of fantastic fall recipes!
Apple Pork Chops Ingredients
To make this apple pork chops recipe, you will need butter, bone-in pork chops, apple cider, Dijon mustard, fresh sage, apples, kosher salt and black pepper.
How Do You Make Apple Pork Chops?
Season the pork chops with salt and pepper, then cook them in butter in a large pan or skillet. Once the meat is seared and golden brown, pour in some apple cider and let the pork and cider simmer until the pork is cooked through. In a separate pan, melt some butter and add sliced apples. Cook the apple slices with a little more cider until the fruit is tender. Transfer the cooked pork chops to a serving plate. Whisk the mustard, sage, salt and pepper into the cider drippings left behind in the pork chop pan. Spoon the apples over the chops, then pour the sauce over the top and serve.
Tips For The Perfect Dish
- You can use your favorite type of apple in this recipe. Some great choices include firm apples such as Honeycrisp, Granny Smith apples, Pink Lady, Gala apples or Fuji. Be sure to slice them thin so that they cook quickly.
- You can use bone-in or boneless pork chops. I do think that bone-in chops have more flavor and they’re less prone to getting dry.
- Fresh sage is absolutely essential here, the dried stuff won’t do.
- I use a fresh unfiltered apple cider that’s full of spices and aromatics. If you use the clear apple cider that looks just like apple juice and doesn’t have any spices like cinnamon on the ingredient list, your end result won’t be quite as delicious.
Quick Tip
Leftovers will stay fresh in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Recipe FAQs
These apple pork chops are great served over egg noodles, rice or garlic mashed potatoes Try a green veggie on the side like roasted green beans or bacon wrapped asparagus.
Pork chops are ready to eat when they reach an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees F. I recommend using a digital probe thermometer to make sure your chops are cooked properly. It’s best to not let the pork temperature go higher than 145 degrees F, otherwise your pork could be dry.
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Flavor Variations
This recipe is delicious as is, but you can easily customize some of the flavors to suit your tastes.
- Protein: Feel free to use chicken tenders, chicken thighs or pork tenderloin instead of chops.
- Fruit: Swap out the apples for pears, and use pear juice instead of apple cider. Choose a firm pear such as a Bosc variety so that the fruit does not fall apart in the cooking process.
- Flavorings: No sage on hand? Fresh rosemary and thyme are both great options. Feel free to add other seasonings to the dish such as a cinnamon stick, sliced red onion, brown sugar, a pinch of nutmeg, minced shallots, or a splash of lemon juice.
Apple pork chops are easy to make, and embody all the great flavors of fall. This dish will be on regular rotation at my house all through the cold weather months!
More Fall Favorites
Cranberry Meatballs (Slow Cooker)
3 hrs 5 mins
Butternut Squash Pasta
30 mins
Cider Glazed Chicken
30 mins
Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows
1 hr 50 mins
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Apple Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter divided use
- 4 bone in pork chops approximately 5-6 ounces each
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons apple cider divided use, fresh cider is best
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
- 2 cups apples cored and thinly sliced such as Pink Lady or Honeycrisp
- salt and pepper to taste.
Instructions
- In a large skillet melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Season the pork generously with salt and pepper; cook for 6 minutes on each side or until deep golden brown.
- Add 1/2 cup of cider to the pan and simmer for an additional 6 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the pork chops registers 145 degrees F.
- While the chops are cooking, melt the rest of the butter in another large pan over medium heat. Add the apples, and cook for 5 minutes or until the apples start to soften.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of apple cider to the apples, turn the heat to high and cook for 1-2 minutes more. Season the apples with salt to taste.
- Transfer the pork chops to a plate. Whisk the mustard and sage into the cider drippings from the pork pan; season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Place the apples on the plate with the pork and pour the sauce over the top. Serve immediately.
Notes
- This recipe calls for apple cider, as in the juice. Do not use cider vinegar!!!
- Leftovers will stay fresh in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- It’s important to use a meat thermometer to make sure your chops are properly cooked. If they’re overcooked, they could end up dry.
Can I use an iron skillet to fry the chops? I don’t think my regular skillet can go into the oven.
Yes that’s fine!
Delicious and simple. Great flavor. Served with sweet potatoes and green beans. Definitely a keeper!!
This recipe is amazing. My family has asked this be recorded in our all time favorites I added the drippings from the cooked apples into the pork chop drippings with the Dijon. We also used pork tenderloin filets instead of bone in. I added a sweet potato with cinnamon! Most excellent! Thank you!
This was absolutely delicious!! I made recipe exactly as written. Whole family loved it. Thanks for great recipe!
We loved this recipe! Pork was so tender and flavorful!
This is a simple delicious way to make pork chops that come out tender without breading and doesn’t take forever. I remove the pork chops from the pan and put in a baking pan for the oven, then “fry” my thick sliced and peeled apples in the pan with the drippings from the chops so they caramelize in the butter. With the obligatory mashed potatoes on the side, they were heaven. Thank you, I actually came back to rate this recipe, which I rarely do!
Loved this! The mixture of the sweet apples and the mustard sauce was fantastic.
I do not have apple cider. Has anyone ever made this dish without apple cider?
You could use chicken broth if needed, you might just want to add like 1/2 teaspoon of brown sugar or honey to make up for the sweetness that would be in the cider.
I used apple juice organic and added cinnamon
Also poultry seasoning I did not have fresh sage.
What kind of apples should be used?
Good choices are Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, Red Delicious, Gala, Granny Smith or Braeburn!
Wife and I just made this, absolutely loved it,.!
Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe! It was easy but tasted so good! Will definitely be making it again! I had to use dry sage, all my herbs except parsley died in the frost!
Delicious and easy!! Served with roasted butternut squash. Perfect fall meal!
This was delicious! I had a little red onion to add which worked well. The recipe by itself was fabulous! It’s a new staple in our house. My husband does not like fruit with his main dishes, but he really liked this.
Fixed these tonight. They were easy and yummy! Great fall dinner.
The nutrition facts are lower than the rest of the recipes I was looking up, is this healthy for a diabetic? I’m looking for recipes low in carbs and sugar.
There is no added sugar in this recipe, but the apples and apple cider do naturally contain some sugar.
1/2 C of vinegar sounds like a lot. Did anyone who has made this think it was overly sour?
It’s apple cider juice not vinegar!
wow I misread that… but I did it with ACV and it wasn’t too sour at all. turned out delicious!
I made the same mistake (used ACV) and it also turned out really good! At least it worked in favour lol
These pork chops look so good! Headed out now to get the ingredients!
Could you use boneless chops.
Yes that will work!
I was looking for a recipe for bone-in pork chops as I bought some on sale at Whole Foods. Not having ever cooked them before, I searched the internet and came upon this recipe which seemed simple enough and perfect for fall. They were the best! The sauce was so tasty and paired with the apples, it was delicious, and my husband and three kids loved it.. This is a keeper! Thank you!
So glad to hear you enjoyed it, thank you for reporting back!
followed this recipe to the “T” and every one loved them!!! it seamed like they cooked faster but came out great!! the apples alone were a treat! though i think mine were under cook but no one complained so all good this one is a good one to have if your looking for something different if your in a pinch and need to throw a good meal i like this one!