These brown sugar pork chops are seared to golden brown perfection and bathed in a garlic, butter and brown sugar sauce. The absolute BEST way to eat pork chops!
Looking for a quick and easy way to use up those pork chops in your fridge? Pork chops in brown sugar sauce is a family favorite that always gets rave reviews!
I get asked all the time, what is the best way to cook pork chops? And I always respond by promising to send people the recipe for these amazingly delicious brown sugar pork chops! This recipe is quick and easy, and you probably have all the ingredients you need to make it sitting right in your kitchen.
How to make brown sugar pork chops
Let’s first talk about the pork chops – so many cuts, so many sizes to choose from! You’ve got bone in, boneless, thick cut, thin cut. Which one is the best to use?
For these garlic butter pork chops, I like to use bone in pork chops cut about 1 inch thick. I like bone in pork chops because the bone really helps to keep the pork juicy, there’s less of a risk of it overcooking and becoming dry. That being said, you absolutely can use boneless pork chops here, just watch them carefully to make sure they don’t overcook!
The first step for this recipe is to sear your meat to golden brown. I use olive oil for this part because it can be heated to a much higher temperature than butter, and always produces a nice browned crust on meat. After the pork has been seared, you’re going to remove it from the pan and add some butter, brown sugar, garlic and seasonings.
The pork goes back into the pan and is bathed with the buttery garlic goodness, then takes a quick trip through the oven. Make sure you’re using a skillet that’s oven safe!
The final result is tender and juicy pork chops coated in the most delectable sweet and savory sauce. I like to sprinkle my brown sugar pork chops with a little parsley for color and flavor.
Be sure to serve your pork on a bed of mashed potatoes, rice, or even pasta to soak up all that sauce!
Even my kids adore these pork chops, they ask for them every week. Whether you’re a pro at cooking pork chops, or are just looking to branch out a little bit with your dinner time offerings, you’re sure to enjoy this recipe.
More pork recipes you’ll enjoy
- Bacon Wrapped Pork Loin
- Apple Pork Chops
- 15 Boneless Pork Chop Recipes
- Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches
- Pork Scallopini
Brown Sugar Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 4 bone in pork chops
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- lemon wedges and parsley sprigs for serving optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat.
- Season the pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the pork chops to the pan in a single layer. Cook for 5-6 minutes on each side or until browned.
- Remove the pork from the pan and place on a plate. Cover with foil to keep warm.
- Add the butter to the pan and melt. Add the garlic, brown sugar and Italian seasoning and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Place the pork chops back in the pan and spoon the sauce over the top.
- Place the pan in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until pork is cooked to desired level of done-ness.
- Spoon the sauce from the bottom of the pan over the pork chops and sprinkle with parsley. Serve, garnished with lemon wedges and parsley sprigs if desired.
Notes
- If you don't have Italian seasoning, you can substitute equal parts of dried oregano, dried basil and dried thyme.
Andrea says
May 14, 2019 at 11:46 amI have THICK cut pork chops. Can I use those? They’re very large lol 1.25 or 1.5 inch thick. How long should I cook them in the oven?
Sara says
May 14, 2019 at 1:17 pmYes that’s fine just add another 10-15 minutes to the bake time!
Deb says
May 6, 2019 at 4:25 pmI’ve never cooked meat with brown sugar but gave it a try and it was amazing! The meat was tender and had carmelized nicely. This recipe is a real gem!
Linda Schocklin says
May 5, 2019 at 2:36 pmWe loved them , made as recipe called for. This is a keeper! Thank you so much.
Roger says
March 14, 2019 at 5:03 pmI made it for dinner this evening and it was delicious! It’s going to be a keeper for us, thank you for sharing the recipe.
Sara says
March 14, 2019 at 10:24 pmSo happy you enjoyed it, thank you for reporting back!
Terry says
March 12, 2019 at 3:32 pmThis is a fabulous recipe! I wasn’t sure about the brown sugar, but oh my goodness, the sauce took the tender chops to the next level. I will definitely be making this again.
Sara says
March 12, 2019 at 9:00 pmSo happy to hear you enjoyed it, I appreciate you reporting back!
Bev says
March 11, 2019 at 6:45 amI rarely leave comments about recipes – good or bad, but this was truly the best EVER way to prepare pork chops. Every bite was tasty and moist.
Sara says
March 11, 2019 at 2:18 pmSo happy to hear you enjoyed it, thank you for coming back to comment!
Donna says
March 5, 2019 at 9:30 amWhat temp do you cook them on?
Sara says
March 5, 2019 at 2:16 pm400 degrees F!
Kathy says
March 2, 2019 at 2:58 pmThese are the best pork chops I ever had! Thank you!
Sara says
March 3, 2019 at 1:53 pmSO glad to hear you enjoyed it, thanks for reporting back!
Abbey says
February 20, 2019 at 7:26 amI’ve made these over a dozen times and they are perfect each and every time! Thank you for the recipe.
Sara says
February 20, 2019 at 8:26 amSo glad to hear you love this recipe, thanks for reporting back!
Mindy says
February 20, 2019 at 7:16 amCan use boneless chops? That’s all I have
Sara says
February 20, 2019 at 8:24 amYes that’s fine!
Taylor says
February 4, 2019 at 3:44 pmI’ve made these so many times since finding this recipe. My family adores them. I honestly don’t like pork chops any other way anymore. Lol.
Sara says
February 4, 2019 at 8:07 pmSo glad to hear you enjoy them, thank you for reporting back!
lj says
January 30, 2019 at 10:08 amIf i dont have an oven safe skillet, will it be okay to transfer to a dish?
Sara says
January 30, 2019 at 10:23 pmYes that’s totally fine!
Marie says
January 28, 2019 at 8:22 amThis is such a great recipe. We made this yesterday using bacon drips for the searing process (bacon was going into the loaded, twice baked potatoes) and it was fabulous. Have also made it with the oil as listed and YUM. I’m not a huge pork chop fan because it is very easy to dry them out. . . not with this recipe, though. The only suggestion I would have is that if you are using a cast iron pan, let the pan cool some after the searing and before adding the butter and sugar, etc. It can cook VERY quickly otherwise and get over caramelized — which is what happened to my co-worker who warned me.
Sara says
January 28, 2019 at 1:32 pmHappy to hear you enjoyed it, thanks for reporting back!
Cheryl Wilson says
January 24, 2019 at 10:32 amShut the front door! Made this a couple of weeks ago for the hubs and it’s all he’s been asking for! Absolutely juicy and flavorful! Making them again tonight! Easy cheesy and sooo good! Thank you for this great recipe!
Sara says
January 24, 2019 at 1:39 pmSo happy to hear you loved them, thanks so much for reporting back!
JR says
January 23, 2019 at 5:02 pmThis is my go to recipe for bone-in pork chops from now on. This is the second time making them.. Ingredients are few yet the flavor is delicious. I served with mashed potatoes and greens.
Sara says
January 23, 2019 at 7:38 pmSo glad to hear you enjoyed it, thank you for reporting back!
Sandy says
November 15, 2018 at 10:38 amThese taste delicious and I had all ingredients on hand. My chops were a little thick so they weren’t done after 15 min In oven. I cooked another 15 min., and They actually could have cooked a little longer. I would say 35-40 min. I loved the flavor and will make again! Happy husband!!!
Sara says
November 15, 2018 at 11:04 amSo glad you enjoyed them, thanks for reporting back!
Linda says
September 14, 2018 at 5:00 pmI’ve made these pork chops twice now and both times they cane out juicy and delicious. My husband loved them!!!
Sara says
September 14, 2018 at 7:01 pmSo glad you enjoyed it, thanks for reporting back!
Kelli says
March 24, 2018 at 4:03 amI made this lastnight for dinner it was so good. My husband loved it to. I’m not a big pork chop fan but when I tried them like this 😊
Lisa says
March 22, 2018 at 4:53 pmThis recipe was quick and easy , and quite tasty. I will certainly make this again.
Wandak says
February 15, 2018 at 4:00 pmI tried this recipe and I’m in luv with it. Pork chops were juicy and full of flavor. I made with sweet potatoes and fresh string beans…delicious!!!