Tender Pork Chops with Caramelized Apples and Onions
This tender pork chop with apples and onions dish takes minutes to throw together before it bakes and the end result is a melt-in-your-mouth tender.
I’ve barely been able to contain my excitement about sharing this meal with you! Classy, simple, perfect for entertaining, simple, beyond delicious, simple, healthy, and did I mention, simple?
This dish takes minutes to throw together before it bakes in the oven for three hours. The result is a melt-in-your-mouth tender pork chop basking in caramelized apples and onions swimming in a sweet and savory sauce.
Sent to me by a reader of this here blog, Melanie (there are a lot of us floating out there!), this dish is her signature pork chop recipe and I can see why!
I served this for our Easter dinner over Parmesan smashed potatoes and everyone at the table was singing the praises of these chops as we ate mouthful after mouthful.
Seriously. You must try this. The sweet onions, tart apples and savory pork combines to make a meal you won’t soon forget! (Uh, I happen to have not forgotten it simply because I’ve made it every Sunday since!) Thanks, Melanie!
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Tender Pork Chops with Caramelized Apples and Onions
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in pork loin chops, at least 1/2-inch thick
- 2-3 medium granny smith apples, peeled and sliced about 1/4-inch thick
- 1-2 medium yellow onions, sliced
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. Place the onion slices in an even layer over the bottom of the dish. Top the onion slices with the apples. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the apples and onions. Season the pork chops generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Arrange the pork chops in a single layer on top of the apples and onions.
- Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake in the preheated oven for three hours. Do not open the oven and lift the foil – the pork chops, apples and onions need to be tightly covered the whole time to work their magic (and not dry out).
- Serve each pork chop with Parmesan smashed potatoes and topped with the apples and onions.
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Recipe Source: pork chops adapted slightly from Melanie, a reader of MKC
Hi there! Have you ever tried this recipe with bone-less chops? I wonder if the results would be a lot different in terms of moisture and / or flavor?
Yes, I’ve made it with boneless and bone-in pork chops. The bone-in pork chops tend to be a bit more tender, but either will work.
I am self taught after following three wive’s cooking. A former fill-in cook raising a family in Alaska on fish, sea food, and many kinds of wild game as regular rotations through the freezer and seasons.
I didn’t have exposure to much pork preparation.
When I saw this recipe for chops, the skeptical thought that passed through my head was, ‘Yeah, right. Chops that are not dry and chewy – like when hell freezes over.’
Two evenings ago I used chops about 1-1/4″thick to your exact instructions, no variations at all.
WORLD CLASS!
I immediately searched the freezer for more chops to “Do it again.”
Thank you, Mel. Your, (and now my) pork chops are truly the best I have tasted in my 81 years.
I not only looked like a world class chef, I felt like one. I wonder what I will do next? I have 16 years of recipes to cook through, thanks to you.
This is my all time favorite pork recipe. It smells AMAZING while it bakes. It feels like a shorter version of a crockpot meal. I love that I can throw it in the oven and forget about it (while my timer remembers it).
I made the apple onion pork chop bake and it was really good. My guests loved it and your twice baked potatoes were excellent but the real hit of the evening was your glorious cherry pie!
My guests said best meal that they ever ate!!
Love this recipe and make it frequently for taking to friends. I often add a layer of cabbage to the recipe.
How do I make this into a freezer meal? Do I cook it and then freeze?
So my apples and onions were perfect, but my chops were very dry. I wonder if it’s just an issue of too small a pork chop? Or maybe I’m supposed to use bone in pork chop? Either way, I’m going to try it again. Going to have to peak in under the foil though to see when the pork chops are done!
I’m such a fan of Mel’s recipes but this one was a total fail. Like a few others said, my apples and onions were completely burnt onto my baking sheet. I was able to salvage only the pork chops. Not sure the pan will ever come clean. Definitely needed less cooking time and I think it would have been good.
My husband and I absolutely love this dish! But every time we have made it the last 3 years it never carmelizes the ingredients just boil and I don’t know what we are doing wrong… is there any recommendation to fix this?
You can try removing the foil near the end to reduce some of the liquid.
Made as written, this was delicious. I made it in honor of Father’s Day and my husband really dislikes onions, so I doubled the recipe and made one 9×13 pan with onions and another without. After a few bites of my delightful onion-included serving, I asked my husband how he liked it. He said it was really dry and tasteless. I tried his onion-free version and it was as he said. The next day, he took the onion-included kind to work and said it was much better. Next time I’ll still double the recipe and add onions to both.
If I only have 2 chops, should I cut time and ingredients in half?
Yes, that would be a good starting point.
I made this on a whim. Loved the pork falling off the bone, the apple onion “gravy-jam”, and the super easiness. So. Good.
It’s in the oven as we speak! Can’t wait to see how it turns out… was easy to make and smells so good
Delish! Pork chops just fell apart. Added 1/4cup of apple cider and sprigs of thyme and rosemary. So yummy!
Excellent moist tasty perfect for a winters night meal, will definitely make it again, we had parmigiana mashed, broccoli
I’ve made this before and it was amazing. Can I squeeze lemon over the chops before baking? I use lemon in a lot my cooking because it helps lower blood pressure, but not sure how it would taste with this recipe since it calls for brown sugar. Thanks.
I think it’s worth a try!
Hello! In this time of making due with what ya got, do you think this would still be good with a non-Granny Smith apple?
Sure! Worth a try. The texture of some apples is mushier when baked but otherwise, I think it would be fine.
This is always amazing! One of our favourite meals! I make is exactly how you’ve laid it out and perfection every time. Thank you for your amazing recipes- we are living off of them while being confined to our house. Take care!
Just made this and it is delicious. The pork turned out so tender – no knife needed. Loved the sweetness from the brown sugar . The flavors blended so well – I didn’t have Granny Smith apples but used some apples we had in cold storage we had picked in the fall – worked great. I also used boneless chops because I got a really great sale of them and they were fine. Make thus! You won’t be disappointed.
can you put this in a crock pot?
You could definitely experiment! I think there are quite a few people in the comments who have tried it!
Could you add dessing on top of the pork chops
Sure!
Mel – thank you! I have never had a solid win with pork chops until tonight with your recipe above. My 12 yr old son dug right into the chops and praised his mother’s cooking skills. Lol! Very tender and loved the onion/apple/sugar drizzle.
Would this work with another cut of pork? Like pork loin?
I think so…I’d probably still cut the pork loin or roast into thick pieces resembling the cut of a pork chop so that everything bakes evenly.
I made these yesterday and must’ve cut the onions and apple too thin because they basically turned into black mush, but the pork was fall-off-the-bone tender and my fiancée loved it so much that he insisted I make them again for dinner tonight! It was even more amazing. I have to add this to my regular rotation.
Tasty, but not at all as expected. I had thick-cut boneless chops on hand, followed the recipe to the letter otherwise. Those chops threw off a ton of liquid, so the apples and onions were pale and mushy in a 1-inch bath of fluids.
I use this recipe a lot because it is so flavourful and delicious! I also do it in the crock pot when I am working so it is very handy. Thanks Mel! I love your recipes but this is a real favourite.
I absolutely LOVE this recipe but I’m wondering if you can make it in the insta pot? And if so, how? Thanks!
Hey Bonnie – I think you probably could! I’d probably try it for 15-20 minutes??
Porkchops with apples and onions were fabulous – and so easy to prepare! My husband says this one is a keeper. Thanks for the recipe.
So simple and SO delicious. The only “change” I made was to use a big oven bag instead of covering with foil. That way I could keep an eye on the food without releasing any of the moisture. Works like a charm :).
Great idea!
The first time I made this …..oh my gosh…..like everyone said …it melted in my mouth. It was so good !! I couldn’t wait to make it again !! I’m not a chef ….and I do not cook!!! The recipe to this is so simple and yummy !!!! BUT…..Idk what I did wrong the second time but EVERY THING over cooked. The Apple and onions ….forget about it. They were burnt to the pan. I should of listened to myself when I thought something was lightly burning …but I didnt wanna open the foil to ruin it. The chops were still okay. A little dry, but I just gave them to a boy who hangs around the house and he loved them . I put in my second dish of them and I’m really hoping the foil is sealed tight and it doesn’t burn !
This one one of the easiest meals ever and so so tasty.
Amazing. So simple and delicous! Thanks, Mel!
Just got an electric pressure cooker for Christmas, and wanted to try this recipe in it. I know in your pressure cooker post you said you made this in your Insta pot. Can you share the details, I have never used a pressure cooker of any sort, so any guidance you can give me would be great! Thank you!
I layer it in the IP just like the recipe states and cook on high pressure for 12 minutes (natural release). Hope that helps!
You don’t have to add liquid?
Nope. 🙂
Made these yesterday with the parmesan mashed taters, holy moly..delicious! Will be making again for sure, thanks Mel!
Hmm. Do you think it would taste good if I replaced the brown sugar with maple syrup, then added a little apple cider vinegar and a few shakes of red chile flakes to intensify the overall flavor tone? Or stick with the brown sugar? Just got off a curried yam, onion, chicken, and rice soup dish where adding some cinnamon bark, red chile flakes, and cloves to the recipe improved the taste.
I did a pork chop apple onion dish once before but it came out a little soggy and dull, but I KNOW that flavor combo with the tart green apples could be really good. Maybe cook the apples and sweetener, vinegar, before to do a reduction to concentrate a vivid sweet tart flavor, and then do a long slow bake with the onions and chops basting nested in the reduction?
Thawed some thick bone in chops today and don’t feel like frying more meat, just did fried seasoned breaded thin pork chops, so looking over your recipe.
I think you could easily vary this recipe – sounds like some fun/delicious changes. Good luck if you experiment!
I made this tonight for something different for my family. I not usually a fan of pork chops but they melted in my mouth. Thank you
I made this recipe. I didn’t know what to expect. I added a few things poltury season, apple cider vinegar, and parsley. Cooked it for 3hrs. Served it with parm mash potatoes.
It was so good. My husband and son loved it.
I have to say it was delicious. Thank you for this awesome home cooked meal . I will definitely make it again
How long do you bake these?
Three hours.
I suck at cooking, frying, baking, pressure cooking…anything having to do with pork chops. Dry, tough, no flavor, unappetizing, a dismal failure. After reading the positive reviews I decided to try my hand at another go with pork chops and made this recipe. Just finished having these for dinner with parmesan smashed potatoes, roasted asparagus and french bread. OH MY!, they were so good. Juicy, tender and best of all–flavorful! The delicate garlic flavor of the potatoes with the sweetness of the apples, was told I needed to put these on the make again SOON list. Thanks Mel.
So happy to hear it, Linda!
Great recipe!!!! I used to do a version of this which was just pork chops and onions. This is way better. I have used boneless and bone in. I’ve had no problem with the boneless as they were same thickness as my usual bone in. Excellent recipe
I have made this several times now and it always turns out great! I don’t use sugar in cooking though, and find there is plenty of sweetness in the apples, so I just sub a splash of apple cider vinegar over the apples and onions instead, and it is amazing!
Do you have any recipes using Jezebel sauce? My husband and I both love you recipes and emails
I’m afraid I don’t, sorry!
I made this for Sunday lunch today and doubled the ingredients for 5 people which included 3 hungry men with big appetites for meat! The decision was unanimous, it was absolutely delicious. This really is a simple recipe that you can just ‘bung’ in the oven and forget all about. Well done Mel.
This is my new favorite pork chop recipe. We raise our own pigs, and ironically pork chops have always been one of my least favorite meats. I can honestly say that not only did I like the chop (versus just tolerating it), but I could have eaten more than 1! I loved the apples and onion and next time will double them for more “toppings”. What a super easy, super good meal! Thanks Mel!
Is there a nutritional chart for this… ?
I don’t provide the nutritional breakdown for recipes, but there a lot of online calculators that can do it for you if you Google them. Good luck!
Should you reduce the cooking time if chops are a little less than 1/2″.
Probably – this dish definitely works out better if the pork chops are thick-cut but you could experiment with baking time.
Wow…. I made this this for the first time, my two older sons and my husband were fighting over the seconds. I made two batches so 8 1/2 inch pork loin chops for 5 of us. It will be added in my 30 day meal plan every month. So easy and good.
These were awesome I used Rib Chops because I think they have the most flavor used tart Golden Delicious apples was all I had they were really good