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
213 Comments on “Tender Pork Chops with Caramelized Apples and Onions”
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
Made this last night. It is absolutely fantastic. Easy and delicious.
Recipe was fantastic! I made with thick boneless pork chops and it turned out great. I did the foil tight and never checked it. I also put the apples and onions on top. Excellent recipe!
Fabulous recepie. I.made it tonight for the first time and the whole family loved it. Even my 6 year old that never ate pork chops for me before. He asked me to make them soft lime this in future.
This sounds delicious!! If I only have boneless chops will it still work?? Do I need to change the cooking temp or time?? Thanks!
Looking forward to trying this recipe!:)
Might be worth reading through the comments; I believe several people have made it with boneless and reported back.
Mel, I’ve been making this recipe for over a year now thanks to you, and it’s always a success. Tonight, however, to my dismay, my apples were no good. So, I had to make some adjustments. I decided to use golden raisins in lieu of the apples. I also added a bit of apple cider vinegar to it and seared it quickly before putting it in the oven. It was wonderful. In the future, my only problem will be deciding between the two versions 🙂 Before I found your site, I would have never had the confidence to make substitutions. You really don’t know how much you’ve helped this amateur cook.
That’s awesome, Rayna! Love the changes AND your confidence!
I read your review and decided to try it with both apples and a sprinkling of raisins – amazingly good!
These were absolutely fabulous!! I have recently stumbled upon your blog, made several things and have had success with all of them, this included. All of us – kids too – really enjoyed this! Thank you soooo much!
Mel! I’m always a bit apprehensive about making something for the first time when people are coming over, but this was a slam dunk, home run. I am making it again for Christmas dinner! (FYI, I used your baked mashed potatoes recipe – made ahead that morning – also wonderful.)
Merry Christmas!
I made this today and waiting on my Son to come home from work to try it. Looks Delish.
these were aweful! Pork was dry and apples.onions were burnt! Wasted perfectly good pork chops. Couldn’t even eat them. I questioned the directions of cooking them for 3 hours but followed along anyhow. I should have taken them out when my gut told me at 1 hour. I will never use a recipe from here again.
You are missing out if you don’t use Mel’s recipes in the future. Our large extended family have used almost all of her recipes and would be really missing out if we didn’t have her site to use
Hi I was wondering if I could make this in a crock pot or a dutch oven, if so how long and what temperature?
Ashley – I believe several people have made this in the slow cooker and reported their results in the comment thread so that may help (I haven’t made it that way so I can’t say for sure).
I hate to say this but I too had drier than dry chops and about 3 cups of liquid! The apples and onions turned mushy also. I follow the recipe exactly. My chops were pretty thick bone in and was disappointed that I had to throw out since I spent about $20 on 4 chops! You couldn’t even cut them they were so tough. Maybe my chops were too thick.
Not sure why I ended up with so much liquid.
I’m curious….I’ve been making this recipe for 2 years now, and it’s fabulous!! I always use boneless and they turn out perfect. How would it do if I used a small pork loin, instead of 4 chops?? I’d like to make this for Christmas dinner! Any advice would be welcomed!
Julia – are you going to cut your pork loin into chops or use it as a whole roast?
I seasoned the pork chops with salt, pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and a tish of smoked paprika- perfect with mashed sweet potato and wild rice and hazelnut stuffing. Very good recipe for a snowy day in Maine.
I have made these pork chops several times in my 9×13 pan & LOVED it! I am planning to bring this as a take-in meal to a family with a new baby. I try to bring disposable foil pans when I bring meals to families so they don’t have to worry about cleaning & returning anything. Do you have any advice on if I should change cooking time/temps? I read that some people had different results with a non-stick pan which started worrying me about using a disposable pan.
Laura – I’ve never used a disposable pan for these but in other recipes, I find that food can burn a bit more easily with disposable pans so I would just keep an eye on that (maybe check earlier or decrease the baking temp just slightly).
OMG!! This was soooooo good! I gave it 5 stars…. So did my wife. Outfriggingstanding!!
Oh my! My BFF Google brought me to your website after searching for make ahead recipes. I just HAD to make these pork chops tonight after reading the recipe. They came out absolutely perfect! There were three of us for supper and it was touch and go for a bit whether or not blood would be shed over the last chop . . . (common sense prevailed – we split it evenly lol). I will never cook bone-in chops any other way again but next time it will be six! Thank you! Can’t wait to try the other recipes I’ve save to my recipe box 🙂
I made this and was absolutely wrapped. It was such a great flavour and so tender. I am in Australia and will be following your site for more tasty dishes. YUMMY…!!!!!!!
This is a wonderful recipe! I even sliced more apples and onions and put them on top too and sprinkled with a bit of cinnamon. It’s such a heavenly aroma as it bakes. I’ve baked it for my neighbors, shared the recipe with friends, who have passed it on to their friends. Good news (and food) travels fast!
And to Stephanie above- i make a lg quantity and freeze them.. Just as good thawed and re-heated!
I’ve been making this recipe for a few years now- what a find! I won’t eat anyone else’s pork chops because I know I’ll be disappointed! I’ve made this for my family and they rave about it, even my pseudo-chef brother (although he would never let me know it)!! This would certainly be a great holiday meal! Although, I must warn – if you live in an apartment, open the windows and shut your closet doors when cooking 😉 way too good to worry about that though!
Stephanie – I’ve never made it ahead so you’ll have to experiment with that. Good luck!
Can I make these ahead and just reheat..or will that ruin the deliciousness? I have made this dish twice already and I swear people look at me with newfound love in their eyes, it is THAT good!! There are never leftovers so I am unsure of how this will fare as a make-ahead. I’m also a vegetarian so I don’t even know what I am missing!! Thanks in advance!!
Hi Abbie – feel free to read through the comments, I know there are several who have adapted this to the slow cooker (I haven’t tried it myself).
I’m a newbie to cooking – but I’d love to adapt this recipe for a crock pot. Any advice to make that happen? I’m a mom of two and one of which is a newborn – crock pot meals are all I can manage right now as I have limited time while both kids are asleep!
First off I have to say…Mel I LOVE YOUR SITE. I make atleast 1 meal from it everyweek and they are always delish! But something went wrong with this one. I followed everything to a ‘T’and for some reason the brown sugar, apples and onion burned and the chops were extreemly dry and overcooked. Don’t worry you didn’t lose me from this site but I don’t think I’m going to try this one again.
Hi Mel! This was a huge hit with my family! Even my 5 and 3 year old ate it. It was so easy to make and delicious with the roasted garlic and parmesan potatoes. Yum!! Thanks again for another fantastic recipe! Love, love, love your blog!
These were the most tender pork chops I’ve ever made! And, the easiest!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I made these tonight (along with the potatoes) for my boyfriend and our roommate. The guys were apprehensive at first, but as soon as the first bite hit their tongues they were all praises. In fact they’re already asking me to make it again. I did however add my own touch with a little bit of honey bourbon over the apples and onions before throwing on the brown sugar. It was super tasty! Thanks for the great recipes to add to my repertoire!
The ten-year-old looked on pretty skeptically as I layered onions, apples, and pork chops into a pan. But he was the one begging for more a few hours later when the pan was empty! I’ve tried something similar to this before, but without the sealed pan and long cooking time. It made all the difference. Thanks for another great one!
Mel to the rescue again! Had bone-in pork and not sure what to do….the pork turned out amazing – yum…the apples and onions all on top of the potatoes served with steamed brussel sprouts which really was the perfect side. The onions somehow got quite overcooked, so next time I’ll be a little more careful (not sure what happened!!) Thanks Mel!
I would definately try making this recipe again, but I’d cut out the “generous” seasoning of chops both sides with salt and pepper. I made them tonight and was very disappointed with the overpowering salt taste. I’d probably just “lightly” salt and pepper one side, and then cook (just for my taste anyway). The apple and onion was absolutely delicious, and the pork was so tender and literally fell off the bone. I really like how quick this recipe is to prepare, and then put in the oven and forget for three hours.
I made this last night and they were so tender and delicious!!
AMAZINGLY GOOD! We had these for dinner tonight and let me just tell you, they were delicious. We left the house for awhile and when we got home, I could smell the amazing aroma from outside the front door. I was so excited to eat dinner. I haven’t cooked bone in pork chops in forever, but boy were these good. Definitely to be added into the dinner rotation on a regular basis. I also made the potatoes and they were good, although I didn’t have yukon golds and my garlic didn’t finish roasting in time, so I just had to press a few cloves and add them in. They were still tasty. I will have to try following that recipe to a T next time.
I just put the chops in the oven and I am down right giddy to have them again. The apple/onion was like this orgasmic jam i wanted to spread it all over myself and the chops melted in my mouth and the house smelled delicious…a real beautiful sensual simple meal….hahah opps sorry I got carried away here…but you now know what you have to look forward to when you try this recipe…Holy Moly…it is a K-E-E-P-E-R!
I also tried your chicken noodle soup…another incredible recipe. I have been singing your prasies to all my friend…thanks again.
I used to make a similar recipe years ago but it had cider in it as well – I’ve lost the recipe so came online today to find something similar. Thanks ladies!
I’ve used eating apples that were going a bit soft (in this case Braeburns) but no sugar; Ive added a smidgeon of olive oil and about half an inch cube of butter as I’ve used pork steaks (which is what i had) and there was almosst no fat on them.
Absolutely delicious ( and the apple cores went out for the birds – blackbirds love them)
Melissa – I would split the recipe between 3 9X13-inch pans – if you don’t have that many pans or can’t fit them in your oven and your pork chops are small enough, you could probably fit about 6 pork chops in each pan, making two pans full. If anything you might need to increase the cooking time by 10 minutes or so but not much more than that. Good luck!
First off, I have to said that I found your website a couple of years ago and just about everything I’ve tried, I’ve loved. This is my go-to site for recipes. Thank you so much for all your hard work bringing us great tried and true recipes!!
Okay… I want to make these for a dinner group we are having next week. There are 8 people, so I am thinking I’ll need about 12 chops (4 big guys might need seconds). How would you recommend doing this? Change in cooking time? Thanks!
Well, you’ve done it again! My husband called me a gourmet cook. So moist and tender, and the onions and apples were just so good. I didn’t do the potatoes, a bit on the lazy side, but, oh boy. I can’t wait to try those too. This website is the best recipe website bar none that I have found. Thanks again! Can’t wait to try more recipes!
Made these tonight…. can we say WOW!!! chops were tender and tasty. The only thing I did different was, I didnt have apples so I used applesauce…. the gravy made with the onions and applesauce yummy. Thanks again for another great recipe I’m using every month.
Made this last night and oh my! This was my first attempt at making pork chops. When I asked my husband before making this if he liked pork chops he said “not really, they are always dry.” Well, this was amazing! The pork fell off the bone, and it was tender and yummy. Plus over one of my favorite foods, mashed potatoes! This was a very good dinner! Definitely a keeper! I will now be a pork chop eater! Thanks for a great dinner!
I made this last night and thought I’d share that it worked great with dehydrated apple slices from my food storage! You know the kind left at the bottom of the can that aren’t crunchy anymore so no one will eat them. I got 4 cups of those and poured 2 cups boiling water over them to steep for a few minutes. Then I poured the water off and assembled as directed. I used Sucanat instead of brown sugar and it tasted great, but it was a bit too sweet for me so I think 1/4 cup would be enough next time. I only had 2 hours to bake it so I did it at 350. The pork did fall off the bone, but wasn’t terribly tender (it was feral hog though). Awesome flavor and my husband was so surprised when I told him they were dried apples!
Made both of these last night & they were great! I realized after an hour into cooking the chops that I forgot the brown sugar and I knew I wasn’t suppose to open the foil lid but I didn’t want to miss out on the brown sugar so I did…….and I don’t think it affected it too much, still came out great! Thanks
Dinner tonight = perfect. Plus I will never go back to making mashed potatoes with out the roasted garlic. Thanks!!
These prok chops are my all time fav! Even my picky kids eat em up! The sauce that is at the bottom with the apples and onions is awsome on top of mashed potatos as a great gravy. Thanx for sharing this recipe I do these about every other week and they do not get boring like some pork chops I have done in the past!
Kasey – I’m glad these are such a hit with your family! Thanks for letting me know.
Wow…these are fantastic. I make them at least once a month! So easy and your house smells divine in the process. These are like a grown up pork chop and applesauce, and the best pork chops I’ve ever had!
Thanks, Kendra!
My friend and I have each tried this recipe a couple of times. My friend said the first time she made them at her daughter’s house and the recipe came out beautifully – very carmelized onions and apples. I have followed the recipe exactly, twice, and each time while the pork is tender, the apples and onions are sitting in a lot of water – presenting a very watery mixture. My friend has not had success again. We are using pyrex dishes – is that OK? Is the problem the foil isn’t tight enough? Is the problem using too many apples which creates the excessive “water”?
Anita – to be honest, I’m not sure what to tell you about why this “worked” once but not the other times. Several times I’ve made it, I have ended up with a soupier mixture in the pan but the onions and apples definitely soften and develop great flavor. I also use a glass pyrex dish when I make this. There are a couple things you might do to eliminate the excess liquid. You could cook down the apples and onions for 5-7 minutes before assembling the dish – not enough to make the apples mushy but enough to pull out some of the water from the apples. You could also just use less apples in the original recipe (like you mentioned) and finally, you could try cooking it for the full amount of time, removing the pork chops and keeping them warm while continuing to bake the apples and onions with the foil off to let some of the liquid evaporate. Good luck!
OMG! Made this last night for my parents. My dad pulled me aside and told me not to tell my mother but “those were the best pork chops I have ever had.” My mother pulled me aside to say, “Gee, thank you…your father will never eat my prok chops again!” Hahaha. They were a success. I halved the recipe and knocked off about ten minutes cooking time…perfection. Thank you! Thank you! Any one recommend what to try next …need to knock the socks off a boy… 🙂
Stephanie – hilarious about your parent’s comments! I’m glad these pork chops turned out so well and pleased everyone! Good luck impressing said boy…
Hey… it’ s 5 years later and I feel like I should report back that I married said boy! 🙂 It must have been the pork chops! (I’m making them tonight and had to laugh when I saw my old comment.)
I mean 6 years, wow! This has definitely been a family fave though each of them, Thanks, Mel.
Best comment ever! Love the update. 🙂
I didnt get to try the pork chops yet but the mashed potatoes were amazing!!!!!!!!!! I had a very happy Hubby at the dinner table tonight. Thanks!
Courtney – so glad you loved the potatoes! It reminds me I need to add the link to my recipe index, so thanks!
I tried this recipe last night and followed the directions to the letter. Although the pork loin chops turned out very well and wonderfully flavorful, I wasn’t happy with the way the apples & onions were so overcooked. I will try this recipe again, but will try cutting the apples and onions thicker than directed, in hopes they will appear more attractive than the mush they became. Thank you!
Thanks for checking in, Sandy! Hopefully if you cut the apples and onions thicker you’ll like it a bit better!
Thanks so much for this recipe! After many years of making dried out pork chops I finally found success! My whole family loved them!
Thanks, Bobbi – so glad these pork chops didn’t turn out dry and boring!
So I think I have the solution for all you who want to use boneless pork chops from costco. I only had these and was a little nervous after reading what some posted but I was bound and determined to make it work…we just started a food budget so…ANYWAY I used my glass 9×13 and reduced the oven to 300 and cooked them for 2 hours. However I had a thermometer in them and I am pretty sure they were done a little over an hour but was nervous to take them out so quickly. So I think I will try 1-1.5 hours next time. The apples did get pretty soft but I thought they were fabulous when paired with a bite of pork! The plus side also is that the oven wasn’t on as long on our hot summer evening. Anyway thanks Mel for another fantastic recipe. My sisters and I absolutely love your site. 🙂
Mary – thanks for your tips on this recipe! I am glad to know that this can work with boneless or bone-in – hearing from other commenters is invaluable so I appreciate you sharing your input.
So far you have the best recipes I have found..I LOVED the pork chops, so did my hubby :O)
Thanks, Diana! So glad these pork chops worked out well for you.
Hi there, I so love your site..I made your Skillet Mac & Cheese the other night and from now on, that will be my staple mac & Cheese recipe..
My Brother in law was a Chef..Bone In Pork Chops are always more tender than boneless ones especially for baking for longer than an hour. Same with Bone in Chicken Breasts, etc..The bone must help retain moisture in the meat . He taught me that trick years ago, and he was right. I only Barbecue on the grill with Bone-in Chicken Breasts for this very reason ( he also taught me to parboil them to seal the juices in before BBqing)..
This may be the reason why some pork chops get dried out, in this recipe, it is because of the bone..You really should use Bone-in. I plan to make this for dinner tonight, Hope my finicky hubby is pleased :o)
Diana – glad you liked the mac and cheese and thanks for weighing in on the pork chop dilemma. I agree that bone-in is the way to go!
Made these a couple of nights ago and they were deeeelicious! The meat literally fell off the bones and the flavor was perfect. My boyfriend wondered how it would be to put the meat on the bottom. I think that you would miss the beauftiful golden brown color that the chops get from being on top of the onions and apples. Thanks for a great recipe! I will definitely make these again!
Thanks, Michele! I agree that the chops do best on top of the apples and onions…thanks for letting me know you liked this recipe!
amazing!! 3 hours was worth the wait! will be sharing recipe with coworkers and also my family this memorial day weekend… YUM! I’ve never had a pork chop so good!
Beth – I’m glad that this recipe was worth it and that you loved it so much. Thanks for checking in to let me know!
Hi!
I was wondering if this could be done in a crockpot?? Thanks!
Double Dipped Life – check out Shannon’s comment (#9) to get her how-to on the crockpot version.
in response to cat – i had the exact same experience with my costco pork chops. soggy onions and apples and dry meat. i still need to try the bone-in chops.
I was puzzled by this dish. The carmelized onions were somewhat soggy and so they didn’t taste like carmelized onions I’m used to. I absolutely agree that they needed to be bone-in. I had a large package of incredibly thick (Costco) boneless pork that I thought I’d try. Too thick. Over an inch thick. They took so long to cook that they were honstly, dry, dry, dry. Yet they were swimming in this liquid. Since they had to be cooked so long, the apples were mushy and had virtually no taste. Not my favourite but now we know why we should follow the recipe to a T and then modify later. Honestly, I would have done just that if I had had the bone in chops. They are much thinner. Lesson learned. Had to throw it out – no one like it. Sounds like everyone else had better success with the right cut of meat. You always wonder if making changes is an issue – well in this case, it was.
Hey Cat (and Helen) – sorry this didn’t work out that well for you. I hope it works out better using bone-in chops!
I was excited for a pork chop recipe since I have a bunch in my freezer from when I found them at an amazing price, but the ones I have are boneless. Do you think it will make a difference?
marymary – several commenters have given their feedback on the boneless chops. Read through and you’ll probably get a good idea of what to do. I’ve always used the bone-in but I think the boneless will work if you adjust cooking time, etc. based on what others have had to say.
I made these pork chops the other night and I’ll admit I was a little worried (I’m weird about fruit with my meat)…but HOLY COW these were amazing! I’m making them again for Mother’s Day for my Mother in Law. I was wondering if it would still work the same and would everything come out so yummy and tender if I used 6 pork chops instead of 4? I don’t want to ruin it, but my husband, brother in law and father in law can eat a lot 🙂 Any suggestions?
Sarah – so glad you liked these! If I were you and you wanted to make sure these would be a foolproof homerun for your in-laws, I would increase the pork chop count to 8 and straight up double the recipe (using 2 9X13-inch pans). Otherwise, I don’t think you’ll be able to cram six pork chops in one pan – and if you can’t then you’ll be stuck with four in one, two in another or three in each and I’m not sure how you would need to fix the cooking time to compensate for the change. Does that make sense? If you absolutely don’t want to double it – I’d try three pork chops in a pan and cut the cooking time down a bit. Good luck!
loved, loved, loved these. I love carmelized onions so when I found this I had to try it. The pork was really tender and delcious when paired with the onions and apples. Loved the potatoes too!
Thanks, Lisa – so glad you liked this dish!
Since I prefer pork chops falling off the bone, I thought these would be perfect to try slow cooked and they were. I didn’t change the amounts of anything and followed the recipe exactly. I quickly seared both sides of all four chops before putting them in the crock pot and then added the ingredients according to the recipe. I cooked them for about 8 hours on low. My only complaint was that the apples totally disintegrated to mush, so next time I would probably add those halfway or even near the end, but the onions were perfect cooked the whole time. Granted I haven’t tried the recipe the right way, but in case anyone wonders if you can avoid turning on the oven for 3 hours (like during hotter summer months), make them by all means, but try slow cooking them. The flavor is so good! Great recipe for pork chops!
Shannon – it was a matter of time before someone tried these in the slow cooker – so thanks for letting us all know your experience! I’m thrilled these worked out in the slow cooker (and thanks for the advice on the apples).
We had these last night and they were delicious! I had given up on making pork chops because they always turned out dry. These, however couldn’t be more moist and tender. They were so easy, but looked and tasted so gourmet. I love using bone-in meats. I think it really adds to the flavor.
Danielle – thanks! I’m happy these turned out moist and tender for you…glad you liked them!
ok– I confess– I live in Idaho and I am not a potato girl– there I said it. BUT– these were so yummy and I loved them– the garlic and Parmesan were a great combo– now onto the pork chops — which I make maybe 3 times a year-these were the best and most tender chops. so good! I did not peek and it was hard but they just fell off the bone and cut with a fork. My kids said that this was a keeper and I will make this again for sure!– The 3 hours will make this a Sunday dinner meal but that is ok. I can’t wait for my husband to get home from his meeting to try it. He will LOVE it. Thanks for the delicious meal.
Next stop sushi.
idahomichele – it’s ok to be an Idaho girl and not like potatoes – but I’m glad these ones won you over. Also, I’m thrilled the pork chops were such a hit! I hope your husband liked them as well.
My sons LOVE pork so I was excited to try this recipe. I used the thick bone-in pork chops, covered them tightly, never peeked at them, and they still turned out like leather. Any suggestions? I used a non-stick metal pan–would that change the outcome?
Keri – I’m sorry this didn’t work out for you! Sometimes non-stick pans can bake/cook a lot hotter than other pans. My nonstick (dark) muffin and cake pans I always cook 25 degrees lower and for less time to prevent burning so now I’m wondering if you are on to something and if that would make a difference. Hopefully if you dare try them again, they’ll turn out a little more tender!
Yeah, they turned out really yummy but since the apples and onions were on top and the cooking time reduced, they weren’t caramelized, just very tender. Still good, but I want to try it the right way!
My husband actually cooked them and they turned out perfect! I put it all together last night, tossing the apples with Fruit Fresh to keep them from turning brown, and decided to put the meat on the bottom, then layered the onions, apples and brown sugar, figuring that would protect against loss of moisture. Dennis had to check them several times and they were done at 1 1/2 hours. The moisture on top really made them perfect–not rubbery or dry at all. Thanks for sharing! So for people who want to cook boneless chops, I’d recommend the same–put them on the bottom and reduce the cooking time by half. Next time I plan to follow the recipe exactly but I just wanted to use up what I already had on hand.
Veronica, ok, ok, I was wrong. I’m glad your husband DID check so that they weren’t overcooked. Thanks for letting me know!
This is one of the best meals I have ever had! Certainly feels like a Fall/Winter supper but I will eat it year round. LOVE IT!
Nevermind! I went back and read Melanie’s comment. It sounds like I’m gonna have to check on ’em despite your advice not to! Maybe if I put the apples and onions on top it would help keep them moist, despite lifting the foil?
Veronica – I still wouldn’t check them if I were you. I would cut the cooking time by 15-20 minutes and I think they’ll be fine. Trust me on this. 🙂
I’m going to halve this recipe for the two pork tenderloin steaks I have in the freezer. Since they are a different cut and don’t have the bone, do you have any clue as to whether I should adjust the cooking time or not? I’m afraid they’ll be rubbery after three hours but I don’t have a lot of meat-cooking experience (mostly veg here).
These were wondeful! My 16 year old twin boys were just left looking at the empty pan wanting more! Very, very good recipe. Would be great to take as a dinner to a family as well. If you are wondering if you should try this do! Just plan on big kids eatting about two or three chops!
Debbie – I agree, this is a great take-in meal to someone! I’m reading your comment going – I guess that’s what I have to look forward to when my 4 boys are teenagers – eating me out of house and home!
thanks for all the tips. i am looking forward to trying this one again.
Hi Mel-
I LOVE your site and use your recipes all the time. I have never had a recipe of yours fail me…well, there was a close encounter when I was baking the shell for the strawberry cream puff pie, but it turned out great and was simply a tactical error on my part. 🙂
I made these pork chops for dinner tonight. All I had were the thick boneless chops from Costco, and some other thin cut pork chops. I was nervous because of some of the other comments, but this is how I modified:
1. I cut all of the thick pork chops in half so they were all about 1/2 inch thick.
2. I put the apples, onions and sugar in a covered pan and baked then for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
3. I seared the pork chops in a VERY hot skillet for about 30 seconds each side to lock in their juices.
4. I put the pork on top of the apples and onions, covered it again, and baked them for one hour at 300 degrees, then 1 hour at 325 degrees.
They are perfect! Delicious flavors, lots of juice to drip over the meat and mashed potatoes, and pork so tender it flakes apart with the fork. I will definitely do this meal again. Thanks!
Jenny – whew! So glad the cream puff shell didn’t fail you! Thank you so much for your detailed instructions on these pork chops. It sounds like the results were fantastic and I think your advice will be invaluable for others checking in on the recipe. Thank you!
I made these pork chops yesterday. I’m not normally a pork fan but I cook it once in a while because everyone else in my house likes it. These were delicious – the meat just fell off the bone and there was just a touch of sweetness. My husband said I should throw away all of my other pork chop recipes because this is the one.
Thanks, Dawn! That’s high praise from your husband – I’m glad these worked out great for you.
Next time I’ll have to do one of two things – #1, use the bone in chops. I ended up with very dry, rubbery meat using the boneless. My saving grace were the apples, onions & sauce for a little redeeming value. Or #2 – put the pork chops in the middle of the onions & apples, so they are covered & can’t dry out so much on top. I will give it a whirl again – this is a VERY good recipe! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Melissa – let me know if you end up trying this. I’m surprised that the pork chops were dry – I guess there is something to the bone-in chops like Melanie (author of the recipe) suggested. I hope you like it better next time!
hello! I am the Melanie that submitted this recipe to Mel. I started making this recipe years ago, and have made it probably more than 50 times. It is really important to use good sized bone in chops. I have only used boneless chops once, and it didn’t turn out, due to the long cooking time. I think the only boneless chops that might work might be those huge boneless ones that are REALLY thick. if I were using boneless chops, and especially if I were halving the recipe, I probably would not bake them for the whole 3 hours.
I’m really happy that so many have tried this meal, and enjoyed it! my family enjoys it on a regular basis!!
Thanks for adding your additional expertise, Melanie! My mom has made this twice and absolutely loves it…she says to say thanks for the recipe. 🙂
I made these for my family last night and although the chops were tender and tasty, instead of the onions carmelizing, I ended up with a soupy mixture at the bottom of the pan. I did follow the recipe exactly. I must say the potatos were very good!
Hi Linda – thanks for checking in! I’m glad you liked the potatoes and that the pork chops were tender and tasted good. As for the onions caramelizing – “caramelizing” is probably used kind of loosely for this recipe since the baking method intentionally keeps all the steam/liquid inside of the pan, producing a saucy mixture at the bottom and the apples and onions cook up in that liquid. I hope you still liked it ok, despite it not being quite what you had imagined!
so, (sigh) i’m really sorry buti either did something wrong or this recipe just wasn’t for me. i have never had luck with pork chops and was very excited to use this recipe. i bought boneless chops from costco and followed the rest of the recipe. (actually no, i halved it). hmmm, anyway i made sure the foil was on tightle and let it cook for 3 hours. it was okay, but still they came out a little dry and tough. why does pork do that? the flavor was good although i think i’ll slice the apples a little thicker next time. any comments, suggestions, tips welcome. thanks!
Helen – so sorry this didn’t work out! Pork can be kind of hard – I agree that a lot of times it turns out tough and dry – but I am surprised it didn’t cook up really tender in this dish. Because I used the bone-in pork chops, I’m wondering if there is something to them being more tender than the boneless. I don’t know but it’s my only guess!
We had this for dinner tonight. Loved it! Definate repeater here. I didn’t have Yukon Golds (used red skinned potatoes) but it turned out great anyway.
d – thanks for letting me know you liked these! I bet red potatoes would be equally delicious – they are some of my favorites.
Saw this recipe on Tasty Kitchen today and had already taken out pork chops for supper tonight so decided to try it. This recipe is awesome, best meal I’ve made in a long time. It will definitely be made again and again! Great website, will be back to check out other recipes – the lemon poppyseed cookies will be next and then I have to try the vanilla pudding cinnamon buns.
Hi Solveig – thanks for your comment! I’m glad you found your way over here via Tasty Kitchen and mostly, I am so glad that this pork chop recipe turned out so well! Thanks for letting me know!
We had this for dinner tonight and it was yumm-O! It will definitely be made again!!!
Thanks, Jami!
Carmelized onions and apples sounds really delicious!
Just wanted to drop you a line and tell you (1) How much I love your site. I check it everyday so I don’t miss a single yummy recipe and (2) I made these pork chops (and the mashed potatoes) for dinner last night and OMG! Can I tell you that these are the best Pork Chops I have ever eaten?! They turned out perfect and tender and juicy and the combo of onions and apples with the pork was delish! And the potatoes! Best mashed potatoes I’ve ever made! I’ve never used Yukon Golds when making mashed potatoes but I have to say, they really do make a difference in the flavor a texture. I loved the roasted garlic and parmesan (both were not overpowering it was just subtle enough so that you still got enough of the buttery potato flavor.) They were as good as any garlic mashed potatoes you’d get in a restaurant. Overall, a phenomenal meal. I can see why it’s your current Sunday dinner staple. Anyone else who is contemplating giving this recipe a try, DO NOT HESITATE. Trust me, you won’t regret it! Thanks again Mel.
Jennie! Thank you for your comment…I was waiting with anticipation to see who the first person would be to say they made this meal (and I was crossing my fingers it would be a good review). Thanks for checking in and for all the details you included in your comment!
Hi there, found you through this amazing recipe posted on Tasty Kitchen. Love your blog and your approach to cooking! Can’t wait to look through your recipe collection! 🙂
I had a pork chop just last night, with applesauce. This would have been so much better! Onions and apples? Yum. Copying now!
You probably know this by now, but this recipe & picture is on the “Top 5” at the top of Tasty Kitchen [where they feature 5 recipes & pictures each day]! Congrats on that!!!!!
Melanie – I’m with Mandy – do you think we could use the boneless pork chops? At any rate, I’m going to give it a whirl – if you cook anything low & slow, it’s bound to be great! I’ll let you know after this weekend how it turns out.
Thanks again for a yummy & easy recipe!
you don’t have to twist my arm to convince me that this’d be amazing! caramelized onions, huzzah! pork and apples, huzzah! EASE, huzzah! excellent, melanie–thanks!
I have a ton of boneless chops in the freezer, could I use those? How would cooking time change? Thanks these look yummy!!!
Mandy and Melissa – Melanie (the one who gave me the recipe) suggested using bone-in pork chops so they don’t fall apart too much when baking, apparently the bone in the chops helps them stay together. However, having said that, I’m ALL about using what you have on hand and I think you should try the boneless. The pork chops may not stay together as well upon baking, but I don’t see that as a problem if you are going to serve them over potatoes.
I’d like to try this with boneless pork chops as well since that’s what I have on hand as well. Would I cook them the same amount of time as the bone-in pork chops?
I think a lot of people in the comments have done that…
These sound so good! Can hardly wait to try them. Thanks for sharing!
Looks awesome- I intend to try assembling, freezing, thawing and cooking this. I’ll report back with results!
How long should I cook the pork chops?
Candy – they bake for three hours.
This looks mouth watering!
I will be making this very soon!
Thanks Melanie & Melanie! 😉
I think I will have to make these this weekend. Easy Sunday dinners are a must. I think most Sundays end up being the craziest day of the week for me. I will let you know how it turns out.
Melanie (the other one) is my friend and I can attest that all of her cooking that I have ever had is de-lish! 🙂 And I am so happy that she posted a link to this on Facebook because now I have found your fabulous site and I am making thos sugar cookies ASAP!!!
Mrs. Howell – welcome! I’m glad you found your way over here! I hope the sugar cookies don’t disappoint!
You read my mind! I was online yesterday trying to find a good bone-in pork chop recipe. I have a million in my freezer and we are getting really bored with my bbq-ed version 🙂 This is on the menu for next week, thanks again Melanie!
This kind of recipe is right up my alley. I’m actually trying a new pork chop recipe as I type and just put it in the crock pot. I’ll add this recipe (and the parmesan garlic smashed potatoes – yum! – to next week’s meal plan. Thanks!
Why did I use the pork chops in my freezer for a lackluster meal last week? This would have been much, much better!
Pork chops and apples…the perfect combination! I hate dry pork chops, and I never thought to cook them for hours. What a fabulous idea! I can just imagine how tender they must be. This will go onto my “must try” list! Thanks for sharing, Mel! 🙂
P.S. The potatoes look amazing, too!
Can this recipe be halved easily? Does the cooking time change a lot if it is? Thanks! 🙂
nancy – I haven’t halved it but I’m guessing it could be done that way just fine. I would still bake it for the same amount of time – perhaps 10-15 minutes less, but that’s all.