Ever get home exhausted but still craving a delicious dinner? These easy pan fried pork chops with apples are the perfect super meal after a long day. It's a perfect super easy fall dinner because it cooks up in 15 minutes, in one pan, and is bursting with the best fall flavors like pork, crisp apples, fall veggies and an easy 3 ingredient sauce.
[This recipe was originally posted in November 2018. It has been updated with cooking instructions, expert tips, FAQ, related recipes, and ways to repurpose/use up ingredients]
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How will these pan fried pork chops with apples make your life easier?
One pan, a few ingredients, and 15 minutes are all you need for these healthy pork chops. It's doable if you're making one serving for the evening, or multiple. It stores and reheats really well! Just imagine yourself getting home (in the dark) and whipping up this easy dish and then finishing it off with this skillet peach crumble.
You can also make these recipes with extra ingredients Pan seared pork chops, Sharp cheddar and apple omelet, Easy apple tart with yogurt filling, Potato & brussel sprout gratin
What makes this pork dish so good?
- Pork chops
- Dried sage & thyme
- Brussels sprouts
- Carrots
- Crisp apple
- Chicken stock
- Dijon mustard
How do I make pan fried pork chops with apples?
Heat up cast iron skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle kosher salt and pepper on one side of each pork chop.
Once skillet is hot, add 1 tablespoon cooking oil/spray, then place pork on skillet, salted side down. Sprinkle salt and pepper on other side. Cook for 3-5 minutes.
Thinly slice 5 oz brussels sprouts & 1 carrot and ½ apple while pork is cooking.
Expert tip: Use prechopped veggies to save time.
Expert tip #2: Swap out the brussels sprouts & carrots for veggies you've got on hand. But keep the apples, they're so good in this!
Turn pork chops once browned, add 1 teaspoon each sage & thyme, vegetables and apples.
Sautee for about 2 minutes. Mix together ½ c chicken stock and 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, pour over pork and vegetables. Stir and cook until sauce thickens up, about 3-5 minutes. Remove pork and cook veggies & sauce until sauce reaches desired thickness.
Expert Tip: Use a thermometer to measure temperature. Pork should be 145 degrees. OR you can slice the thickest part of the chop, if center is barely pink it's at least medium rare, which is safe to eat. Here's a photo for reference.
Remove pork from pan, let rest for at least 3 minutes before slicing. (pork may not maintain browned crust when you prepare it with this lazy method, if you'd like them to be browned still, check out recipe notes)
Divide pork and topping, spoon sauce over pork. Serve as is, or with crusty bread. Refrigerate any leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day.
Expert tips
- To save time, buy pre-chopped vegetables or chop vegetables while pork is cooking.
- If sauce isn't thick enough, remove pork when done and cook veggies & sauce until it's reached desired thickness.
- The apples are a must-have, but the other vegetables can be subbed with whichever veggies you have on hand.
- Measure doneness by checking internal temperature, it should be 145 degrees OR slicing the thickest part of the chop, if center is barely pink it's at least medium rare, which is safe to eat. Here's a photo for reference.
FAQ
How do you fry pork chops in a skillet?
Use a cast iron skillet if you have one, they cook more evenly. Start by heating up the skillet over medium heat, once hot, place a salt & peppered pork chop in the skillet. Cook for 3-5 minutes on the first side. Flip to cook other side. Cook for another 3 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees.
How to cook pork chops without drying them out?
It's just as easy to not dry pork chops out as it is to do so. You'll add the sauce to the cooking pork & vegetables to make it easy, but mostly to ensure the pork stays moist.
Here are a few other tips to ensure your pork doesn't get dried out:
- Leave your pork out on the counter for about 15 minutes before cooking
- Use a thermometer to ensure they don't get overcooked
- Cook them for a few minutes in a skillet, then finish cooking in a low temperature oven
- Let your pork rest after cooking it, this allows the juices to redistribute and not all be released when you cut into your pork chop.
Ways to repurpose this dish
- Serve with mashed potatoes or wild rice
- Make it into a pork sandwich by slicing the pork thinly and adding it to a hoagie, don't forget the veggies & sauce!
- Serve over a bed of lettuce with crusty bread for a quick lunch.
- Hate leftovers? just make one pork chop. Use half the veggies this recipe calls for, and just use ¼ cup of chicken stock and ½ teaspoon of dijon.
Other recipes using the ingredients
- (pork) Pan seared pork chops
- (apples) Sharp cheddar and apple omelet, Easy apple tart with yogurt filling
- (brussels sprouts) Potato & brussel sprout gratin
Did you make these skillet pork chops with apples & veggies? Leave me a comment & rating to share how they turned out!
Easy Skillet Pork Chops with Apples and Vegetables
Equipment
- cutting board
- knife
- Measuring Spoons
- Measuring Cups
- Cast iron skillet
- tongs
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 4-6 oz pork chop
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme or a small handful of fresh
- 5 oz brussels sprouts shredded
- 1 carrot shaved
- ½ crisp apple sliced thinly
- ½ cup chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat up cast iron skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle kosher salt and pepper on both sides of the pork chop. Once skillet is hot, add 1 tablespoon cooking oil/spray, then place pork in pan. Cook for 3-5 minutes.
- Turn pork chop once browned.
- Thinly slice 5 oz brussels sprouts, 1 carrot, and ½ apple. Add 1 teaspoon each dried thyme & oregano, vegetables and apples to pork. Sautee for about 2 minutes. Use a thermometer to measure temperature. Leave pork in pan if it has not reached 145 degrees.
- Mix together ½ c chicken stock and 1 teaspoon dijon mustard in a small bowl, pour over pork and vegetables. Stir and cook until sauce thickens up, about 3-5 minutes. Check pork temperature again (it will be done when it reaches 145 degrees)
- Remove pork from pan, and let rest for at least a minute or two before slicing. (pork may not maintain browned crust when you prepare it with this lazy method, if you'd like them to be browned still, check out recipe notes)
- Divide pork and topping, spoon sauce over pork. Serve as is, or with crusty bread. Refrigerate leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day.
Video
Notes
- To maintain browning on pork, remove pork before adding liquids. Then add veggies & apples and sauce to cooked pork to serve. You can also let the sauce simmer for an extra few minutes if you'd like it to thicken up even more.
- To save time, buy pre-chopped vegetables or chop vegetables while pork is cooking.
- The apples are a must-have, but the other vegetables can be subbed with whichever veggies you have on hand.
- Use a thermometer to measure temperature. Pork should be 145 degrees.
- You can also measure doneness by checking internal temperature, it should be 145 degrees OR slicing the thickest part of the chop, if center is barely pink it's at least medium rare, which is safe to eat. Here's a photo for reference.
- If sauce isn't thick enough, remove pork when done and cook veggies & sauce until it's reached desired thickness.
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Mariana says
How did you get the sauce to thicken without making a roux? Once I added the sauce the pork chops lost their golden color. Any ideas?
Rebecca says
Hi Mariana! the dijon mustard allowed it to be thick enough for me. You could let it simmer a bit longer to thicken it too! And, just take the chops out of the skillet after they're done if you want them to maintain their browning. I'm just lazy 🙂
Marisa Holguin says
The dish was delicious. Loved the apples and sage flavor
Rebecca says
thanks so much Marisa! that's great to hear
Blitzo says
Wow! this is my favorite foods, I love pork chops very crunchy good for our lunch.
Rebecca says
great to hear!