These juicy & tender pan-seared Cider Pork Chops are brined, seared, and basted with butter and smothered in a luscious apple cider pan sauce. Say hello to your new favorite fall recipe that comes together in one pan in 30 minutes!
It’s the perfect cozy dinner to serve over mashed potatoes for when company comes–low effort and flavor-packed is always the way!
Table of Contents
My Technique for Making the Juiciest Pork Chops
I’ve had a lot of dry, sawdust-textured pork chops in my life and it pretty much completely turned me off to ever wanting to eat them again. But, no more! You will never eat another dry pork chop in your life if you follow my easy cooking techniques.
The first step is to brine the pork chops! You might not think this is a necessary step, but it makes all the difference in the world. And you don’t need to brine them for days, either–I’ve brined them for as little as 4 hours and still find that they’re incredibly flavorful and juicy.
The next step, and I can’t stress this enough, is to treat your pork chops like you would treat a steak. That means a hard, fast sear in the pan, baste with a flavorful butter, and into the oven for a few minutes. THAT’S IT. I promise you’ll feel like you’re eating at a high-end steak house when you try them.
All that’s left to do is make a quick pan sauce with the drippings and some apple cider and it’s truly heaven on a plate.
Helpful Cooking Tools
Key Recipe Ingredients
full list of ingredients, quantities & method in the recipe card at the end of the page.
- Bone-in pork chops. Look for ‘rib chops’ or pork ‘rib-eye’ chops which have a bit more fat and flavor to them. The bone also keeps the pork from drying out. I typically avoid loin chops, but they can be used in a pinch. Make sure your pork chops are at least an inch thick.
- Sage leaves. The fresh sage adds incredible flavor! You could use a bit of dried sage if that’s all you have.
- Maple syrup. You’re looking for pure maple syrup here, not pancake-style syrup.
- Garlic. I like to smash the whole cloves so that they give the essence of garlic flavor without being too much.
- Apple cider. Apple cider is an unpasteurized, unfiltered fresh pressed apple juice. Do not use apple cider vinegar as a substitute.
- Dijon. Mustard pairs so well with the cider and adds a piquant flavor. You could swap in whole grain or even spicy brown mustard.
- Flour. Just a touch of flour helps thicken the pan sauce. To make this gluten free, use a cornstarch slurry for the pan sauce.
How to Make Cider Pork Chops with Pan Sauce
- Brine the pork chops. This ensures that the pork chops are seasoned all the way through and that they stay juicy while they cook. Don’t forget to pat the pork chops very dry before seasoning them and searing them.
Jenny’s Tip: You may need to press the pork into the pan to keep the meat from bowing up. Leave the pork chops undisturbed in the pan while they sear to get that really good browning.
- Sear the pork chops. Use a neutral oil that can handle high temps for searing. Once you put the pork chops in the pan to sear, don’t move them. Let them get nice and browned before you flip them.
- Baste the pork chops and finish in the oven. Make a quick maple/sage/garlic butter and liberally baste that all over the pork chops for a couple minutes. You will not believe how much flavor you’ll get! Then, throw the whole pan in the oven to finish cooking the cider pork chops.
- Make the pan sauce. After the pork chops come out of the oven, move them over to a serving platter so they can rest. Then, use all that flavor and butter that’s in the pan to make up a quick pan sauce with flour, dijon, and some apple cider. Spoon the sauce over the pork chops and dinner is done!
A Note on Cooking Pork Chops: Unlike chicken, pork can be safely cooked to a medium temperature. I wrote this recipe for the pork chops to finish at an internal temperature of 150 F which results in a pork chop with a slightly pink center. If you prefer your pork cooked to a higher temperature, adjust the cooking times accordingly and always cook with a probe thermometer.
Brining Pork Chops 101
The secret to making pan-seared cider pork chops so juicy is to brine them in advance! It might sound complicated, but it’s so simple and helps add extra flavor and moisture to the pork chops so that they stay juicy during the cooking process.
A wet brine is a solution of water, salt, and a little sugar, along with some herbs and spices for flavor. You submerge your meat prior to cooking in the brining solution and through osmosis, the meat absorbs flavor and moisture.
When you season a piece of meat you’re seasoning the outside and the inside doesn’t really absorb that flavor. However, with brining, you are flavoring the whole piece of meat inside and out. Brining is particularly effective for lean cuts of meat like pork chops, chicken breasts, turkey breasts, etc.
For our pork chops, we’re making a brine with water, sugar, salt and apple cider. Once you’ve got your brine mixed, submerge your pork chops in the liquid. I like to use a large 2-gallon ziplock and press as much of the air out as possible and then place the whole thing in a big baking dish to avoid leaks. After brining, make sure to pat the pork chops very dry before searing.
What to Serve with Cider Pork Chops
To me, anything with a pan sauce is begging to be served over mashed potatoes, but cider pork chops would also be great over rice, noodles, or orzo. Some of my favorite recipes to serve on the side are:
- Garlic Green Beans
- Roasted Carrots
- Brussels Sprouts Gratin
- Skillet Cornbread
- Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese
If you do give this recipe a try, I love hearing about it! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram.
More Recipes that Feature Apple Cider
Apple Cider Braised Pork Shoulder
Cider Braised Chicken Thighs
Apple Cider Donuts
Apple Cider Donut Cake
This post contains affiliate links from which I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Affiliate links allow me to keep providing great recipes for free and I never recommend products that I don’t love and personally own.
Pan-Seared Pork Chops with Cider Pan Sauce
Ingredients
Brine
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups cold fresh apple cider*
Pork Chops
- 4 bone-in thick cut, pork rib chops*
- 1 tablespoon high-heat oil
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- 12-14 large sage leaves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 cups fresh apple cider
- kosher salt & freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Make the brine. In a measuring cup, mix together the warm water, salt, and brown sugar and stir until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Stir in the apple cider and let the brine cool to room temperature. Put the pork chops in a large ziplock bag and pour in the brine. Carefully press as much of the air out of the bag as possible, to make sure the chops are submerged, and seal the bag. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 24.
- Preheat an oven to 400 F.
- Sear the pork chops. Heat a large cast iron skillet or braiser (12-13”) over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the oil and swirl it around the pan. Lay the pork chops in a single layer in the skillet and sear for 3-5 minutes, until deeply golden brown on one side. You may need to press the pork into the pan to keep the meat from bowing up. Flip the chops and turn off the heat.
- Baste the pork chops. Scoot all the pork chops to the side of the pan furthest from you and add the butter, garlic, maple, and chopped sage to the open space in the pan closest to you. Once the butter has melted, use one hand to tilt the pan towards you and use a spoon to baste the maple/sage butter all over the pork chops for 2 minutes. Transfer the pan to the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the pork chops reach an internal temperature of 150 F.
- Make the pan sauce. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the pork chops to a plate to rest. Bring the pan drippings to a simmer and stir in the dijon mustard and flour. Let the flour cook for 2 minutes, while stirring. Whisk in the apple cider and simmer for 3-4 minutes, until thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon the pan sauce over the pork chops and serve right away.
Notes
Nutrition
You might also like...
-
30 Minute Meals Pumpkin Baked Ziti with Sausage
-
One Pot Meals Tomato Risotto
-
30 Minute Meals Roast Pork Tenderloin and Potatoes
Rate & Review This Recipe
Your Pan-Seared Pork Chops with Cider Sauce sounds delicious. Is it possible to partly prepare this ahead of time and finish when guests arrive?
Thank you.
Unfortunately, not really. My recommendation would be to make them and keep them lightly warm in the cider sauce–but this really needs to happen not too long before serving.
Damn, gurrrl! Made this deliciousness tonight and my husband has now started stalking me! The pork chops and sauce are sick! Paired it with celeriac puree and charred hispi cabbage. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Love the idea of pairing this with celeriac puree! Such an underrated veggie!