Why you’ll love these apple butter pork chops
Do you remember the marmalade mustard pork chops I shared last week? Well I liked them so much, I decided to create a second rendition of them. This time with apple, and I only used 5 ingredients: pork chops, apple butter, whole grain mustard, apple and onions. Lots of deliciously caramelized onions. Now I’m not sure which recipe I like better, but it might be this one.
So, really all you have to do is cook the pork chops, sauté the onions and then throw in the sauce that you’ve already mixed in a bowl. And, you’re done. So simple.
We had ours with an arugula salad, but you can obviously serve it with whatever you want. I really think those onions would go well with some mashed potatoes, but really anything will work.
More pork chop recipes to try: pork piccata / baked stuffed pork chops / pineapple pork chops / harissa maple glazed pork chops
Ingredient notes:
- Pork chops – Boneless pork chops are the easiest to use in this recipe, but you can definitely use bone-in if you have them. I like use chops that are at least 1-inch in thickness.
- Apple butter – I used regular apple butter with a hint of sugar and cinnamon in it. You can use unsweetened but you may want to add a touch of brown sugar to the recipe for sweetness.
- Onion – Sweet or Vidalia onions work best, but you can also use yellow or white onion if that’s what you have.
- Herbs – You can really use any savory herbs you like here, but I really love rosemary and sage with pork chops, and they pair really well with the apple butter.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Frequently asked questions
The key to perfect pork chops is not over cooking them. Pork chops only need to be cooked to 145˚F. Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature before serving.
If you allow your pork chops to rest before cutting into them, you will give the meat time to reabsorb the juices released during cooking. Give them about 5 minutes before slicing and they will be nice and juicy.
More dairy free dinner recipes: stuffed peach and prosciutto chicken / sticky honey soy chicken wings / maple glazed salmon / roasted sweet potato pasta
Apple Butter Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 2 tablepoons olive oil, divided
- 4 boneless pork chops
- 1 large onion, super thinly sliced
- 1 medium honeycrisp apple, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup apple butter
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
- 1 rosemary sprig, optional
- 3 sage leaves, optional
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Brown the pork chops. Liberally season pork chops with salt and pepper. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sear pork chops until they are nicely browned. This should take about 3 – 4 minutes per side. When chops have reached an internal temperature of 145˚F Remove chops from pan and transfer to a plate. Tent with foil to keep warm.
- Cook the apples & onion. Add the remaining olive oil to the pan and when it's hot, add the onions and apples (and herbs if using) to the pan. Sauté until translucent, stirring as needed to prevent burning.
- Make the sauce. Add apple butter, mustard and water to the pan, stirring to coat the onions. Then, return pork chops to pan and continue cooking until the pork chops are heated through and the sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Found this right after I had put my stuffed pork chop in the oven.. it sounded so yummy, I couldn’t resist. I made the sauce with my maple apple butter and homemade whole seed mustard, threw it in the microwave so I could use it, found the chop needed more time, and voila! Spooned the sauce on the stuffed chop, baked at 375 for another 10 minutes so it gets to proper temp and enjoyed it thoroughly! Thank you ever so much. My daughter is putting it in her fall menu rotation. She’s also severely allergic to milk, so is enjoying your recipes!
can I substitute the apple butter with something else, for some reason I cannot find apple butter anywhere
I think you could substitute applesauce with cinnamon and if it’s not sweet enough, maybe a tiny bit of brown sugar!
Apple butter is so easy to make. Buy a bunch of great apples and give it a whirl. You’ll be glad you did ❤️
In the apple butter pork chops you say add the remaining olive oil, but it is not listed in the ingredients? Is there a certain amount to use?
I’m so sorry that was missing! It’s just 2 tablespoons of olive oil, one for each step.
If you can’t find Apple butter (which is dead easy to make…2 hours in the pressure cooker or overnight in your crock pot/slow cooker) you can use apple sauce.
Just made this for dinner and it’s AMAZING! My kids loved it and it was so easy. Will definitely make this again.
Problems with the recipe. First looks like tarragon your using instead of rosemary and also you say apple cider in the description and water in the ingredients! Not sure what to use
You’re right. The recipe has been updated since I originally published it and I forgot to remove the old text in the post, but the recipe card contains the proper ingredients and instructions. I definitely didn’t use tarragon for the recipe. It uses rosemary and sage, but I also garnished with thyme in the photos.
What can I use instead of whole grain mustard?
This Apple Butter Pork Chops recipe looks absolutely delicious! I love the combination of sweet and savory flavors. Can’t wait to give it a try and impress my family with this cozy dish! Thanks for sharing!
Hi
In the directions it says to add apple, onion, and herbs to heated olive oil, and yet olive oil not listed in ingredients