Pan seared and baked, these sage pork chops are a simple and easy meal. With a hint of bourbon and brown sugar the apples compliment the pork chops wonderfully. They make a great weekday meal and come together quickly. Â
I don’t what it is about pork chops and applesauce, but this was my interpretation of that dish. I love the saltiness of the pork in combo with the sweet apples. However the added twist was the addition of the bourbon. Every time I have made these they have been a hit with my friends. The best part is that it is made in about 45 minutes and all in one pan. There is nothing better than minimal clean up after a great meal.Â
In this recipe
Simplicity is the name of the game when it comes to this dish. I like this dish because most of the ingredients are already in your pantry so you don’t have to go shopping for too much. Also with simple recipes you get to taste all of the flavors. You will want to use fresh sage for this recipe instead of dried as the flavor will be very intense and overpower everything else in the dish. For those that don’t want to use bourbon you can substitute it with maple syrup.Â
Choosing the apples
The apple choice is important as you want one that will hold its structure. These can be the same apples that you would use for baking, and by doing so they will hold their shape and not turn into applesauce. Baking apples like Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Braeburn, or Pink Lady are great for this recipe. However any apple that is crisp, firm, and sweet will work. You want the natural sweetness of the apples instead of adding additional sugar like you would for Granny Smith apples.
From stovetop to oven
When making this recipe you want to make sure that your pan can go in the oven. You will want to avoid pans with handles that are made with plastic. Most pans can tolerate heat up to about 500F but that is not necessary for this recipe. If all else fails a cast iron skillet will always work. Be careful when you add the apples to the pan. You will want to add them to the pan while it is hot. If you have sliced the apples thinly then they will cook quickly in the pan. If you have sliced them thickly you will have to turn them in the pan once after cooking for 2 minutes.Â
Cooking tips and tricks
When working with pork chops there are a few things to possibly consider as well as some cooking tricks.Â
- The thickness of the pork chop will change the cooking time. if the pork chops are thinly cut then you can forego the oven as you will be able to cook them on the stove. Just sauté the apples until they have softened.Â
- Bone-in pork chops will cook more slowly than boneless, this recipe uses bone-in pork chops so if you go the boneless route reduce cooking time by 5 minutes.Â
- For additional sage flavor put a few leaves in the sugar and butter mixture before adding the apples.Â
Looking for other pork chop recipes
Sage Pork Chop with Bourbon Apples
Equipment
- Large skillet or cast iron pan
- Apple corer
Ingredients
- 4 pork chops 1 inch thick
- 20 sage leaves
- 3 apples large, cored and sliced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tbsp salt kosher
- ½ tbsp pepper
- 2 tbsp bourbon
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 4 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F or gas mark 5.
- Season the pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil in a large pan or iron skillet on medium high heat. When the oil is hot add the pork chops and cook on each side for 3-4 minutes to brown the sides. Remove from heat and set aside on a plate.
- Melt the butter in the pan the add the brown sugar and bourbon. Once the sugar has dissolved add the apples then sage, and then top with the pork chops. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the pork chops are done.
- Place the apple and sage mixture on top of the pork chops.
Nutrition
I don’t think I’ve ever had a recipe combining pork and apple before but this one in particular seems really tasty and flavorful.
I have never tried this combo before. Sounds amazingly delicious. Pinned to try this recipe soon.
This is a great version of porkchops and apple sauce. I would definitely go for the bone in, because it has so much more flavor. The bourbon apples with the sage sounds amazing. A lovely dish for sure!
Thank you for sharing! Love it!
Thank you for the tip on slicing the apples thinly for quicker cooking. I loved this recipe and could honestly eat the apples all by themselves too. My family loved this for dinner!
These pork chops are incredible! The pork was perfectly cooked, and those bourbon apples really made it feel like a gourmet, restaurant-worthy meal. Loved it!
I swear those bourbon apples can go on anything 🙂
The brown butter sauce with the apples is insanely good! We absolutely demolished these pork chops. Thanks again for a great recipe that will be on our meal rotation for some time to come.
Thank you. I am so glad you liked them.
What a fab main dish meal! Loving the flavor combo with the pork. Something for a great weeknight meal!
Pork and apples are a winning combination. Love the touch of bourbon in the recipe. This sounds like a delicious dinner to me.