Why I Love to Make These Pork Chops with Quick Applesauce
There’s something satisfying about cooking that reflects the season. As the air turns crisp, I reach for comforting flavors and warm spices. These pork chops with a quick applesauce feel like fall on a plate — simple, cozy, and full of flavor.
Boneless pork chops come from the loin and are a lean, quick-cooking cut with just enough marbling to stay juicy. Pairing them with apples cooked into a rustic applesauce makes the dish bright and seasonally appropriate. This recipe works especially well on busy weeknights because the chops cook fast and the apples cook alongside them in the same skillet.
Salt is the single best tool for enhancing meat flavor, and a dry brine is an ideal way to use it. Instead of submerging the meat in liquid, a dry brine combines salt with herbs and spices, which you rub onto the meat. As it rests in the fridge, the mixture seasons and helps the meat retain moisture for a better final texture and deeper flavor.
The apples roast in the pan juices with the chops and are then roughly mashed to make a quick, rustic applesauce. Served together, you have an easy, satisfying meal that looks and tastes like fall.
Pork Chops with Applesauce Ingredients
This recipe uses a short pantry-friendly ingredient list and simple techniques. The main components are:
- Pork chops — Boneless chops are convenient and quick to cook. Choose chops about 2 lbs total for four servings.
- Apples — Use varieties that break down when cooked, such as Fuji, Golden Delicious, Gala, Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, or Jonagold.
- Dried herbs and spices — A dry brine of kosher salt, black pepper, thyme, rosemary, sage, and garlic powder seasons the chops well and helps them retain moisture.
How to Make Pork Chops with Applesauce
The method is straightforward and mostly hands-off once the chops are brining and roasting. Follow these steps for reliable results:
Step 1: Dry brine the pork chops – Combine kosher salt, black pepper, dried thyme, rosemary, sage, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Rub the mixture evenly over all sides of four boneless pork chops (about 2 lbs). Arrange the chops on a tray without overlapping, cover, and refrigerate for 6–24 hours. The brine seasons the meat and helps maintain juiciness.
Step 2: Brown the pork chops – Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat a 12-inch oven-safe skillet over medium heat and melt 1 1/2 tsp unsalted butter. Add the chops and brown 4–6 minutes per side until nicely seared.
Step 3: Chop the apples – Core the apples and cut each into quarters. No precise size is needed since the apples will be mashed later.
Step 4: Roast the apples with the chops – Nestle the apple pieces between the browned chops in the skillet and transfer it to the preheated oven. Roast until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 140°F (about 14–18 minutes). Remove the chops to rest; they will carry over to 145°F. If the apples are still firm, return the skillet to the oven and roast 10–15 minutes more until tender.
Step 5: Mash the apples and serve – Once the apples are soft, mash them roughly in the skillet, scraping up the pan juices to make a rustic applesauce. Return the rested pork chops to the skillet, nestling them into the applesauce, and serve hot.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t be afraid of the salt in the dry brine — it seasons the meat and helps tenderize it. Home cooking rarely over-salts compared with processed foods and restaurant dishes.
- Apple size doesn’t have to be exact. Since you mash them after roasting, cutting them into quarters is quick and effective.
- Remove chops from the oven when they read about 140°F; they will rise to 145°F while resting. This ensures tender, juicy meat rather than overcooking.
Follow These Tips
Serving
Serve pork chops hot with a generous spoonful of the warm applesauce. This pairs well with mashed potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes, or simple sautéed greens like kale or spinach.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freeze pork chops and applesauce separately up to 2 months in freezer-safe containers; thaw overnight before reheating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Bone-in chops work, but they will need more time in the oven. Use a thermometer to ensure proper doneness.
Pears are a good substitute; they cook to a similar softness and mash into a pleasant sauce.
You can peel the apples if you prefer a smoother texture, but the skins soften when cooked and are barely noticeable in this rustic applesauce.
Yes, two hours will still add some seasoning, but the full benefits of the dry brine are best after at least six hours.
More Recipes to Make
- Kielbasa with cabbage and apples
- Chicken and curried honey lentils harvest bowls
- Slow cooker chili
- Fall spiced nut mix
- Pork chops with cabbage and apples
- Harvest skillet pizza
- Swiss chard and squash strata
- Sausage and butternut squash pasta
- Fig, walnut, and squash kale salad
- Unstuffed cabbage roll skillet
Have I Convinced You to Make This Recipe?
I hope you try this at home and enjoy it. If you make it, leave a comment and a star rating to let others know how it turned out — it helps other cooks decide to try the recipe, too.
Pork Chops with Quick Applesauce
Ingredients
- 4 boneless pork chops (about 2 lbs)
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- ¾ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 tsp dried sage
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 ½ tsp unsalted butter
- 3 apples (such as Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Pink Lady, or Jonagold)
Instructions
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Mix salt, black pepper, thyme, sage, garlic powder, and rosemary. Rub over all sides of the pork chops, cover, and refrigerate 6–24 hours.
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Preheat oven to 375°F.
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Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium, melt butter, and brown the chops 4–6 minutes per side.
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Core and quarter the apples. Place the pieces around the chops in the skillet.
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Roast in the oven until the pork reaches 140°F, about 14–18 minutes. Remove the chops to rest so they finish to 145°F. If apples remain firm, return them to the oven until tender, 10–15 minutes more.
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Mash the cooked apples into a rustic applesauce, mix with pan juices, tuck the rested chops into the sauce, and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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