Skillet Pork Chops with Apples and Onions

Crisp fall days (and crisp fall apples) call for sweet & savory autumn recipes — and, do these Skillet Pork Chops with Apples and Onions ever deliver!

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Middle School Guy recently mentioned that it’s been a while since we had pork chops, so I figured it was high time to remedy that situation. Skillet Pork Chops with Apples and Onions take advantage of seasonal sales on pork and honeycrisp apples — and, they just scream fall, don’t they?

Apple season is just the best, and we’ve been going through them like crazy over here. Sometimes I just sprinkle sliced apples with cinnamon for a snack, so had that apple-cinnamon flavor in mind when creating today’s recipe.

To add a savory kick, though, I went with a sweet & spicy flavor profile with our apple & onion pork chops. Everything is seasoned with a chili powder/cinnamon/brown sugar combo, but you could omit the chili powder and change up the flavor by substituting a little garlic and rosemary or other seasonings of choice. (Or, you could add a bit more brown sugar to sweeten the pot a little. Make the recipe your own!)

Skillet Pork Chops with Apples and Onions

Ingredients

– for the chops

1 Tbsp olive oil
2.5 lbs bone-in assorted pork chops (about four good-sized chops)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp chili powder
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste

– for the apples & onions

2 Tbsp butter
2 small or medium apples, very thinly sliced (I used honeycrisp)
1 medium yellow onion, sliced thinly into half-moons
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp packed brown sugar

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for one minute. Meanwhile, season the pork chops on both sides with cinnamon, chili powder, sea salt, & pepper.

Sear the pork chops over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes a side, or until mostly cooked through. This will depend on thickness, but note that they’ll cook through more at the end, so leave some pink in there.

While chops are cooking, thinly slice your apples and onion. (Discard the apple cores, but leave the skin on.)

Remove the chops from the pan to a separate plate, reduce heat to medium, and melt in the butter. Add the apples and onion, then season with chili powder and cinnamon.

Saute over medium heat for 15-18 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until onions are browned and softened. Stir in the brown sugar.

Nestle the pork chops back into the pan, covering them with the apple/onion mixture. Continue to saute over medium heat for another 10 minutes, or until pork is cooked through and apples are softened.

Serve pork chops topped with apples, onions, and pan drippings.

Note: I went with a sweet & spicy flavor here by adding a little chili powder, but you could change things up by instead using garlic and rosemary, or other seasonings of choice.

Sweet and savory skillet pork chops, check!

Try this easy skillet pork chops recipe when apples are in season, on a crisp autumn evening. Middle School Guy, by the way, was quite pleased with the end result — although, to be honest, he was a bigger fan of the apples than of the onions.

Sweet, savory, and filling: Skillet pork chops with apples & onions is a naturally gluten free recipe.

Skillet Pork Chops with Apples and Onions, printable recipe

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Skillet Pork Chops with Apples and Onions

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Crisp fall days (and crisp fall apples) call for sweet & savory autumn recipes — and, do these Skillet Pork Chops with Apples and Onions ever deliver!

Course dinner

Cuisine pork chops

Keyword apples, gluten free, pork chops, pork chops with apples and onions, skillet

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Rachel Singer

Equipment

large skillet

Ingredients

for the chops

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2.5 lbs bone-in assorted pork chops about four good-sized chops
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• Sea salt to taste
• Black pepper to taste

for the apples & onions

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 small or medium apples very thinly sliced (I used honeycrisp)
• 1 medium yellow onion sliced thinly into half-moons
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp packed brown sugar

Instructions

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for one minute. Meanwhile, season the pork chops on both sides with cinnamon, chili powder, sea salt, & pepper.
• Sear the pork chops over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes a side, or until mostly cooked through. This will depend on thickness, but note that they’ll cook through more at the end, so leave some pink in there.
• While chops are cooking, thinly slice your apples and onion. (Discard the apple cores, but leave the skin on.)
• Remove the chops from the pan to a separate plate, reduce heat to medium, and melt in the butter. Add the apples and onion, then season with chili powder and cinnamon.
• Saute over medium heat for 15-18 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until onions are browned and softened. Stir in the brown sugar.
• Nestle the pork chops back into the pan, covering them with the apple/onion mixture. Continue to saute over medium heat for another 10 minutes, or until pork is cooked through and apples are softened.
• Serve pork chops topped with apples, onions, and pan drippings.

Notes

I went with a sweet & spicy flavor here by adding a little chili powder, but you could change things up by instead using garlic and rosemary, or other seasonings of choice.

Recipes in the real world

Be sure not to miss the free ALDI meal plans, which show you how to use these easy family recipes to meal plan affordably and realistically for your family. Or, find more recipe ideas with the Recipe Search!

Be sure not to miss the free ALDI meal plans, which show you how to use these easy family recipes to meal plan affordably and realistically for your family. Or, find more recipe ideas with the Recipe Search!