Pork chops get a bad rap for being dry, tough, hockey-puck-like pieces of meat that no one gets excited about, but this Glazed Pork Chops recipe is guaranteed to change your mind. These boneless pork chops are tender, juicy, and done in just a few minutes, which makes them perfect for weeknight dinners. What’s the secret? Cooking the pork chops fast and coating the pork chops in a smoky, spicy, sugar glaze helps hold in the moisture. So you can stop looking. You’ve found the best pork chop recipe and the last one you’ll ever need!
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Ingredients for Glazed Pork Chops
The best part about this pork chop recipe is the incredible flavor you get with just a few simple ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need to make this delicious and juicy boneless brown sugar glazed pork chop recipe:
- Pork Chops: You’ll need boneless pork chops for this recipe to make sure they cook through in the quick cook time and before the glaze burns. Aim for pork chops that are about ¾-inch thick.
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar is the base of the spice rub and is the magic ingredient that transforms into a glaze when it combines with the pork juices and heat. Use dark brown sugar for this recipe.
- Spices: A simple mix of cayenne pepper, garlic, paprika, salt, and black pepper creates a deliciously savory and slightly spicy flavor that perfectly balances the sweetness of the brown sugar. You can use smoked paprika for an extra smoky finish!
- Olive Oil: You can use olive oil or your favorite cooking oil for this recipe. The oil helps the pork chops achieve a nice sear in the hot skillet.
What Kind of Pork Chops to Use
This pork chop recipe works best with center-cut boneless pork chops that are about ¾ inch thick. Thin-cut pork chops will cook too quickly and will likely dry out. Bone-in pork chops take much longer to cook, and the glaze will likely burn by the time the pork chops cook through. So, stick to center-cut boneless pork chops for best results!
If you don’t like pork chops, you can make a similar recipe with pre-cooked ham steaks or chicken thighs. See my Glazed Ham Steaks recipe and Sweet and Spicy Chicken Thighs for reference.
Air Fryer Glazed Pork Chops
This brown sugar glazed pork chop recipe is undoubtedly best cooked in a hot skillet where direct contact with the hot pan creates a perfect thick glaze, but you can make these pork chops in an air fryer if needed. Just keep in mind that the glaze will not be as thick and sticky as the pan fry method.
To make these boneless pork chops in an air fryer, follow these instructions:
- Coat the pork chops in a thin layer of oil before coating in the spice mix.
- Preheat the air fryer to 420ºF for five minutes.
- Add the pork chops and cook at 420ºF for 7 minutes. Flip the pork chops and cook for an additional 8 minutes.
- Use a meat thermometer to make sure the internal temperature of the pork has reached 145ºF, adding additional time if needed.
Make sure to use boneless center-cut pork chops that are approximately ¾-inch thick. The cook time will increase with a thicker pork chop and decrease with a thinner pork chop.
What to Serve with Glazed Pork Chops
Pork chops are a classic comfort food, so comfort food side dishes are a natural match. Comfort food recipes like Mashed Potatoes, Mac and Cheese, Green Bean Casserole, Fried Cabbage, or Collard Greens would be awesome. If you want to go with something lighter, Roasted Broccoli, Honey Mustard Broccoli Salad, Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad, or even an Apple Dijon, and Kale Salad would be great.
Sweet and Spicy Glazed Pork Chops
Servings 4Ingredients
- 1/4 cup brown sugar ($0.12)
- 1/2 tsp cayenne powder ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp paprika ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper ($0.05)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.32)
- 4 thick cut boneless pork chops ($5.97)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper.
- Remove the pork chops from their package and rub the seasoning mixture over all sides of each chop. The moisture from the meat will help the seasoning to adhere to the surface.
- Heat olive oil in a large, oven-safe skillet over a medium flame. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the pork chops. Cook the chops for about 5 minutes on each side, until nicely browned.
- If your chops are greater than one-inch thick, transfer the skillet to the preheated oven for another 5-10 minutes to finish cooking. Test the chops with a meat thermometer to make sure the internal temperature has reached 145ºF. Cook longer if needed.
- Dredge the chops through the thick sauce in the bottom of the pan just before serving.
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Nutrition
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Look at that juicy, glazed goodness… 🤤
How to Make Glazed Pork Chops – Step By Step Photos
In a small bowl stir together 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp salt, and some freshly cracked pepper.
Rub the spice mix over both sides of four thick-cut boneless pork chops. The moisture from the meat will dissolve the sugar and help the spices adhere to the surface.
Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat until the oil is shimmering. Place the chops in the pan and cook on each side for about 5 minutes or until browned.
Depending on the thickness of the chops, you may need to transfer the skillet to the oven (only if using an oven-safe skillet) to finish cooking. These chops were about an inch thick and were cooked through once browned on both sides. If any thicker you may need to finish in a 350ºF oven for 5-10 minutes to make sure the internal temperature reaches 145ºF.
Dredge the pork chops in the glaze that has formed in the skillet before serving. You can also tilt the skillet and scoop it up with a spoon, then drizzle it over the chops.
😍😍😍 This glazed pork chops recipe has me mesmerized!
I added a little chopped parsley to the brown sugar glazed pork chops just for kicks (or color, actually), but it’s not necessary for flavor!
I came across this recipe on pinterest tonight and decided to give it a whirl! They turned out wonderfully and I have already blogged it on my blog at:
http://noutensilunused.blogspot.com/2011/12/glazed-pork-chops.html
Thanks for sharing such a wonderful recipe!
Mmmmm this looks yummy and we are having it for supper tonight!! I think your recipe has been “pinned” quite a few times on Pinterest now!! :)
I made these last night. My hubby came in right before I put them in the oven. He made me transfer the chops to a different pan to finish them off and he made a sauce using the pan drippings. He loves to make sauces and it was perfect over the mashed potatoes I served with the chops. I also made zucchini fries. My hubby said he’s gladly pay $20 for that meal at a restaurant! And he can’t wait for me to make the pork chops again. Thanks!
I chuckled when I scrolled down and saw that the pork chops came from Rouses. I have some sitting on my counter waiting for me to cook them from the same place. I hope you like it down here. I’m from the northshore, so I can’t say much about the city but if you want a nice day trip we have lots of nice things here too! Thats the awesome thing about Louisiana, New Orleans is great, but it can’t contain all the magic. Our spirit is simply too great to stay in one city.
I made this tonight, and it was GOOD, but it didn’t turn out like yours. I didn’t get that nice, thick, brown glaze. I’m not sure what I did wrong though. I’ll just have to try again.
This is awesome! I made one mistake, and that was making the wild rice with it that you posted. The reason being is that the pork needs to be in the oven at a diff temp as the rice, and that rice takes FOREVER. LOL! Green beans would have been a better option. I like the easy factor of the pork chops, so I should make the whole meal easy. Oh well. Lesson learned.
Just made these tonight and they turned out so good! Served them with some spicy garlic green beans. So good! Thanks for the recipe!
Cool recipe I will definitely be making this in the next two weeks! I can get really good deals on Pork Chops where I live. I live in Canada by the way and I stumbled upon your blog randomly and by golly I am glad I did! Yay!
I made this a few days ago and we loved it! I went ahead and cooked mine in an electric skillet on lowish heat because I have a seriously small european oven and was using it to bake potatoes! Thank you so much for a delicious recipe!
These look delicious. I’ve made something very similar with bone-in chicken where I brined the chicken for several hours and then coated in the same spice rub before baking, and it was awesome. :) Also liked to share that if you have a pan with a non-oven safe handle, you can wrap the handle a few times with aluminum foil and that will protect it from the heat so you can transfer straight to the oven. Less dishes to wash!
Thanks! I fixed it :)
I think you made a mistake in the cost section of your chart…. :)
these look incredible
You’d definitely need to add some liquid if you want to do this in the crock pot. Apple juice would work nicely – just add enough to cover the chops and you’re good to go!
I’ve been looking for a good, but different recipe for pork chops in the crockpot. Wonder how these would fare with the crockpot treatment?