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!
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 have made this several times. It’s great. But I was wanting to double the pork chops for a family dinner. How would you recommend going about that? Cook in batches on the stove then place all the chops in the oven together?
Yep, that sounds like the best plan of action to me. The one thing you *don’t* want to do is crowd the pan with too many chops because that will prevent browning. So, definitely do that step in two batches.
Looks great! But how long do you leave them in the oven?
About five minutes, but it will depend on the size of your chops.
Is there subsitute for the spices or can I just use the garlic powder and brown sugar the pork chop were a hit for dinner just little bit spicy
You can reduce or eliminate the cayenne to make it less spicy. :)
Can i bake them in the oven the whole time
You can, but it won’t turn out the same as when you sear in the skillet first.
Do you know the calories on this meal
sorry forgot to rate
i told my husband to take out pork chops, so i mixed the spices and when i pulled the meat out it was a roast, well good thing it was early. I still made the reciepe only with the roast. It was awesome thanks
I tried this last Sunday and I fell deeply in love. I added less spice but i still liked it. My only problem was that I didn’t get much glaze to form in the pan when frying it was more oil (i did pat them dry) but other than that they were perfect the flavor and texture was nice.
I had to use 1 cup of Brown Sugar to get the glaze effect. I used the extra glaze in the baking pan to go with the mashed potatoes I made and it was amazing.
i don’t cook very often, so when I do I follow recipes to the T. These burnt so bad I had to toss them. Medium-high was way too high!
I had the exact same problem.
Me too, but we ate them anyway
This was so delicious!! Easy as pie! Definitely trying it again and the pork chops were so tender! I cooked it on medium since mine were thin cut. The only problem I had was the brown sugar burnt a little. It was still so good. I also made homemade sweet potato fries with evoo, salt, pepper, garlic and Parmesan.
I made these tonight in a cast iron skillet on a gas grill. They were delicious and didn’t take very long to cook. Heat at medium and indirect.
I made this and LOVED them! I didn’t think hubby was too impressed but then he went back for seconds :) the glaze did not burn, it was perfect and the mix of sweet and spicy was perfect. Thanks!
I’m not sure what I did wrong but my chops weren’t BURNT. I even lowered the heat to medium after flipping it over and it didn’t make a difference.
I’ve made this before though (using a similar recipe) and it was delish!
I’d attach a pic if I could, but I made these tonight for my family, and they turned out awesome! My 4 year old actually ate two pork chops, and my 3 year old loved them as well! I will definitely be making these more often! Thanks for recipe!
By the way, the first batch browned pretty quickly, I used a cast iron skillet, I just set the heat back a bit, and that did the trick. If your chops are burning, turn the heat down.
great recipe. Cannot understand how someone could mess this up if they are accustom to cooking. You should try it agin if it did not turn out for you