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!
Yummy…..beth thanks for posting this article. I never try pork because i dont like its smell. But i must follow your tips.
Thanks,
john
Delicious recipe! Love the spicy & sweetness. 😊
I have made these several times and they are always amazing. I pan fry mine just enough to caramelize the brown sugar then bake it in the oven to finish cooking. They turn out so tender I can never just eat one. It is just myself in the house so I use a thicker cut chop ones that are about a 1 1/2 – 2 inches thick and just use 2 just as good the next day. 🙂
Hard to pan fry without burning. It smelled great but was way too spicy, it didn’t matter the glaze was a sweet flavor. I suck at pan frying to cook pork chops well so I had to put it in the oven on 350 to make sure it was cooked.
Not the greatest. At all. I’m not even willing to try it with less cayenne
Just made this! Didn’t use the cayenne pepper since I didn’t have any but I had no problems with them burning at all! I did 5 min on each side and then oven for about 4 min on each side. They came out so tender and delicious! Definitely keeping this one for the future!
i made this for my fiancee & my friend i had over for DINNER. i didnt have bread crumbs, so i crushed up some crackers & it worked out GREAT! everyone loved IT. i served it with mashed potatoes & green beans. delicious! will definitely make again.
Did not like at all. Too sweet, too dry. Wife couldn’t finish hers. Definitely not a keeper
I made these tonight for dinner and they were AWESOME! This recipe is definitely going into my meal rotation. It was fast and easy enough I could whip up dinner after getting home from work and that’s exactly the kind of recipe I need!
Thanks for sharing it! :)
I’ve never been able to successfully use this rub on porkchops and NOT burn them. Maybe I’m just not a great pork-chop cooker…who knows. But what I do know is that I took this rub and have been using it on salmon for a few years now and it is AMAZING. Since salmon cooks a lot quicker, it’s harder to burn the glaze unless you just way over cook the salmon. But seriously, this glaze on salmon has been a favorite in our house for a while. Just wish I could get it right on pork chops.
I dont think its burned its carmlization :)
Amazing recipe. They were so tender and sweet that my picky children even ate them!
I only used about 1/2 the cayenne and the flavor was awesome. Didn’t have an oven proof skillet, so I just put a lid on it for a bit. Made the glaze a bit watery, but it was still good. I’ll be making them again.
My husband and myself really love these chops..I don’t use much cayenne because I can’t tolerate it much heat..I will be making these tonight for my daughter who we are visiting..thanks for this easy and great tasting recipe
I thought these would be delicious but they were too spicy and I couldn’t taste the sweetness much. They were overcooked, therefore; very tough. I did not like the recipe.
If you liked the general flavor you could try cutting way down on the cayenne and not good them as long…?
was super fun to make :] great job explaining
I thought these would be delicious but they were too spicy and I couldn’t taste the sweetness much. They were overcooked, therefore; very tough. I did not like the recipe.
I so wanted to like these, but the amount of sugar means that it’s hard not to burn them, and then the heat is too low. The result was very tough even though I didn’t cook them very long. Next time (if there is one) I will be sure to brine the chops first to tenderize them. I think it would be delicious made with chicken thighs.