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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Equipment
- Stainless Steel Pots and Pans
- Color Cutting Boards
- Measuring Cups Spoons
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!
Made this for the first time tonight and major success! The only thing I skipped entirely was the cayenne pepper since husband and I dislike anything even mildly spicy. I added onion powder instead and doubled the garlic. The chops were tender, the glaze was sweet and garlicky, and my notoriously picky husband loved them.
I Love this recipe! Since I don’t use oil, I Baked them…and they turned out Awesome!! I doubled the seasoning and packed both sides, put it on a rack (on top of a cookie sheet lined with foil) and baked at 400° until done. It got a really nice glaze on it, was tender…and my husband and I loved it! It was such a nice change of pace for pork chops. We do tend to like spicy food..and this was just right. Got that lil burn to the tongue and lips, but not to the throat so much. That’s one of the things we really liked about it…plus the sweet was a nice touch. I enjoy sweet & spicy. I’m happy to say…Not too sweet. Pretty well balanced seasoning! This is one I will make over and over! Thanks for the wonderful recipe!!!!
For us, this was a miss, overall. It wasn’t without merit though. It was fast and easy to make, very much a pantry dish. I cooked solely on the stovetop and had zero issues with burning. It was on the table in 20 minutes, which included a resting period for the pork.
I did feel the flavor was a bit bland, considering the reviews and comments about the flavor and being zingy and spicy.
I would say that if you like sweet pork chops, you’ll probably like this.
OMG….this recipe is amazing!!! My daughter gave it the thumbs up, and believe me that is a compliment. I can’t wait to try it with chicken!
Made this for the first time and it came out amazing. The only thing I did different was after the chops were done, I deglazed the fond with a little white wine and thickened the sauce with a touch of flour (I was out of cornstarch). The sauce was nice and thick and really stuck to the chops. I will be making it again!!!
Great and super simple! I didn’t have any cayenne in the kitchen, so used some red pepper flakes and gave it a nice kick still!
My pork chops keep turning out tuff, suggestions?
Tough pork chops are the result of overcooking, so I would try cooking for less time on each side next time. Unfortunately stove tops and cookware can be extremely variable, so settings and cook times are rarely exact. It’s just one of those things you have to develop a feel for. :)
Just made this tonight and my family loved it! I added honey right before putting the chops in the oven and it was great!
Happy to hear it Alicia! It’s great when it’s a win for all.
Hi! Can anyone suggest how to use this recipe on bone in chops?
Amazing✔️Awesome✔️Juicy✔️Tender✔️ Sweet n Spicy ✔️✔️😍 I’m n love w this recipe! I had to substitute n tweet it a lil w only what I had but Absolutely Amazing turnout!! Especially since I’m jus learning to cook. I used Heinz ketchup Worresshirre sauce Tabasco Habanero sauce Brown Sugar Frank’s Hot sauce Fresh Chop Garlic and a dash of Paprika!! Then baked them for 30-35mins(thick bone-in chops) and the sauce was soo Amazing 😍mouth watering with jus the right amount of Sweet n Spicy!!! Definitely cleaned plates tonight 😍😍 Thanks for sharing!!
Thank you so much Nicole!!
This was great!! Next time I’ll cut back a little on the cayenne. I didn’t not have any issues burning the pork chops, only my mouth. Lol. Loved the sweet, spicy and smoky flavor though. I used smoked paprika.
Will definitely make again. Thanks for sharing.
Oh no! Glad you still liked it Cindy!
Thanks so much for sharing this!!
I love this recipe so much, but i keep burning it! Ive used different ovens with the same result each time, brown sugar from the black lagoon. My spice rub insists on burning almost as soon as it touches the pan, even though ive tried turning it down to closer to medium low it still burns. I wouldnt mind being able to enjoy this the way its meant to, im just glad my SO still loves the dish even when its burnt. (Porkchops dont come out burnt, if anything they come out undercooked)
What type of skillet are you using? And do you perhaps have an oven thermometer? They’re pretty reasonable and can be very helpful. In my previous house our oven ran 10 degrees hotter than what it was set at!
This is my favorite brown sugar pork chops recipe! The cayenne pepper really sets It Off! So good
I made these pork chops with the Smoky Roasted Sweet Potatoes as recommended in the post as well as the Honey Balsamic Carrots and it was hands down the best meal I’ve ever made in my life! It was smoky and sweet with just the right amount of heat. I couldn’t get enough! On a side note I used the Splenda brown sugar blend to cut down on the calories and it turned out wonderfully.
I made it and I didn’t use the full amount of cayenne and pepper. It was still a bit spicy. I cooked the pork in an iron skillet and it came out perfectly.
I made some more glaze with honey(2-3tblspns), a few table spoons of water in a small sauce pot. Thw was a bit liquidy and tasted good. I added about 2 tablespoons(or to taste) of remaining glaze from the iron skillet and dipped the pork in it and put it in the oven to finish cooking since I used thick pork. Then I drizzled the extra on the pork before serving. It came out delicious.