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!
Holy Moly! Just made these and it was fabulous! Great flavor! Cooked on the stove the whole time cuz the pork were thin anyway. Will make them again! Thanks for sharing!
So, if I try this in the crockpot should I brown them before? Very eager to try this but I’m a working mom who lives for freezer meals and crockpots, lol!
Well, even if you brown them before, cooking them in the crock pot will drastically change their flavor and texture. It will probably still be delicious, but it will be something completely different. … so I guess the answer to that is, no, browning first isn’t necessary. :)
Just wanted to let you know that my family and I LOVE these chops! Even my 14yr old daughter. And she doesn’t like much of anything! This is the first thing I had ever pinned from your blog and since I now make these so often, I just went through and pinned a bunch more! You. Are. Awesome. Thank you for sharing your talents!!!
Yum!
Made this for dinner tonight ~ very easy, quick and yummy
I was assigned dinner duty last night, and since we had some frozen pork chops, I gave this a shot! Super easy, super quick, and super tasty. I loved the sweet-spicy flavour. Thanks for another winner :)
Beth, thank you so much for this recipe! My boyfriend and I both agreed these pork chops paired with your yellow jasmine rice is the best dinner I’ve made so far. We can’t wait to try this spice rub on the chicken drumsticks we have in the freezer.
Not sure where you live, but in So. California, there is no way 4 thick pork chops are going to cost on $6.00, so guess you can be happy about your cost. Ha.
Tried it last night with chicken breasts! Delicious! Although I had to cook them in the oven a bit longer than I did the chops. All in all, great glaze!
I think it would be delicious with chicken breasts.
Love this recipe! The chops were moist & delicious!! I’m wondering would this same recipe work for chicken breasts?!
Anon – That sounds like it would be delicious. I’ve never tried marinating in just plain apple juice, so I’m not sure how it would affect the tenderness.
Could I marinade the chops in apple juice for a few hours and then cook them? I’m trying to find a way to make them more tender.
So excited to try this recipe this week. Your blog is, hands down, my favorite source for recipes. Seriously. Thank you so much for sharing all your recipes with us.
I tried these last night. Omg just wonderful. It has a sweet and spicy kick to it. I didn’t have ground cumin, but I added 1/2tbs of red chili flakes. Just great. I’m far from being a good cook lol but I was able to do this without setting off the smoke alarm. :-) Everyone has to try it. I did let the pork chops marinate in the spices 30 mins before cooking.
Let me just say it’s probably not a very kid friendly recipe. That being said my husband and I absolutely LOVED this recipe!!! Husband even said it ranked in his top five favorites. I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out tender and so flavorful. (my 12 year old daughter loved the flavor but got thru about half her chop and then passed the rest to my more than happy hubby because of the spice & my 11 year old took two bites and finished off his milk ;-) I’ll definitely make this again but I’ll do a mild version for the kids and a knock your socks off version for me and the hubs. Thanks for sharing! – MB from AZ