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’m just wondering can I skip the stove top step and just cook it in the oven? I’m making it right now and what would be the suggested Temp and time cooking it in the oven?
How long do I put these in the oven for?
5-10 minutes.
I made these for the first time tonight. They are juicy and delicious. And super quick and easy to make. They didn’t need much salt and I did a pinch of cayenne. Served with perogies and green beans. My husband liked them too.
looks so good! are they really spicy or mild?
I’d say they’re about medium, but you can adjust the heat to your liking by adding more or less cayenne pepper. You can taste a pinch of the dry rub before adding it to the chops to see if it’s at a good level for you. :)
Great recipe! Very easy and tastes wonderful! The whole family loved it. Thank you for sharing!
This is my favorite recipe by far I’ve made these several times and it’s always a big hit! I’m having a group of 4 over this weekend and I really wanted to make these but I was thinking of doing a full tenderloin instead. Any ideas how I should adjust the preparation to suit the loin instead of the chops? Any help would be greatly appreciated!! :)
You’d definitely need to bake it longer. Sear it in the skillet, just like the chops and then let it bake about 30 minutes at 400, or until the internal temp gets to 160. It won’t have as much surface are covered with the nice glaze as chops do, though :(
I have thin cut pork steaks, a little over a half inch thick. Any ideas on how long to cook or whether or not I should do the oven step?
You might be able to skip the oven step, depending on how long they take to brown in the skillet (which will depend on the type of skillet and the level of heat). You might have to cut one open to find out.
OMG! I made these last night TOO DELICIOUS!
Again thanks for your recipes! Fan #1 of the blog!
I made these tonight. They aareso good! I love he mix of sweet and spicy. Even my very picky kids loved it.
How long do I bake them in the oven after browning?
About five minutes.
I don’t have ground red pepper can I use flakes or something else?! Home with 2 sick kids & the baby so I can’t run to store.
You can try the red pepper flakes, although it might be slightly different because the heat won’t be even throughout. If you have some sort of small grinder or food processor, you can put the red pepper flakes and the rest of the dry rub ingredients in and blend it up to be more like the ground red pepper.
I made these with crushed red pepper and it turned out awesome. I added quite a bit because I really like the heat. But the sweet and spicy balance was nice.
These were DELICIOUS and easy. definitely going into the dinner rotation. doubled the rub and it was so yummy sweet and spicy. found on pinterest which doesnt always work out for me :-)
Thank you!
I didn’t have time to mess around with browning these on the stovetop and then transferring them to the oven since I was making a lot of different food at the same time. So I added some apple cider to the spice blend and then marinated some boneless chops in that liquid in a 8×8 baking pan. When it was time to bake the chops, I stuck the pan in the oven with the spicy cider and baked for 20 minutes. The result was huge hit with my family.
How much apple cider did you use? Did any of the spice come off due to apple cider being introduced to the spice mix?
Made these tonight at the last minute when I couldn’t use the grill. They were so delicious! Even my “Ewww we’re having PORK CHOPS!!!” 6 year old had seconds! Haha! Thanks for the great, super easy recipe!
Uncovered or covered in the oven? Sounds delish!
Uncovered :)