I’ll be honest – I’ve been craving these Smothered Pork Chops with Apple-Onion Sauce for months and I finally had a chance to make them and share with you! My mother used to make them for us when I was young and they were always a special treat. Lately I have been missing my family; yearning for some comfort. This meal makes me feel a little closer to those I’ve lost.
Perfect bone-in thick cut pork chops
This meal is one of the best ways to utilize the produce you can easily get in the fall and winter. Onions and apples are readily available and inexpensive. When cold, wet days make us crave comfort foods, you can pull this together in no time.
Chops sauteing in an Anolon skillet = perfect browning every time
I have made many pan sauces over the years, each one enhancing the main course. A touch of wine or stock added to the pan you’ve used to cook your protein and you’ve got one of the best sauces you’ve ever tasted. In this case we are using apple cider as the primary liquid to deglaze the pan. What an amazing way to infuse the apple flavor throughout the sauce. A little wine helps cut the sweetness, taking the sauce more toward savory and the perfect accompaniment for luscious pork chops.
In this case we are using apple cider as the primary liquid to deglaze the pan. What an amazing way to infuse the apple flavor throughout the sauce. A little wine helps cut the sweetness, taking the sauce more toward savory and the perfect accompaniment for luscious pork chops.
Onions have a lot of natural sugars in them and when you combine them with tart apples, it is a beauty to behold. These Smothered Pork Chops with Apple-Onion Sauce are outstanding!
If you have the time, par-cook the chops in advance, wrap and hold them in the fridge. Then you can make the sauce and let it simmer slowly, developing even more flavor. There is nothing like slow simmering to elevate a dish from ordinary to outstanding! Then you can rewarm the chops in the hot sauce.
Close up of sliced apples and onions for the pan sauce
This dish always reminds me of Peter Brady saying, “pork chops and applesauce” in his best Bogart imitation. Only instead of applesauce, we serve them with an elegant sauce flavored with apples and onions. I am certain that that Christopher Knight who played Peter Brady would love this!
I hope you enjoy these Smothered Pork Chops with Apple-Onion Sauce as much as The Artist and I did. And it did the trick … I still miss my family, but my heart is a little lighter.
Creamy mashed potatoes studded with chives and fresh asparagus make perfect accompaniments
How to make Smothered Pork Chops with Apple-Onion Sauce:
- Brown chops on both sides; transfer to a baking sheet and set aside
- Add the onions, apples, and a little salt to the same pan, cooking until softened and beginning to brown, deglazing the pan with wine
- Return the chops to the sauce in the pan and cook to 140°F on an instant read thermometer; remove from the heat
- While chops are cooking, make a roux with the butter/oil and flour; cook until golden brown, then whisk in the apple cider until smooth
- Cook sauce until thickened and smooth; remove from the heat
- Combine the onion/apple sauce with the roux-based sauce; taste and adjust seasonings as desired
- Place the chops on serving plates and top with some of the sauce; garnish with apple wedges and herbs; serve and enjoy!
Does it matter which direction I cut the onion?
There is a very big difference between slicing an onion horizontally vs lengthwise – crosswise (along the equator) they will soften and mostly disappear as they cook; lengthwise (through the stem & roots) will keep them firmer. If you want recognizable pieces of onion, cut them lengthwise.
PRO Tip:
If you want some of the onions to have more texture, I recommend holding half the onions back and adding them about halfway through the cooking.
Key Ingredients for this Recipe
- Four thick pork chops, preferably bone-in
- Onions
- Apples
- Dry white wine
- Fresh thyme leaves
- Butter and olive oil
- Flour or gluten-free flour
- Apple cider
Kitchen Tools I Use to Make This Recipe (affiliate links)
Other Pork Recipes You May Enjoy:
- Calypso Pork Burgers with Pineapple Salsa
- Pork Tenderloin with Cranberry Glaze (GF)
- Slow Cooked Cuban Pulled Pork Sliders (GF)
- Herb Crusted Thick Cut Pork Chops (GF)
- Succulent Pork Carnitas with Tomatillo Salsa (GF)
- Instant Pot Green Chile Pork Tacos (GF)
- Southwestern Pork, Chiles, and Potato Casserole (GF)
Gluten-Free Tips:
You can use virtually any gluten-free flour to thicken the sauce, or use cornstarch, potato starch, or arrowroot if you prefer. The best choices will be more neutral-flavored flours like rice, millet, sorghum, or an all-purpose blend.
Smothered Pork Chops with Apple-Onion Sauce (Gluten-Free)
Some days you just need good old-fashioned comfort food and these Smothered Pork Chops with an Apple-Onion pan sauce really hit the spot!
Ingredients
Pork Chops
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
- 4 bone-in pork chops, each 3/4 to 1 inch thick, patted dry
- Kosher or fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 medium onions, trimmed, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced thinly lengthwise, see Note above
- 1 or 2 tart green apples, peeled, cored, and sliced thinly
- 2 tbsp dry white wine, dry vermouth, or water
- 2 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves
Apple Cider Sauce
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour (rice, sorghum, millet or a flour blend will all work)
- 1 cup apple cider
- 1/4 cup dry white wine, dry vermouth, or chicken stock
To Serve
- Mashed potatoes, pasta noodles, or cooked rice
- Apple wedges
- Minced parsley, chives, or thyme sprigs
Instructions
Cook Pork Chops: Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sprinkle both sides of chops with salt and pepper. Lay them in in the hot pan and cook until deep golden on the first side, about 3 minutes. Flip chops with tongs and cook until browned on second side, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer chops to sheet pan or plate, tent with foil, and set aside. You will finish cooking them in the sauce.
In the same skillet you cooked the pork in, add the remaining 1 tbsp oil, the onions, apples, a dash of salt. When the onions and apples are sizzling, add the wine and bring to a boil. Scrape up the browned bits on the pan bottom, (this is called deglazing) and lower the heat to medium. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are softened and starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the thyme until it is evenly distributed. Push all the onions and apples to one side of the skillet.
Return the chops and their liquid to the pan in a single layer, scooping the onions/apples on top of the chops. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the chops are tender. Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of your chops. Pull them off the heat at 140°F, tent loosely with foil, and let the residual heat finish cooking them. You want to serve them at about 145°F. It is safe to have a little pink left in the center of the pork chops.
Make the Sauce Base: While the chops are cooking, in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, heat the butter and oil until the butter is melted. Gradually whisk in the flour until smooth. Cook, whisking frequently, until mixture is light brown, like the color of peanut butter, about 5 minutes (you've just made a roux!!). Whisk in the apple cider in a slow stream until it is fully blended. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, stirring often, until thickened. Remove from the heat.
Finish the Sauce: When the pork is finished cooking, use tongs to transfer the chops to a warmed serving platter and tent with foil. Pour the apple roux into the skillet with the pork juices. Increase the heat to medium-high and simmer rapidly, stirring frequently, until thickened to a
gravy-like consistency, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper if needed. If the sauce isn't thickening enough, make a slurry out of cornstarch and water and whisk it into the sauce. Bring it to a boil whisking constantly until smooth and thickened.
To Serve: Scoop a serving of mashed potatoes, noodles or rice onto serving plates. Set 1 to 2 chops on top and scoop some of the sauce over and around the chops. Tuck some apple wedges
around the edges. Garnish with herbs and serve immediately.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1134Total Fat: 47gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 26gCholesterol: 165mgSodium: 525mgCarbohydrates: 118gFiber: 7gSugar: 39gProtein: 52g
Nutrition calculations are not always correct.
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First Published: 12 Feb 2016
Last Updated: 3 Jan 2020
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Chris
This sounds perfect, Jane! I like that caramelization that you got on the chop, flawless.
Jane Bonacci
Thanks so much Chris – I have a great Anolon pan that sears beautifully – makes my job easy! 😉