Thick-Cut Pork Chops
The most important ingredient in this recipe for easy brown sugar glazed pork chops is… you guessed it, the pork chops! So many people complain that they find pork dry and tough, but if you start with the right pork chops, there’s no reason why you can’t make delicious, juicy and tender chops, along with a very simple glaze in about ten minutes. The key to the chops is the thickness. Chops that are at least one-inch thick will take longer to cook through than thin chops, and that time is needed to properly sear the outside of the meat. If you try to make the recipe with thin pork chops, the interior can easily be over-cooked by the time the outside has browned. So… buy good thick cut pork chops! Having said that, if thin chops are all you have (or what you prefer), reduce the cooking time to 4 to 5 minutes once you’ve put the lid on the pan and then remove the chops and proceed with making the glaze. They may not be quite as brown on the outside, but they should still be moist inside.
Four Ingredient Glaze for Pork Chops
One of the reasons this recipe is so very simple is that the ingredient list is really kept to a minimum. Even so, there’s no compromising on flavor. Seasoning and dredging the chops with flour, salt, freshly ground black pepper and smoked paprika adds great flavor to the chops before we even get started. The spice rub not only seasons the chops properly, but also helps to brown them on the outside as well. You could also use brined pork chops for this recipe if you really want to ensure a flavorful and moist result. You can see how to brine the pork chops here.
The glaze is made of just four ingredients: brown sugar, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard and soy sauce. That’s it! It’s a simple combo of acid and sugar and it works. You’ll need a good whisk to get the Dijon mustard and brown sugar to completely dissolve in the pan. I like to use my favorite flat whisk for this task.
How to Cook Thick Cut Pork Chops
There are a number of ways to cook pork chops. I believe this method is really the easiest and guarantees moist results. Sear the chops in the pan over medium-high heat. Don’t flip the chops too soon. Give them a solid two minutes on each side. That, incidentally, is longer than you think. Count to 120 before you even think about touching them. Then, pop a lid on the pan and lower the heat to medium-low. This turns the sauté pan into an oven of sorts, helping to trap the steam around the pork chops and letting them cook more evenly without losing their moisture. An alternative would be to transfer the pan to a 375ºF oven, but honestly it will take longer to cook in the oven and that just gives the pork more time to potentially dry out. We’re going with easy in this recipe, so a lid and lower heat works like a charm.
Glazed Pork Chops
Once the pork chops have cooked through and register 145ºF on an instant read thermometer, set them aside and loosely tent with foil. Then make the glaze by simply adding the four ingredients mentioned above and whisking to dissolve. It will only take a minute or two for everything to dissolve and come to a boil. Then, return the chops to the pan and turn them over a few times to coat all sides of the chops with the glaze. Another minute to make sure everything is nice and hot and that’s it!!
Air Fryer Pork Chops
Don’t feel like cooking on the stovetop? Yes, you can convert this recipe to your air fryer, although the chops might not get as brown. (Learn more about how to convert recipes to the air fryer here.) Dredge the chops with the seasoned flour and then spritz all sides of the chops with oil. Air-fry at 400ºF for 10 minutes, flipping them over halfway through the cooking time. While the chops are air-frying, combine the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil, whisking to dissolve the mustard and brown sugar. Brush the glaze on the chops and air-fry for another 2 minutes, flipping the chops and glazing again halfway through. Et voilà – easy air fryer brown sugar glazed pork chops!
Made this tonight with thick boneless center cut pork loin chops. Turned out fabulous! I usually have trouble getting a glaze to “glaze” but this worked perfectly. Definitely a “repeater” in my kitchen. Thanks!!
Hey Blue Jean Chef, I don’t like vinegar at all . So my question is, can you taste it or is it real tangy tasting? Could I just leave it out?
With only four ingredients in the glaze, I wouldn’t leave it out. There is a little tang to the chops, but it won’t taste like vinegar. If you like BBQ sauce, you’ll like this glaze.
Made the pork chops tonight and they really are delicious. Also made the potatoes drizzled with a tiny bit of glaze. Yum! Loved them.
This was the best recipe ever for Pork Chops!! Followed your recipe exactly and they came out perfect. Had oven roasted asparagus and roasted garlic/olive oil Couscous. We drizzled the glaze over all and it was amazing!!
Fixed this for dinner this evening. It was very easy to put together and was delicious. I only did two pork chops but didn’t cut the amounts for the dredge or the glaze. I served it with wild rice and a salad. I’ll be making it again.
I made these last night with thick bone-in pork loin chops. So delicious – and easy! The glaze was wonderful! Will definitely make again. I didn’t have an instant read thermometer though and need to get one. Any suggestions on a good one?
We made this last night. It was DELICIOUS!! Only cooked two large chops but had a full batch of glaze. Great. Would recommend highly. Thank you.
I have a picky husband and he LOVED these. I would never have thought of this combination. Very easy to put together. Thanks.
Made this last night. It was very good. Going to keep this in the rotation of meals. Doing the fish taco night with zucchini fries.
Made this last night. Sooo good. The glaze is exceptional and the recipe really easy. My husband and I love it. Will definitely make this again.
This glaze on Pork Chops is absolutely delicious. My husband is a fan of plain fried chops and I am not, this being said I decided to slide this recipe onto his plate and to my amazement he really liked it! Thank you,thank you thank you for this recipe.
This glaze is amazing. I didn’t use it on pork chops; I used it on BBQ pork instead of the traditional BBQ sauce. I tripled the recipe so I would have enough. My husband LOVED it. This is a fantastic glaze to put on pork or chicken. I couldn’t believe such simple ingredients produced such an amazing flavor.
10/10 would recommended fire ass pork chops would definitely throw them up to eat them again.
I tried this tonight and the chops were awesome! I think the key to juicy is the thick chop. A definite entry into our meal rotation. Thanks!
This is my new go-to recipe when making pork chops. Super easy, and so delicious! My mouth waters just thinking about them!
Made this for dinner oh my goodness the best
wow these were a hit! 5 star recipe!
OMG. Pork chops are my favorite and I probably know 25 ways to prepare them. This recipe is IT. I prepared it exactly as written and it was fabulous, easy and speedy to make. Delicious and good enough to cook for casual company to enjoy with a salad and a side dish. Looks lovely on a plate with the glaze on the chop, too! More, please!
Every time I make pork chops this is my go to recipe! So easy and delicious! This one is a keeper!
Excellent! And, very easy to prepare.
Tried these and the sauce was fantastic especially if you let it get dark and this adds to the flavor !
Made this recipe twice now, absolutely love the ease of cooking and the fact that ingredients are all standard pantry items. I always make extra glaze to go with roasted vegetables.
The recipe also doesn’t require me to be super accurate, great for whipping up a meal in 30min.
Does it have to be wine vinegar
Hi Cathy. It doesn’t have to be white wine vinegar. It could be red wine vinegar or cider vinegar or even balsamic vinegar, but it should be a vinegar that you like – not just plain white vinegar.
Could this be made in a crockpot? I’ve never had very good success making chops on the stove top — don’t turn out tender and juice — but then I haven’t tried your recipe yet. I don’t have a very big skillet and am wanting to cook 5 extra-thick chops at a time, so I was hoping I could use the crockpot. Thanks for your input.
Hi Nancy. I haven’t tried these in a slow cooker, but I think it would be fine. Brown the chops on the stovetop first, then place them in the slow cooker with the glaze ingredients and slow cook on low for 4 to 5 hours. You might need to thicken the glaze at the end by popping it into a skillet and simmering for a minute or two.
Can’t wait to give this a try ….
These pork chop were so delicious! The ingredients for the glaze are things I always have in my kitchen. Who knew four simple ingredients would taste so great? This recipe is going in my weeknight rotation for sure. p.s. It’s great on salmon too!
I absolutely loved this glaze! It was like liquid candy. I only had thin pork chops, so the only thing I might do different next time is either reduce the time to sear to about 1 1/2 minutes on each side, or reduce the cook time (I cooked them for 3 minutes) to 2 to 2 1/2minutes. To solve the issue altogether is to do what they say in the article; just get 1 inch or thicker pork chops.
We absolutely love this recipe. I didn’t have any white wine vinegar though and only regular mustard. Tasted delicious with my alterations.
We absolutely love this recipe. I didn’t have any white wine vinegar though and only regular mustard. Yummy.
Picked up some pork loin on offer. Used that and turned out beautifully.
I have always been afraid to cook pork chops, my mom always made them and they were dry and icky. This recipe was superb! Easy to do and flavorful definently going on dinner rotation 😁😁
A delicious Saturday night dinner!
These were fabulous! My husband couldn’t stop raving about the flavors. The only things is it took a much longer time to cook the pork chops on low until they were done. They were still moist though.
I love your recipes! I have several of your cookbooks and honestly have never made a bad dish! Thank you Meredith!
I didn’t have any type of mustard on hand so I went ahead and made it as is and it turned out absolutely delicious!! I’ll be running to the store asap to try this recipe at its full glory 😋
Will the cooking time be sufficeint for chops that are near 2″ thick?
Hi Roy. 2-inch chops are pretty thick. I would increase the cooking time – try 12-15 minutes with the lid on. The best way is to check the internal temperature with an instant read thermometer – it should register 145˚F.
Made this last night with boneless pork lion thick cuts. It was a great balance of flavors and the glaze worked perfectly. Definitely a do-over! Thank you for sharing.
Easy, quick ,and fabulous!!! I’d give it 10 stars. I used thin cut pork and took the time down to 5 minutes accordingly. The pork is like butter I can cut it with thee we fork.
This is the second time in four days that I have made this recipe. Yes indeed. It’s the best I’ve ever made. First time for my husband, daughter and her family and now for my husband and myself. Husband gave me rave reviews and it’s normally: “It’s okay.” This time I got a much better response.
Making tonight . Can these be BBQ’d?
While you can always BBQ pork chops, I’m afraid you wouldn’t be able to make the glaze in the pan with the flavor of the seared pork. You could make the glaze on its own and brush it onto the grilled chops as they cook though.
Fabulous! Made these tonight and they couldn’t have been easier or tastier! I used thick boneless center cut pork chops that I had brined earlier in the day before deciding on this recipe. I substituted red wine vinegar for the white because it was what I had. I used the cooking time as a guideline but really cooked to the meat temperature. May try the glaze on other proteins. Thanks for a keeper!!
I made this exactly as per recipe using boneless loin chops. It worked perfectly. The meat was so tender and the glaze delicious. Sensational!
Thanks so much for the recipe.
I always make pork chops the same way my mother did because they are so good and it is hard to depart from tradition. But, I decided to give these a try. I was concerned that the smoked paprika would be overpowering but made the recipe as is except used stone ground mustard since I discovered I was out of Dijon at the last minute. The technique worked perfectly and they were extraordinary. I made some sautéed apples as a side and they paired well. Sorry Mom but these are my new favorite!