Pork Chops With Apple Cider Pan Sauce Recipe

Dry-brined overnight or seasoned right before cooking; either way, these chops are guaranteed to be extra-juicy and tender.

By
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Editorial Director
Daniel joined the Serious Eats culinary team in 2014 and writes recipes, equipment reviews, articles on cooking techniques. Prior to that he was a food editor at Food & Wine magazine, and the staff writer for Time Out New York's restaurant and bars section.
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Updated February 02, 2023
Overhead view of cut up porkchops with sauce

Serious Eats / Victor Protasio

Why It Works

  • Cooking the chops first in the oven at a low temperature, then finishing them in a skillet, yields the juiciest, most tender meat.
  • With the option of either dry-brining the chops overnight (for the juiciest, more evenly seasoned results), or cooking them right after seasoning (for still great results), you can make this recipe work with your schedule.

Sometimes cooking is a bit of a choose-your-own-adventure, and you have to weigh the benefits of convenience versus quality. I don't mean deciding between putting in the effort to cook something great or accepting that your dinner is going to be mediocre. Instead, I'm talking about more subtle differences: Do you want to invest the time to make a dish the best it can be, or will a quicker but still very good result suffice?

Take these pan-seared pork chops as an example. I styled the recipe on Kenji's basic method for pan-seared pork chops, which requires an overnight dry-brining before cooking the following day. If you have the time and inclination, it's a method that will deliver the juiciest chops with the most even seasoning throughout.

Sliced pork chop on white plate with apple cider pan sauce.

Serious Eats / Daniel Gritzer

But since a dish like this is often one we want to get on the table relatively quickly, I've also included an option in the recipe to skip the overnight dry-brining. The pork chops will still come out juicy and flavorful.

Whether you do the overnight step or not, the one thing that's constant here is the reverse-sear method, in which we first cook the chops in a low 250°F (120°C) oven until they're nearly done (somewhere around 110 to 120°F/43 to 49°C depending on your doneness preference), then finish them in a ripping hot skillet to brown them and bring them up to their final temperature.

Overhead of pan-fried pork chops with apple cider pan sauce and salad.

Serious Eats / Daniel Gritzer

While the chops rest, we whip up a quick pan sauce made with shallots, thyme, and apple cider—tapping into that classic pork-and-apple pairing. Butter helps give the sauce a more luxurious texture, and a tiny amount of apple cider vinegar adds a touch of brightness to balance the sweet and rich flavors.

Just choose your path and enjoy. Simple as that.

Closeup of sliced pork chop drizzled with easy apple cider pan sauce.

Serious Eats / Daniel Gritzer

February 2015

This recipe was cross-tested in 2022 and lightly updated to guarantee best results. We reduced the cooking time and, instead of finishing the chops in a crowded pan all at once, recommend searing them in batches for more even browning.

Recipe Details

Pork Chops With Apple Cider Pan Sauce Recipe

Prep 15 mins
Cook 30 mins
Active 45 mins
Total 45 mins
Serves 4 servings
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 4 bone-in pork rib chops, about 1- to 1 1/2-inches thick (about 3 1/4 pounds total)

  • 4 tablespoons (36g) kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume

  • 1 tablespoon (15g) granulated sugar

  • Freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 tablespoons (30g) vegetable oil

  • 4 tablespoons (2 ounces; 56g) unsalted butter, divided

  • 2 tablespoons minced shallot (1 small shallot)

  • 2 teaspoons minced thyme leaves, divided

  • 3/4 cup (177ml) apple cider

  • 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

  • 2 teaspoons minced parsley

Directions

  1. Pat pork chops dry with a paper towel. Combine salt and sugar in a small bowl. Season pork chops generously on all sides with salt/sugar mixture (you may have some seasoning mixture left over; reserve for another use or discard). Transfer to a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet. If dry-brining chops overnight, refrigerate, uncovered, at least 8 hours and up to 24; otherwise proceed immediately to Step 2.

    Overhead view of pork chops on a wire rack

    Serious Eats / Victor Protasio

  2. When ready to cook chops, preheat oven to 250°F (121°C). Season chops with pepper. Place baking sheet with pork chops in oven and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the chops registers 100 to 110°F (38 to 43°C) for medium-rare, about 20 to 25 minutes, or 110 to 120°F (43 to 49°C) for medium, about 35 minutes. To prevent overcooking, start checking temperature 5 to 10 minutes before suggested time. Remove from oven.

    Overhead view of browned pork chops

    Serious Eats / Victor Protasio

  3. Heat oil in a large stainless steel or cast iron skillet over high heat until smoking. Working in batches if necessary to not overcrowd the skillet, place pork chops in skillet and cook, turning occasionally, until browned and an instant-read thermometer registers 120 to 130°F (49 to 54°C) for medium-rare or 130 to 140°F (54 to 60°C) for medium, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stack pork chops with tongs, hold them on their sides, and sear the fat caps on the edges until crisp, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat, transfer chops to a clean rack set in a rimmed baking sheet, and let rest for 3 to 5 minutes.

    Searing pork chops on one side

    Serious Eats / Victor Protasio

  4. Pour fat from skillet. Add 1 tablespoon butter and melt over medium-high heat. Add shallot and thyme and cook, stirring, until softened, about 1 minute. Stir in apple cider and bring to a simmer. Lower heat to medium and simmer until liquid is slightly reduced, about 4 minutes. Whisk in cider vinegar and remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Remove from heat, season to taste, and stir in parsley. Serve chops, spooning sauce on top.

    Whisking sauce in iron skiller

    Serious Eats / Victor Protasio

Special Equipment

Rimmed baking sheet with wire rack; large stainless steel or cast iron skillet

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
1141Calories
77gFat
10gCarbs
97gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories1141
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 77g98%
Saturated Fat 30g151%
Cholesterol 299mg100%
Sodium 2039mg89%
Total Carbohydrate 10g4%
Dietary Fiber 0g2%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 97g
Vitamin C 21mg104%
Calcium 34mg3%
Iron 4mg21%
Potassium 1508mg32%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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