Cast Iron Pork Chops with Apples (20 Minute Recipe)
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Cast Iron Pork Chops with Apples look, taste, and feel like a complex, high-class dish. But, really, this apple pork chop recipe is so easy to make! With just a handful of ingredients and 20 minutes of your time, you can enjoy fall flavors any time of year! It’s the perfect easy dinner!
As far as quick weeknight meals are concerned, skillet recipes are a fantastic solution!
They’re simple, not too messy, and generally, there are fewer dishes to wash — that’s always a win, right?
The savory flavors of these pan-seared pork chops will have your taste buds happy after the very first bite.
Out of all my favorite ways to cook pork chops, I always make this recipe with good results. The sweet flavors of the fresh apples pair so perfectly with this pork recipe!
One of the best things about this one-pan meal is that you can really use any kind of apples that you want.
I know that during a busy weeknight, I want to be able to grab and use what I have at home, so this means that if I have gala apples, those are the apples I’m using!
You can also use granny smith apples, Fuji apples, and any other apple type to pair with this delicious meal.
Choose your favorite type of apple – and enjoy! The sweetness of the apples really enhances the flavor of the tender pork chops!
Add this to your list of weeknight dinners for the whole family to devour. This recipe literally makes the best pork chops!
Table of Contents
Pork Chops with Apples
A quick sear on high heat browns the exterior of the boneless chops, building a beautiful crust, while the center stays perfectly moist.
When that’s all said and done, the juices in the pan are reduced and simmered with chicken stock, herbs, cinnamon, and apples.
The result is an outrageously luscious and thick, fruity herb sauce. And I love that it only took a few simple ingredients to make a simple savory sauce!
Spoon that over top of the pork, and you have a prize-winning comfort food meal of pork chops with apples!! Talk about a great way to use up all aspects of this dish!
If you love pork dinners and you have a bit more time on your hands, I recommend making Cast Iron Salmon, Mexican Carnitas or Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Pork Chops – Using boneless pork chops is best for cast iron pork chops. They’re typically the same thickness, so each chop is likely to cook at the same rate.
Keep the cuts somewhere between ½” and ¾” thick.
This is a good thickness of pork chops to cook in a cast-iron skillet. I don’t like using thin pork chops because they’re harder to cook so that they don’t dry out. - Light Brown Sugar – If you only have dark brown sugar, that’s fine — but you may notice more of the molasses flavor in your pan sauce.
- Chicken Stock – Stock makes up the base of the sauce for the apple pork chops. You can use any flavor stock or broth you have on hand.
- Apples and Cinnamon – Each is delicious on its own, but they become even more tasty when paired together!
Best Apples for Pork Chops
Choose a firm-flesh apple that won’t fall apart when you cook it: Honeycrisp, Gala, and Golden Delicious are great choices.
Granny Smith is great if you want to cut back on the sweetness of this apple pork chop recipe.I prefer apple slices, but you can use apple chunks to pair with these juicy pork chops.
Serving Suggestions
The fall flavor of pork chops with apples is fantastic with sides like baked sweet potatoes or bacon hasselback potatoes.
For something green on the plate, I suggest bacon wrapped Brussel sprouts! Green beans, golden brown potatoes, or even mashed potatoes would also pair well with these bone-in pork chops.
Storing and Reheating Pork Chops and Apples
Leftover pork is safe to eat within 4 days, as long as it’s kept in the fridge and properly reheated to an internal temperature of 165°F.
Store the pork chops and apples separately and place the sauce in its own container as well.
In fact, if you want crisp apples, you may want to slice up fresh ones to reheat with the sauce on the stove.
Apple pork chops can be reheated over medium heat in a skillet on the stovetop, or in a 350°F. oven. Keep the heat at medium, otherwise, you’ll risk overcooking the meat.
Apple Pork Chops FAQ
Cast iron pork chops will cook a little faster since the pan retains heat better than stainless steel or nonstick.
It’s important to have your skillet nice and hot, getting nicely pan seared pork chops without drying out the meat through a drawn-out cooking process.
But before that, let the meat come to room temperature before cooking. Otherwise, the outside will overcook while you’re waiting for the center to cook through.
Traditionally, fruits were used to add sweetness to savory dishes without the need for sugar — that was a luxury ingredient back then! But there’s another reason: the acid in apples actually helps you digest fats, including those found in pork. So, cooking pork chops and apples together is a win-win!
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Other Boneless Pork Chop Recipes
Cast Iron Pork Chops with Apples (20 Minute Recipe)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 6 boneless pork chops
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh herbs, (rosemary, sage and/or thyme)
- 2 cups sliced apples, (Granny Smith, Gala or both)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Add oil to a large skillet over medium high heat.
- Season the pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Add chops to the preheated skillet and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Transfer pork from the skillet to a plate and set aside.
- Reduce heat to medium low. To the hot skillet, add chicken stock, brown sugar, herbs, apples and cinnamon. Simmer for five minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan occasionally.
- Add the pork chops back to the skillet and drizzle sauce over them. Continue cooking until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 145°F.
- Serve pork chops with apples on the side and a drizzle of sauce on top.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published October 2011, updated and republished August 2025
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We’re Donna and Chad, the dream team behind The Slow Roasted Italian. Our focus is on taking complicated OUT of the kitchen. Life is busy enough, making meals should be fast and easy, to help make your life as simple as possible. Read More >>
First time preparing this dish last night, and it turned out great! Early prep of the apples, made the dish quick and easy while visiting with guests!
Ho Gardner Gayle,
We are so happy you enjoyed it! Have a great day!
TSRI Team Member,
Holli
This was a super quick and easy recipe, definitely helps to prep the apples before like someone else commented. This tasted amazing, my husband loved it.