Smoked Pork Chops with Maple Baked Apples is a wonderful fall dinner for any occasion!
The sweetness of raisins and apples combined with the smoked pork chops makes this dish delicious! I think of this one as being perfect for a Sunday night dinner (a special night for dinner in many homes!) And it’s also just a lovely dinner to make for any night of the week. It’s a nice way to jazz up traditional pork chops.
Ingredients needed:
- smoked pork chops
- apple
- golden raisins
- butter
- yellow onions
- fresh thyme
- freshly ground black pepper
- chicken broth
- maple syrup
- all purpose flour
Ingredient notes:
Look for 1-inch thick, bone-in smoked pork chops. If you can’t find smoked chops, it’s okay to use regular chops. And you can also use boneless chops.
I suggest using a Rome variety apple. If you really love Granny Smith, you can use that too.
How to make Smoked Pork Chops with Maple Baked Apples:
- Brown your pork chops on both sides in a nonstick skillet that is sprayed with nonstick spray. Place the browned chops in a baking dish.
- Sprinkle apple pieces and raisins on top of the chops in the baking dish.
- Melt butter in the skillet. Sauté onions, fresh thyme and freshly ground black pepper.
- Add the sautéed onions to the chops in the skillet.
In a small bowl, whisk together chicken broth, maple syrup and flour. Drizzle on top of the pork chops in the baking dish. Cover the dish with foil, and bake 25 to 30 minutes.
When finished baking the sauce will be hot and bubbly and the chops will be browned and cooked through. All of the goodies along the sides- onions, apples, raisins- are baked into the sauce and will taste wonderful with the pork chops.
Serve your smoked pork chops with maple baked apples with a favorite vegetable like green beans or brussels sprouts. And add some roasted potatoes or rice pilaf, if you’d like too. Enjoy!
Smoked Pork Chops with Maple Baked Apples
Ingredients
- Four 6-ounce 1-inch thick bone-in smoked pork chops
- 1 large apple, diced
- ¼ cup golden raisins
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced thinly
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°.
- Brown the chops in large, non-stick skillet sprayed with nonstick spray over medium-high heat for 3 to 5 minutes (turning once). Remove the browned chops and place in a 13x9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the apple pieces and raisins over the top and along the sides.
- Add butter, onions, thyme, and pepper to the skillet and cook until onions are browned and tender (about 15 minutes); transfer the onions to the baking dish and arrange over and around the chops. In a small bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, syrup and flour. Pour into the baking dish.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake 25 to 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling.
Notes
- *If preparing this recipe as gluten free, be sure to use gluten free chicken broth, GF maple syrup and GF all-purpose flour.
- *It's ok to leave the apple peel on. The red adds nice color to the dish.
- *If you wish to use regular pork chops instead of smoked (or boneless instead of bone-in), the cooking times may vary, depending on the thickness of your chops.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Delicious! I subbed craisins for the raisins.
Can chicken be substituted? I’m married to a Muslim (while I remain a Christian) who doesn’t eat pork products whatsoever, neither do I. He loves my breakfast egg muffins, but I use turkey bacon instead of pork bacon, and he just loves them. This recipe looks delicious but I stopped eating pork almost 2 years now and I’m wondering if chicken can be substituted.
I haven’t tried this recipe with chicken, but that sounds like a delicious idea!
This was delicious! I loved the combination of the savory onion flavored (almost tasted like french fried onions) and the sweet apples and raisins. My mom tried the recipe and said it was the best way she has ever eaten pork chops. Mmm. For me, the times were a bit off (maybe because I have a gas stove.) I only cooked my onions for about 5 minutes tops (since the pan was already hot from the chops), I browned my chops in a little less time, and though I baked them for 30 minutes, I think it would have been better for a bit less. Because of the yummy sauce, it masked any dryness in the chops though. 🙂
Hi Lori,
What a wonderful fall recipe. The thyme and maple syrup are a “beautiful marriage.”