Cinnamon Apple Pork Chops
Cinnamon Apple Pork Chops make the perfect fall dinner. These pork chops, cooked and topped with sweet, caramelized apples and onions, simmer with white wine and delicious seasonings before serving. This recipe is the perfect kind of sweet and savory weeknight meal. Makes 2 servings.
Macaroni and cheese.
Grilled cheese and tomato soup.
Bread and butter.
Bacon and eggs.
Pork and apples.
They’re classic combinations. And it wouldn’t surprise me if we all had nostalgic moments with these pairings.
For example, I have distinct memories of eating a spicy, glazed pork tenderloin with applesauce as a kid. And then topping that applesauce with some cinnamon to give it a little uumph. (And to this day, I will eat a big bowl of unsweetened applesauce topped with ground cinnamon because I love it.)
This pork and apple recipe was inspired by one a friend shared once upon a time. And it’s become a classic in our house because it’s delicious and relatively easy to throw together on a weeknight.
Other pork dinner recipes we love: Turkey Meatballs / Scallion Pork / Turkey Scaloppini / Slow Cooker Balsamic Pork Tenderloin / Instant Pot + Slow Cooker Apple Cider Pulled Pork with Apple Cabbage Slaw
What you’ll need to make Cinnamon Apple Pork Chops
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How to make Cinnamon Apple Pork Chops
Prep and Cook the Apples and Onion
Using a sharp knife, chop the apples and onion into bite-sized pieces.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the apples and onions, and cook ’em until they’ve gotten some color, about 10 minutes. You don’t want them to get super soft, though, so when they start to brown, remove them from the pan.
Prep and cook the pork chops
Season the pork chops on both sides with cinnamon, salt and pepper.
Turn up the heat on the skillet to medium-high so you can sear the chops. Drizzle in the rest of the olive oil, too.
When the pan is hot, place the pork chops in it, and sear them. Don’t give into the temptation to move them around the pan constantly. For them to get a good sear, they need to stay still.
When the bottom side of the pork chops are browned, flip using tongs and sear the other side until browned, too.
Deglaze the pan
When the pork chops are browned on both sides, add wine to deglaze the pan. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan to remove all the browned bits. (This is flavor, y’all, so don’t skip this part!)
Sear the pork chops over medium-high heat until browned on the outside, then add the wine to the skillet and cook it down.
Gently place the pork chops, apples and onion back into the pan.
Turn down the heat to medium-low, and cook until everything is caramelized and the liquid has mostly evaporated. This will take another 15ish minutes.
Depending on the thickness of your pork chops, they might need extra cooking time. (Mine are generally around 1″ to 1.5″, but I know some are a lot thicker.) Take their temperature and ensure they’re cooked to 145°F because that’s imperative.
When the pork is cooked through, serve warm with your side dishes of choice and enjoy.
Erin’s Tips for Getting Dinner on the Table
There are a few things to make dinnertime less stressful as you’re making these Apple Cinnamon Pork Chops:
- Prep all your ingredients before you get to cooking. This means chopping the apples and onion, as well as measuring out your spices and the liquid.
- Choose easy side dishes that you can make as the pork chops cook on the stovetop. Pre-prepared veggies that you steam in the microwave or blanch on the stovetop are brilliant for this.
- Get your kids involved. Depending on their age, they can help season the pork or even be in charge of a side dish, depending on the dish and the level of difficulty.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you sear meat?
If you sear something, you’re cooking it over a high heat for a short period of time.
In this pork chop recipe, we sear the pork chops over high heat before turning down the heat and letting them continue cooking until perfectly done.
How will I know my pork chops are cooked through?
Take their temperature with a kitchen thermometer!
The pork’s internal temperature should read 145°F. Take the temperature by inserting the thermometer into the thickest part of the pork chop and getting the reading.
Does the wine actually cook out of this pork chop recipe? Can I feed it to my kids?
So… when you add alcohol to any dish, the alcohol doesn’t completely cook out unless you cook it for a certain amount of time. (This article from Food Network is enlightening if you want to learn more about the process and how much alcohol remains in your food.)
If you want all traces of alcohol gone from your food, it needs to cook for 3 hours. (The caveat here is that some cooking methods are less effective than others.)
The Food Network article cites a study from from the USDA’s Nutrient Data Lab, which states that any food baked or simmered with alcohol for 15 minutes still retains 40% of the alcohol. If it cooks for an hour, 25% of the alcohol remains. After 2.5 hours, 5% of the alcohol is still in the dish itself.
This recipe calls for ½ cup (or 4 oz.) of white wine. We’re simmering this dish for 15-20 minutes after the wine is added, so about 40% of the alcohol in the white wine remains.
If you don’t feel comfortable feeding this to children, I get it. You can use chicken or vegetable stock in place of the wine.
Quick tips for making Cinnamon Apple Pork Chops
- Swap the wine for vegetable or chicken stock if you’re not a drinker or if you’re feeding children.
- Feeding a crowd? Double or triple the recipe!
- Know the pork is cooked through by using an instant read meat thermometer instead of guessing. There’s nothing more disappointing than removing dinner from the heat to discover the middles still undercooked when you slice into them.
What side dishes can I serve with these pork chops?
- Roasted Green Beans
- Roasted Garlic Parmesan Mashed Cauliflower
- Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potato Casserole
- Italian Peas
- Quick Rosemary Drop Biscuits
Now who’s ready to make this awesome Cinnamon Apple Pork Chop recipe?
Scroll on down to learn how easy they are to whip up…
Cinnamon Pork Chops
These seared Cinnamon Pork Chops are topped with sweet, caramelized apples and onions and served warm. This dish is the perfect kind of sweet and savory weeknight meal.
Ingredients
- 2 large apples
- 1 onion
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lb. pork chops, bone-in
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup dry white wine
Instructions
- Chop the apples and onion into bite-sized pieces with a sharp knife.
- Season the pork chops on both sides with the cinnamon, salt and pepper, and set aside.
- Heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the apples and onion to the skillet, and cook for 10 minutes. You want them to start to brown, but not fall apart, so when they get some color to them, move to the next step.
- Remove the apples and onion from the heat, and place in a bowl or on a plate.
- Add the other tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. Turn the heat up to medium-high.
- Place the seasoned pork chops into the skillet and sear until browned on the outside. (This is going to give them color, but it will not cook them all the way through unless they are very thin.)
- Pour the wine on top of the pork chops, and use a wooden spoon to scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the skillet. Let the wine come to a simmer.
- Once the wine is bubbling, add the apples and onion back into the pan with the chops. Turn down the heat to medium-low. Cook until caramelized and until the pork's internal temperature reads 145°F, about 15-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chops.
- Serve warm, and enjoy!
Notes
How will I know when the pork is cooked through? The thickness of the pork chops will determine how long they need to cook. (The thicker they are, the longer they'll need.) The pork's internal temperature needs to be 145°F to be considered done. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the pork chop to take the temperature before removing the chops from the heat.
Substitution alert: If you don't drink or are feeding children these pork chops, you can use chicken or vegetable stock in place of the white wine.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1 pork chopAmount Per Serving: Calories: 780Total Fat: 39gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 24gCholesterol: 191mgSodium: 660mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 6gSugar: 26gProtein: 59g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate.
What is your favorite food pairing?
The photos and recipe for these Cinnamon Apple Pork Chops were originally published on January 14, 2013. The photographs, along with the text of this blog post, were updated on September 16, 2019.
Those pork chops look extremely tasty! Love the cinnamon and apples addition!
Thanks, Natalie. I think the apple and cinnamon addition just makes the dish! Please let me know if you give this a try!
These look delicious! So happy I found your blog!
Thanks so much, Sunnie! These really are a treat, and I was so happy when my friend sent me the inspiration recipe. I could honestly eat this once a week easily.
I have to say, when I saw this title, I was unsure, but then I got to thinking about it and the cinnamon would be such a lovely pairing! Bring a little sweetness and mix it up. YES! I love it!
Thanks, Jess! If you give this a try, PLEASE let me know. It’s delicious, and I agree: I love the sweetness added in with the pork. It’s a good combination.
Such a short list of ingredients but I can already imagine the burst of flavours! I’m just wondering what kind of apples did you use? The sweet variety or the more tart kind?
Jayne, I used Fuji apples. They aren’t crazy sweet, but they aren’t crazy tart, either. That’s one of the reasons I love them so much.
Wow! That looks so amazing. I love the coconut chicken I’m eating…but this dish puts it to shame.
Have you tried pork and figs? Also a favorite of mine. I’m obsessed with figs.
Maria, thanks! I’ve never had coconut chicken, and THAT sounds fabulous.
And I’ve sadly never tried pork and figs together. I wish I had thought about that this past summer. We lived in a house with a HUGE fig tree, and we could have easily made so many dishes with the two. Hmm. I must try it sometime this coming summer!
How long is the last phase of cooking, “until caramelized”? Usually caramelization requires high temp, and with the chops in the pan, they would end up getting very well done (I prefer my chops cooked to the new standard of 145, where they remain slightly pink and juicy.) Or do you mean cook until the liquid is reduced?
Fletcher, guess I should have specified a little better. I cook the apples and onions down first… and then when I put them back in the pan, I cook them until they’re caramelized with the pork in the pan. I haven’t had problems with the pork overcooking, but you could easily just cook the apples and onions until caramelized on their first step instead, then add them back in with the chops and wine until it reduces, then serve up hot.
I hope that helps!
Yes, thanks. I’ve got a couple of blade chops from our local farmers’ market that I’ll try soon.
You’re welcome! Please let me know how they turn out!