Easy Pork Chops with Sweet and Sour Glaze
The easiest, no-fuss, most amazing pork chops ever, made in 20 min from start to finish. You can’t beat that!
I made these pork chops for the first time in July of 2011. Yes, 4 very long years ago. But I realized that the old photos did not do the dish any justice so I made it once again to tell you that this needs to be made as soon as possible. Preferably tonight.
I kid you not – these are the easiest pork chops you will ever have to make in just 20 min from start to finish. And that sweet and sour balsamic glaze is unbelievable. You’ll seriously want to guzzle it down. But be sure to save some for the pork chops because they are an absolute match made in heaven.
Easy Pork Chops with Sweet and Sour Glaze
The easiest, no-fuss, most amazing pork chops ever, made in 20 min from start to finish. You can’t beat that!
Ingredients
- 4 8-ounce pork chops, bone-in, 3/4-inch to 1-inch thick
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
For the sweet and sour glaze
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Season pork chops with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add pork chops and sear both sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.
- Place into oven and roast until completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 140 degrees F, about 8-10 minutes.*
- To make the sweet and sour glaze, combine balsamic vinegar, honey, garlic, oregano, basil, thyme and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan over medium heat; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Serve pork chops immediately with sweet and sour glaze.
Notes
*Cooking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of the pork chops.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
Absolutely delicious! Just 2 of us, so made 2 big chops and the full sauce recipe…everything was devoured! Thank you…will be making again soon!
This was amazing. I browned the chops and made the glaze. One thing I did do was brush the glaze on the cops before baking. Super good flavor. Note, I did not need to thicken the glaze at all. If you follow the directions and then just let it cool, it thickens nicely. I may try this glaze with ribs next.
All sound delicious ‼️‼️‼️‼️
This was crazy delicious. Oh my. My kids had declared they wouldn’t eat another pork chop, but this turned them around. I did brine them first for a couple of hours and I did add a little cornstarch to the glaze, but did the rest by the recipe. I can’t tell you how good they were. I wish I had made more!!
We’ve made this a bunch of times and really like it. My only issue is the sauce never thickens. I follow the recipe to a T, any tips on how to make the sauce thicker? TIA.
I made the recipe as directed. I thought the balsamic vinegar was a little strong, so I added a couple tablespoons of grape jelly, and a little cornstarch. Turned out wonderful. Very easy.
Yummm!!! Last minute meal…I did not use a cast iron skillet, I browned in a regular nonstick pan, then put on a baking sheet with aluminum foil. I baked per the directions the 10 min, still not done (my chops were thick and slightly boarderline frozen), so I put some of the mixture Over the tops and baked for another 4 min…drizzled the rest as I served. Amazing and cooked perfectly and juicy! I did not have thyme, and I only used a pinch of red pepper, I also shaved some fresh garlic on top as I baked. Def will make again, so tasty
Would boneless chops work with this recipe? Or will they come out dry?
We loved this recipe. The spices and balsamic was a perfect touch with tender pork chops. Fast and simple, that’s how I like it 🙂
So delicious. My 20 yr college daughter made these with brown rice & steamed broccoli to cook me dinner. Just a tad spicy, but I loved the WHOLE meal.
So simple and easy! Could have done with less honey and more of a kick. Also liked the idea of another reviewer’s comment saying she wrapped the chops with the sauce in foil prior to putting them in the oven.
“Sweet and sour” made me think this would have an asian twist to it, but it’s just a simple honey balsamic sauce. Nothing wrong with that, though. Just wasn’t as unique of a recipe as I was looking for.
We paired it with kale I sautéed in the cast iron I cooked the chops in and roasted Brussels sprouts.
Wow… this is fast and easy and good!
Made this recipe on a Saturday night, last minute supper. Really yummy flavour. Not a heavy sauce usually in sweet and sour recipes. Really enjoyed this recipe. I made 6 chops and doubled the sauce. I will definitely make this again. Thanks!
Made this last night for dinner and it was fabulous. It was quick, easy, and scrumptious. The sauce was different and I really liked it! I served it with carrots and a brown rice/quinoa blend which loved the sauce too! I always come here for meal ideas and I am never disappointed
This was so delicious, I have found that I cannot go wrong with your recipes.!!!!
Excellent pork chops!!!! ..really.scored with making them. My friends and family enjoyed every bite. Thank you for recipe.
What are your thoughts about adding a tiny bit of corn starch to the glaze for a thickener? My boyfriend loves this recipe but the glaze is always to thin.
Sounds like a great idea, Tammy!
i recommend soaking the pork chops in a brine solution for at least an hour , the pork chop does not come out salty but remains juicy brine works by breaking down some of the muscle tissue and help the meat draw in moisture
Easy, tasty dish!
We think so too 🙂
Quick, easy, delicious.
Hi Chungah!
Well we’re going to my camp to bar-be-q, this weekend and I’m gonna try this recipe. By the looks of it. I’m gonna love it.
I’ll let you know how it turns out and I’ll take a picture of it..
Thanks
Gemma
This recipe was very easy even though I had to enprovise some of the ingredients. I was able to put to this recipe on table in 30 minutes. My family enjoyed it.
We have been trying a number of your recipes this summer. The pork Marsala was fantastic. However, we made this recipe last night, and I thought it was a total waste of four beautiful thick bone-in pork chops. Sauce was not particularly sweet and/or sour. We used the oven. Maybe on the grill would be better, but we are not going to try this one again.
Do you add glaze before you put in in the oven or after?
Regarding the EASY PORK CHOPS WITH SWEET AND SOUR GLAZE:
I live overseas and only have access to a cooktop, microwave and a slow cooker. I love pork chops. I think this could work in the slow cooker, but I don’t know how to get the right cook time.
Can you suggest a suitable cook time for the slow cooker? I would greatly appreciate it.
What side veggie dishes have you used that would be particularly yummy to pair with this dish?
Can center thick cut pork loin chops work as well? I can’t remember the last time I bought bone-in pork chops.
Yes, of course, but please be mindful of cooking times.
Thank you! I just have toddlers and giving them food that could have tiny bones fragments I could’ve missed in it still makes me a little nervous right now.
Absolutely! Let me know how it turns out!
I made this tonight. It was great! I did have a hard time getting the sauce to thicken until I let it cool. I also doubled up on the sauce as my husband likes a lot. I brushed it on my pork chops when they were nearly done and let them cook for 5 more minutes. I served them with a salad and whole wheat rolls. I will definitely make this again.
I am a senior and have enjoyed cooking for many years. Something that has always eluded me is the perfect pork chop recipe. By that I mean one that is (a) tender (b) juicy and (c) tastes great. This one is definitely all three! It’s very important that your chops are the right thickness and I made sure that mine had a nice marbling of fat. This will be my go-to pork chop recipe from now on and thank you for posting it. (when my wife and I finished our supper she asked if she could lick her plate!)
I accidentally got boneless porkchops. Will this recipe still work with those?
Yes, absolutely.
These chops turned out absolutely delicious!! I did not have balsamic vinegar, but did use red wine vinegar. I saw another comment that asked if red wine vinegar was okay, but didn’t see it til after they were done. None the less, they turned out good. I also added brown sugar and placed the chops on sliced red onion before putting them in the oven. Will definitely make these again!!
Great recipe. My husband loved it. He said if he had ordered that meal in a high dollar restaurant he would be raving about it to his friends.
Oh my goodness, everyone loved them!! Which in my house is saying a lot, followed the directions to and spooned the sauce over the chops. I panicked and returned to this thread because the sauce hadn’t thickened up yet, but it did!
I didn’t like it with the sauce poured over chops so when I tried it the next time after I browned in the skillet I placed the chops in foil and poured the sauce all over and and baked in the foil and the flavor was thru out the chops.
I just wanted to let you know I have enjoy a few of your recipes and I think you have a great sense of taste. Thank You! Keep up the good work.
These were delicious and so easy to make.
Can you use fresh herbs instead of dried? I know the ratio will be different, I have alot of herbs growing and need to harvest them. Thank you!
Yes, absolutely! The ratio for dry to fresh herbs is typically 1:3.
Thank you, going to try tonight!! 🙂
Oh my word, these were delicious. It was one of those nights where I was trying to get out of “real” cooking and was blown away by gourmet dinner in 20 mins! Thanks for the recipe.
I made these last night and they were SO FREAKING GOOD!! This sweet and sour sauce is to die for, and will now be put on every single meat I can think of. I made it with rice and the roasted parmesan asparagus and used the glaze as a gravy for the rice.
Entire meal was out of this world.
What side dishes would you suggest with out taking away from the flavor of the pork chops?
My absolute favorite side dish is the garlic parmesan roasted potatoes. But please feel free to check out all of my side dish recipes here.
Oh my, it looks divine! Simple and quick, who needs more! Well, I don’t know how the original pics looked like, but these are amazing for sure! I’ll definitely try it out for a quick dinner! – Love, Anna
I love your website and recommend it to people ALL the time. It’s become my saving grace.
I do have a question though. How do you get that wonderful brown glazed color you show in your photos? I’ve made this recipe before but this pork chops did not look like this. They are more of a tan color. Same thing for some of the Asian inspired dishes like the baked honey garlic chicken. Any help you can offer would be appreciated.
Bari, it may be the lighting of the photos? I don’t have any secrets really – I make these recipes as stated, with a garnish of course. 🙂
Made this tonight for dinner and it was a hit! My husband even called it “crack sauce” and wanted to lick the pan! Thank you, I will definitely be making this again!
Just made this for dinner tonight (01,28,16) on a whim. Was fantastic, I didn’t even bake it I just cooked it on the stove on low heat and slowly added the sauce. I also added a little red wine to help the sweetness. Will definitely be making again in the near future.
Loved it! I regularly make crumbed pork chops but this is a great variation.
I tried these and love them! A regular to my menu rotation for sure! Featured it here > http://www.eversobritty.com/happy-weekend-5-things-i-love-3/
Would you recommend brining? If time permits?
Brining is not needed.
Hi Chungah… Thank you for the recipe which I’m making for tonite … I have all ingredients but not plain Basalmic vinegar… is it possible to substitute a Glaze with Balsamic Vinegar of Modena???
It should be fine but without trying it myself, I cannot really say with certainty. Please use your best judgment.
Please accept my deepest thanks. Each time I’ve tried one of your recipes, it’s always been a great success.
I follow you regularly and I am very happy when I receive one of oyour emails.
Have a great day.
Anything easy and quick, I am all over! I am going to be trying this recipe soon!!
Hi! I am new to cooking and I love your recipes! I have made a couple “easier” stuff (mostly one-pot recipes haha) and I think I’m going to step it up with this one! Although I want to try this with pasta.. can this be done? Pork chops/pasta combo? If so, what do you recommend?
You can certainly try a pasta combo but I cannot say with certainty if the flavors would mesh very well. It’s just really hard for me to say without further recipe testing. Please use your best judgment.
I cant wait to try these~ the photo is outstanding thank you for sharing with us
Do you pour the sauce on the pork chops or add sauce to pork cops in pan?
You can do either or – it’s up to you! Although it may be easier to pour the sauce on the pork chops after plating.
This is whats for dinner for tonight!!!!! Roasted veg to top it off. Thanks for all the good and easy recipes
My 13 year old daughter and my 4 year old son enjoyed these chops and the sauce. My 7 year old son and I on the other hand, not so much.
Made this last night and the pork chops were so tender, but the sauce made it over the top. Not to sweet not to sour. Made smashed potatoes to go with and broccoli. Actually put the sauce on the potatoes too!
Do you pour the sauce over the pork chops and serve, or pour over pork chops and cook a little longer in oven? In your pictures it looks like the sauce is baked in the pan with the pork chops.
Thank you!
Kerri, this is best when the pork chops are served alongside the sauce, whether it’s served separately and poured on top. In the pictures here, I simply added the pork chops back to the sauce pan and spooned the sauce over the pork. I did not cook it further.
Altho I thot this recipe had good bones, i needed to pump it up a bit.
I started with steaming some rice so it was ready by the short time this recipe does indeed take. And while it starts with Sweet & Sour sauce, I thot why not add the rest!? So I grabbed a can of chunk pineapple, a green pepper, sweet onion and pea pods that I had on hand. I doubled up on the sauce and whilst it bubbled away and once the chops were done, I pulled them out of the frying pan and kept them warm. Emptying the entire can of pineapple, sliced and then halved the pepper, cut the onion in half and stripped sliced it – tossed all of this in with the pineapple plus the pea pods. Stir fried it all up a bit, poured in the sauce and let the magic work. Once everything was incorporated and cooked, sprinkled corn flour (corn starch) with my wire mesh utensil, to thicken the sauce, Placed the chops back into the pan once it was complete and served it all over a bed of rice. Ta Da! The entire meal in less than 30 minutes! Awesome Stuff!
p.s. side note: Be sure to have all your ingredients ready and pre-measured to insure quick time in preparation.
Again, great bones to start with!
The best pork chops ever!!!!!!
I made these tonight. I didn’t have thyme or crushed red pepper, but I’ll definitely use them next time I make these. I’m doing a stocking trip this weekend. We’re out of / running low on a few staples. I did use some honey, but it’s so hard to get out, so I threw some agave nectar in there. I also did not have balsamic vinegar, so I used Ken’s Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing. Why am I out of these things? Grrr. At any rate, I get the premise of the recipe and it’s super yummy.
I absolutely love how quick it is. Searing is my new friend. The amount of time it takes me to make dinner most nights has been a thorn in my side as of late.
I love your site and I’ll be back! I’ll definitely be making this again, more along the lines of your original recipe.
{shared with love}
I’m so glad someone added agave! I am planning to make this recipe this weekend but my DH is allergic to honey so I always have to replace it with agave. 🙂
Thrilled to try this one! What sides do you recommend pairing with it that would compliment them chops without stealing the spot light?
These roasted vegetables or garlic parmesan roasted potatoes would be a great side choice.
When should the glaze be added?
Once your pork chops are ready, you can serve it with the glaze.
I always love your recipes! I have so many pinned and I’ve tried oodles of them. This one though just didn’t come out as expected. The meat was tough, maybe I just got a bad batch of chops? The glaze wouldn’t thicken for me at all and I followed your instructions, so we had really runny sauce that just didn’t do much for the meat. Looking back, I should’ve added some cornstarch to it. Do you have any tips or tricks to picking out chops that’ll be juicy and somewhat tender?
I’m not entirely sure if you used a bad batch of pork but it seems that you may have overlooked it. Cooking time will vary heavily on the size and thickness of the pork chops so it is best to use your judgment on cooking time. The sauce will also thicken as it cools so cornstarch is really not needed here.
I’ve pinned so many of your recipes – another one pinned and printed. We hardly ever make pork chops and I’m not sure why! Thanks for the recipe.
The sweetness and the spiciness sound like a really good combination here. Most people don’t really know what to do with pork chops so it’s nice you offer up a good recipe for them. Yum!
These look amazing and I am going to make them tomorrow night. Great picture!
This looks yummy! Can’t wait to try it.
Thank you so much for adding the photo to the print copy.
These look outrageous! I do not eat pork. Can I substitute it with veal chops? This is the best food blog out there! Every day I look forward to reading your recipes.
Yes, veal chops sounds like a great substitute.
Veal is raised in an inhumane fashion; the calves are raised in small crates unable to move or lay down to sleep and are only fed milk.
@BOYCOTT VEAL – I agree. I do not purchase or eat veal due to the inhumane manner that the calves are raised. Would choke on the food as I remembered that these babies are tortured just to become food for my belly.
If the last photos didn’t do this recipe justice, you’ve totally made up for it here. Gorgeous photos as always, Chungah – I must try this! Even though I do tend to be a little afraid of making pork chops. :/
These look heavenly!! Can’t wait to make them!
Are you searing these in the same pan that is going into the oven. I’m not able to use cast iron on my glass top stove and sadly don’t have a stove top to oven fryer. Suggestions?
Yes, it is easiest to use an oven-proof skillet – it does not have to be cast iron. If anything, you can transfer the pork chops to a baking dish after searing.
Hey Lisa, I am just curious as why you can’t use your cast iron on your glass stove? I’ve never heard of not using cast iron on a glass top, so just wondering why. I have a flat top/glass stove and I use my cast iron all the time and I haven’t had any issues. Thanks & Merry Christmas
Hi Victoria, I’ve always heard that the cast iron skillets can crack a glass top because of their weight and how hot they can get. I have a glass top as well, so I haven’t bought any cast iron skillets for that reason.
I have read that it ok as long as you are not scraping the cast iron around or slamming it. I’ve been using it on my glass top for years.
Thank you so much for yet another delicious recipe! Do you have a side dish of yours that you would recommend with this? Thank you for sharing!
These roasted potatoes or roasted vegetables would go great with a dish like this!
Thank you so much!
Thank you so much for offering recipes that are low in both sodium and fat. Your recipes work quite well with health-related restrictions I must follow.
Not only have I enjoyed making your recipes, but your photography is stunning and beautiful.
Another great-looking recipe. This one will roll out next week!
Thanks for putting together such great flavors in so many recipes.
Looks like another winner 🙂 and so yummy. Thank you for sharing all these great recipes, so far everything i have made, my family loves !!! Whoo hoo for that 🙂
Do you recommend bone in chops, or would boneless butterfly chops be a good choice?
I would recommend bone-in, but please feel free to use what works best for you.
Can you use Boneless Pork Chops as well? and what temperature would you need to use and for how long would they need to be cooked?
Yes, boneless can certainly be used. But without further recipe testing, I cannot advise the appropriate cooking time. Please use your best judgment to adjust the cooking time as needed for this substitution.
They look absolutely delicious! Saving the recipe to try it out asap! There’s been too many chicken dinners in our house lately, time for a change. 🙂
I love quick and easy dinners. Perfect for those busy weeknights!
These pork chops look awesome. I love the spices in the glaze. And I love more the fact that these chops are ready in 20 minutes.
Mmmm! Fabulous, Chung-Ah! xo
Looks great Chungah!
Would red wine vinegar work on these as well? Or is balsamic the only real way to go?
It is best to use balsamic vinegar to obtain the best results possible.
Okay, thanks!! I’m very excited to make these tonight 🙂
Another wonderful recipe. The red pepper on the chops really set them off with the sweeter sauce calming them down. It was so good I will be making again.
I cooked this on the grill tonight, it was so good, I’m not really a pork chop person, but these were so good!!! Will make them again.