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My staple recipe for the most delicious pork chops that require only 6 ingredients. These pork chops are incredibly tender with a caramelized crust and the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors.
You guys. This recipe is embarrassingly simple, quick to prepare and may include ingredients that you already have on hand. What’s not to love?! 
As mentioned, this recipe has become my staple for preparing pork chops and we have yet to grow tired of it. The natural sugar in the maple syrup creates a beautiful caramelized crust on the flesh of the pork chop, yet leaves the inside incredibly tender. I’ve tried this recipe with both honey and brown sugar, but you can’t beat the rich flavor of pure maple syrup.
The sharp flavor of Dijon mustard balances out the sweetness of the syrup, and with the addition of our paramount aromatics, garlic and fresh thyme, these chops have a full-bodied taste that will stimulate every one of the taste buds.
So, are bone-in chops necessary or can you go boneless? It’s whatever you prefer. For dry-cooking methods, I like to use bone-in, as the bone helps to insulate the meat, slowing its cooking and providing less surface area to lose moisture. But it honestly doesn’t make a huge difference. I prefer to trim both the bone and fat off after the meat is cooked, but again, totally up to you.
The key to producing extra pan juice is to first cook the chops on a skillet over medium-HIGH heat to caramelize the outside and then finish them off in the oven. You won’t see any juices appear until you take them out of the oven. And trust me, you want every bit of that flavor-loaded juice!
These chops are easy enough to prepare on weeknights, yet decadent enough to serve at dinner parties or for date-night in. Plus, if you and your boo get into an argument at the end of dinner, you now have an unoccupied bone laying on your plate to whack him on the rear with.
Totally kidding. I only whack my boyfriend with empty paper towel rolls. And only if he doesn’t share his food with me. 😉
Another major perk is you can serve these chops with just about anything. Potatoes, pasta, rice, couscous, veggies galore or just a simple side salad.
So much to love. So few ingredients. So little prep work. Simply the best!
Easy 6-Ingredient Maple Dijon Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 1 - 1.5 lbs bone-in pork loin chops
- 1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp + 2 tsp pure maple syrup
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Season pork chops with salt and pepper. Combine remaining ingredients (olive oil, maple syrup, dijon mustard, garlic and thyme) in a large bowl and mix to combine. Add pork chops and rub marinade evenly over flesh.
- Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium-HIGH heat. If using a cast-iron, add a tiny dab of butter or coconut oil. Once hot, add pork chops and cook for ~5-6 minutes, until flesh has caramelized. Flip on opposite side and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Place skillet in oven and bake for ~5 minutes. Remove from oven, slice into pork to assure flesh is no longer pink. Transfer to plate and top with juices from pan. Add additional thyme, if desired, and serve!
Notes
So delicious! Paired this with a warm harvest salad.
So simple and so delicious! Paired this with a warm harvest salad!
Really a great post about Easy 6-Ingredient Maple Dijon Pork Chops, i like Pork Chops and my best food. thanks to sharing very important recipe