Pork Chops with Apples and Bacon

This easy one-pan Fall weeknight dinner features juicy seared pork chops simmered in a tangy-sweet apple cider and Dijon pan sauce with sautéed apples, crispy bacon, and fried sage. It’s a hearty, comforting dish that delivers restaurant-quality flavor in about 30 minutes with minimal cleanup—perfect for one pan meals lovers! Serve pork chops and apples with roasted garlic mashed potatoes and lemon-parmesan green beans.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword apple cider pork chops, pork chops with apples

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings

Calories 453kcal

Author Julia

Ingredients

2 large thick-cut bone-in pork chops ½–¾ inch thick, around 10-12 ounces per chop (you can also use boneless)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
5 slices thick-cut bacon chopped
10 leaves Fresh sage about 10 whole leaves, for crisping
1 tablespoon olive oil if needed, for searing
1 large sweet or tart apple skin-on, cut into 8 pieces and cored (or 3 small apples, red or mixed with green)
1 large shallot sliced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves roughly chopped
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour optional, to thicken sauce
¼ cup dry white wine Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay
1 ¼ cup apple cider (NOT apple cider vinegar) or fresh apple juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Garnishes

Toasted hazelnuts
Thyme leaves

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Pat the pork dry with paper towels, and season generously with salt and pepper on all sides. Set aside.
In a large skillet, add the chopped bacon to a cold pan. Turn heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until bacon is golden and crispy, about 6–8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Leave drippings in the pan.
Add the sage leaves and fry for 30 seconds until crisp. A good way to know if they are done is when the sage is dark and the sound of crackling oil is gone. Remove and set aside with the bacon.
Add olive oil to the skillet if the pan looks dry. Increase heat to high and heat until you see the drippings begin to smoke. Sear pork chops 1-2 minutes per side, until golden. (They don’t need to be fully cooked yet.) Remove and set aside.
Lower the heat to medium and saute the apples for about 1-2 minutes to just soften them ever so slightly.
Add the shallots, and thyme until the shallots are just softened, about 3 minutes.
Sprinkle flour (if using) over the shallot apple mixture and coat.
Increase heat to medium-high. Add white wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Let it reduce for about 1 minute.
Stir in apple cider and Dijon mustard. Mix well.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Nestle the pork chops into the pan, cover loosely, and simmer gently until pork is cooked through (145°F internal temp), about 5 minutes depending on the thickness of your pork chops and the sauce begins to thicken.
Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve pork chops with apples and sauce spooned over the top. Garnish with crispy bacon, toasted hazelnuts, sage leaves, and extra thyme. Mashed potatoes, wild rice, roasted root veggies, braised cabbage, or a shaved fennel and arugula salad would pair well with this dish. Enjoy!

Notes

Use bone-in pork chops: Bone-in pork chops are more forgiving than boneless. Make sure to check the temperature of your pork so it doesn’t get overcooked.
Try not to slice the apples too thin. Slicing a large apple into eight pieces maintains the structure and helps them hold their shape for not only visual appeal, but for textural reasons.
Starting with a cold pan to cook the bacon allows the fat to be rendered slowly and evenly for crisp pieces and helps to ensure the bacon doesn’t burn.
Omit the flour, if you don’t want a thicker sauce or you are gluten free (or use gluten-free flour)
Best apples: I love using Honeycrisp and/or Granny Smith apples for a balance of sweet and tart. However, if you just want to go sweet, I also like Fuji or Pink Lady apples.

Variations

Creamy: Add about 2-3 tablespoons of heavy cream, mascarpone, or creme fraiche at the end of cooking for a silky sauce.
Spice: Add a pinch or more of red pepper flakes or extra mustard for a little kick.

Storage & Reheating

Fridge: You can store the cooled leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge. If you are making this ahead of time, keep the fried sage stored separately on the counter to maintain texture.
Freezer: I highly recommend not freezing this dish, as it will degrade the texture of the apples and dry out the pork.
How to Reheat: You can reheat the pork with sauce and apples by placing it in a pan, covered, on low heat, until it reaches your desired temperature. You can also microwave the pork in 30 second intervals. Keep in mind that the pork will become a bit more tough, but it will taste just as delicious.

You'll need these supplies

Knife
Cutting board
Measuring spoons and cups
Large skillet with a lid

Nutrition