Description
A simple, elegant 3-ingredient dinner featuring juicy thick-cut pork chops, caramelized apples, and a nutty brown butter sage sauce. This forgiving weeknight meal requires minimal cleanup and delivers restaurant-quality flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 thick-cut bone-in pork chops (about 1.5 lbs / 680g)
- 2 medium apples, sliced into 1/4-inch wedges (about 1 lb / 450g; Granny Smith recommended)
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter (85g)
- 10–12 fresh sage leaves
- 1 tbsp olive oil (optional, for searing)
Instructions
- Prep ingredients: Let pork chops sit at room temperature. Pat dry with paper towels. Slice apples into wedges and remove cores. Keep sage leaves whole or torn.
- Sear pork: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil if using. Sear pork chops for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove to a plate; do not fully cook. Leave rendered fat in the pan.
- Brown butter: Reduce heat to medium. Add butter to the skillet. Watch closely as it melts, foams, and crackles. Swirl constantly until it smells nutty and turns light amber (3-4 minutes). Remove from heat immediately.
- Cook apples: Add sage leaves to the brown butter; let sizzle for 10 seconds. Add apple wedges and toss to coat. Return pan to low heat and cook for 3-4 minutes until apples are tender and caramelized.
- Finish and serve: Return pork chops to the pan, nestling them into the apples. Spoon sauce over chops and let rest for 1-2 minutes to reheat. Season with salt if needed and serve immediately.
Notes
Do not leave browning butter unattended. If butter burns, start over. Thick-cut chops (1 inch or more) are essential to prevent drying out. If apples are too hard, add a splash of water or cider and cover for 2 minutes. This recipe is naturally gluten-free.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pork chop with 1/4
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 8
- Sodium: 180
- Fat: 28
- Saturated Fat: 14
- Carbohydrates: 12
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 35
Keywords: brown butter, pork chops, apples, sage, easy dinner, weeknight meal, one pan, gluten-free, fall recipes