The Sweet Sauce That Effortlessly Elevates Your Pork Chops

They may be a comforting staple, but that doesn't mean they have to be plain or predictable. Pork chops can be a wildly versatile dish, and to take your go-to pork chop recipe to the next level, look no further than a childhood favorite snack: Applesauce. Foodies have been pairing pork with apples for centuries, and for good reason. Cooking your pork chops in applesauce is a one-stop-shop for creating succulent moisture and dimensional sweet-tart flavor. As it cooks, the sugars in the applesauce naturally caramelize, forming sweet depth and intense savory flavor beside the lean, tender, meaty pork.

To give your chops an apple upgrade, simply place your pork chops in a large ovenproof skillet or baking dish and smother those chops in a heap of applesauce. Then, just cook them as you normally would, until the internal temperature reads 140 to 145 degrees Fahrenheit. This internal temperature applies to both bone-in and boneless pork chops. For extra caramelization, you could also hit your pork chops with a pre-bake sear in a skillet on the stove to brown. Pro tip: To help the meat absorb more of the applesauce flavor, allow the chops to stand for around 15 minutes after removing them from the oven.

This tip can be a great way to use up a batch of homemade applesauce. If you go the homemade route, you also have greater control over customizing the overall flavor profile of your pork chops. You could use applesauce infused with cinnamon for a spiced sweetness, or use applesauce made with unpeeled skin-on apples for extra earthy tartness. Store-bought applesauce also totally gets the job done (GoGo Squeez and Mott's are our favorite brands, for the record). If you opt for store-bought, be sure to get unsweetened applesauce so you can better manipulate the flavor at home.

You could also stir brown sugar into your applesauce for added sweet richness before spooning it over your chops. Or steer the flavor profile more savory by stirring in Worcestershire sauce, honey barbecue sauce, garlic, ground mustard, chopped onion, smoky paprika, or dried sage. These applesauce pork chops would make a hearty protein-forward dinner for busy weeknights or an impressive entree for a dinner party. To complete the meal, serve your applesauce-infused pork chops with garlicky red mashed potatoes, roasted root vegetables, and Southern collard greens. To emphasize the deep pork flavor, pair with a medium-bodied red wine like zinfandel or Spanish rioja. Or to emphasize the sweet-tart applesauce, pair with chilled high-acid pinot grigio or buttery chardonnay.