Effortlessly Improve Pork Chops With Store-Bought Salsa

Pork chop lovers and skeptics can agree on this one thing — no one likes eating dry meat. That's why many of the tastiest recipes douse pork in a delicious marinade ahead of time, like the pesto in our pesto-marinated pork chops or the sweet and smoky sauce in our chipotle-adobo pork chops. But while many marinades involve mixing up (or blending) ingredients by hand, you don't have to create yours from scratch for it to be a yummy and moisturizing concoction. All you really need is a jar of store-bought salsa.

No matter what type you get, the tomatoes (and other ingredients) in salsa create plenty of liquid to keep your pork chops nice and juicy. Plus, incorporating a salsa marinade allows you to infuse your meat with tons of different flavors. In just one jar, you can get acid (from the tomatoes or lime juice), spice (from jalapeños or other elements), herby notes (from ingredients like cilantro), sharpness (from onions), and salt. But with so many different types out there, you have plenty of opportunity to experiment and find the exact flavor you want for your meat.

There are quite a few ways you can incorporate salsa into your pork chops. The easiest is to simply place your meat in a baking dish (or plastic bag), pour about two cups of salsa over the top (for every four pork chops), and let everything sit in the fridge for up to three hours. Then you're free to grill, bake, or cook your protein on the stove. However, you can also let it slowly simmer in all those flavors using the slow cooker. Place both components in your device after searing your meat on the stove, and set it to high for about three hours.

If you don't want to let your pork chops rest in salsa for a long period of time, however, you can also use this condiment as a regular sauce or topping. For the former, sear your meat in a pan over the stove, then incorporate your salsa and let the pork finish cooking. You may want to halfway cover your skillet as well to seal in all that moisture. But if you're going for the latter, simply spoon your condiment over the top of your protein after it's been plated — which works particularly well for fruity salsa featuring pineapple and mango, if you want to keep the ingredients fresh.