Easy Fall Dinner: Pork + Apples + Bacon
These Pork Chops with Apples and Bacon are braised in a tangy-sweet apple cider and Dijon sauc e with sautéed apples, crispy bacon, and fried sage. Your new favorite 30-minute one-pan skillet meal.
- 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
- Toasted hazelnuts
- Thyme leaves
- 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!
Pork Chops with Apples (30 Minutes, One-Pan)
This is the kind of one pan dinner I like to make when the weather turns cold and rainy and I'm craving something comforting but still weeknight-easy. I'll throw on a sweater, crisp the bacon, and let that cider bubble away while I set the table. You can use either sweet (Fuji) or tart apples (Granny Smith): I often use a mix of both - just like I did in my other recipe for pan-seared pork chops with caramelized apples. The recipe calls for white wine, but you can swap in extra cider + chicken stock instead. This one-pan meal is done in about 30 minutes with minimal cleanup. Pork chops and apples pair perfectly with my garlic mashed potatoes, my crispy Brussels sprouts, and simple green beans. Leftovers (if there are any) make an amazing lunch with a simple side dish like my apple spinach salad or beet burrata salad the next day. I also wouldn't be embarrassed to serve these pork chops and apples for casual entertaining-the dish always turns out pretty, colorful, and company-worthy! I also highly recommend you try my apple-cider braised pork shoulder and pork ragu pappardelle!
Recipe Highlights
Apple-cider pan sauce: I thicken the cider with a touch of flour (optional) and Dijon so the sauce clings to the pork and apples-silky, glossy, and not watery.
Juicy pork: I quickly sear the pork chops for golden crust to lock in moisture, then continue cooking it gently in sauce to 145°F; this two-step process keeps chops tender, never dry.
Crispy sage & bacon for texture: I fry fresh sage in the bacon drippings-those crackly leaves plus smoky bacon bits add so much flavor and crunch!
Hazelnuts: If you know me, you know I toss nuts on everything-so, of course, crunchy hazelnuts jumped on top. Could I resist? Absolutely not. You could also use pistachios, toasted pecans, or pine nuts here.
Pork chops: I used 2 thick-cut bone-in pork chops (½-¾ inch thick), around 10-12 ounces per chop as bone-in chop render extra flavor. I love using bone-in pork chops as they tend to be juicy and flavorful - just try them in my grilled pork chops with Dijon-Honey Marinade. But you can certainly use boneless - they will cook a touch faster. Alternatively, chicken thighs, thick-cut turkey cutlets, or other thick cuts of pork (like pork tenderloin medallions) would work well with this recipe.
Bacon: Pancetta or prosciutto also pair nicely with this dish.
Apples: I love using both 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. You can also replace the apples with very unripe pears of your choice!
White wine: I usually use Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay. Replace the wine with chicken broth + 1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar or lemon juice.
Apple cider (not vinegar): Apple juice or even pear juice will work just fine with this recipe.
Dijon: Whole grain mustard would be a great swap for the Dijon. I wouldn't use yellow mustard as it's too sharp/sour here.
Hazelnuts: Toasted pecans, walnuts, chopped almonds, or even pine nuts can be substituted.
Shallot: Onions or leeks are good stand-ins for shallots.
Thyme: ¼ teaspoon of dried thyme or fresh rosemary can be used in place of thyme.
All-purpose flour (optional): Helps the sauce coat the chops. For Gluten-free option, use 1 teaspoon of cornstarch whisked into 1 Tablespoon of cold cider; stir in at the end and simmer 30-60 seconds.
How to Cook Pork Chops with Apples (Step-by-Step Photos)
Prepare pork: Pat pork dry; season well with salt and pepper.
Cook bacon: In a large cold skillet, cook chopped bacon over medium until crisp, 6-8 minutes; remove to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving drippings.
Fry sage leaves 30 seconds until dark and the crackling stops; transfer with bacon.
Sear pork chops: If the pan looks dry, add a little oil; heat to high and sear pork chops 1-2 minutes per side until golden (not cooked through). Remove.
Apples: Lower heat to medium; sauté apple wedges 1-2 minutes to just soften.
Add shallot and thyme; cook until shallot softens, ~3 minutes.
Sprinkle in flour (if using) and stir to coat.
Pour in wine, increase heat to medium-high, and scrape up browned bits; reduce 1 minute.
Stir in apple cider and Dijon; bring to a boil, then reduce to medium-low.
Nestle pork into the sauce, cover loosely, and simmer gently until cooked through (145°F), about 5 minutes, and the sauce thickens. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Serve with apples and sauce spooned over, topped with crispy bacon, fried sage, toasted hazelnuts, and extra thyme. Great with mashed potatoes, wild rice, roasted roots, braised cabbage, or a shaved fennel-arugula salad.
Pork Chops with Apples and Bacon
one-pan Fall weeknight dinner features juicy seared pork chops simmered in a tangy-sweet
