These quick and easy cranberry pork chops are juicy, bursting with flavor and absolutely beautiful. Almost too pretty to eat.
I love food. Pork chops are a staple in this household, but I get really tired of the same ol' recipes of frying, smothering, or otherwise preparing them.
I've been branching out a bit and trying to get a little more creative in the kitchen. Sometimes it pays off, sometimes it doesn't. This time, it definitely paid off.
These are probably one of the best tasting pork chops I've ever had. Super juicy from simmering in the sauce and they have way more flavor than a lot of pork chop recipes we've tried in the past.
I decided to try using cranberries since they're in season and pair them with one of my favorite pork chop rubs and some fresh herbs from the windowsill to see how it turned out. And... I've made these three times in the past two weeks. No shame. They're that good. Even my kids will eat them without complaint... all three times in the past 14 days.
Some people steer away from cranberries because they're so tart, but these pork chops don't result in a tart flavor, but a well balanced, sweet savory flavor instead. While I love this fruit in Christmas jam, I think it's time to give them a try with a few other dishes... venison is definitely on the list.
Thick cut, boneless pork chops are what I utilized in this recipe and they're what will work best, but bone in, thick chops will work equally well. I'd steer clear of thinner cut pork simply because it will probably overcook in the oven.
How to make pork chops with cranberry sauce
First, you'll coat your chops in a delicious brown sugar and chili powder rub... trust me on this, you're going to love it.
Then, you'll sear them in some hot oil in a skillet until they're nice and brown on each side.
Pull them out and deglaze your pan with some red wine and a touch of fresh cranberry juice.
Add your chops back to the skillet, add in a few sprigs of thyme, rosemary, and fresh cranberries and put them in the oven to finish cooking.
Out comes... the most amazing pork chop you've ever had, I promise.
These are a great fall and winter recipe and serving some au gratin potatoes alongside them and a salad will make them perfect for a weeknight meal (they're ready in less than a half an hour) or a special Sunday or holiday dinner because they're so beautiful. People will think you spent all day making them.
📖 Recipe
Pork Chops with Cranberry
Pork chops are seared with a sweet and spicy rub and combined with fresh cranberries and herbs for an out of this world flavor and ready in less than 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 6 Thick Cut Boneless Center Cut Pork Chops
- ⅓ Cup Light Brown Sugar
- ½ Tablespoon Chili Powder
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 3 Tablespoons Butter (divided)
- 1 Cup Fresh Cranberries
- 1 Cup Red Wine
- ¼ Cup Cranberry Juice
- Fresh Sprigs Thyme
- Fresh Sprigs Rosemary
Instructions
- Heat oven to 450°F.
- Mix together brown sugar and chili powder.
- Add a liberal amount of salt and pepper to both sides of the pork chops, then liberally rub the brown sugar mixture on each side. Reserve any leftover mix.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in an oven safe skillet. Sear chops on both sides until well browned. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Deglaze the pan by adding the wine and cranberry juice. Scrape up all the browned bits. Add any remaining brown sugar mix to the juice, and the remaining tablespoon of butter.
- Place the pork chops back in the pan. Add in the cranberries and top the chops with a few sprigs of fresh thyme and rosemary.
- Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until pork chops are done (145°F internal temperature).
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 192Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 37mgSodium: 134mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 1gSugar: 12gProtein: 7g
Other Recipes You'll Love:
If you're looking for ideas on how to reconnect with your food, nature, and the heritage way of life, you've come to the right place.
Join over 40,000 like-minded folks in my Facebook group, The Self Sufficient Life. You can join by clicking here.
Lexi McGuire says
These were delish! I used a sweet wine, next time i will probably use a more dy wine! I had to use frozen berries, but they still turned out great!