Apricot Dijon Pork Chops

$7.00 recipe / $1.75 serving
by Beth - Budget Bytes
5 from 9 votes
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This one is definitely going on my favorites list!

These pork chops can be whipped up in just a matter of minutes (about 30) and require only a few simple ingredients. What you end up with is something so delicious, so gourmet-like, so pretty that you won’t believe that it came from your kitchen.

I chose bone-in pork chops for this recipe just because I think they’re pretty. Also, when you cook them a lot of flavor seeps out of the bones. Yeah, I know, that sounds kind of frightening but it’s nothing short of delicious. Since the pan drippings are a big part of flavoring the sauce, bone-in seems to be the way to go.

You will definitely want to go with thin cut chops so you can give them a quick sear on each side and not have to worry about the inside being under cooked. If you do happen to get thick cut, you can add the chops back to the sauce and let them simmer for a while until the insides are cooked through.

Apricot Dijon Pork Chops

top view of two Apricot Dijon Pork Chops on white plate

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Apricot Dijon Pork Chops

5 from 9 votes
Make boring pork chops into something spectacular and flavorful with a quick apricot Dijon sauce.
Apricot pork chops displayed on a plate.
Servings 4
Prep 5 minutes
Cook 20 minutes
Total 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 thin cut pork chops ($5.91)
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.22)
  • 1/2 cup apricot preserves ($0.57)
  • 2 Tbsp dijon mustard ($0.12)
  • 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar ($0.12)
  • 1/8 tsp garlic powder ($0.05)
  • 1/4 cup water ($0.00)
  • a pinch salt and pepper ($0.05)
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Instructions 

  • Prepare the sauce by whisking together the apricot preserves, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, and water. Set the sauce aside.
  • Heat a large skillet with 2 Tbsp of olive oil over medium high heat. While the skillet is heating, remove the pork chops from their package and sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides.
  • Once the skillet is very hot but not smoking (the oil should look wavy on the surface), add the chops to the skillet. Over crowding the skillet will cause the heat to drop and prevent searing so cook the chops in batches of two. Cook on each side until browned (about 5 minutes each side). NOTE: The chops will stick to the pan initially, but they will naturally be released from the surface when a “sear” has been achieved. If the chop is still sticking to the pan that means it is not ready to flip yet.
  • When the chops finish searing, remove them to a clean plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Once all of the chops have cooked, reduce the heat to medium-low and pour the apricot sauce into the skillet. Using a whisk, stir and cook the sauce for 1-2 minutes. The whisk will help the pan drippings release from the bottom of the pan and flavor the sauce. This is called “deglazing.”
  • Either serve the pork chops with the sauce spooned over top or add the chops back to the warm skillet to coat with sauce. I spooned the sauce over top for presentation’s sake but in the future I’ll probably add them to the pan to completely coat with the yummy sauce!

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Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 337.7kcalCarbohydrates: 26.4gProtein: 25gFat: 14.93gSodium: 301.88mgFiber: 0.43g
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One apricot dijon pork chop plated on white plate with side of pasta salad

Step By Step Photos

apricot dijon sauce ingrediens in mixing bowl with whisk (bottles of ingredients that were used in background)
Make the sauce by whisking together the apricot preserves, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, and 1/4 cup water.

pork chops in packaging
These are the pork chops that I bought. They are “thin cut center loin pork chops.” You don’t have to buy this exact type but try to get a thin cut so they cook quickly. Bone in adds a little more flavor than boneless.

Four pork chops with salt and pepper seasoning
Begin to heat the oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. As the skillet is heating, season both sides of the chops with salt and pepper.

pork chops being seared in pan with hot oil
Once the oil is hot (the surface should look wavy but it should not be smoking), add the chops. Even with my huge skillet, three chops ended up over crowding it a bit and I didn’t get a good sear on all of them. So, try to cook them in batches of two.

seared pork chops in pan
Cook the chops on each side until they achieve a golden brown sear (about 5 min each side). As you can see, the one chop didn’t sear well because too much moisture collected in the skillet. In order to achieve a good sear, the pan must stay hot and there can’t be a lot of moisture. Both of these are prevented by not over crowding the pan. Also, you’ll know when it is seared because the chop will no longer stick to the skillet’s surface.

cooked pork chops on plate
As the chops finish searing, remove them to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm until they are all cooked.

pan drippings in bottom of pan (to use for sauce)
After the chops are all cooked, your pan will look a little something like this. All of that brown stuff is flavor that will be infused into the sauce.

apricot dijon added to pan bearings to make sauce
Reduce the heat to medium-low and pour in the apricot dijon sauce. Use a whisk to stir and dissolve the drippings off of the bottom of the pan. Stir and cook the sauce for 1-2 minutes.

One apricot dijon pork chop plated with side of pasta salad and fork on the side
Either serve the pork chops with the sauce spooned over top or add the chops back to the warm skillet and coat with sauce. Oh, and I garnished with chopped parsley but it was purely for the picture’s sake. You don’t need it for flavor.

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Comments

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  1. The sauce is very tasty.
    The instruction is very detailed and easy to follow. For me, there were several pieces of helpful information.

    I used German mustard and I added strawberry jam for the sauce (only because I had only 80% of what I wanted of apricot sauce) and still it went well.

  2. Made these for dinner & they were so good!! I have only recently begun cooking meat dishes, so super appreciated the tip about how they’ll stick to the pan till they’re done searing, I super would have messed that up otherwise

  3. I made this 3 times with boneless pork loin chops. It is a perfect recipe! ย Have served to friends and the sauce gives the recipe an elegant touch. ย  I used white balsamic vinegar that I had on hand vs the Apple cider vinegar. Since the loin chops are thicken than the bone in, thin chops, I keep my meat thermometer on hand to check for right temp, then move the chops aside. I always make extra sauce๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿป

  4. I actually made this with boneless pork loin cut into thick slices and it was the best pork loin I’ve made. I didn’t have Apple cider vinegar, so used the white balsamic I had on hand. Delicious!

  5. The sauce is so delicious. I made these with boneless cutlets and I overcooked them a little bit, but the sauce made it much less tragic. I served with steamed broccoli and the sauce was fabulous on that as well!!

  6. The potatoes were out of this world. Great seasoning and perfect amount of crispiness. The idea for the marinade is great, but I think the proportions are off. I found it too watery and pretty flat. Would probably either leave the water out entirely or add more apricot preserves. That would make the marinade thicker and more flavorful.