Maple Glazed Pork Chops

Maple glazed pork chops are a perfect weeknight meal! Ready in 10 minutes, healthy, and a crowd favorite. Pair with Instant Pot mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables!

Cooler temperatures usually have me craving comforting meals like homestyle slow cooker pot roast or slow cooker pumpkin chili or even one of my favorite dump recipes, slow cooker peach cobbler.

But sometimes I want something that feels a bit fresher and a bit cleaner. Still easy and delicious of course, but maybe a little less “stick to your ribs.”

That’s when I make maple glazed pork chops!

These maple glazed pork chops are SO good, my husband moaned – out loud – the first AND second time I made them. He said, “Man, these are so good!” to which I replied, “I thought you only liked pork chops that were breaded and baked?” He said, “I really like these – you can definitely make these again.”

Friends, we have a winner! What I like most about these maple glazed pork chops is that they are SO easy to make. They’re almost TOO easy if that’s even possible. It’s literally a one-two-three process!

Ingredients for Maple Glazed Pork Chops

Here’s what we have going on in this SUPER simple yet SUPER yummy glazed pork chops:

Pork

• I like using and recommend thick pork chops for this recipe, the ones that are nearly 1” thick. If you use thinner pork chops, they’ll cook really fast and the liquid wouldn’t have had a chance to turn into a glaze yet.
• I also recommend boneless pork chops for this recipe too. It makes cooking them a lot easier – fitting four pork chops into my 12” cast iron skillet is no problem. Also though, cooking when a bone can sometimes throw off the time it takes to cook through. The meat closest to the bone will take longer to cook, while the outside edges will quickly become overdone.
• Any thick-cut, boneless pork chops from any grocery store will work, but if you haven’t tried truly pastured pork, it’s definitely worth the splurge.
  • We joined Butcher Box and I tried their pork chops and OH MY GOODNESS – it was unlike any other pork I had ever eaten. It was so juicy, so tender, and so flavorful! I was never a huge fan of pork chops because I always thought they were so boring, but these were AMAZING!
  • My husband completely agrees with me and can tell the difference when I’ve made pork chops from Butcher Box pork versus pork chops from the grocery store. If buying quality meat is a priority for you, I encourage you to see if Butcher Box is a good fit for you. Read my post on how to make Butcher Box worth the cost!

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Maple Syrup

• You can’t have maple glazed pork chops without MAPLE syrup! I don’t often use sweeteners in dinner (with the exception of Instant Pot honey garlic chicken and sweet and sticky chicken), so we’re using just enough to add flavor and get a nice caramel-y glaze without filling our bellies full of sugar.
• Be sure you’re using PURE maple syrup – the ingredients should read “maple syrup.” Pancake syrup or waffle syrup or table syrup is usually corn syrup with some maple and additional caramel coloring added – don’t use that stuff! Stick with the real maple syrup; it costs a bit more, but a little bit goes a long way.
• If you don’t have maple syrup you can substitute sugar or brown sugar, but be aware that your dish will turn out much sweeter. You’ll get a really good glaze if you use sugar, so watch it closely to make sure it doesn’t burn. (You don’t have to be so much of a hawk when you use maple syrup.)
• You can substitute honey, but I haven’t tried it personally. Honey tends to burn quickly, so if you feel experimental and go this route, be sure to stay by the stove and watch carefully… watch the pork, watch the sauce, and watch for little hands close by in case a drop of hot honey jumps out of the pan… you catch my drift.

Basic Seasonings

The seasonings for maple glazed pork chops are basic spices from your cabinet –

• salt (this is my favorite HERE, and if you follow this link you can get a bag for just a penny!),
• pepper
• garlic powder
• paprika
• cayenne

As written, the amount of cayenne is enough to give you a “Whoo! That’s got a kick to it!” type of reaction on the first bite. The heat definitely diminishes as you make your way through the pork chop.

Note: If you have littles or anyone who is sensitive to spicy foods, I’d recommend halving the cayenne just in case. You can always sprinkle a bit of crushed red pepper at the table if you like the extra heat!

How to Make Easy Maple Glazed Pork Chops

Step 1. Mix everything up in a bowl.

Step 2. Warm up a large skillet (or another heavy bottom pan).

Step 3. Dump everything in the pan and cook until the pork chops are carmel-y and glazed and have reached 145F internally.

FAQs for Healthy Maple Glazed Pork Chops

Recipe Tips

A few cooking/prep tips for maple glazed pork chops:

• These pork chops are AMAZING fresh off the skillet, but they’re really good reheated as leftovers too! Feel free to make extra to save time later in the week. (If you do this, be sure to make extra glaze too!).
• Make sure you cook the pork to JUST 145F. I use and love this instant digital thermometer for instances just like this. When the pork chops reach that temperature, remove the pan from the stove and let them sit in the pan for about 10 minutes for the internal juices to redistribute.
• You only need to flip the pork chops once, but once you do, be sure to swirl them around in the maple glaze!
• This recipe is PERFECT for the freezer. Simply combine all of the ingredients in a gallon-size plastic bag (or your choice of a freezer-safe container), remove all of the air, label, and freeze. When you want to make dinner, pull the bag out the night before and let it thaw in the fridge.
  • To cook, dump everything into the skillet and follow the rest of the recipe as written!

More Healthy Dinners

• Stuffed Peppers
• Blackened Salmon
• Slow Cooker Osso Buco
• Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas
• Instant Pot Honey Baked Ham
• Bacon Chicken Caesar Salad Wrap