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Get It NowThese honey garlic pork chops are sweet, garlicky, and oh-so-tempting. They are a version of my pan seared pork chops, but this time I glazed them with the same sweet, garlicky sauce I use for my honey garlic chicken. With mouthwatering flavor and quick cooking time (for those nights when you need dinner on the table in a flash!), these pork chops are fast without compromising on taste.
Why You’ll Love These Honey Garlic Pork Chops
- Sweet and savory flavor – The sauce for these chops balances the sweetness from honey with savory garlic, all without any thickeners like cornstarch. Major flavors going on here!
- Tender, juicy chops – After preparing hundreds of pork chops, I learned how to create the best juicy results without overcooking. I’ll go over my key tips to make them juicy!
- 4-ingredient honey sauce – Not only is the sauce perfectly sweet and savory, it also needs just a few simple ingredients.
- Effortlessly quick – These honey garlic pork chops come together in 6 simple steps and get on the table in 15 minutes. Win!
- Versatile and family-friendly – They are perfect for any mealtime, whether it’s a busy weeknight or a relaxed Sunday dinner. Adults and kids love them!
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for garlic honey pork chops, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Pork Chops – You can use boneless or bone-in pork chops. Choose ones that are 1-inch thick. If you can, bring them to room temperature first to ensure even cooking and juiciness.
- Seasonings – In addition to the garlic honey sauce, you’ll season these chops with garlic powder, cayenne pepper, sea salt, and black pepper.
- Olive Oil – I prefer to use olive oil to sear the chops, but you could also use avocado oil or your oil of choice.
- Butter – Adds richness to the dish. I like to use unsalted so that I can control the salt separately.
- Garlic – Fresh minced garlic tastes the best, but you could use 1 teaspoon of jarred minced garlic as a quicker alternative.
- Honey – My go-to is natural sugar-free honey, but regular is fine, too. I like these fairly sweet, so used 3 tablespoons of the honey, but reduce to 2 tablespoons for more mild sweetness.
- Coconut Aminos – I prefer using coconut aminos as a soy sauce alternative, but reduced-sodium soy sauce or tamari also works.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – Adds a subtle tangy kick, balances the sweetness of the honey, and helps to tenderize the pork chops (read: tender and juicy results!). If needed, you can substitute it with white wine vinegar or rice wine vinegar for a similar effect.
- Garnish – For a classic dish, garnish with green onions (my preference), parsley, or sesame seeds.
How To Make Honey Garlic Pork Chops
This section shows step-by-step photos together with the instructions, to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Prep and season the pork. Pat the pork chops dry with a paper towel. Season both sides of the pork with the garlic powder, cayenne pepper, sea salt, and black pepper.
- Sear until golden. In a hot cast iron skillet, sear the pork chops for on each side until golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Sauté the garlic. Reduce the heat to medium. Melt the butter, and sauté the garlic until fragrant.
- Make the sauce. Add the honey, coconut aminos, and apple cider vinegar. Whisk together and cook until the sauce starts to thicken.
- Finish cooking. Return the pork chops to the pan. Coat the pork chops in honey garlic sauce, and cook until they are cooked through. Allow to rest before serving, and garnish with green onions.
Recipe Tips
Get ready to elevate your honey garlic pork chop game with some insider tips from yours truly. With all the time I’ve spent perfecting this recipe, I’m here to share some tricks that’ll have you cooking up juicy, flavorful chops like a seasoned pro in no time!
- Make sure the pan is very hot before searing pork chops. This ensures a perfectly golden-brown crust. To ensure the pan is very hot, preheat it over medium-high heat for a few minutes until the olive oil shimmers.
- You can prep sauce and pork separately. These honey garlic pork chops are made on the stovetop, but you can make the honey garlic sauce and cook the pork chops any other way you like. For example, I’ve also made the sauce and poured it over baked pork chops!
- Use a meat thermometer. Nobody wants overcooked pork chops, and you definitely don’t want them undercooked. The best way to ensure juicy (but fully cooked) results is to remove them from the pan when they reach 145 degrees F. You can also remove them a few degrees early and let them reach the target temperature while resting on a plate, which is actually what I usually do!
Storage Instructions
- Store: Place leftover pork chops in an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3-5 days.
- Reheat: Bake them in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for about 10-15 minutes, or until heated through.
- Freeze: Place the pork chops with honey garlic sauce in freezer-safe zip lock bags and push out any extra air. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
Complete your meal with some quick and easy sides that pair well with the sweet and savory flavors of the dish:
- Potatoes – Soak up that honey sauce with some mashed potatoes, or for a lighter option, cauliflower mash. You could also serve with classic roasted potatoes or roasted sweet potatoes.
- Salad – Since this is technically an Asian-inspired dish, I like to serve it with a refreshing smashed cucumber salad or a tangy cabbage salad. Any healthy salad recipe would make a quick and easy side, though.
- Rice – Serve with a bed of classic fried rice. For lighter options, make fluffy cauliflower rice or cauliflower fried rice (my favorite with this dish!) instead.
- Asian Sides – Bok choy and shishito peppers make a delicious veggie side, while egg drop soup makes a great appetizer.
More Pork Chop Recipes
These chops make a great meal any night of the week! Here are some other pork chop recipes to try:
My Favorite Tools For This Recipe
- Cast Iron Skillet – This is my secret weapon for perfect pork chops! It gives them that perfect, golden sear and ensures they cook evenly every time.
- Meat Thermometer – This one is my favorite because it gives quick, accurate readings, and does it fast so that your meats don’t overcook while waiting for the temperature.
Honey Garlic Pork Chops
These honey garlic pork chops are juicy, sweet, and savory, with an irresistible glaze and simple ingredients. An easy 15-minute recipe!
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Pat the pork chops dry with a paper towel. Season both sides with garlic powder, cayenne pepper, sea salt, and black pepper.
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In a cast iron skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, until shimmering. Add the pork chops in a single layer and sear for 2 minutes on each side, without moving except to flip, until golden brown on both sides. Remove the chops from the pan.
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Reduce the temperature to medium heat. Add the butter to the pan and melt. Add the garlic and sauté for 30-60 seconds, until fragrant.
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Add the honey, coconut aminos, and apple cider vinegar. Whisk together and cook for 2 minutes, until the sauce starts to thicken.
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Add the pork chops back to the pan in a single layer and baste in the sauce. Continue cooking for 2-3 minutes on each side for boneless pork chops or 4-5 minutes on each side for bone-in pork chops, or until the pork chops reach an internal temperature of 140 degrees F (60 degrees C).
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Transfer the honey garlic pork chops to a plate and rest for 5 minutes before serving. (The internal temperature should rise to 145 degrees F (63 degrees C) during resting.)
Did You Like It?
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 pork chop
Nutrition info does not include optional ingredients, and is calculated using natural sugar-free honey.
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂
4 Comments
Kellie
0A home run with the whole family. We doubled the sauce recipe because we like things extra saucy.
Kristen
0These pork chops were the best I have ever had, the honey garlic sauce just added so much flavor.
Melissa
0The most perfect weeknight dinner! Everyone loved this!
ddbatema
0Very easy and delicious recipe!