PORK CHOPS WITH APPLES AND BACON

It’s Sweater Weather! And along comes this 30-minute recipe for Pork Chops with Apples and Bacon

The first cool evenings make me want apples in something other than dessert. These pork chops answer the call beautifully: thick-cut chops, smoky bacon, shallots and two kinds of apple texture, all brought together with cider and Dijon mustard in one skillet.

The apple halves keep their shape while the slices soften into the sauce. Be sure to remove the cores and all seeds before cooking, leaving the skins on and the halves intact. Crisp sage goes on at the end. It looks like a dinner you’ve fussed over, but the recipe takes about 30 minutes—just enough time to decide what to pour with it.

This recipe comes from Anna Theoktisto in the Food & Wine test kitchen. We made it with Fuji apples, whose sweetness works particularly well against the mustard and bacon. Here’s how to bring a little fall to the table.

PORK CHOPS WITH APPLES AND BACON

September 24, 2026

Servings: 4

Prep: 5 min

Cook: 25 min

Total: 30 min

Difficulty: Easy. Using a meat thermometer and pulling the pork right when it hits 140°F ensures your pork won’t be overcooked and will remain nice and tender when you slice into it.

</strong></p> <p><strong>This 30-minute, one-pan dinner features tender pork chops bathed in a sweet and smoky bacon-and-apple sauce that’s brightened with mustard and herbs.’

By: Monte Mathews

Ingredients

• 3 small Fuji apples
• 4 bone-in rib-cut pork chops (about 1 inch thick)
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
• 2 sprigs sage
• 2 large shallots, sliced (about 1 cup)
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup apple cider
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Directions

• Step 1 Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut two apples in half lengthwise. Using a melon baller or small spoon, remove the cores and all seeds from each half, keeping the halves intact. Set aside. Quarter and core the remaining apple, removing all seeds, then cut it into thin slices. Leave the skins on all three apples. Cover lightly with plastic wrap, and set aside. Season pork chops evenly with pepper and 2 1/4 teaspoons salt. Heat oil in a large oven-safe skillet over high until smoking. Cook pork chops, undisturbed, until browned on one side, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer pork chops, browned side up, to a large plate. Set aside.
• Step 2 Wipe skillet clean, and add bacon. Cook over medium, stirring occasionally, until rendered and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving drippings in the skillet. Set aside.
• Step 3 Return skillet with drippings to medium-high. Add sage and halved apples, cut sides down
• Step 4 Cook, undisturbed, until sage is crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer sage to the plate with bacon. Add sliced apple and shallots to skillet with halved apples. Cook, stirring often, until shallots are softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in flour
• Step 5 Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add apple cider and mustard. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened and smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Remove from heat.
• Step 6 Place pork chops, browned side up, in skillet, nestling apple halves between pork chops. Sprinkle with bacon. Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven
• Step 7 Bake until a thermometer inserted into the thickest portion of pork registers 140°F, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven
• Step 8 Season to taste with salt. Garnish with crisped sage
• Step 9 Recipe Originally appeared in Food & Wine magazine, September 2024

Here are some other favorite recipes for Pork Chops. Click on the Photo or the link to go straight to the recipe.

Adam Rapoport’s Pork Chops with Celery and Almond Salad

Cheddar-Crusted Pork Chops With Apples, Red Onions and Red Peppers

Jacques Pépin’s Superb recipe for Spinach and Gruyère Stuffed Pork Chops