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This Stuffed Pork Chops recipe uses simple ingredients to create the perfect, easy to make meal! With a sweet and savory filling and topped with an apple-bourbon sauce, it is packed with flavor and guaranteed to impress!
There are a few extra steps to create this meal, but none of them are difficult. Simmering the apple juice down takes the most time, and it is well worth the effort!!
What you will need to create Stuffed Pork Chops with Apples:
- You will need 1.5-inch thick pork chops, with or without bones. I can only find boneless so that is what I used.
- Breadcrumbs flavored with onion, celery, butter, diced apple, lemon zest, parsley, and thyme create the filling.
- We boil down the apple juice to a thick concentrate that is then mixed with Dijon mustard, bourbon, sage, and cayenne to create an amazing sauce to top the pork chops!
How to cook Stuffed Pork Chops:
Boil the apple juice (or apple cider) down to one cup. Set aside to cool.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion and celery, and cook until softened and translucent, about 5 to 6 minutes.
Add the diced apple and cook until slightly softened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the parsley, and thyme.
Add the breadcrumbs, salt and pepper, and toss to combine.
Move the stuffing to a bowl to cool.
Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel to remove any residual breadcrumbs.
Lay the pork chops flat on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut a large pocket inside each chop. Cut the opening 2 to 3-inches wide, making the cut wider inside the chop. Be careful not to cut all the way through.
Spoon about half a cup of filling into each opening, pressing to pack it in and keep it in place.
Heat the skillet over medium-high heat, and add the olive oil. When oil is hot, add the pork chops. Brown the first side, about 5 to 6 minutes. Flip the chops over and brown the second side, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Place a lid or aluminum foil over the skillet and place in the oven. Bake until a thermometer inserted into the center of the meat, not the stuffing, reads 145 degrees. This can take anywhere from 15 to 25 minutes depending on the thickness of your pork chops and how hot your oven cooks.
While the pork chops are cooking, heat the reduced apple juice with the Dijon mustard, bourbon lemon zest, sage and cayenne. Whisk to combine and stir occasionally until heated through. Remove from heat and set aside.
Place a stuffed pork chop on a plate and drizzle with the apple-bourbon sauce. Serve with Carrot Parsnip Mash, Au Gratin Potatoes for Two (you can double the recipe), Mashed Sweet Potatoes, or Instant Pot Loaded Mashed Potatoes and your choice of vegetables.
So, so good!! All of the flavors blend together perfectly.
Recipe Notes & Tips
- The stuffing is supposed to be on the dry side, we don't want soggy stuffing. However, living in the desert I realize that my breadcrumbs are incredibly dry, so I added 7 or 8 tablespoons of chicken stock to help bind them together. Just enough so that I could scoop them up without them falling back down into the skillet.
- I used a Granny Smith apple because they hold together well when baked. Feel free to use your favorite apple.
- There isn't a substitute for the bourbon. You could leave it out if you must, but it will be lacking in flavor. You could try to substitute chicken stock, but I have not tried that myself.
More delicious pork recipes:
- Pork Chops with Pan Gravy
- Instant Pot Rosemary Garlic Pork Roast
- French Onion Pork Chops
- Skillet Pork Chops with Herb Gravy
- Southwest Pork Chops
- Tuscan Stuffed Pork Loin
Tools used to create
- Enamel Cast Iron Casserole
- Chef's Knife
- Cutting Mat/Board
- Vegetable Peeler
- Apple Corer
- Wood Spatula/Turner
You can see the rest of my favorite kitchen tools and gadgets here in my Amazon Affiliate Page. https://www.amazon.com/shop/cookingwithcurls I earn a small commission when you purchase through my links, at no cost to you, so I can keep bringing you more delicious recipes!
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Enjoy!!
Stuffed Pork Chops
Ingredients
Apple-Bourbon Sauce
- 32 ounces apple juice reduced down to 1 cup
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 4 tablespoons bourbon
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- .5 teaspoon rubbed sage
- chicken stock if needed to soften the breadcrumbs 4 to 8 tablespoons
Apple Stuffing
- .25 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 celery stalk thinly sliced
- 1 large Granny Smith apple or any tart apple - peeled, cored, and diced into small pieces
- .25 cup Italian parsley chopped
- 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
- .5 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 4 thick-cut pork chops 1.5-inches thick
- sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Boil the apple juice (or apple cider) down to one cup. Set aside to cool.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion and celery, and cook until softened and translucent, about 5 to 6 minutes.
- Add the diced apple and cook until slightly softened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the parsley, sage, and thyme.
- Add the breadcrumbs, salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Move the stuffing to a bowl to cool. Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel to remove any residual breadcrumbs.
- Lay the pork chops flat on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut a large pocket inside each chop. Cut the opening 2 to 3-inches wide, making the cut wider inside the chop. Be careful not to cut all the way through.
- Spoon about half a cup of filling into each opening, pressing to pack it in and keep it in place.
- Heat the skillet over medium-high heat, and add the olive oil. When oil is hot, add the pork chops. Brown the first side, about 5 to 6 minutes. Flip the chops over and brown the second side, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Place a lid or aluminum foil over the skillet and place in the oven. Bake until a thermometer inserted into the center of the meat, not the stuffing, reads 145 degrees. This can take anywhere from 15 to 25 minutes depending on the thickness of your pork chops and how hot your oven cooks.
- While the pork chops are cooking, heat the reduced apple juice with the Dijon mustard, bourbon lemon zest, sage and cayenne. Whisk to combine and stir occasionally until heated through. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Place a stuffed pork chop on a plate and drizzle with the apple-bourbon sauce. Serve with Carrot Parsnip Mash, Au Gratin Potatoes for Two (you can double the recipe), Mashed Sweet Potatoes, or Instant Pot Loaded Mashed Potatoes and your choice of vegetables.
Notes
- The stuffing is supposed to be on the dry side, we don’t want soggy stuffing. However, living in the desert I realize that my breadcrumbs are incredibly dry, so I added 7 or 8 tablespoons of chicken stock to help bind them together. Just enough so that I could scoop them up without them falling back down into the skillet.
- I used a Granny Smith apple because they hold together well when baked. Feel free to use your favorite apple.
- There isn’t a substitute for the bourbon. You could leave it out if you must, but it will be lacking in flavor. You could try to substitute chicken stock, but I have not tried that myself.
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