These pork chops get a double dose of honey garlic flavor, first with a marinade and then with a delicious glaze!
Over the years, I’ve shared my love of pork. It’s one of those meats I think people often cook improperly, and I love to reintroduce them to juicy, flavorful heaven.
Scroll down to read more about how it all comes together or click here to jump straight down to the recipe.
What Kind Of Pork Chops Should I Use?
This Honey Garlic Pork Chop recipe is a spin-off of my Perfect Pork Chop Method, which shows you how to cook pork chops perfectly every time. Those pork chops end up so juicy and tasty because of their thickness, and the little bit of fat that they have. Because they always turn out so good, that’s what I’ve used here as well. They’re bone-in, center-cut rib chops.
Shoulder chops will also work. They just have a little bit more gristle and so they’re not my preference, except when they’re on sale. Then I buy them up!
If you’d prefer to use loin chops, you can totally do that. Try to get thicker ones though, not the thin ones. And then, even if they’re thicker, you’re not going to cook them in the oven for as long. The loin meat is a bit less juicy so you just need to be extra-careful to not overcook it.
If you’re unsure what the different cuts of pork chop look like, head over here to see.
Making Honey Garlic Pork Chops
To get a good honey-garlic flavor into these pork chops, we do it in two phases. First, we marinate the chops in cider vinegar, honey, and garlic. The vinegar helps to tenderize the meat a little bit, and to get the flavor in there.
After the pork has marinated, pat it dry with paper towel and then drizzled with olive oil, and sprinkled them all over with salt and pepper.
Get a skillet nice and hot. Add the chops and sear them on the underside. Once they’re nice and brown, we flip them and add the second layer of honey garlic flavor by brushing on a honey garlic glaze. Since the glaze has a high sugar content, the best way to finish the chops off is in the oven where the glaze won’t be as likely to burn.
If you have a large cast iron pan, I suggest using it. it can go from the stovetop to the oven very easily. If all of the pork chops don’t fit in the pan at once, brown them two at a time on the first side, and then crowd all 4 of them in on the other side to finish in the oven.
This is one of those things that you can serve easily to your family during the week, but it really is a fun twist that company will love, too. Enjoy!
And if you love this pork chop recipe, try my Honey Garlic Chicken too! It’s crunchy and a little sweet.
Honey Garlic Pork Chops Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Marinate: 60 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Entrée
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
DESCRIPTION
These pork chops get a double dose of honey garlic flavor, first with a marinade and then with a delicious glaze!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 Tbsp. honey, divided
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 + 1/2 tsp. salt, divided
- 4 bone-in, center cut pork loin rib chops, 3/4 – 1 in. thick, about 1/2–3/4 lb. each
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. paprika
Instructions
- In a 9×13 baking dish, combine the apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons of the honey, sliced garlic, and 1 teaspoon of the salt.
- Add the pork chops to the dish and turn to coat.
- Allow the pork to marinate in the fridge for 1-3 hours, flipping halfway through.
- Remove chops from marinade and discard the liquid. Pat the chops dry using a paper towel.
- Let chops rest at room temperature for 5 minutes before preheating your oven to 400°F.
- While the oven preheats, rub the chops with the olive oil on both sides. Sprinkle on both sides with the remaining salt and black pepper.
- Mix together the glaze by combining the remaining 1 tablespoon of honey, garlic powder, and paprika in a separate bowl.
- Over high heat, warm a large oven-safe skillet that can fit the 4 chops without crowding them. When the oven is finished preheating, put the pork chops into the hot pan on the stove.*
- Cook the chops without moving them AT ALL for 3 minutes. Then use a pair of tongs to try gently lifting one up. If it is a bit stuck to the skillet, let it go and let it cook for another minute or two, then try lifting again. When a good crust is formed on the meat, it will then release more easily from the pan. When they’re nice and brown underneath, flip them over.
- Brush the pork chops with the glaze on the cooked side. Transfer the skillet (uncovered) to the preheated oven.
- Bake until the interior temperature, as read on an instant read thermometer stuck through the side edge into the middle, reads 140°F.* That’ll be 4-8 minutes depending on the thickness of your chops, or if you prefer your pork cooked more well done, go as high as 160F.
- Transfer the chops to a plate and let them rest for 3 minutes. Discard any juices that accumulate on the plate and then serve.
Love this recipe? I’d appreciate it if you could scroll down and add a *5 star rating* to help others know they’ll love it as well!
Notes
- *If all of the pork chops don’t fit in the pan at once, brown them two at a time on the first side, and then crowd all 4 of them in on the other side to finish in the oven.
- *The National Pork Board recommends that you continue to cook pork chops until they reach 145°F. It is therefore potentially unsafe to take them out of the oven and stop cooking them at 140°F. As with consuming medium-cooked steak, there is a risk involved here. Be aware that consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness.
This post originally appeared in January 2019 and was revised and republished in December 2023.