Citrus Free Apple Cider Glazed Pork Chops
Pork chops can feel like a weeknight staple that never quite reaches its potential — until a glossy, aromatic glaze gets involved. Here, unfiltered apple cider and a touch of honey reduce down into something deeply savory and just barely sweet, coating every bite with rich, caramelized flavor. The spice rub of turmeric, ginger, and Ceylon cinnamon gives the meat a warm, complex backbone before it ever hits the pan, and a hard sear in coconut oil locks all of that in with a gorgeous golden crust. For anyone avoiding citrus, this recipe is a genuinely satisfying find — so many glazed pork dishes lean on orange juice or lemon to build brightness, but apple cider does that job beautifully without a drop of citrus in sight. Thinly sliced garlic blooms in the drippings and the thyme sprigs steep right into the sauce, so the whole skillet smells incredible by the time the chops go back in. Spooning that reduced glaze over the finished chops at the table makes this feel far more special than the effort involved. Serve immediately and don't skip scraping every last bit of sauce from the pan.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 4 bone-in pork chops (about ¾ inch thick, 6–8 oz each)
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ceylon cinnamon
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
For the glaze
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 cup apple cider (unfiltered, unsweetened)
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
For serving
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Pat the pork chops completely dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, stir together the salt, turmeric, ginger, and Ceylon cinnamon. Rub the spice mixture evenly over both sides of each chop.
- 2
Heat the coconut oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the pork chops in a single layer and sear, undisturbed, for 4 minutes, until the underside is deep golden and releases easily from the pan. Flip and sear the second side for 3–4 minutes, until equally golden.
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