Honey Glazed Pork Chops: Juicy Skillet Chops With a Sticky Glaze

Choosing the chops

Thickness matters more than anything. Chops about 1 to 1 1/4 inches thick have time to brown on the outside before the center overcooks. Thin chops cook through in a couple of minutes and dry out easily. Bone-in chops have a little more flavor and are slightly more forgiving; boneless cook a bit faster.

Take the chops out of the fridge 20 to 30 minutes before cooking, pat them very dry and season generously with salt and pepper.

• 4 pork chops, 1 to 1 1/4 inches thick
• Salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon neutral oil
• 2 tablespoons butter and 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard and 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• Fresh thyme or rosemary

Method

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chops and sear without moving them for 4 to 5 minutes, until deeply golden. Flip and sear 3 minutes more. Lower the heat to medium-low, add the butter, garlic and herbs, and let the garlic sizzle for 30 seconds.

Whisk the honey, mustard and vinegar, pour into the pan and tilt it so the glaze pools. Spoon it over the chops continuously for 2 to 3 minutes as it bubbles and thickens. Check the temperature: the USDA safe minimum for pork chops is 145°F, followed by a 3-minute rest. Transfer to a plate, spoon the remaining glaze over and rest before cutting.

Why 145°F, not well done

Older advice said to cook pork to 160°F, which made chops dry and tough. In 2011 the USDA lowered the safe minimum for whole cuts of pork to 145°F with a 3-minute rest. At that temperature the center may be slightly pink and is much juicier. Ground pork is different and should reach 160°F.

Glaze variations

Pork goes well with fruit, mustard and warm spices.

• Honey apple: add 1/4 cup apple cider and sliced apples to the pan
• Honey balsamic: replace cider vinegar with balsamic and add rosemary
• Honey soy ginger: 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• Honey mustard: double the mustard and use whole-grain
• Honey peach: stir in 2 tablespoons peach preserves in summer

Which honey to use

Pork is mild and slightly sweet, so it takes well to both mellow and bold honeys. Pure Raw or Wildflower gives a balanced glaze. Buckwheat adds a deep, smoky-sweet note that is excellent with mustard and apple. Crystallized honey melts easily into the warm pan.

What to serve with honey glazed pork chops

Mashed potatoes or roasted potatoes catch the glaze. Applesauce, sautéed greens, green beans, honey glazed carrots or honey glazed Brussels sprouts round out the plate.

Brining for extra-juicy chops

If you have 30 minutes, a quick brine makes a noticeable difference. Dissolve 3 tablespoons salt and 1 tablespoon honey in 4 cups of water, submerge the chops and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 2 hours. Rinse, pat very dry and skip the extra salt when seasoning. The salt helps the meat hold on to moisture as it cooks, so the chops stay tender even if they go a few degrees past 145°F.