Budget Bytes: glazed pork chops $6.55 recipe / $1.63 serving

glazed pork chops
$6.55 recipe / $1.63 serving

I love getting my hair done. It's great to just chill for a couple of hours and cut up with the salon folks. Obviously, food is always a topic of conversation (because who doesn't like food) and my stylist, Amy, has given me some inspiration for recipes in the past. As always, she filled me in on what she had cooked that week and I got inspired. She hinted heavily that she wanted to be mentioned in the blog again so: this one is for you, Amy!

I made a basic rub out of brown sugar and spices. The brown sugar turns into a nice sweet glaze when it's cooked and you can pretty much season it with whatever herbs and spices you like. I went for spicy with cayenne and black pepper then rounded it out with paprika and garlic powder. A little salt for good measure and it was good to go! Super easy and very tasty. This is a great week night main dish!

I probably over paid for these pork chops but I'm still steaking out the good grocery stores and markets in my new city. Hopefully soon I'll be in the groove!

Total Recipe cost: $6.55
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Cost per serving: $1.63
Prep time: 10 min. Cook time: 15 min. Total: 25 min.

INGREDIENTS		COST
4 thick cut	pork chops (bone-in or boneless)	$5.97
1/4 cup	brown sugar	$0.12
1/2 tsp	cayenne powder	$0.05
1/2 tsp	garlic powder	$0.05
1/2 tsp	paprika	$0.05
1/2 tsp	salt	$0.05
1/2 tsp	black pepper	$0.05
TOTAL		$6.55

STEP 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl combine the brown sugar and spices (salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika and garlic powder or whatever spice blend you like).

STEP 2: Remove the pork chops from their package and rub the brown sugar/spice mix all over both sides. Use all of the spice mix.

STEP 3: Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a skillet over medium/high heat. When the oil is nice and hot (it will look wavy in the pan), add the pork chops. Cook the chops for about 5 minutes on each side or until they are nicely browned.

STEP 4: If you are using an oven safe skillet, place the skillet in the oven for an additional 5 minutes to make sure they are cooked through. If your skillet is not oven safe (most plastic handled skillets and teflon are not safe in the oven), transfer the chops to a baking sheet lined with foil then place in the oven.

STEP 5: Remove the chops from the oven and drag each side around in the thick glaze that has formed around the chops in the pan prior to serving.

Step By Step Photos

Make your spice rub by combining 1/4 cup of brown sugar with whatever spiced you like (I used cayenne, paprika, garlic powder, black pepper and salt... 1/2 tsp of each).

I used thick cut pork chops. You can use either bone-in chops or boneless. If you use thin cut chops, reduce your cooking time and you will not need to place them in the oven.

Rub the brown sugar seasoning mix into both sides of the chops. The moisture from the meat will most likely dissolve the sugar, that is okay.

Heat some olive oil in a skillet until very hot (med/high heat). Place the chops in the pan and cook on each side for about 5 minutes or until browned.

The chops have browned on each side but since they are thick cut, they need to go in the oven (350 degrees, prewarmed) for about 5 minutes to ensure that they are cooked all the way through. If you are using an oven safe skillet (no plastic or teflon), place it directly in the oven. Otherwise, transfer the chops to a baking sheet.

After cooking in the oven, the chops are done. The oven also further caramelizes the brown sugar mixture. Drag the chops around in the glaze on both sides before serving.

The glazed pork chops make a nice dinner with some collard greens, potato salad and maybe a fresh tomato (just because they're in season). YUM!

NOTE: To make sure clean up is not any harder than it has to be, fill up your pan with water while it is still warm. DO NOT put water in the pan just after it comes out of the oven or if the glaze is still sizzling (this will cause splatter and bad burns). Putting water in the pan when it is still warm will help dissolve the sugary glaze before it becomes hardened.

74 comments:

Mindy | August 13, 2010 at 4:19 PM: I've been looking for a good, but different recipe for pork chops in the crockpot. Wonder how these would fare with the crockpot treatment?
Beth M | August 13, 2010 at 4:22 PM: You'd definitely need to add some liquid if you want to do this in the crock pot. Apple juice would work nicely - just add enough to cover the chops and you're good to go!
die444die | August 14, 2010 at 7:19 AM: these look incredible
Anonymous | August 14, 2010 at 11:48 AM: I think you made a mistake in the cost section of your chart.... :)
Beth M | August 14, 2010 at 12:10 PM: Thanks! I fixed it :)
Jeri | August 16, 2010 at 8:06 AM: These look delicious. I've made something very similar with bone-in chicken where I brined the chicken for several hours and then coated in the same spice rub before baking, and it was awesome. :) Also liked to share that if you have a pan with a non-oven safe handle, you can wrap the handle a few times with aluminum foil and that will protect it from the heat so you can transfer straight to the oven. Less dishes to wash!
Sonya | August 30, 2010 at 4:29 AM: I made this a few days ago and we loved it! I went ahead and cooked mine in an electric skillet on lowish heat because I have a seriously small european oven and was using it to bake potatoes! Thank you so much for a delicious recipe!
Restaurant Spy | September 21, 2010 at 10:59 PM: Cool recipe I will definitely be making this in the next two weeks! I can get really good deals on Pork Chops where I live. I live in Canada by the way and I stumbled upon your blog randomly and by golly I am glad I did! Yay!
Shiann | October 3, 2010 at 7:41 PM: Just made these tonight and they turned out so good! Served them with some spicy garlic green beans. So good! Thanks for the recipe!
Tracy | November 17, 2010 at 7:01 PM: This is awesome! I made one mistake, and that was making the wild rice with it that you posted. The reason being is that the pork needs to be in the oven at a diff temp as the rice, and that rice takes FOREVER. LOL! Green beans would have been a better option. I like the easy factor of the pork chops, so I should make the whole meal easy. Oh well. Lesson learned.
Ashlea | May 7, 2011 at 6:26 PM: I made this tonight, and it was GOOD, but it didn't turn out like yours. I didn't get that nice, thick, brown glaze. I'm not sure what I did wrong though. I'll just have to try again.
kitkatcara | June 15, 2011 at 7:13 PM: I chuckled when I scrolled down and saw that the pork chops came from Rouses. I have some sitting on my counter waiting for me to cook them from the same place. I hope you like it down here. I'm from the northshore, so I can't say much about the city but if you want a nice day trip we have lots of nice things here too! Thats the awesome thing about Louisiana, New Orleans is great, but it can't contain all the magic. Our spirit is simply too great to stay in one city.
Isadora | September 6, 2011 at 12:08 PM: I made these last night. My hubby came in right before I put them in the oven. He made me transfer the chops to a different pan to finish them off and he made a sauce using the pan drippings. He loves to make sauces and it was perfect over the mashed potatoes I served with the chops. I also made zucchini fries. My hubby said he's gladly pay $20 for that meal at a restaurant! And he can't wait for me to make the pork chops again. Thanks!
Carol | October 13, 2011 at 4:10 PM: Mmmmm this looks yummy and we are having it for supper tonight!! I think your recipe has been "pinned" quite a few times on Pinterest now!! :)
Kathleen | December 8, 2011 at 10:19 PM: I came across this recipe on pinterest tonight and decided to give it a whirl! They turned out wonderfully and I have already blogged it on my blog at:

http://noutensilunused.blogspot.com/2011/12/glazed-pork-chops.html

Thanks for sharing such a wonderful recipe!
Kimberly | January 2, 2012 at 7:16 PM: These pork chops were fantastic. It's hard to win over my boyfriend and he said "this is the only way I ever want to have pork chops" thanks thanks thanks!
Heidi Knox | January 5, 2012 at 2:55 PM: Thanks for the recipe! Im making them right now for my grandparents and mom. Im serving them with baked potatoes and green beans. YUMMM
Anonymous | January 21, 2012 at 11:03 PM: I made these tonight, and they turned out perfectly. Thanks so much for the great recipe!
Nyssa Cox | February 19, 2012 at 5:43 PM: I made these tonight for my husband and me. They were amazingly good, I can not believe how simple they are to make and how flavorful! This will definitely be my go to pork chop recipe! Thank you for sharing!
Nick Easter | February 19, 2012 at 7:32 PM: I made this tonight and it was a huge success! Thanks!
Jordan | February 24, 2012 at 4:46 PM: I've made these several times and every time they are amazing. Thanks for the great recipe!
Heidibeth | March 1, 2012 at 4:51 PM: Made this tonight! We loved them!!
Christina | March 31, 2012 at 5:55 PM: I just made this and it is perfectly seasoned and delicious!
Anonymous | April 24, 2012 at 6:31 PM: Just finished dinner. AMAZING! Thank you for a new favorite in our house!
Anonymous | May 6, 2012 at 8:29 PM: Ok... so how do you keep them from burning? I just ruined the entire meal. I only cooked them on the first side for 3 minutes and when I turned them over they were completely black and inedible. Set the heat to what you indicated... ?
Beth M | May 7, 2012 at 7:39 AM: I'm sorry to hear that! It could be because of the thickness/thinness of the bottom of your pan and/or differences in stove settings. But, a fantastic cook is not made without at *least* a few disasters. Sorry again!
Kristi | May 20, 2012 at 4:00 PM: Making these tonight! Yum!
The Benites Family | June 3, 2012 at 8:08 PM: I just made these and they were great! My three year old who eats almost nothing even loved them. Thank you for all the wonderful recipe ideas that you have given me. You are saving my family from eating the same old thing.
The Treeces | June 6, 2012 at 4:29 PM: I have made this dish several times and my family loves it! Thanks for sharing!
Terrie Mathison | June 19, 2012 at 5:47 PM: Thanks to Pinterest this dish comes up when searching for pork chops. I made these tonight and they were fabulous! Thanks for posting an easy, yummy recipe!
Sasha | June 23, 2012 at 6:33 PM: I made these tonight and they are absolutely amazing. It's rare to have no leftovers but they are gone. Thanks for sharing!
Jelsey | July 3, 2012 at 4:13 PM: I just tried these and I am not sure if I left them on one side for too long or what but after 4 min. they were black on one side. How can I get them to not get black and crusty? Should I lower my heat in the pan or should I just not leave them for 5 min on each side?
Beth M | July 3, 2012 at 4:19 PM: Jelsey - Yes, it sounds like you should probably lower the heat a little. If your stove top runs hotter than mine or your skillet has a thinner bottom, they'll cook faster. You just want to make sure that they don't cook so fast that the inside doesn't have time to heat up. So next time, try lowering the heat and just flip them when it reaches a deep golden brown color.
Anonymous | July 8, 2012 at 6:23 PM: This recipe sounds wonderful! I can't wait to try it1 Thanks
Anonymous | July 16, 2012 at 6:22 PM: These turned out so very yummy! Easy & Affordable too?! Oh yeah, this is a keeper & a welcoming addition to my family. Thank you for sharing.
Anonymous | July 17, 2012 at 7:16 AM: There is a recipe similar to this from P90X I have making for a while now. It is wonderful and good for you too.
Sarah H. | July 24, 2012 at 11:23 PM: Made these tonight using thin cut pork chops and they were amazing! I didnt have paprika so I substituted chili powder..turned out great & paired well with garlic butter green beans!
Anonymous | July 27, 2012 at 4:53 PM: How long do you keep them in the oven for? Your recipe did not specify?
Beth M | July 27, 2012 at 6:40 PM: Anon - About 5 minutes.
Anonymous | July 31, 2012 at 7:25 PM: Im msking them right now!!!
Anonymous | August 3, 2012 at 10:08 PM: Found this via Pinterest. Made them tonight using thin cut chops. I had to adjust time a little, but they were very good. Thanks for the great recipe!
Anonymous | August 8, 2012 at 12:11 PM: Just mad this last night. Hubby loved it. It was so easy!!
Anonymous | August 13, 2012 at 8:09 PM: I made these as suggested and mine started to burn after about 3 minutes so I had to take them out so they were still edible. The sauce was not thick at all. The taste was good and my husband liked them so I will try again with a lower heat setting and will experiment with the sauce to make it thicker
Anonymous | September 3, 2012 at 6:52 PM: Same problem as above. I had to turn the heat down quickly because they were burning after 2 minutes on the stove. I would rather cook them slow on medium (even around a 4 or 5) and just wait then bake to be sure they are done (and check with a thermometer). The sugar burnt all around the edges on mine though and the sauce didn't really go thick, it just went watery and burntlumpy. But tasted awesome.

Still delicious, but nearly ruined them! Oops. I am still learning, lol.
Anonymous | October 9, 2012 at 12:27 PM: i have a very picky 8 year old lil boy and he loves these. thank you for sharing the recipe. normally, he only wants mac and cheese even if i prepare a huge meal; but i tried these and he constantly requests them. they are easy to make and delicious.
Anonymous | October 9, 2012 at 2:43 PM: Do you think i could make this with pork loin?
Beth M | October 9, 2012 at 3:29 PM: Anonymous - Yes, a pork loin would work... after all, the chops that I used were a loin in their prior life (before being sliced into chops)! :)
Katy Miles | October 16, 2012 at 5:41 PM: I just made these. The first 2 chops were burnt with medium heat, I turned it down to low for the others and it worked out better. I used a cast iron pan, not sure if that was the problem or not. I transferred them directly to the oven for 5 minutes. They were very dry. I recommend marinating them beforehand. It had a great taste to them, it has potential!
Terry | October 24, 2012 at 5:28 PM: This will be tonights dinner! Yummmm!!
Samantha | October 28, 2012 at 8:09 PM: These are yummy! Love the combo of sweet and spicy. I believe these will make it onto my blog, with credit to you of course. :D
http://kneadtoknowrecipes.blogspot.com/
Anonymous | November 3, 2012 at 10:06 PM: For crockpot cooking do you still fry them and did you just add the seasonings to the apple juice?
Beth M | November 4, 2012 at 5:30 AM: Anon - you won't be able to get these same results in a crock pot because it will create too much liquid. It will probably still taste good, but you won't get a nice glaze like this. I'm not sure what method the reader used to make them in a crock pot.
Anonymous | November 4, 2012 at 7:24 PM: If I do these in the crock pot do I still cook them in the skillet?
Beth M | November 4, 2012 at 7:36 PM: Anon - I've never cooked them in a crock pot and I don't suggest it because you won't get a nice glaze like you will with this method, you'll end up with something completely different.
Mariah | November 12, 2012 at 5:19 PM: Just made these tonight on 11/12/12.

These were the most amazing pork chops I have made in awhile. Sweet, yet slightly spicy and extremely juicy. YUM! My 7 year old, who is a picky eater ate these and asked for more.
Lisa | November 26, 2012 at 3:40 PM: making them tonight!! Sounds good for a quick, easy dinner!
danyka hoover | November 27, 2012 at 12:02 PM: If putting in crock pot do you still have to brown on stove??
danyka hoover | November 27, 2012 at 12:10 PM: If putting in crock pot do you still have to brown on stove??
Beth M | November 27, 2012 at 1:42 PM: Danyka - these can not be made in the crock pot.
Anonymous | December 9, 2012 at 5:54 PM: I made these for my boyfriend and myself the other night and we loved it. It was a tiny bit spicy, but the brown sugar made for a great combo. My chops did cook really fast with the oil at med high. I caught it before they started to burn, so just make sure you pay attention, no big deal. Definitely will be a repeat entree, though!
Anonymous | January 9, 2013 at 8:29 PM: Let me just say it's probably not a very kid friendly recipe. That being said my husband and I absolutely LOVED this recipe!!! Husband even said it ranked in his top five favorites. I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out tender and so flavorful. (my 12 year old daughter loved the flavor but got thru about half her chop and then passed the rest to my more than happy hubby because of the spice & my 11 year old took two bites and finished off his milk ;-) I'll definitely make this again but I'll do a mild version for the kids and a knock your socks off version for me and the hubs. Thanks for sharing! - MB from AZ
Asheley....My first steps in learning how to cook | January 11, 2013 at 5:00 PM: I tried these last night. Omg just wonderful. It has a sweet and spicy kick to it. I didn't have ground cumin, but I added 1/2tbs of red chili flakes. Just great. I'm far from being a good cook lol but I was able to do this without setting off the smoke alarm. :-) Everyone has to try it. I did let the pork chops marinate in the spices 30 mins before cooking.
Erica | January 11, 2013 at 8:29 PM: So excited to try this recipe this week. Your blog is, hands down, my favorite source for recipes. Seriously. Thank you so much for sharing all your recipes with us.
Anonymous | January 18, 2013 at 8:46 AM: Could I marinade the chops in apple juice for a few hours and then cook them? I'm trying to find a way to make them more tender.
Beth M | January 18, 2013 at 11:00 AM: Anon - That sounds like it would be delicious. I've never tried marinating in just plain apple juice, so I'm not sure how it would affect the tenderness.
Anonymous | January 27, 2013 at 6:21 PM: Love this recipe! The chops were moist & delicious!! I'm wondering would this same recipe work for chicken breasts?!
Beth M | January 27, 2013 at 7:27 PM: I think it would be delicious with chicken breasts.
Anonymous | January 28, 2013 at 6:13 PM: Tried it last night with chicken breasts! Delicious! Although I had to cook them in the oven a bit longer than I did the chops. All in all, great glaze!
Anonymous | January 29, 2013 at 9:51 PM: Not sure where you live, but in So. California, there is no way 4 thick pork chops are going to cost on $6.00, so guess you can be happy about your cost. Ha.
Erin | February 9, 2013 at 4:07 PM: Beth, thank you so much for this recipe! My boyfriend and I both agreed these pork chops paired with your yellow jasmine rice is the best dinner I've made so far. We can't wait to try this spice rub on the chicken drumsticks we have in the freezer.
Samantha Kim | February 15, 2013 at 2:28 PM: I was assigned dinner duty last night, and since we had some frozen pork chops, I gave this a shot! Super easy, super quick, and super tasty. I loved the sweet-spicy flavour. Thanks for another winner :)
Anonymous | March 7, 2013 at 6:59 PM: This is so yummy..
LP | March 18, 2013 at 8:50 PM: Liked this. The sauce didn't adhere very well to the chops so next time I'll remove them and boil the sauce for a few minutes to make it thicker and more syrupy. Nice flavor.
Anonymous | April 8, 2013 at 3:50 PM: Made them on 3/28/13 and my family LOVED them. The glaze was perfect . My husband asked me to start making them weekly !! Thank you !