Easy Brown Sugar Pork Chops

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These easy Brown Sugar Pork Chops have a delicious sweet spice rub that gives your pork chops amazing flavor! With instructions for cooking on the stovetop, in the oven and on the grill, this will quickly become your go-to pork chop recipe! 

Round white plate with raised lip with a pork chop sliced into 7 pieces in front of a pile of mashed potatoes

DELICIOUS BROWN SUGAR PORK CHOPS WITH SWEET & SPICY RUB!

Brown Sugar Pork Chops was one of the first recipes I ever shared on the blog, and the photos were terrible! Back then, I was just learning about photography and Lightroom and all the things that come second nature to me now. 

But also, I lived in a campus apartment for my husband’s job with a small 12″ window for natural light. My other windows were large stained glass. Beautiful, for sure, but horrible for taking pictures! 

This all means that coming back to this post to update the photos and give more detailed instructions has been on my to-do list for quite some time. 

It is still one of my go-to pork chop recipes. It’s quick to prep, the brown sugar rub requires only 5 ingredients that I consider pantry staples, and they’re always flavorful! 

When I first shared the recipe, I only included one cooking method though. Since we were in student housing, our options for cooking were a bit limited. But now I’m adding a couple extra methods you can choose from. 

Since pork chops are easy to cook in a variety of ways, these brown sugar pork chops really are easily prepared all year long. Don’t want to turn the oven on in the heat of summer? No problem. Just grill them or use only stove top! 

Four boneless pork chops with a brown sugar rub and glaze sitting on a white rectangular serving plate next to a white bowl with mashed potatoes and a basket with a white and navy plaid napkin with biscuits inside.

WHAT IS THE BEST CUT OF MEAT FOR BROWN SUGAR PORK CHOPS?

There are four main cuts of pork chops, and each one has its own merit. So your choice will come down to what you are most comfortable with. 

Pork Rib Chops are usually cheapest and easiest to cook as the bone helps the pork chop from overcooking. Boneless pork chops are most commonly sold and a solid choice for these Brown Sugar Pork Chops but will need closer attention to prevent over cooking. 

  1. Pork Rib Chop: This cut comes from the rib section, hence the name! It has a large bone running along one side. It’s very tender with a nice pork flavor. Best for grilling and stovetop! 
  2. Boneless Pork Chop: This is the most lean cut of pork. It’s the most commonly sold pork chop cut in the United States, but it is also easiest to over cook so you need to watch carefully. This is also the cut of pork chop that I use for making slow cooker pork
  3. Pork Loin Chop: This pork chop cut has a t-bone in the middle with two different kinds of meat on it – tenderloin and loin. While many consider this a premier cut of pork because it’s extra juicy, it’s also the hardest to cook since the two different meats cook differently. If trying, sear on a cast-iron pan first and then grill or roast while checking often.
  4. Pork Shoulder Chop: This cut of pork has a ton of flavor because it’s well-marbled; this also makes it tricky to cook. It’s best braised and well tenderized. 

HOW THICK SHOULD I BUY MY PORK CHOPS? 

Always purchase a pork chop that is at least 1 inch thick. Thinner will most likely result in a dried out piece of meat. 

If purchasing boneless pork chops, I recommend 1.5 to 2 inches thick as they are more forgiving. 

Sliced boneless pork chop with a brown sugar glaze sits on a round white plate next to mashed potatoes with a basket of biscuits in the top left corner and a plate with more pork chops in the top right corner

BAKED BROWN SUGAR PORK CHOPS – TIPS FOR COOKING PORK CHOPS IN THE OVEN:

If you are wanting to cook your pork chops in the oven, I suggest first searing them with oil in an oven safe pan. It seals in the juices and helps provide a faster initial cooking of your pork so you can cook for less time in the oven. This helps prevent over cooking. 

Then, place your pork chops in a 350 degree F oven and bake for 10-15 minute more minutes. Time will vary depending on cut and thickness of pork chop. 

Keep a close eye on your pork chops. Once they reach an internal temperature of 145, remove and let rest for 3 minutes before cutting or serving. 

I love pan searing pork chops and then finishing in the oven because I get consistently delicious pork chops. It also allows me time to finish other sides for dinner or prepare my kids’ plates while in the oven.

HOW TO COOK BROWN SUGAR PORK CHOPS ONLY ON THE STOVETOP? 

This is my least favorite way to personally cook pork chops. I struggle with cooking meat solely on the stove; I think it’s because I get easily distracted doing other things. However, my sister does it all the time though and it definitely works!

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in your skillet on medium heat. I personally love using a cast iron skillet for pork because it provides great consistent heat! 

Cook the pork chops for about 5-7 minutes on each side. Once they reach an internal temperature of 145, remove and let rest for 3 minutes before cutting or serving. 

GRILLED BROWN SUGAR PORK CHOPS – TIPS FOR COOKING PORK CHOPS ON THE GRILL: 

Heat grill to medium heat and cook pork chops for around 5-7 minutes on each side. It’s very similar to cooking on the stove top!

Once they reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees F, remove and let rest for 3 minutes before cutting or serving. 

If you are using a grill with more control over your heat source, you can sear the meat for 2 minutes of each side first as a higher temp. Then reduce heat and continue cooking for around 5-10 more minutes. 

UPCLOSE PHOTO OF BROWN SUGAR PORK CHOP SLICED INTO 7 PIECES ON A WHITE PLATE NEXT TO A SIDE SERVING OF MASHED POTATOES

ESSENTIAL ITEMS FOR COOKING PORK CHOPS:

A GREAT MEAT THERMOMETER: I cannot recommend having a meat thermometer more! While I constantly use it for all cooking, I find it most important for pork as it can so easily be overdone. 

Meat thermometers will make sure you are safely cooking your pork AND keeping it from getting tough! 

RELIABLE BBQ Grill Tools Set: If grilling, you definitely want a full set of utensils safe for the grill! 

Grill Cooking Spray: If you are grilling pork chops, I recommend using this grill cooking spray or oil up your grate before lighting so your pork chops don’t stick on the grill! I make sure my grill is well coated before cooking any sort of burger or cut of meat. 

Nonstick 11-Inch Deep Square Grill Pan: If you don’t have a grill or it’s simply too cold outside, this pan is perfect for evenly cooking pork chops on the stovetop while still getting pretty grilled lines! 

WHAT TO ENJOY WITH BROWN SUGAR PORK CHOPS:

These easy Brown Sugar Pork Chops have a delicious sweet spice rub that gives your pork chops amazing flavor! With instructions for cooking on the stovetop, in the oven and on the grill, this will quickly become your go-to pork chop recipe! | THE LOVE NERDS #porkchoprecipe #easydinner #30minutemeal

TIME TO COOK UP THESE EASY BROWN SUGAR PORK CHOPS! 

UPCLOSE PHOTO OF BROWN SUGAR PORK CHOP SLICED INTO 7 PIECES ON A WHITE PLATE NEXT TO A SIDE SERVING OF MASHED POTATOES

Brown Sugar Pork Chops

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

These easy Brown Sugar Pork Chops have a delicious sweet spice rub that gives your pork chops amazing flavor! With instructions for cooking pork chop on the stove, in the oven and on the grill.

Ingredients

  • 4 pork chops - Bone in or Boneless
  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Chili Powder (can substitute for paprika but will lose some spice)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

INSTRUCTIONS FOR BROWN SUGAR PORK RUB

  1. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
  2. Rub the mixture onto both sides of the pork chop using all of the spice mix. 

INSTRUCTIONS FOR COOKING PORK CHOPS IN OVEN

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in an oven safe skillet over medium/high heat. After the oil is hot, cook the pork chops for about 2 minutes on each side to sear them and lock in the spices.
  3. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until you reach internal temperature of 145 degree F. The thicker the pork chop, the longer time it will need to finish cooking in the oven. 
  4. Remove from oven and let rest for 3 minutes before serving.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR COOKING PORK CHOPS IN SKILLET

  1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in an oven safe skillet over medium heat. After the oil is hot, cook the pork chops for about 5-7 minutes on each side or until you reach internal temperature of 145 degree F
  2. Remove from oven and let rest for 3 minutes before serving.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR COOKING PORK CHOPS ON THE GRILL

  1. Heat grill to medium heat.
  2. Cook pork chops for around 5-7 minutes on each side or until you reach internal temperature of 145 degree F.
  3. Remove from grill and let rest for 3 minutes before serving.

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 391Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 132mgSodium: 375mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 1gSugar: 15gProtein: 41g

Comments

  1. eileen says

    Just made these and OMG, Delicious full of flavor for only 4 ingredients. I kept the minced garlic out think I’ll try it next time. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe 😉

    • Carrie Watson says

      I just made them for supper minus garlic powder an they was good. Kids didn’t care for them. They don’t like new things….

    • Maggie says

      I don’t have a fancy one. The one I currently have is an instant read digital thermometer by Polder which I picked up from Crate and Barrel. Taylors are supposed to be good and my mom has an Oxo one that she likes. Good luck choosing one!!

      • Nana says

        Do you have a thermometer that you can leave in the meat as it cooks or do you check it as it is about to be done?

  2. Sherise says

    Hi there! These sound delicious… I was wondering if these chops are on the spicy side? (3 year old doesn’t like spicy) Thanks!

  3. Dee says

    I was wondering if you have tried grilling these. I want to try these tonight but it is very hot and humid and don’t really want to turn on the oven,lol

    • Maggie says

      I have not tried grilling this particular pork chop recipe. I would spray the grill with non-stick spray well. The only think that might happen is the brown sugar might caramelize slightly, but that doesn’t sound like a bad thing to me. I wish I could be of more help!

  4. Hillary says

    Hi there, these sound really good but I was wondering if it matters if you use light or dark brown sugar?

    • Maggie says

      I used light brown sugar because that is what I had in the house, but I don’t think it would make a huge difference either way. I would say use whichever you prefer.

  5. Danielle says

    Just made this for dinner, it was simply delicious. Super easy and very flavorful. I will be making this again for sure! Thanks for sharing.

  6. Brittney says

    Making these tonight! Leaving out the chili powder because of allergies. Will be having Freekeh & steamed veggies to accompany the chops.

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