Pork Chops with Apples (Slow Cooker)

slowcookerporkchopsapples Tender, fall apart pork chops are slow cooked with a combination of sweet and tart apples, brown sugar and warming spices to create an easy dinner recipe that is sure to be a family favourite. This slow cooker pork chops and apples recipe is a set-it-and-forget-it dump and go dinner that is delicious served over mashed potatoes.

1 lb pork chops, bone-in
1 lb apples sliced
½ cup chicken broth
½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
½ cup onions, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
⅛ cup brown sugar
½ tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

In a small bowl, combine the chicken broth and Worcestershire sauce. Mix and pour into the bottom of the slow cooker.

Place pork chops in the slow cooker and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the apple slices, diced onions and minced garlic on top of the pork chops. Sprinkle brown sugar, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg and dried thyme on top of the apples.

Set to LOW with a cooking time of 4 hours or HIGH for 2 hours. Check the internal temperature of the thickest pork chop with a digital thermometer at the 3 hour mark on LOW and the 90 minute mark on HIGH. If it has reached 145°F, they are done. If not, continue to cook checking internal temperature every so often.

Remove pork chops from the slow cooker to serving plates. Serve warm with your favourite side dish.

Makes 4 servings..

Cook's Notes:

To avoid overcooked pork chops, use a meat thermometer and check the internal temperature of the thickest pork chop around the 3 hour mark.
For best results and to suit your taste buds, use an apple variety that you love.

Storage:

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days for best quality.
Reheat in the microwave or in the oven.
This recipe is not freezer-friendly, as the apples will turn very mushy if frozen. However, you can freeze just the pork chops for up to 3 months and still have tender, slow cooked pork chops.

To Serve:

Apple pork chops pair well with mashed garlic potatoes, air fried baby potatoes, air fryer sweet potatoes or mashed sweet potatoes..
Homemade bread toasted and dipped into the sauce is another great side. White bread, a simple garlic bread, rye bread, Italian bread and honey wheat bread are great to try with this.

Variations:

Use different apples: Granny Smith apples and fuji apples are my favourite ones to use in this recipe, but you can (and should) use your favourite apples.
Add maple syrup or honey: to make a sweeter version of this slow cooker pork chops and apples, add about ¼ cup liquid thickener like pure maple syrup or organic honey.
Vary the sauce: add about ¼ cup of apple cider or apple juice to the slow cooker to give the sauce even more of an apple flavour.
Add cranberry: counter the sweet flavour by adding a handful of fresh cranberries or about ¼ cup cranberry juice.

Best Pork Chops To Use:

Bone-in Blade or Shoulder Chops: If you have the choice, go for bone-in blade or shoulder chops. These can be hard to find, so snap them up and freeze them when you do. The cut comes from closer to the shoulder (as the name implies), where the muscles are a bit tougher and have more connective tissue. This is a good thing for slow cooking since it means the cuts become more tender as they cook.
Sirloin Chops: These are also a good choice if you can find them. They come from the hip area at the opposite end of the loin region, and also do well when slow-cooked.
Bone-in Rib Chops: Second best to blade or sirloin chops are bone-in rib chops. This is what you see in the photos here and can be found at most grocery stores. The loin meat is very lean without a lot of fat or connective tissue, so it can wind up a bit tough and dry.
Loin Chops: If you are a pork connoisseur and love your chops medium-rare, then you’ll want to avoid loin chops altogether. If, however, you prefer your pork well-done, then I think you’ll be very happy using rib chops here.
Boneless Chops: Avoid boneless chops all together. The bone acts as an insulator protecting the meat during cooking and helping to slow moisture loss; boneless chops just become chewy and unsatisfying in the slow cooker.