Chipotle Brown Sugar Pork Chops with Brussels Sprouts and Apples
An easy, flavorful sheet pan pork chops recipe that has sweet and smoky flavors running all throughout, thanks to a simple flavor paste made from chipotle pepper and brown sugar. If you don’t care for spicy heat, go ahead and swap in two teaspoons of smoked paprika instead.
- Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
- 3/4 red onion, cut into thick slices or petals (plus extra raw onion, if you like)
- 1 chipotle pepper, minced (or sub 2 to 3 teaspoons smoked paprika, if you don’t like spicy)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more as needed
- 2 to 3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar (to taste)
- Salt and pepper, as needed
- 4 bone-in pork chops, about 1-inch thick
- 1 red apple, cored and sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Adjust the rack to the middle position.
- Put the halved Brussels sprouts and sliced onion on a large baking sheet.
- Combine the brown sugar, minced chipotle pepper (or smoked paprika), 2 tablespoons olive oil, the vinegar (this is to taste, just a small splash will do), and a good pinch of salt and pepper in a bowl. Toss to mix well. Coat the chops all over with this mixture, saving a little to toss the Brussels sprouts and onion with, ensuring that everything is coated. You can add a little more oil as needed.
- Lay the chops on top of the onions/sprouts. Season everything with more salt and pepper, to taste (pork and Brussels sprouts really need salt, so don’t be too shy here). Tuck 3/4 of the apple slices all around the pan and roast until the pork is just done (165 degrees F); about 28 to 32 minutes. During the last two minutes of cook time, crank the broiler to high and let everything broil for those two minutes. Serve right away, and enjoy with some extra raw apple and onion slices, if you like.Â