Searching for a festive main meal that is both delicious and unique? There’s nowhere else to look! This pan of pork chops with cranberries is special enough for a simple holiday meal, but it’s quick enough for a weeknight. Sear pork chops in a hot skillet and serve with a pan sauce made with fresh cranberries on top. Serve with your preferred side dish for a quick dinner that won’t require many hours throughout the holiday season!
This time of year, grocery shops are stocked to the brim with cranberries because we live in the cranberry capital of the world. And with good reason—they’re really tasty. They are essential for elevating pork chops since they are intensely sour, flavorful, and have a stunning red hue.
That is correct, really. Pork chops, I said. Friends, cranberries aren’t just for Thanksgiving. Other than the apparent turkey, their tangy flavor goes well with pork and chicken. Compared to typical cranberry sauce, this sauce for pork chops is more acidic and savory, but you can modify the sweetness to your preferred degree.
Sear the pork chops in a hot skillet until they are just done, and then use basic pantry ingredients, an orange, and fresh cranberries to make a simple pan sauce.
After serving the pork chops with your preferred side, carefully place them back into the skillet to reheat. To help sop up some of the sauce, I normally serve them with rice or quinoa, but roasted potatoes also frequently show up. Cook your side while the chops sear. In less than an hour, you’ll have dinner ready, but your guests will believe you spent the entire afternoon fussing. If you don’t, I won’t tell. 😉
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Tips for Cooking Pork Chops
It’s important to cook pork chops just long enough to prevent them from becoming rough and dry. it is not good. My advice for grilling pork chops is as follows:
- Before adding the oil, heat up your skillet. like, really, really hot. It should shimmer but not smoke from the oil.
- The pork chops will move when they are done, which is to say when they have a nice crust, so DO NOT MOVE THEM when you place them in the pan. Just give them four minutes or so to cook, and then very carefully try to lift one up. You can flip if it comes up without much difficulty. Give it another minute and then check to see if it still sticks to the pan. Savor the flavor of the pork chops.
- Once you’ve flipped the chops, continue cooking them until the internal temperature reaches 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Once you remove them from the pan, they will continue to cook due to the residual heat until they achieve the magical 145 figure. Approximately 8 to 12 minutes of cooking time is required, based on the thickness of the pork chops.
Make Cranberry Pork Chops Allergy-Friendly for You!
These cranberry pork chops are free of top nine allergens, dairy, gluten, and garlic as written. There are not many ingredient substitutions required because the ingredient list is so short! Instead of using pork, you could definitely use chicken or even turkey tenderloins in this recipe. You could also omit the orange and all of the spices and dried herbs. It will taste different, but not very different. But if you do away with the orange, you might want to make up for it by adding a little extra honey or brown sugar.
Cranberries aren’t just for Thanksgiving! Take basic pork chops up a notch with a fresh cranberry pan sauce. Easy enough for a weeknight, but special enough for the holidays!
Instructions
- Set a nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and heat for approximately a minute, or until the oil shimmers but is not smoking. Make sure the oil has covered the pan by swirling it around.
- Season the pork chops with salt and pepper to taste and add them to the hot skillet in a single layer. Once the pork chops are in the skillet, DO NOT remove them! After four (4) minutes of cooking, carefully try using tongs to raise the edge of one chop to see if it comes out easily. Give the chops another minute and try again if it adheres to the pan. Turn the pork chops over to the other side once they come free with ease. Once the pork reaches an internal temperature of 135 degrees Fahrenheit, take it from the skillet and place it onto a dish.Approximately 8 to 12 minutes will be needed for the pork chops to cook through, depending on their thickness. If you have a smaller skillet, you can fry the pork chops in two batches, avoiding overlap, which will prevent the crust from being properly done.
- After lowering the stove’s heat to medium, combine all of the components for the cranberry pan sauce (cranberries, zest, juice or water, vinegar, herbs, and spices). Mix thoroughly, being sure to scrape out all of the brown bits from the pan’s bottom (yum!). Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until all of the cranberries have burst open and the sauce has thickened, over medium heat.
- Reposition the pork chops into the skillet with the cranberry sauce, making sure to include any leftover pig juices. Simmer for a further five minutes, or until the cranberry sauce is thick enough to coat the chops and the pork chops are thoroughly warmed through. Enjoy with your preferred side dish!
Remarks
The following day, leftovers reheat incredibly well. The next day, reheat the pork chops by adding a chop to a small skillet along with some sauce and a little amount of water. Cook the pork chop over medium-high heat until it’s thoroughly cooked through and the sauce is boiling!
