Garlic Brown Sugar Pork Chops

Garlic Brown Sugar Pork Chops – perfectly tender pan fried pork chops with a brown sugar garlic glaze the whole family will love. Can be made keto/low carb.

This post is sponsored by the Iowa Pork Producers Association. All opinions are our own.

At Avdaye, we add lots of tips in all of our recipes – because we are a home cook without any formal training, and we find we are more confident making dishes when we understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. Our goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.

Rich Easy Garlic Butter Sugar Pork Chops

There is nothing better than the sticky-sweet flavor of garlic brown sugar pork chops are simple, packed with flavor, and always a huge family hit.

Pork is one of our family's favorite dinners – it's got a great mild flavor, it is healthy and quick to cook, it is easy to find and always available in our stores – and we feel good about supporting the families raising pork in Iowa, where most of America's pork comes from!

We love serving pork often at home – Easy Baked Ranch Pork ChopsBaked Garlic Butter Pork Tenderloinand Smoked Pork Ribs are on constant rotation!

This recipe uses only a few ingredients and one pan – making it a truly easy, quick, and good recipe you can feel good about feeding your family.

Please check our notes on how to make this recipe keto diet compatible – including the sugar alternative we reccomend.

About Iowa Pork Producers

When you're buying pork in the United States, chances are you're eating fresh pork from local Iowa hogs!

Choosing pork is a great way to choose to feed your family a safe, American raised product that also helps employ thousands of American families.

If you're curious about some of the commitments America's pork farmers have taken to preserve animal, economical, and environmental wellbeing, please read about the We Care Initiative here.

We were able to tour a pork farm in Iowa last fall and learn more about Iowa Pork's dedication to safety and health for consumers and animals and we were impressed – to hear more about our trip please check out this post featuring Iowa Pork and Iowa Corn Growers – we learned so much about their impact on America's economy and dinner tables.

When Are Pork Chops Done?

Rely on thermometer – NOT time – to tell when pork has been cooked fully.

If you don't have a quick-read digital meat thermometer, it is one of the best investments you can make for perfectly cooked pork, every time.

We cook pork to the FDA guidelines, which does include a bit of pink in the middle.

This is NOT underdone if you're going by temperature – pork is safe to eat at 145 degrees, and trust us, it is the best flavor and texture!

Tender, juicy, and flavorful pork is best when not overcooked – so watch your thermometer!

For more information on cooking pork chops, please visit our guide to pork chopsor visit the Iowa Pork site.

How to Make Garlic Butter Sugar Pork Chops

• Heavy nonstick pan (we don't use cast iron for this recipe since the glaze is quite sticky.)
• Kitchen tongs
• 4 boneless pork chops
• Butter
• Salt
• Pepper
• 5 cloves Minced Garlic (using the frozen pre-minced kind is fine – if you don't love garlic you can reduce to 3 cloves)
• 2 tbsp brown sugar or brown sugar splenda
• Green onions, to garnish

Garlic Brown Sugar Glaze

This recipe's knocout flavor comes from the sticky-sweet garlic brown nsugaar glaze we're whipping up – right in the same pan we're using for the pork chops.

After pan frying pork, let them set aside while you whip up the glaze, and the toss them back in the pan to finish cooking so they can soak up all the good garlic brown sugar flavor!

How To Make Pork Chop Glaze

Once pork chops have browned well on each side, remove to set aside as you make the glaze in the pan.

If you have a lot of browned bits in the pan, you can carefully add 3-5 tbsp water to deglaze the pan and scrape them up. Do not clean pan out, you want the drippings for more flavor!

Add butter and garlic and heat until garlic is fragrant (do not let garlic burn), about 45 seconds.

Stir in brown sugar and let come to a boil, then nreduce heat and place pork chops back in pan to continue coookinng in nglaze until 145 degrees.

When serving, spoon as much glaze as desired over pork chops.

Keto Garlic Brown Sugar Glaze

While there are a lot of sugar substitutes, we reccomend using Splenda + brown sugar for this glaze.

While there is some sugar in the splenda substitute, we're using such a small amount, it won't throw off macros if you're keeping to a strict keto diet.

Since the splenda mix contains a bit of real brown sugar, it breaks down properly to form the sticky-sweet sauce, and doesn't taste artificia.

FAQ's

What temperature do we cook pork chops to?

Pork is done cooking at 145 degrees – meaning when it hits 140 degrees internal temperature, you can remove from the pan so it can carryover cook to 145 degrees. Overcooked pork is dry pork – don't overcook!

Our pork is pink, is it safe to eat?

Pork will be a little pink at 145 degrees. It is perfectly safe to eat once it has reached 145 degrees Fahrenheit.

What to Enjoy with Brown Sugar Garlic Pork Chops

Roasted Vegetables – Roast a mix of carrots, Brussels sprouts, and sweet potatoes for a healthy and colorful side.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes – Creamy mashed potatoes with a hint of garlic complement the sweetness of the pork chops.

Coleslaw – A crisp, tangy coleslaw can add a refreshing contrast to the rich flavors of the pork.

Apple Sauce – The sweetness of apple sauce matches well with the caramelized sugar on the pork chops.

Green Beans Almondine – Lightly sautéed green beans with almonds offer a crunchy texture and nutty flavor.

Cornbread – Serve with warm, buttery cornbread for a comforting, hearty meal.

Rice Pilaf – A flavorful rice pilaf can soak up the good juices from the pork chops.

Steamed Broccoli – Simple steamed broccoli seasoned with a bit of salt and pepper is a healthy and easy side.

Caesar Salad – A classic Caesar salad adds a fresh and zesty element to the meal.

Baked Beans – Smoky and sweet baked beans make a traditional and satisfying accompaniment.

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Ingredients

• 5 tbsp butter, divided
• 4 boneless pork chops
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp fresh cracked pepper
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 ½ tbsp brown sugar

Method

1. In a large, heavy skillet, melt butter until melted and foamy.
2. Generously season pork chops with salt and pepper.
3. Brown pork chops on each side, about 5 minutes per side.
4. When pork chops are browned on each side, set aside on a plate.
5. Add other half butter to pan and melt. Scrape up any browned bits fro pan.
6. Stir in minced garlic and stir to prevent burning.
7. Add brown sugar. Stir to mix well, until it starts to bubble.
8. Add pork chops back to pan (along with any liquid that may have collected on plate.)
9. Cook spoon glaze over pork chops and cook until pork chop internal temperature is 140 degrees.
10. Let pork rest and finish carry over cooking for at least 5 minutes before slicing.
11. Spoon additional glaze over pork as desired.
12. Top with diced green onions, optional.