Maple Bourbon Pork Chops Recipe (2024)

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These sweet and sticky Maple Bourbon Pork Chops Recipe, served with roasted sweet potatoes make the perfect dinner. This dish packs a real flavor punch and is worth that little extra effort. My family loves this meal!

MAPLE BOURBON PORK CHOPS RECIPE

My sweet and sticky maple bourbon glazed pork chops are a real hit with my family.

I love to rotate these pork chops with my BBQ Baked Pork Chops or these Grilled Hawaiian Pork Chops.

The pork chops are seasoned then seared before being roasted in the oven, along with the sweet potato and topped with the most delicious maple bourbon glaze.

This maple bourbon glaze is really versatile and also tastes great with chicken, turkey, ham and ribs.

I’ve even brushed this glaze over vegetables while they are roasting in the oven.

There are some dishes that are just worth that little extra effort and this is one such dish.

While this looks like a long list of ingredients, the recipe itself is really simple and straight forward to follow and you’ll find you have most of the ingredients in your pantry.

I start by first brining the pork chops, ensuring they are moist and juicy.

Ideally brine for an hour, but no less than 15 minutes.

WHY DO YOU BRINE PORK CHOPS?

Brining any meat is a great way to make the meat extra juicy and tender once cooked.

The salty brine helps the pork chops to draw in moisture and salt adding lots of flavor right into the meat. However, don’t worry, while flavorful, the meat will not be salty.

Brining works great with meats like pork, chicken and turkey.

HOW TO KEEP PORK CHOPS FROM DRYING OUT?

The brining process certainly helps the pork chops from drying out as the pork chops draw in moisture.

The maple bourbon glaze adds further moisture to the meat.

I then like to sear the pork chops in a pan to lock in flavor, before transferring to a hot oven and I only cook until done (internal temperature of 145°).

It’s also worthwhile setting the pork chops aside to rest once they come out of the oven.

WHAT INGREDIENTS DO I NEED TO GET STARTED?

PORK CHOPS: Any kind of pork chop works in this recipe. You can use boneless, bone in, thick is best for moist pork, but you can use a thinner chop as well.

BRINE: I use warm water with salt and black pepper in my brine, you could add in other spices and fresh herbs if you wanted to, for example fennel seeds.

SEASONING: Once the pork chops have been brined, I like to season the meat with a little salt, black pepper and smoked paprika before searing in a hot pan.

SWEET POTATOES: I like to roast the sweet potatoes in sweet maple syrup and a spice blend. You could also use this coating to roast carrots, parsnip, squash and pumpkin.

SWEET POTATO GLAZE: I use a combination of melted butter, maple syrup, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, salt and smoked paprika to season and glaze the sweet potatoes.

You could substitute the maple syrup with honey if you prefer. Also adapt the spicing to suit your own tastes, for example if you like a little heat, add some chili powder or cayenne red pepper.

INGREDIENTS IN MY MAPLE BOURBON GLAZE RECIPE?

MAPLE SYRUP: I always recommend buying a good quality maple syrup as you will really notice the difference in flavor. You could also swap the maple syrup for honey if you prefer.

BOURBON: A splash of Bourbon adds a great depth of smoky flavor to the finished glaze. If you want to avoid adding alcohol you can swap the bourbon for apple juice or chicken stock instead.

BROWN SUGAR: You can use either light or dark brown sugar for that deep molasses flavor.

RASPBERRY JAM: Raspberry jam works along with the brown sugar and maple syrup to make a sweet and sticky glaze. You could also use a blackcurrant or blackberry jam.

LEMON JUICE: Freshly squeezed lemon juice adds some acidity to balance out the sweet glaze.

GARLIC: Freshly minced garlic works best flavor-wise, but you could use garlic powder at a push.

SEASONING & SPICES: A combination of ground cinnamon, ginger, cayenne pepper and a little salt add flavor and a touch of warming spice to the glaze. You can adapt these flavors to suit your own palette. If you want a bit of chili heat, then add a touch of chili powder.

HOW TO MAKE MAPLE BOURBON GLAZED PORK CHOPS:

BRINE THE PORK:Prepare the bring for the chops by combining the water, salt and pepper in a large shallow dish.

Now place the pork chops in the brining water, making sure to submerge the chops completely.Cover the chops tightly and place in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes but ideally an hour.

Remove the chops from the brine and pat dry when you are ready to start cooking.

PREPARE & COOK THE SWEET POTATOES:Preheat the oven to 400°. Combine the melted butter, maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and smoked paprika in a bowl and stir to combine to a smooth glaze.

Line a large pan with tinfoil and spray with a nonstick cooking spray.Place the potatoes in the pan and pour over the brown sugar mixture giving everything a good toss to coat.

Place the pan in the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Flip the potatoes over from time to time, to ensure that you brown all sides.

MAKE THE MAPLE BOURBON GLAZE:To make the glaze, combine all the glaze ingredients together in a small pan. Cook over medium low heat till the sauce has reduced and thickened.

Set aside until you are ready to cook the chops.

COOK THE PORK CHOPS:In a sauté pan, heat the oil and season the chops with salt, pepper and paprika.

Place the chops into the hot oil and sear on both sides for 2 minutes, then remove the chops from the pan.Once the potatoes have baked for 35 minutes, lower the oven to 375°.

Place the chops on top of the sweet potatoes and spoon a third of the glaze over the chops, then return the pan to the oven to bake for 5 minutes.Remove and spoon a further third of the glaze over the chops then return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 4 minutes.

Now remove the tray from the oven and set aside to rest for 5 minutes before serving.You can serve the chops and sweet potatoes with the remaining ⅓ of the glaze.

TIPS FOR MAKING MAPLE BOURBON GLAZED PORK CHOPS:

• To save time you can make the brine and maple bourbon glaze earlier in the day, or the day before. Then simply store in the refrigerator until you are ready to start cooking.
• Brining the pork will help it stay moist and tender. Brining the pork for an hour is best, but for at least 15 minutes as a minimum.
• Pork can dry out quickly, you can use a meat thermometer to know when it is done. Pork is done when it reaches and internal temperature of 145°. You can remove it from the oven when it is at 140° and it will reach 145° as the meat rests.
• Always allow time for the pork chops to rest once they come out of the oven, this allows the juices to redistribute into the meat, resulting in a juicier pork chop.
• This recipe feeds 4 but can be easily doubled up to cater for a larger group of diners.
• The maple bourbon glaze also works well with ham, turkey and salmon. You could even use it to make Maple Bourbon Glazed Sweet Potatoes.

HOW TO STORE LEFTOVERS:

Once cooked and cooled you can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

You can also freeze this dish, although I would suggest freezing the pork chops and sweet potato separately. Once cooled both can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, defrost thoroughly then place into a hot oven and warm through.

HOW LONG DO YOU COOK BONELESS PORK CHOPS?

Like I mentioned you can use either bone-in or boneless pork chops for this recipe.

If you pick boneless just make sure you watch the pork chops so they don’t overcook.

I find that boneless pork chops can cook quicker and become dry easier.

I suggest you cook them around the 375 degree temperature or even 400 for a crispier skin.

See below for how long to cook them based on their thickness.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:

The spicy maple roasted sweet potatoes make a great, filling side to accompany these pork chops. I like to keep any extra sides light and simple. Here are some ideas:

Vegetable side dishes are another nice pairing. Some of my favorites areMediterranean Roasted Vegetables,Turmeric Caulifloweror thisSimple Roasted Broccoli.

OTHER PORK RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE:

How to Bake Pork Chops in the Oven

How to Make Pork Tenderloin in the Slow Cooker

Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder Roast

Cast Iron Pork Tenderloin

Slow Cooker Hawaiian Pork Ribs

Air Fryer Pork Taquitos

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

For the Bine Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 2 hours

These sweet and sticky Maple Bourbon Pork Chops Recipe, served with roasted sweet potatoes make the perfect dinner. This dish packs a real flavor punch and is worth that little extra effort. My family loves this meal!

Ingredients

• BRINE:
• 4 pork chops, bone in
• 1 quart warm water
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• PORK CHOPS:
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• GLAZE:
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup bourbon
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 cup raspberry jam
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• SWEET POTATOES:
• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

Instructions

FOR THE BRINE {OPTIONAL}:
To brine the chops, combine the water, salt and pepper in a large shallow dish.
Place the pork chops in the brining water, making sure to submerge the chops completely.
Cover the chops tightly and place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to an hour.
After the allotted time, remove the chops and pat dry.
FOR THE SWEET POTATOES:
Preheat the oven to 400° and combine the melted butter, maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and smoked paprika.
Line a large pan with tinfoil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Place the potatoes in the pan and pour the brown sugar mixture over the potatoes. Toss to coat.
Place the pan in the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Flip them over from time to time, to brown all sides.
FOR THE GLAZE:
To make the glaze, combine all the glaze ingredients together in a small pan. Cook over medium low heat till the sauce has reduced and thickened.
FOR THE PORK CHOPS:
In a saute pan, heat the oil. Season the chops with salt, pepper and paprika.
Place in the hot oil and sear both sides for 2 minutes, then remove from the pan.
When the potatoes have baked for 35 minutes, lower the oven to 375°.
Place the chops on top of the chops and spoon a third of the glaze over the chops, then bake for 5 minutes.
Remove and spoon a third of the glaze over the chops. Bake for an additional 4 minutes.
Remove and let them rest for 5 minutes before serving.
You can serve with the remaining 1/3 of the glaze.

Notes

Pork can dry out quickly, you can use a meat thermometer to know when it is done properly. Pork is done when it reaches 145°. You can remove it from the oven when it is at 140° and it will reach 145°.
Brining the pork will help it stay moist and tender. Brining the pork for an hour is best, but at least 15 minutes is important.