Sweet & Sour Pork Chops are doused in a delicious sauce made with balsamic vinegar and maple syrup that is so irresistible on pork and served with bell peppers and pineapple.
» You might also like these Sweet & Spicy Korean BBQ Wings.
The thing I love most about this dish is how easy it is to make. The sauce is so good – a really “WOW” sauce – but it’s really just two ingredients and some spices. (For another WOW sauce, check out this Honey Sriracha Sauce.)
We make this dish with bell peppers and pineapple to give it an extra boost of flavor and a built in side dish. You can serve it over white / brown rice or a bed of sautéed cabbage.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Olive oil
- Pork chops – We are using boneless pork chops approximately 1/2″ thick.
- Salt & ground black pepper – To taste
- Balsamic vinegar – Balsamic vinegar has a intense and concentrated vinegar flavor.
- Maple syrup – Maple syrup is a good sweetener to help build flavor here. You could also use honey or brown sugar.
- Garlic – 1 garlic clove minced. We prefer using fresh garlic.
- Rosemary – This recipe calls for dried rosemary though you could use fresh if you have it.
- Bell peppers – Half of a yellow pepper and half of a red pepper thinly sliced.
- Pineapple – Fresh pineapple chunks though canned are a good substitute.
- Green onion and parsley
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How to Make Sweet & Sour Pork Chops
Pre-heat oven to 400°F (204°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon mat. Also, if you have an in-oven meat thermometer, get that out.
Cooking the pork chops
- Season both sides of pork chops with salt and pepper.
- Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the pork chops and cook for approximately 3 minutes per side.
- Transfer the chops to the baking sheet, insert your in-oven meat thermometer.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 135°F (medium rare – 140°F (medium).
When you remove the pork from the oven, transfer it to a plate and let it rest for 5 minutes.
Another way you can make the pork chops is with a fried in a pan with a breading. I don’t like to use flour for my breading, so I use Parmesan cheese instead. Check out this recipe for fried pork chops without flour that’ll show you how to do it.
Making the Sauce
While the pork chops are baking, combine the balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, garlic and rosemary in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 4-5 minutes.
Reduce heat to low and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until ready to serve. It will thicken just a bit more while it cooks down, so don’t leave it too long.
Cooking the Peppers and Pineapple
Meanwhile, add the remaining olive oil to the skillet used to sear the chops, over medium-high heat. When it’s heated, add the peppers. Season with a sprinkle of salt and black pepper.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the peppers soften and develop a bit of color, about 5 minutes.
Add the pineapple and cook until heated through, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the green onion and parsley, and remove from heat.
Serving the Dish
To serve, pour the glaze over the pork chops and serve alongside the peppers and pineapple. If you want to make a more robust meal, serve over white rice or sautéed cabbage.
Do I Have to Use Pork Chops?
We use pork chops in this dish, but there’s no reason you can’t use this sauce without preparations of pork.
You might try making a pork tenderloin, cubed pork or pork strips. We’ve even used it on pork belly slices. The sauce is very universal and can be used on any cut of pork.
Cook this dish up for dinner any night of the week. It takes just 20 minutes to cook. It’s a great way to dress up your typical pork chops and give them tremendous flavor. You can even make this sauce for Instant Pot Pork Chops if you want to make dinner SUPER easy.
Side Dishes to Try
Salads
Crunchy Broccoli Salad
Corn & Black Bean Pasta Salad
Bacon, Jalapeno & Corn Salad
Classic Wedge Salad
Pear & Gorgonzola Salad
Veggies
Roasted Asparagus with Cranberries & Feta
Shaved Asparagus with Pesto
Roasted Green Beans & Mushrooms
Crispy Roast Potatoes
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you keep pork chops moist when cooking?
To keep pork chops tender and juicy, it’s important to avoid overcooking them. A useful technique is to sear the pork chops in a skillet before transferring them to the oven. Typically, pork chops take too long to brown solely in the oven, resulting in overcooking. Searing them first in a skillet will reduce the cooking time required in the oven, preventing them from becoming too dry.
How do you cut and store fresh pineapple?
Cutting a fresh pineapple can be a bit intimidating, but it’s actually quite simple. Here’s how to do it:
- Cut off the top and bottom of the pineapple using a sharp knife.
- Stand the pineapple up on one of the flat ends and slice off the skin in a downward motion, following the curve of the fruit.
- Cut the pineapple in half lengthwise, and then cut each half in half again.
- Remove the tough core from each quarter by making a diagonal slice along each side.
- Cut the pineapple into chunks or slices as desired.
To store fresh pineapple, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or airtight container and refrigerate. It will stay fresh for up to 5 days. Alternatively, cut up the pineapple and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for quick and easy snacking.
How do you tell when a pineapple is ripe?
When checking for ripeness, gently squeeze the pineapple; it should be firm with a slight give. Be cautious not to apply too much pressure as excessive give indicates over-ripeness. Conversely, a rock-solid pineapple is likely under-ripe.
Before You Go
Since you made it to the end of this article, you’re probably pretty interested in pork chops. Here are a few more articles we think you might enjoy.
- Tomahawk Pork Chops
- Bacon-Wrapped Pork Chops
- Creamy Garlic Pork Chops
- Bone-In Pork Rib Chops with Peppercorns
- Instant Pot Ranch Pork Chops
- Air Fryer Stuffed Pork Chops
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Sweet & Sour Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- 2 boneless pork chops approximately 1/2” thick
- Salt and pepper to season
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons real maple syrup
- 1 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/2 red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1/2 yellow bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
- 1 green onion diced
- fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400°F (204°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon mat. Set aside.
- Season both sides of pork chops with salt and pepper. Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork chops and cook for approximately 3 minutes per side. Then transfer to the baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 140° F.
- Meanwhile, combine the vinegar, maple syrup, garlic and rosemary in a small saucepan over medium heat. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 4-5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until ready to serve.
- Meanwhile, add the remaining olive oil to the skillet used to sear the chops, over medium-high heat. When hot, add the peppers. Season with a sprinkle of salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the peppers soften and develop a bit of color, about 5 minutes.
- Add the pineapple and cook until heated through, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the green onion and parsley, and remove from heat.
- Remove pork chops from the oven. Cover and let rest for 5 minutes.
- To serve, pour the glaze over the pork chops and serve alongside the peppers and pineapple.
Nutrition
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Laura is a home cook, with 25 years experience behind the stove, who spends an extraordinary amount of time in the kitchen cooking. She loves making new recipes and finding wonderful new things to eat, both at home or abroad. She spends a lot of time researching, crafting, and perfecting her recipes and currently has a cookbook in development.
I love sweet and sour chicken, so I know I’ll love these sweet and sour pork chops! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
I’m pinning this for later so I can make these for my hubby! These sweet and sour pork chops look delicious!
I love sweet and sour combination. This recipe looks so appetizing!
The balsamic vinegar and maple syrup gives these pork chops so much flavor!! We all loved it for dinner and will make it again soon!
Yes, I agree. The sauce can be used on other types of meat too, so it’s very versatile.
I love the combination of flavors! So good!
These pork chops are yummy! Thank you so much. I used what I had on hand, so I used canned pineapple, a yellow onion and garlic powder. My husband kept telling me how delicious this is, and he is a picky eater. I’m glad I made enough for tomorrow.