Pepper Jelly Skillet Pork Chops

This recipe for skillet pork chops has been sponsored by our friends at Southern Kitchen.  The recipe, ideas, and opinions are entirely our own. #mysouthernkitchen

Give me a jar of pepper jelly and I am a happy girl. A glittering jar of homemade pepper jelly is bright, with pops of spicy pepper flavor and sticky sweet. Your tastebuds explode in every direction with each bite. That sensation is the inspiration for our Pepper Jelly Skillet Pork Chops. Thick pork chops are seared to golden brown, finished in the oven, then topped with our Pepper Jelly inspired sauce.

Pepper Jelly Skillet Pork Chops

Leave it to us Southerners to take a perfectly healthy vegetable, load it down with enough sugar + vinegar to make you pucker and call it jelly. Hey, it's what we do. We pickle watermelon rinds, for heaven's sake.

You can certainly use pre-made pepper jelly for this recipe. Just heat it up and go to town on your skillet pork chops.

Me? I made my own. With a few tweaks, we've landed on just the right sauce to pair with a classic (and easy) pork chop recipe.

This skillet pork chop recipe has it all. Color. Flavor. Mega-pork chops. Sweet. Tangy. Simple. Get more Southern-inspired recipes from our friends at Southern Kitchen.

The peppers you pick are your call. I love sweet bell peppers. They are vibrant, cook perfectly and have a nicely sweet taste to pair with jalapenos. Yes, we used two jalapenos for our Pepper Jelly Skillet Pork Chops.

To seed or not to seed, that is the question. This meal was prepared for my family, so I seeded all of my jalapenos, then threw in just a pinch or two of seeds for spicy heat. Feel free to use more seeds to add heat to your sauce. It is all up to you on how hot you like it.

Stir and simmer the peppers with sugar, apple cider vinegar and just a touch of freshly grated ginger. Cook and stir until it thickens and the peppers are bright and translucent. Note that we did not turn this into an actual jelly by using pectin. Get the complete recipe at the end of this post.

To stand up to our tart-sweet pepper jelly sauce, we knew we had to use bone-in thick cut pork chops. Get them 1 ½ inch thick (or more). Season your pork chops with sweet smoky paprika, salt + pepper. (Be sure to season both sides.)

Let me introduce you to "Big Jimmy", my favorite Smithey No. 12 Skillet from Southern Kitchen.

If you have been following our blog for any amount of time, you know I have a personal relationship with my cast iron.

You've met my trust 10-inch skillet, Lucille, haven't you?  Lucille is my BFF. She's been with me for years. I trust her. I talk to her. She knows me, and I know her.

But Big Jimmy, I'm in LOVE. Full on love. He's swept me off of my feet. He meets all of my needs. No matter how big the meal, no matter what I throw at him, he loves me back.

You've got to get your own. (I'm the jealous type.) Be sure to use our promo code WELCOME10. Buy This Cook That readers get $10 off their first purchase over $50.

First, sear your skillet pork chops quickly on both sides. You want a nice golden-brown color. Then, transfer the cast iron skillet to the oven to finish baking the pork chops. It won't take long. This entire entree (pepper jelly sauce and all) is done in about 30 minutes.

Top each skillet pork chop with a generous amount of your pepper jelly sauce. Be sure to spoon plenty of the pepper mixture and the sweet + tangy liquid over the top.

The Pepper Jelly Skillet Pork Chops are tender + juicy. Cooking them in a Smithey cast iron skillet from Southern Kitchen is the best method for perfect pork chops every time.

We recommend serving your skillet pork chops hot with your favorite side dishes. Here are a few of our favorite sides that will be perfect for this meal:

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Cheesy Mashed Potato Casserole

Basil Butter Corn

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📖 Recipe

Pepper Jelly Skillet Pork Chops

A glittering jar of homemade pepper jelly is bright, with pops of spicy pepper flavor and sticky sweet. Your tastebuds explode in every direction with each bite. That sensation is the inspiration for our Pepper Jelly Skillet Pork Chops.

4.34 from 3 votes

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Resting Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Calories 667 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 jalapenos seeded and finely diced
• 1 red bell pepper seeded and finely diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper seeded and finely diced
• ½ teaspoon fresh grated ginger
• 1 ½ cups white granulated sugar
• ¾ cup apple cider vinegar
• 4 bone-in pork chops 1 ½ inch thick
• Paprika
• Salt
• Pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• In a medium saucepan, heat the peppers, ginger, sugar and cider vinegar over medium high heat. Stir frequently until the sugar dissolves. Bring the pepper jelly mixture to a medium boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the sauce has thickened to desired consistency. Stir frequently and do not let burn.
• (The sauce will thicken as it cools. You don't want it to be as thick as a traditional jelly or honey.)
• While the pepper jelly sauce is simmering, heat the oil in a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle both sides of the pork chops with paprika, salt and pepper to taste.
• When the oil starts to shimmer and smoke slightly, place the pork chops into the skillet. Let them cook for approximately 2 minutes per side or until golden brown, turning once. Reduce heat if needed to prevent burning.
• Transfer the skillet pork chops to the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until the center of the pork chop reads 145 on a meat thermometer.
• Remove immediately, cover loosely with foil, and let the pork chops rest for 5 minutes.
• Spoon a generous amount of the pepper jelly sauce over each pork chop before serving. Serve with additional pepper jelly sauce if desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 667kcalCarbohydrates: 79gProtein: 35gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 116mgSodium: 98mgPotassium: 757mgFiber: 1gSugar: 76gVitamin A: 1065IUVitamin C: 100.9mgCalcium: 39mgIron: 1.4mg

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