Pan seared and finished in the oven, these apple & fennel pork chops are tender and juicy. The pan sauce comes together in less than 5 minutes!

top view of a seared pork chop in a steel skillet, sprinkled with fresh thyme leaves this recipe

Thickness

Choose pork chops that are between 1-2 inches thick. I usually look for 1 1/2 inches, and that’s what you’ll find in most meat cases. If you have anything thicker than 2 inches, keep a closer eye on the internal temperature as you near the end of the oven time.

I don’t recommend getting anything thinner, though. Cutlets like these will overcook quickly if used in this recipe. And lastly – If you have a choice between boneless and bone in chops, opt for the bone in! It adds more flavor.

a collection of ingredients to make apple fennel pork chops, including raw pork chops, herbs and spices, and apple cider

Searing the chops

Allow the pork chops to rest on at room temperature for 10-30 minutes before seasoning and cooking. This helps get a better sear on the pork and also keeps things a bit more tender.

Generously salt and pepper the chops on both sides, but only sear them on ONE side. Give the chops plenty of time in the pan, I usually leave them to sear for about 5-6 minutes. You want a really nice, golden crust.

Flip the chops and let them cook for maybe a minute on the other side. Most of the time, I just give them 30 more seconds before removing them from the pan.

top view of two seared pork chops in a steel skillet, sprinkled with fresh thyme leaves

Pan sauce

After the chops have been seared, you’re left with all this delicious golden brown stuff on the bottom of the skillet, as well as some rendered fat from the pork. Add a bit of butter and let it sizzle and melt. Since the pan is nice and hot, the butter will start to brown and become aromatic.

As soon as the butter calms and stops sizzling, add some minced shallots and cook them for about 5 minutes. As they cook, the shallots will release their liquid, bringing up a lot of the browned bits from the skillet. Add the garlic and keep stirring to cook for another minute.

Once you add the herbs and spices, everything only needs a minute or two more to meld together before you deglaze the pan with a splash of wine. Let most of the wine evaporate as you continue to stir the skillet for a minute. Add the broth, apple cider and the pork chops back into the pan.

top view of a seared pork chop in a steel skillet, sprinkled with fresh thyme leaves

Roast

These apple & fennel pork chops only need about 6-7 minutes in the oven before they’re done. Remove the chops from the pan once again, and use a little cornstarch and water to thicken the liquid in the pan before serving the chops. The flavors will have reduced down a bit more in the oven and gotten even more bold!

Print
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top view of a seared pork chop in a steel skillet, the pork chop is covered in a brown colored pan sauce and sprinkled with fresh thyme leaves

Apple & Fennel Pork Chops

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  • Author: Megan
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 2 pork chops 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Stovetop, Oven
  • Cuisine: American
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • Two 1 1/2 inch thick pork chops, bone in
  • 2 TB olive oil
  • 3 TB unsalted butter
  • 2 large shallots, minced
  • 2 tsp garlic paste (or two minced cloves)
  • 1 TB fresh minced sage
  • 1 TB fresh minced thyme
  • 1 tsp fennel seed
  • 1/16th tsp cayenne (pinch)
  • 2 TB marsala wine (or any dry white wine)
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock/broth
  • 1/2 cup apple cider
  • 1/2 TB cornstarch
  • 1/2 TB water

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and season both sides of the pork chops with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large, oven proof skillet over medium high heat until shimmering. Wait for a few wisps of smoke to rise from the oil. Add the pork chops to the pan and allow them to sear for 5 minutes.
  3. Flip the chops and allow the second side to sear for 20-30 seconds. Remove the chops from the skillet and set aside.
  4. Add the butter to the hot skillet, it will melt very quickly and sizzle. As soon as the butter is completely melted and the sizzling has calmed a bit, add the minced shallots and cook for 3 minutes.
  5. Add the garlic, sage, thyme, fennel seed and cayenne to the shallots and cook, stirring constantly, for another minute. Pour in the marsala wine and continue to stir until the bottom of the skillet is deglazed, about a minute.
  6. Add the chicken stock and apple cider, and set the pork chops back into the skillet with the browned side facing up.
  7. Carefully load the skillet into the preheated oven and allow the chops to roast for 6-7 minutes, or until their internal temperature is 135-140 degrees.
  8. Take the skillet out of the oven and remove the pork chops to a separate plate. Set the skillet back on the stovetop over medium heat.
  9. When the liquid in the pan begins to simmer, stir the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl. Slowly stream the cornstarch slurry into the pan while whisking quickly to thicken the sauce.
  10. Serve pork chops with thickened pan sauce.

Equipment

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 pork chop with sauce
  • Calories: 492
  • Sugar: 1.9 g
  • Sodium: 176.8 mg
  • Fat: 37.3 g
  • Saturated Fat: 14.6 g
  • Trans Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 3.8 g
  • Fiber: 0 g
  • Protein: 30.3 g
  • Cholesterol: 133.4 mg

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