Brown Butter Pork Chops with Cherry Pan Sauce
Juicy pork chops get a nutty brown butter finish and a quick cherry pan sauce for an easy skillet dinner.
Prep: 12 · Cook: 28 · Total: 40 · Serves: 4 · Difficulty: Medium · Rating: 4.9/5 (214 reviews)
INSPIRED BY
An original dinner inspired by the classic pairing of pork, cherries, brown butter, and bright balsamic acidity.
Story
Casey keeps this skillet dinner for nights when a familiar pork chop needs a fresh angle. Cherries turn jammy in the brown butter, and balsamic gives the sauce just enough lift to stay savory. The whole meal comes together before anyone has time to ask what is for dinner. Add a green salad and let the skillet do the talking.
By Casey
Ingredients
- 4 boneless pork chops, about 1 inch thick
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup pitted fresh cherries, halved
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
Instructions
- Pat the pork chops dry and season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sear the chops for 3 to 4 minutes per side until browned and cooked through.
- Transfer the chops to a plate and add the butter to the skillet, swirling until it foams and smells nutty.
- Add the cherries and garlic, then cook for 2 minutes until the fruit begins to soften.
- Pour in the broth, balsamic vinegar, and maple syrup, scraping up browned bits as the sauce simmers for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Return the chops and any juices to the skillet, spoon over the sauce, garnish with parsley, and serve.
Chef Tips
- Use an instant-read thermometer and remove the chops at 145 F.
- Frozen pitted cherries work well when fresh cherries are out of season.
- If the sauce tightens too much, loosen it with a splash of broth.
- Let the pork rest for 3 minutes so the juices stay in the meat.
Cook's Notes
- Thin chops cook fastest and stay tender when you watch the temperature.
- Brown butter can go from nutty to burnt quickly, so keep the pan moving.
- Add the pork juices back to the sauce for extra flavor.
- Serve with mashed potatoes, polenta, or crusty bread to catch the sauce.