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- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 3–4 hours (High) or 6–7 hours (Low)
- Servings: 2–4
Ingredients
- Pork: 2 to 4 thick-cut bone-in pork chops (bone-in stays juicier in a slow cooker).
- Apples: 3 large tart apples (like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp), peeled, cored, and sliced into wedges.
- The Glaze:
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- Liquid: 1/4 cup apple juice or apple cider (chicken broth also works).
- Optional: 1 tbsp butter, cubed.
Instructions
- Sear the Pork (Optional but Recommended): Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. Heat a splash of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and sear the chops for 2 minutes per side until golden brown. This locks in the juices and provides that nice color seen in your photo.
- Layer the Apples: Place half of your sliced apples at the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Seasoning: In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and garlic powder.
- Assemble: Place the pork chops on top of the first layer of apples. Sprinkle half of the sugar mixture over the meat. Top with the remaining apples and the rest of the sugar mixture.
- Add Liquid: Pour the apple juice or cider around the sides (don’t pour it directly over the sugar so it stays on the meat/apples). Top with small cubes of butter if using.
- Slow Cook: Cover and cook on Low for 6–7 hours or High for 3–4 hours. The pork should be fork-tender and the apples soft.
Serving Tips
- The Sauce: The liquid at the bottom will be quite thin. If you want a thicker glaze, remove the pork and apples, pour the liquid into a saucepan, and simmer with a cornstarch slurry (1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tsp cold water) until thickened.
- Sides: This pairs beautifully with mashed potatoes or a simple wild rice pilaf to soak up that apple cinnamon sauce.
