Honey Garlic Pork Chops are a quick and delicious dinner recipe with garlic, honey, orange juice, Sriracha and soy. I love eating this with a big batch of my Green Beans with bacon recipe!
As I tried some of the recipes for the honey garlic sauce, my instincts were telling me to “Splash some orange juice in it!” and “Add some spice to it.” Was I happy with how it turned out? Yessss.
So the result is a thick and sweet glaze that is garlicky and has a touch of spice and citrus. The sauce is slathered onto pork chops that have been seared to a crispy exterior and baked to remain tender and juicy inside. And oh, the combination is just divine!
Are you making it for dinner this week? Luckily, it’s no-fuss and comes together in just 30 minutes. That is a win in my books!
Speaking of quick and easy pork dinners, my pork burger recipe is great for busy weeknights! Delicious sauce, cheese and toppings are ready in no time.
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Recipe Ingredients
The honey garlic sauce is pretty straightforward, although the secret to a good sauce lies in the blend of ingredients:
- Olive oil
- Garlic – Mince 4 cloves of garlic. You can use store bought minced garlic, but the fresh ones always taste the best.
- Crushed red pepper – We’ll use just a touch, but if serving children, you can opt out of using red pepper. Use your leftover red chili flakes to make this spicy Chinese noodles recipe!
- Honey – I use Local Hive Honey.
- Brown sugar
- Orange juice – Use fresh orange juice to add some tanginess to the sauce, or use apple cider vinegar.
- Sriracha and soy sauce
- Kosher salt
And for the meat (see the FAQ section for advice on choosing the best cuts of pork):
- 4 thick cut, bone-in pork chops – The pork chops I use are around 14 oz each with bone. I prefer bone-in for the extra flavor, but you can also use boneless pork chops.
- Kosher salt – For seasoning.
Substitutions & Variations
- Use tamari instead of traditional American soy sauce for a gluten free option.
- Pork steaks work very well for this recipe too! Tender and juicy just like the pork chops.
- Add a splash of lime juice in with the orange juice for an extra citrusy flavor.
- Try a little chili garlic oil on top for a kick!
How To Make Honey Garlic Pork Chops
To make these garlic honey pork chops, we’ll cook the sauce first. Then, we sear the pork chops, combine it with the sauce, and then bake it for a few more minutes in the oven.
Follow the step-by-step instructions below.
Step 1: Heat a medium saucepan over low heat. Drizzle some olive oil and add the minced garlic and crushed red pepper to the pan. Stir until the garlic and pepper releases their flavors into the oil.
Pro Tip: Don’t skip this step! It’s just an additional 20 seconds, but it makes all the difference. If you simply combine all the sauce ingredients at the same time, you will barely taste the garlic and red pepper.
Step 2: Add the remaining ingredients to the pan and whisk to combine. First, simmer over medium heat, and then simmer for 1 minute on low heat. The sauce will gradually thicken in flavor and consistency. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Step 3: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Season the pork chops with salt. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, drizzle olive oil and add seasoned pork chops to the pan. Sear for 3 minutes on each side.
Pro Tip: Season for about 30 minutes and use a paper towel to dab the meat dry. Wet pork does not sear well. Use a cast iron skillet if you don’t want to take the trouble of transferring the pork to a separate pan.
Step 5: Transfer the pork chops to a sheet pan. Pour the honey garlic sauce over the top, reserving ¼ of it. Roast for 3-4 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 150°F. Remove the pork from the oven and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. Top with the remaining sauce and serve.
Expert Tips
- Make sure your pan is nice and hot before adding the pork. Meat doesn't sear in a warm pan.
- Leave the pork chops untouched from the time you lay them in the pan until the time you flip them over. Moving the chops around will affect the searing process.
- Do not overcook the pork. Remove your pork chops from the pan anywhere from 145°F - 150°F. The meat will carryover cook another 5 degrees once it is removed from the heat.
- Let the pork chops rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting into them. This helps retain all the juices.
Recipe FAQs
Pork chops should be tender and juicy. I recommend buying ribeye, New York chops, pork tenderloins, center-cut loins, or Porterhouse chop. If you’re having a hard time identifying these, ask the butcher to point you to the direction of their best cuts of pork chop, bone-in or boneless.
For this recipe, it is not necessary to soak the pork chops in milk. If you have extra time (like 24 hours) then definitely take this extra step. Once the pork has had time to tenderize in the milk, it’ll be even juicier.
Pork chops are notoriously known to be hard to cook. They can be either too hard or too dry, or worse, chewy. If you overcook your pork, either at the sear or bake stage, it will get rubbery. The pork chops are ready when they reach an internal temperature of 145°F.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
As with all dishes, you should let it cool to room temperature before storing. Once the honey garlic pork chops have cooled, place them in an airtight container. Pour any extra sauce left in the pan into the container – liquid gold shouldn’t go to waste! Refrigerate for up to 3 days, maximum.
Pork chops will inevitably dry out a little in the fridge, but you can revive it a little bit. Remove the pork chops from the fridge to thaw and preheat the oven to 350°F. Then, transfer the pork to a baking dish, adding a tablespoon of chicken broth. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Enjoy!
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Honey Garlic Pork Chops
Equipment
- 1 sharp knife
Ingredients
Honey Garlic Sauce
- 1 drizzle olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper optional
- ⅓ cup honey I use Local Hive
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon fresh orange juice
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Pork Chops
- 4 thick cut bone in pork chops
- ½ tsp kosher salt
Instructions
Make the Sauce
- Heat a medium sauce pot over low heat, add a drizzle of olive oil then add the minced garlic and crushed red pepper. Stir until fragrant, about 20 seconds
- Add the remaining ingredients then whisk to combine. Turn heat up to medium and bring sauce to a simmer. Turn the heat back down and simmer 1 minute. Remove from the heat and set aside
Making the Pork Chops
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Season the pork chops with salt
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat until pan is hot. Add a drizzle of olive oil and seasoned pork chops to pan. Sear undisturbed 3 minutes each side
- Transfer the pork chops to a sheet pan. Add honey garlic sauce over the top, reserving ¼ of it. Roast 3-4 minutes until they reach an internal temperature of 150°F. Remove from oven and let rest 5-10 minutes
- Top with remaining sauce and serve
Notes
- Make sure your pan is nice and hot before adding the pork. Meat doesn't sear in a warm pan.
- Leave the pork chops untouched from the time you lay them in the pan until the time you flip them over. Moving the chops around will affect the searing process.
- Do not overcook the pork. Remove your pork chops from the pan anywhere from 145°F - 150°F. The meat will carryover cook another 5 degrees once it is removed from the heat.
- Let the pork chops rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting into them. This helps retain all the juices.
Krista
My husband loves these! The bit of sweetness goes perfectly with the pork.