The unique flavors of these Apple Bourbon Pork Chops will delight your taste buds. There is nothing quite like eating grilled apples and perfectly cooked pork chops together. It’s a wonderful burst of flavor and well worth the effort. 

These pork chops are basted with a flavorful apple butter-bourbon glaze and served with grilled apple skewers. We recommend using our Honey BBQ Rub recipe to season these chops. Make up a large batch, store it in an airtight container, and use it on pork ribs and smoked pork, too!

Ingredients

• 6 pork chops, bone-in rib chops preferred
• Granny Smith apple
• Skewers
• Honey BBQ Rub
• Apple butter
• Bourbon
• Brown sugar
• Nutmeg
• Cinnamon

How to Make Apple Bourbon Pork Chops

Glaze and Prep

• Prepare the glaze first. Combine glaze ingredients in a medium saucepan and simmer over medium-high for 1 minute, stirring often. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 3 more minutes. Remove from heat and reserve 1/3 of the mixture for glazed apples. The remaining baste will be used on the pork chops.
• Prepare apples: Cut apples into 3/4″ thick slices. Place them into a bowl with cold water and lemon juice to keep them from turning brown.
• Preheat grill to 375 degrees F or medium-high.
• Season pork chops with rub

Grilling the Chops and Apples

• Grill chops: Place pork chops onto the preheated grill and cook for 5-7 minutes on each side. Baste the cooked side with apple butter sauce. Cook for another 5 minutes, turn, and baste again. Repeat this process a few times until the chops have reached an internal temperature between 145-150 degrees F. Note that the recommended minimum internal temperature for pork is 145 degrees F.
• Stovetop option: If you don’t have a grill, you can also cook the pork chops in a skillet over medium-high heat, turning and basting as directed. Watch for flare-ups and adjust the cooking temperature accordingly, or move chops to a cooler part of the grill and finish them up over indirect heat. Remove chops from the grill, tent with foil, and set aside.
• Skewer apples: Thread 5 apple slices onto each skewer. Brush lightly with oil on both sides. 
• Grilling apples: Place apple skewers on the grill. Cook for 3 minutes, turn and baste with reserved apple butter sauce, cook another 2-3 minutes, then turn and baste again. You will need to do this fairly quickly, as apples tend to cook fast.
• Final touches: Serve one skewer of apples per pork chop. This sweet and savory dish pairs well with steamed or grilled vegetables, rice, or grains.

Storing Leftovers and Reheating

Store the apple bourbon pork chops separately from the grilled apples. The best way is to store each in airtight containers in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat chops in a skillet until warmed all the way through. You can also rewarm the apples in a skillet, but be aware that doing this could change the consistency.

Tips

• Need extra sauce? Double the apple butter sauce recipe and serve on the side at the table. Simply delicious!
• Not a fan of the bourbon flavor? No problem! This recipe is flexible enough to accommodate your preferences. Consider substituting bourbon with brandy, rum, scotch, or cognac. If you prefer an alcohol-free version, try a combination of 1/4 cup each of peach nectar and cider vinegar. This alternative will still deliver a sweet and tangy taste.

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Apple Bourbon Pork Chops

These pork chops are basted in a flavorful apple butter-bourbon glaze and served with grilled apple skewers.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American BBQ, American Food

Keyword bbq pork chops, bourbon pork chops, pork chop recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 6 People

Calories 477kcal

Author Sabrina Baksh

Ingredients

• 6 pork chops rib chops, about 1" thick
• 5-6 apples cored and cut into 1 1/2" thick slices (golden delicious or Granny Smith )
• 5-6 skewers (metal recommended)
• 3 tablespoons Honey BBQ Rub (or your favorite bottled sweet rub)
• for glaze:
• 1 1/4 cups apple butter
• 1/2 cup bourbon
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

• Prepare glaze first. Add all ingredients to a medium saucepan and simmer over medium-high for 1 minute, stirring often. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 3 more minutes. Remove from heat and reserve 1/3 of the mixture for glazed apples. The remaining baste will be used on the pork chops.
• Heat your grill to a medium-high cooking temperature.
• Combine rub ingredients and season both sides of pork chops. Place onto the grill and cook for 5-7 minutes, turn and baste the cooked side with apple butter sauce. Cook for another 5 minutes, turn, and baste again. Repeat the process a few times until the chops have reached an internal temperature between 145-150 degrees F. Watch for flare-ups and adjust the temperature accordingly. Move chops to a cooler part of the grill and finish them up over indirect heat if needed.
• Thread apples onto skewers: about 5 pieces per skewer. Brush lightly with oil on both sides. You can chop apples ahead of time and place them into a bowl with cold water and lemon juice to keep them from turning brown.
• After the chops have been on for about 10-12 minutes, place apple skewers on the grill. Cook for three minutes, turn and baste with reserved apple butter sauce, cook another 2 minutes, and turn and baste again. You will need to do this fairly quickly as apples tend to cook fast.
• Remove cooked chops and apples from the grill and serve one skewer of apples per pork chop. This dish works perfectly paired with steamed or grilled vegetables, rice, or quinoa.
• *Want extra sauce? Double the apple butter sauce recipe and serve on the side at the table. Simply delicious!

Notes

Things to think about with this recipe:

If you’re not too keen on that bourbon flavor, then substitute with another type of spirit like brandy, rum, scotch or cognac.

If you are looking to omit alcohol all together, then use a combination of  1/4 cup each of peach nectar and cider vinegar.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 477kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 80mg | Potassium: 798mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 295IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 4mg

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