Nothing goes better with pork than apples. Apple pork chops are the perfect fall meal and are so easy to make in a crock pot. And tasty enough to leave them asking for more.
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😊Why you will love this recipe
- Excellent results that are full of great apple flavor with almost no work.
- It uses common everyday ingredients for an economical and tasty dinner everybody will enjoy.
- Use the pork chops you like.
- Choose the apples you like, peeled or not peeled.
- Easy to time the recipe for your needs.
Looking for a different way to cook your chops, check out Sheet Pan Apple Pork Chops. Or other inside pork chop recipes, like Pan Seared Oven Roasted Pork Chops, Fried Pork Chops with Gravy, Crock Pot Pork Chops, Grilled Apricot-Glazed Pork Chops, or a personal favorite of mine, Breaded Pork Chops.
👨🍳How to Make Crock Pot Apple Pork Chops
- Peel and slice the apples and thinly slice the onion (optional.)
- Combine Dijon mustard and honey and microwave for about 10 seconds on high, then mix well.
- Trim pork chops, dry, and lightly season with salt and black pepper. Brush the chops with the honey mixture.
- Place pork chops in the bottom of the crock pot and sprinkle with the apple slices and optional onion.
- Cook on low for 4-5 hours to a final internal temperature of at least 145°.
🐖Ingredients
Pork Chops
I like to use 1-inch center-cut boneless pork chops for this recipe. But use the pork chops you want. Bone-in work but are a bit harder to fit in crock pots.
Things called sirloin, blade, or steak are just not what you want. So in the diagram above, you want the middle three and neither end.
🍎Apples
If I'm buying apples just for this recipe, I will choose Ida Red or Granny Smith apples. Other good choices are Fuji or Gala apples. But the apples you have are probably OK, besides Red Delicious or Macintosh.
❓FAQs
Since this is the main dish, starch like rice, mashed potatoes, or sweet potatoes works well. Add a side of your favorite vegetable to complete your easy dinner.
The liquid in the bottom of the crock pot is a delicious sauce to use at serving time. So don't toss it; pour it into a bowl.
Yes, almost any pork chops will work. Bone-in will cook at about the same rate but if thicker or thinner chops are used, cook to a final internal temperature of at least 145° for safety and texture.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days. Or freeze for 3 months.
I don't think it is needed since there are a lot of flavors already. If you want to brown, use a large skillet with oil over medium-high heat.
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
Use apples of your choice other than Red Delicious or Macintosh.
Peel and slice two medium apples or one large. Optional—thinly slice ½ of a medium onion.
Combine one tablespoon each of Dijon mustard and honey. Place in microwave for about 10 seconds on high, then mix well.
If your pork chops have a fat rim, trim it down to ½ inch and score every inch to prevent cupping. Pat dry and season lightly with salt and black pepper. Brush the chops with the honey mixture.
Place in the bottom of a crock pot. I used a 3.5-quart crock pot for two but used a full size for more chops. Cover evenly with the apple slices and the onion if using.
Cook on low for 4-5 hours.
Recipe
Crock Pot Apple Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 2 pork chops - one inch thick
- ½ onion - medium
- 2 apples - medium or one large
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
- Peel and slice two medium apples (or one large). Use apples of your choice other than Red Delicious or Mackintosh. Thinly slice ½ of a medium onion.
- Combine one tablespoon each of Dijon mustard and honey. Place in microwave for about 10 seconds on high. Then mix well.
- Lightly salt and pepper the chops to taste. Brush the chops with the honey mixture.
- Place in a smaller crock pot (I used 3.5 qt). Cover evenly with the onion and the apples.
- Cook on low for 4-5 hours.
Your Own Private Notes
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- This fits nicely in a 3.5-quart crock pot. If you double the recipe, use a 6-8 quart crock pot.
- Use the apples you want, but Red Delicious or Macintosh. are probably not good choices.
- Since crock pots vary, 4 hours will be fine for most people, but you want the apples tender and the pork chops 140 degrees or more.
- Good refrigerated for 3-4 days.
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Publisher note: Originally published November 9, 2013. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Lina Di Marco
Hello, just wondering if I should sear chops before adding to crockpot?
Your dogs are gorgeous!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Lina,
Not needed and the pork needs to cook long enough to cook the apples. It will probably lead to overcooking.
Molly and Lilly say thanks.
Dan
Elizabeth
This recipe didn't work for me. The cooking time was just too long. At 2 hours, internal temperature was already 165 degrees. I set the crockpot on LOW, too. Pork chops were dry and tough. Next time, I will use my smaller crockpot and check the meat's temperature after 1.5 hours of cooking. I will skip the onions next try. Your crockpot Beef vegetable soup is WONDERFUL!!. Thanks for this site.
Denise
Hi Dr Dan. I'm cooking 10 pork chops. Can they be layered in the crock pot. Or should I just cook them in the oven?
DrDan
Hi Denise,
Welcome to the blog.
I would not do 10 chops in the crockpot at one time. Just too much mass to cook in reasonable time.
Look at my sheet pan recipe https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/sheet-pan-apple-pork-chops/. Get rid of the other veggies and use a half sheet pan instead of a quarter sheet pan that I used for two large chops and all the veggies. It should work.
Dan
Kim
Hi I am making this for a family size six people they are somewhat thick and have the bone in it and was not all the way thawed out but mostly I was wondering if I was to put it on high in order to cook it for 6 hours if that would be okay since it's still somewhat Frozen. And I only had honey-mustard so that's what I used instead of Dijon.... so I was wondering if at a certain point out of the 6 hours if I should turn it down to low I don't want the pork chops hard I want them to melt fall apart somewhat and I put them in an hour ago and dinner needs to be ready by 6 630 comments will be very appreciated and helpful thank you
DrDan
Hi Kim,
Welcome to the blog.
6 hours on high seems too long. Pork chops like to dry out. Check with a meat thermometer now if you can. A finish temperature would be 150ish. Hard to be specific since thickness, amount of frozen and the crock pot are all variables.
So check the temp. I will be online editing photos so if you want, comment back and I will only be a few minutes to reply.
Dan
Liz
To cover the crockpot is the question. Does one place the cover on the crockpot when using this recipe?
Thanks,
Liz
DrDan
Covered. With crock pot recipes, always with the lid on. I may (like here) snap a photo without so you can see what to do.
There is an occasional crock pot recipe where the top may be "vented" some to let moisture out. And I did experiment with a crock pot pizza with crust with the top off. It worked... almost. Not good enough to publish and way too much work for the results.
Lynda
I plan to cook this while at work tomorrow. Do you think it would be ok to set to warm after the 7-8 hr cooking time or set to turn off. I will be cooking 4 chops instead of 2 and they are thick. Right now they are frozen. Should I completely defrost or partially? They will sit in the crock pot around 3 hrs before actually having it to turn on. (I work 10-11 hr days, leaving home @ 6am)
DrDan
Hi Lynda,
A couple of points. I would not have it set for more than 2 hours before starting to cook from a food safety point of view and that is pushing it. Next, frozen meat has been known to break ceramic crock pots, so I try not to cook frozen and especially not when I'm not home unless I use a metal pot.
The number of chops probably does not matter much. So I guess I would do 2hr-7hr-then warm until you are home. It will be warm at the start and it might cook some on warm so I pick 7 hours.
Sunita
Sorry for the multiple comments, but also wanted to mention that I cooked this on high for four hours and it turned out perfectly for the commenter who asked.
Peter Beckles
It was I. I have finally got around to actually doing it - in fact, it is cooking right now, on low - and I am wondering what adjustment I should make for 3/4" chops!!
DrDan
Hi Peter, You probably need to knock off about 25% of the time if the apples are done.
Sunita
This was terrific! So tender and juicy. Between this recipe, the lemon bars, oven fried chicken and honey garlic chicken, this is fast becoming one of my go-to recipe sources. Thank you for sharing these wonderful recipes!
Judy
I'm off to the grocery store to buy the ingredients. It is great to find a crock pot recipe for two! Now that I'm an empty nester it's hard not to cook too much. Thanks for sharing.
DrDan
Hi Peter,
Generally that should work but I haven't done it.
Dan
Peter E Beckles
What if I halve the time on high?
Pattip
Hi, my smallest crock pot is 6qt. How would you adjust the time for thst difference?
Thank you!
DrDan
It would probably work fairly well but part of the flavor comes from the mixture staying on the meat
DrDan
Karen
In the ingredients list it say's 1 tsp each Dijon mustard and honey but in the directions it say's 1 Tbsp of each. Which quantity is correct? I have made some of your recipes and they are very good! Thank you for posting them.
DrDan
Tsp means tablespoons... and old abbreviation big T tablespoon and little t teaspoon . I'm editing to make it clearer.
Dan
Glenda
I tried this recipe today with a bone-in pork chop. I thought it was delicious. I do have a question. What type apple would be best? I used golden delicious. The pieces that cooked in the natural juices got very mushy. While it me it was good, I just wondered if a different apple could stand up better.
DrDan
There are so many opinions... But delicious would not be my first choice. I tend to use Cortland, Johnathan or Gala. These are all primarily eating apples and not cooking apples. But I use what I have. Here is list. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooking_apple
DrDan
Jeannette
I made these for dinner tonight & will definitely be doing so again.
I tripled the recipe because I was feeding a family, but followed the recipe exactly and have to agree with you that the chops were a little dry, but like you I used lean. Next time I'll be sure to use some with a least a little marbling. I thought no liquid was an oversight, but didn't add any, which was a good thing because the apples & pork provided plenty of their own. Thanks for a good, really easy recipe.
DrDan
I really like the taste and it is very easy. A bone-in chop with a little fat would take care of the dryness but I'm a health guy so I will stay lean.
Thanks for the note.
DrDan
ray
This was fantastic. Pork was a little overdone but still great. Onion & apples just melted and carmelized.