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🤍 Recipe Highlights
I have summarised everything that you will come to know and love (LOVE ❤) about the slow cooker pork and apples recipe in the points below:
- Simple ingredients: you can get everything you need to make this crockpot meal from the local grocery store. They are each year round available ingredients that are easy to get your hands on!
- Budget friendly: this is a cost effective hearty meal that won’t break the bank. Many of the ingredients are pantry staples, so you are likely to have these already and then you can simply grab the additional items you need.
- Hands free cooking: we all love a good slow cooked meal and some of that enjoyment comes from simply throwing everything in and then waiting for the aroma to waft through the house as the dish cooks. There is no easier recipe that one which cooks itself!
- Family friendly: everyone of all ages will love this recipe. From the juicy pork chops to the sweet onion and apple mix, it will be enjoyed by young and old! Perfect for busy days when you can get things going knowing that ‘dinner is sorted’ as the aroma begins to waft through the house.
- Low and slow: the cooking time for these crockpot pork chops is 4 hours. This low and slow approach helps us achieve tender pork chops that literally fall apart. We don’t want to try and speed up that process with high heat, rather we go low, we go slow and we go with the juicy flow 😂👌.
🥗 Ingredients
The photo below is to show you everything you need to make the slow-cooker pork chops recipe. Please refer to the printable recipe card for specific ingredient measurements as well as detailed instructions.
As you can see the recipe calls for:
- Salt and pepper: we use salt and a little bit of black pepper to season the pork chops before we cook them. We want to do both sides.
- Cinnamon: we use 1 teaspoon of dried cinnamon powder as one of the key flavors in the recipe.
- Mustard powder: the mustard powder is a complimentary pairing with the cinnamon, one leaning towards a sweet flavor and the other savory flavors.
- Thyme: an easy throw in the pot and add flavor herb. The dried thyme brings a lovely aromatic flavor to the pork chops.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: we use a small amount of 2 liquids in the recipe to keep the pork chops moist and juicy as it cooks.
- Worcestershire sauce: a secret sauce that does wonders to lift flavors across a wide range of dishes, this is our 2nd liquid added before putting the chops in.
- Brown sugar: as the apples cook they soften and loose some of their sweet flavor. We then use the brown sugar as a way to retain the sweet essence of the pork chops and apple combination. This helps create the flavorful sauce we scoop on top of the chops for serving.
- Red onion: I like to use red onion in this recipe as it is much sweet than white onions.
- Red apples: we wouldn’t be making apple pork chops without these bad boys 😂 .The type of red apples won’t matter too much be they red delicious, pink lady or red apples on special. We use these to get the flavors of both apples into the dish as well as for the initial red and green colour contrasts.
- Green apples: Granny smith apples are the most popular and common variety of green apples sold world wide, so let’s use those! We simply core them and then thinly slice the rest into pieces.
- Pork chops: we want to use boneless pork chops for the recipe. As they cook, they literally fall apart and we don’t want any bones in the recipe to fish out later. The boneless chops seen in the photos are called ‘pork scotch fillet’.
Tasty Tip: I like to provide you with a number of substitutions and variations giving you an array of options when making the recipe. If in doubt of any of the above ingredients, or wanting alternatives, read this section (further below) before jumping into the instructions on how to make the recipe which are coming next 😉👌.
🍳 Instructions
Here are the step by step instructions to make the recipe. We start by preparing the pork. You will need a cutting board and pair of kitchen tongs for this initial step.
- Season the pork with salt and pepper (Photo 1)
- Add the liquids to the bottom of the slow cooker (Photo 2)
- Then add the sliced red onion (Photo 3)
- Place the pork chops on top of the onions (Photo 4)
👩🍳 How to Make Slow Cooker Pork Chops With Apples
To make the slow cooker pork chops with apples, start by laying each of the pork chops onto a clean, dry cutting board. Season each of them with salt and pepper then use a pair of tongs and flip to the other side. Repeat to season the other side of each chop with salt and pepper also.
Turn the slow cooker on and set the cooking temperature to low.
Next pour the Worcestershire sauce and apple cider vinegar into the base of the slow cooker. Then add a layer of sliced red onions on top as you see in the photo above.
Once done, use the tongs to place each of the pork chops on top of the onions in one even single layer (ie don’t overlap the chops).
Next sprinkle a layer of the sliced green apples over the pork as you see in the photo below.
- Add a layer of green apples (Photo 5)
- Then add a layer of red apples (Photo 6)
- Sprinkle the brown sugar over the apples (Photo 7)
- Then add the mustard powder (Photo 8)
Next place a layer of the sliced red apples on top of the green apples and then sprinkle in both the brown sugar and mustard powder.
- Next sprinkle the dried thyme over the top (Photo 10)
Finish with the dried thyme and then place the lid on the slow cooker and let the dish cook for 4 hours.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
When it comes to serving your slow cooker pork chops you are likely (highly 😂) to want some potatoes on the side.
The Horseradish mash are a great choice as they offer a little kick of flavor all on their own.
Or if a potato bake is more your thing, try serving them with the Potato And Sweet Potato Bake (has both regular and sweet potatoes in the recipe), Potato And Broccoli Bake, Potato And Cauliflower Bake or the Potato And Onion Bake.
If dry potatoes are more your thing, try the Duck Fat Roast Potatoes or Skin on Roast Potatoes 😉👌.
If you are anything like me, you will find that this simple pairing of pork and potatoes is going to tick a lot of your boxes (and then some!).
For wine pairings you will likely enjoy a crisp chilled rose, sweet glass of pinot gris or smooth red like a pinot noir.
And if you can’t enjoy the taste of pork chops without ‘even more sauce’ the homemade Apple Sauce is a good one to dollop on the side!
👍 How to Guide
How to Store
If you have leftovers of the pork chops, you can transfer them into a sealed, airtight container. They can be kept for 2-3 days and need to be reheated before being consumed.
How to Freeze
You can also freeze the leftover pork chops. Again let them cook firstly, then transfer them into a sealed, airtight container. Frozen portions of the dish can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months and are best fully thawed and then reheated.
How to Reheat
Place leftovers of the pork with apples and onions onto a plate and pull a layer of cling wrap over the top. Reheat using high temperature in the microwave in 1 minute increments until heated through.
😉 Substitutions and Variations
Here are my sub ins and outs that you might be thinking about as you read the post and I will tell you if I think they will work or why they won’t:
- If you want to use chicken broth in place of the 2 liquids you can. In which case, you use the same amount ie 4 tablespoons in total. We don’t want to have too much liquid in the bowl as to smother the chops.
- I have also cooked this recipe without the Worcestershire sauce and apple cider vinegar. In this case, you still get a moist and juicy result, with the liquid that comes out of the apples and pork as they cook (so you can omit the liquids if you prefer too).
- You can dice the apples into small cube like pieces for a different visual effect if you wish too. In both cases they break down as they cook so they won’t look at the end like they did in the beginning before you started to cook them.
- If you want an alternative herb to the dried thyme, you can use the equivalent amount of dried fennel seeds.
💡 Tasty Tips
Here are my top tips and tricks that I want to share with you so that you master the recipe from the get go:
- There is no need to spray the bowl of the slow cooker with any type of oil.
- It is also not necessary to brown the pork chops before adding them to the slow cooker.
- When seasoning the pork chops, you will find a pair of tongs handy to flip the chops from one side to the other. They can fall apart a little, so a gentle approach is recommended.
- We do want to lay the pork chops onto the layer of onions and not directly onto the base of the crockpot, so try and keep the layering as listed in the recipe card.
- As the meat cooks and softens it will be in ‘fall apart’ mode when you are removing it from the crockpot. So you can use a wooden spoon to ‘scoop’ out the cooked dish as opposed to using tongs and having it fall apart any further.
- I think the low and slow approach works best for this recipe ie 4 hours on low. Each time has been a success when I have tried it. I have not however, cooked it for 2 hours on high. Whilst it might work, I think the slow cooking works best!
- If you want to use a meat thermometer you can. In my experience for this recipe the final internal temperature of the chops is a lot higher than if you pan fried chops on the stove. However this works because of our ‘low and slow’ approach.
- If you love pork recipes you might also like to try the Pork Mince Pasta, Easy Pork Meatballs, Pork Mince Noodles, Pork Meatballs In Tomato Sauce, Pork Osso Bucco or the Pork and Fennel Sausage Rolls 😉👌.
🤓 Frequently Asked Questions
Is it better to cook pork chops low or slow?
Using low heat in the slow cooker is the best way to cook pork chops. The low temperature allows the connective tissue in the meat to fall apart, resulting in melt in your mouth meat.
How do you keep pork from drying out in a slow cooker?
Adding some liquid to the base of the slow cooker bowl is the best way to ensure that the pork won’t dry out.
Should pork be covered with liquid in slow cooker?
No. The pork should not be covered in liquid in the slow cooker. More so, we add a small amount of liquid to keep the meat moist as it cooks.
😍 More Easy Dinner Recipes
Here are some more ideas to keep your dinners inspired and something to look forward to:
It is time to slow cooker our pork chops my friend! You can also find all of my family favorites or dinner recipes in the one spot.
Adrianne
📖 Recipe
Slow Cooker Pork Chops With Apples
Slow Cooker Pork Chops With Apples is a set and forget delight. Perfect any night of the week this easy recipe will win hearts and fans.
Servings: 4
Calories: 334kcal
Prevent your screen from going dark
Ingredients
- 4 pork chops Note 1
- ¼ teaspoon salt Note 2
- ½ teaspoon black pepper also Note 2
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce Note 3
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar Note 4
- 1 large red onion Note 5
- 2 red apples core removed, thinly sliced, Note 6
- 2 green apples core removed, thinly sliced, Note 7
- 2 teaspoons mustard powder Note 8
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder Note 9
- ¼ cup brown sugar Note 10
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme Note 11
To serve
- mashed potato
- flat leaf parsley stems removed, leaves finely chopped
- black pepper
Instructions
-
Season: lay each of the pork chops flat onto a cutting board and use a folded square of paper towel to pat dry (both sides). Then season with salt and pepper. Next use a pair of tongs and flip the chops to the other side. Repeat to season this side of the chops also.
-
Liquids: turn the temperature of the slow cooker to low then pour into the base of the bowl both the Worcestershire sauce and the apple cider vinegar.
-
Red onion: place the red onion slices into the base of the slow cooker to form a layer of onion.
-
Pork: use the tongs to transfer each of the seasoned pork chops into the slow cooker and place them on top of the red onions.
-
Apples: next sprinkle the sliced green apples over the top of the pork and then do the same for the sliced red apples.
-
Herbs and spices: the next step is to sprinkle the brown sugar over the top of the apples, followed by the cinnamon, mustard powder and dried thyme.
-
Slow cook: place the lid onto the slow cooker and let the dish cook for 4 hours. Once the cooking time is up, remove the lid and give the contents a gentle stir. Then spoon the pork chops with apples and onions onto plates with mashed potato.
-
To serve: garnish the dish with some finely chopped flat leaf parsley and cracked pepper.
Notes
- Note 1 – Pork chops: we want to use boneless pork chops for the recipe. As they cook, they literally fall apart and we don’t want any bones in the recipe to fish out later.
- Note 2 – Salt and pepper: we use salt and a little bit of black pepper to season the pork chops before we cook them. We want to do both sides.
- Note 3 – Worcestershire sauce: a secret sauce that does wonders to lift flavors across a wide range of dishes, this is our 2nd liquid added before putting the chops in.
- Note 4 – Apple Cider Vinegar: we use a small amount of 2 liquids in the recipe to keep the pork chops moist and juicy as it cooks.
- Note 5 – Red onion: I like to use red onion in this recipe as it is much sweet than white onions. You can use one brown onion instead, but you will likely find the taste ‘less sweet’.
- Note 6 – Green apples: Granny smith is the most popular and common variety of green apples sold world wide, so let’s use those! We simply core them and then thinly slice the rest into pieces.
- Note 7 – Red apples: the type of red apples won’t matter too much be they red delicious, pink lady or red apples on special. We use these to get the flavors of both apples into the dish as well as for the initial red and green colour contrasts.
- Note 8 – Brown sugar: as the apples cook they soften and loose some of their sweet flavor. We the use the brown sugar as a way to retain the sweet essence of the pork chops and apple combination.
- Note 9 – Mustard powder: the mustard powder is a complimentary pairing with the cinnamon, one leaning towards a sweet flavor and the other savory.
- Note 10 – Cinnamon: we use 1 teaspoon of dried cinnamon powder as one of the key flavors in the recipe. This is different to ‘cinnamon sugar’.
- Note 11 – Thyme: an easy throw in the pot and add flavor herb. The dried thyme brings a lovely aromatic flavor to the pork chops.
Nutrition
Calories: 334kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 88mg | Sodium: 218mg | Potassium: 785mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 110IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 1mg
