How to make Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops - Easy and Delicious Recipe (2024)

Published: · Modified: by Chef Dennis Littley

4.41 from 5 votes

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Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops

This week I even had time to prepare a few different dishes. Lisa and I are creatures of habit and we do tend to eat the same things over and over again, and while it does make life easier for me as the home cook, as a food blogger it presents its challenges. I have to keep coming up with new ways to prepare the same foods or make entirely different meals. We do enjoy trying new dishes, but there is something to be said for the comfort of a dish you know you’re going to enjoy.

I don’t eat red meat, but I do eat pork occasionally, and while shopping last week I saw some really good looking bone in organic pork chops, at the market. Although I do usually buy boneless, I just couldn’t resist those lovely chops and thought the bone and extra fat might help make them a little more tender. I also did a quick 2-hour marinade to give them a fighting chance. Brining pork can really help out the chops or roast by adding a substantial amount of water to them prior to cooking, but I didn’t really have enough time to brine and I didn’t want to add that much salt to them, so I opted for marinating instead.

They would have benefited from another couple of hours in the marinade, but the finished product was moist, and so very flavorful. The balsamic vinegar and maple mixture not only added flavor but gave the chops a wonderfully caramelized color.

How to make Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops - Easy and Delicious Recipe (1)

I served up the chops with a simple sauteed spinach topped with some Gorgonzola crumbles for a nice contrast of flavors. We also enjoyed seasoned rice along with the chops and spinach.

How to make Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops - Easy and Delicious Recipe (2)

You might also like these recipes:

  • Peppered Pork Loin
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  • Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops
  • Apple Butter Bourbon Pork Chops

If you’ve tried my Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops recipe or any other recipe on askchefdennis.com please don’t forget torate the recipeand let me know where you found it in the comments below, I love hearing from you!

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How to make Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops - Easy and Delicious Recipe (3)

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4.41 from 5 votes

Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops

BreaK the weeknight doldrums with myeasy to make recipe. Balsamic Vinegar, Maple Syrup and Tamari, make up this flavorful marinade for my Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops. It’s a great way to liven up those tired old pork chops!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time25 minutes mins

Course: Entree

Cuisine: American

Servings: 4

Calories: 382kcal

Author: Chef Dennis Littley

Ingredients

  • 4 in Bone Pork Chops – Organic if possible
  • ½ cup maple syrup
  • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
  • ¼ cup tamari sauce
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
  • 4 cloves garlic flattened
  • ½ cup water optional

Instructions

  • Blend together all the ingredients, except the water.

  • Place the pork chops in a large bowl or baking pan and pour marinade over them

  • if the mix does not cover the chops almost completely add in a little water to until it does. (the pan should be just big enough to hold the chops touching)

  • Allow pork chops to marinate 2-4 hours

  • Heat saute pan until very hot using a paper towel dipped in oil, lightly coat the pan, or use pan spray.

  • Place the chops into the pan and allow them to remain on that side for at least two minutes, or until sugars in marinade caramelize ( you want the side to sear and get dark in color)

  • Turn over pork chops and allow the other side to sear and caramelize (2-4 minutes)

  • At this point the pork chops should almost be done.

  • Turn over chops one last time and add two tablespoons of the marinade to the pan, after one minute remove the pan from the heat.

  • Serve pork chops with your favorite sides

Nutrition

Calories: 382kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 2565mg | Potassium: 171mg | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin C: 0.9mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 0.8mg

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About Chef Dennis

Chef Dennis Littley is a classically trained chef with over 40 years of experience working in the food service industry. In his second career as a food blogger he has made it his mission to demistify cooking by sharing his time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen. Let Chef Dennis help you bring the joy of cooking into your home.For more details, check out his About page.

Reader Interactions

Comments

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  1. SUSAN

    Wow! These were wonderful, tender, juicy and full of delicious flavor. Followed recipe exactly. Thank you

    Reply

  2. Julia Stearns @ Healthirony

    How to make Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops - Easy and Delicious Recipe (5)
    Absolutely love your creative idea with balsamic glazed pork chops! Can I post it on my blog? Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

    • Chef Dennis Littley

      hi Jill

      I haven’t updated all my recipes with nutritional info yet. I just fixed that one. I hope you enjoy the pork chops

      Reply

  3. Marianne

    Great recipe. I made it for dinner tonight. I roasted some potatoes and threw in some greens The pork chops were moist and tasty.

    Reply

    • Chef Dennis Littley

      Thanks for letting me know Marianne and I’m glad you enjoyed the chops!

      Reply

  4. Denise Browning@From Brazil To You

    How to make Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops - Easy and Delicious Recipe (6)
    Chef Dennis:
    This is my first time here! I love pork chops and yours look superb!!!
    I have never tried tamari sauce. Since I do not have it at home and intend to use soy sauce instead. Ah, I love your google community!!!

    Reply

    • Chef Dennis

      Thank you Denise! Soy will work fine, I actually used Tamari because I had it in my pantry gathering dust!
      I’m very happy to have you in our community, its hard to believe we’ve only been around for 3 months. Please tell all your blogging friends that aren’t already on G+ to come join us!

      Dennis

      Reply

  5. Best Foodies

    My Huuby loves anything with balsamic….can’t wait to try these out on him !

    Reply

  6. Mari

    It is definitely worth pinning, and of course cooking too! My hubby will be pleased. 🙂

    Reply

  7. RavieNomNoms

    This looks awesome chef! I am not a huge pork fan most of the time, but that glaze really sells it!

    Reply

  8. Brian @ A Thought For Food

    Eric’s a pork lover, and I am certain he’d devour these chops in minutes.

    Reply

  9. Natalie

    So yummy! I haven’t made pork chops in ages but this looks like a fantastic way to cook them.

    Reply

  10. Betty Ann @Mango_Queen

    How to make Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops - Easy and Delicious Recipe (7)
    Oh my gosh, I saw this photo on Facebook, and couldn’t keep my eyes off it. These balsamic glazed porkchops are a delightful weeknight or weekend dish. Thanks for sharing. Happy Mon., Chef Dennis!

    Reply

  11. Erin | The Law Student's Wife

    I think pork is a totally under-appreciated meat! I usually buy boneless too, but you have totally motivated me to go bone-in style. I do have to confess ignorance though-what is tamari sauce? Are there possible substitutes that would achieve a similar effect?

    Reply

    • Chef Dennis

      hi Erin

      Tamari is very similar to Soy sauce, so you can replace it very easily. Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply

How to make Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops - Easy and Delicious Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is balsamic glaze made of? ›

To make a glaze, you only need that one ingredient: balsamic vinegar. Many recipes call for an added sweetener of some sort — usually sugar or honey. Cooking it down with those additions helps it cook faster while adding a hint of flavour to the glaze.

What is the secret to moist pork chops? ›

Fat is key to keeping pork chops moist

Basting them with fat, such as butter. Add in aromatics while basting for more flavor — similar to how you might cook a steak — and then you have the added bonus of browned butter and crispy garlic and/or herbs to serve with the meat.

What is the difference between balsamic vinegar and balsamic glaze? ›

Balsamic vinegar relies on the traditional ageing method, allowing time and nature to weave their magic. Balsamic glaze, however, takes a shortcut by infusing additional flavours and rapidly reducing the liquid to create a more concentrated product.

What are the two cooking methods best recommended for pork chop? ›

The quickest way to cook pork chops is to pan-fry or griddle them. As the chops can be quite large, this method is best when serving one or two people. If you're cooking for more you might want to try roasting or grilling.

What can I use balsamic glaze on? ›

balsamic glaze recipes
  1. Balsamic Soy Roasted Garlic Mushrooms. Missy Tidwell. ...
  2. Banana Bread Brownies. Missy Tidwell. ...
  3. Brown Sugar Balsamic Pork Tenderloin (Crock Pot) - The Food Charlatan. ...
  4. Blueberry Balsamic Glazed Salmon - The Wholesome Dish. ...
  5. Balsamic Glazed Steak Rolls. ...
  6. Balsamic Glazed Lamb Chops - The Kitchen McCabe.

Do you refrigerate balsamic glaze? ›

This product does not need to be refrigerated after opening. If you like your glaze chilled it may be stored in the refrigerator. This is personal preference.

Is it better to bake or pan fry pork chops? ›

While there are a number of ways to cook pork chops for dinner, baking is arguably the easiest path to perfection. The hands-off cooking method cooks pork chops gently and evenly without the need for extra fat, resulting in juicy, healthier pork chops that pair well with practically any side dish.

What should I season pork chops with? ›

Pork Chop Seasoning Recipe
  1. 3 tablespoons paprika.
  2. 2 tablespoons kosher salt.
  3. 3 teaspoons pepper.
  4. 2 teaspoons brown sugar.
  5. 2 teaspoons garlic powder.
  6. 2 teaspoons onion powder.
  7. 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper.
  8. 1/2 teaspoon sage (optional)
Jul 31, 2023

Do you put balsamic vinegar on before or after cooking? ›

Add at the end of the cooking process to bring all the flavors together. Start with a smaller amount of vinegar, sample the broth and add more if necessary.

Can I replace balsamic vinegar with balsamic glaze? ›

Balsamic glaze can still be used as seasoning, as a substitute for Balsamic Vinegar, although it would be preferable to use it as a garnish.

What balsamic do chefs use? ›

Restaurant chefs use white balsamic vinegar not only for its milder flavor, but also because it won't turn a salad dressing or sauce brown the way the regular stuff will.

How do you get the most flavor out of pork chops? ›

Like steak or chicken, pork also needs a lot of salt to bring out all the flavor. If you really want to be fancy, you can brine the pork chops in some salt water (season it with other stuff like whole peppercorns and bay leaves). 2. COOK 'EM KINDA LOW AND KINDA SLOW.

How do you cook pork chops so they aren't tough and dry? ›

This method for making perfect pork chops is simple—first, the chops are seared in a very hot pan for about 3 minutes, then they're flipped and cooked the rest of the way in the oven. Preparing them this way ensures that they're cooked through but not overcooked. No one wants tough, dry chops.

Does cooking pork chops longer make them more tender? ›

No more so than any other meat. Tender cuts, like tenderloins and chops, don't need to be cooked for a long time. In fact too long will toughen them. Other cuts, like shoulder/butt, need long slow cooking to become tender.

Is balsamic glaze healthy? ›

The antioxidants found in balsamic vinegar target the “scavenger cells” that are toxic to your body and inflate your LDL (unhealthy cholesterol) levels. By consuming balsamic vinegar as a dressing or glaze, you can consume enough to help your body protect itself against clogged arteries.

Does balsamic glaze taste like balsamic vinegar? ›

The taste of Balsamic Vinegar is intense, sweet and sour, lingering, aromatic and when it's aged, it has complex flavours given by aging in barrels. The one of Balsamic Glaze is sweet, slightly sour, mushy and flat.

Why does balsamic glaze have a lead warning? ›

Balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, indeed grapes, and other agricultural products can often contain minute amounts of lead, a naturally occurring element found in small amounts in the earth's crust and sometimes in soil near roadways exposed to leaded fuel from the 20th century.

Why is balsamic glaze so expensive? ›

It takes 12 years to make the best, aceto balsamico tradizionale (traditional balsamic vinegar), and at least 25 to make the finest, extra Vecchio. Because of traditional balsamic vinegar's painstaking artisanal production process, supplies are limited, and it tends to be rather pricey.

References

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