One of the easiest ways to create a delectable sauce for meats with little effort is to utilize all-fruit, no-sugar-added jams from your local natural food store. Or better yet, make your own! Apricot jam is one of my favorites, and it goes amazingly well with chicken or pork, as you’ll find out in this recipe. You’ll be doing a happy dance when dinner is not only speedy-quick on a Monday night, but also tastes restaurant-worthy—all because you made it ahead and popped it in the freezer. Way to go, you!
PORK CHOPS
4 bone-in, thick-cut pork chops
2 TBSP (30 ml) coconut oil for serving day
SAUCE INGREDIENTS
½ cup all-fruit, no-sugar-added apricot jam
1/3 cup (720 ml) diced yellow onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 TBSP (15 ml) balsamic vinegar
2 TBSP (30 ml) olive oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 TBSP (15 ml) lemon juice
2 TBSP (30 ml) orange juice
½ tsp granulated onion
½ tsp sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Serves 4
Prep Day:
Place the pork chops in a 1-gallon freezer bag and seal.
Place a 1-quart bag in a tall container to help stabilize it, and place the sauce ingredients in the bag. Push the air out of the bag, and seal. Gently squish the contents around to combine them.
Place the bag of pork chops and the bag of sauce in another 1-gallon freezer bag, push out the air, seal, and freeze until needed.
Serving Day:
Thaw the pork chops and sauce in the refrigerator overnight.
When ready to cook, melt the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season the pork chops with sea salt and pepper, and cook them in the heated oil until browned and almost cooked through, 5-7 minutes per side depending on the thickness of the meat.
Pour the sauce over the chops, being careful to avoid hot splatters. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until the chops are cooked and the sauce has thickened a bit, about 5 minutes. Serve the chops with lots of sauce spooned over them.
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Apricot orange pork chops give you restaurant-worthy dinner in about fifteen minutes of real cooking. Thick bone-in chops brown in coconut oil, then finish under a glossy sauce of all-fruit apricot jam, balsamic, Dijon, and citrus that clings to every slice.
Pro Tips
- Use all-fruit, no-sugar-added apricot jam (or make your own) — it melts into a proper glaze without the refined sugar of regular jam.
- Brown the chops 5–7 minutes per side until almost cooked through before adding the sauce; the glaze only needs a brief simmer to thicken and coat.
- The sauce base mixes right in the freezer bag prep day — squish the bag to combine, and it's ready to pour the moment the chops brown.
- Balsamic vinegar and Dijon cut through the sweetness of the jam and orange juice, giving the sauce real depth rather than one-note fruitiness.
- Watch for splatters when the sauce hits the hot skillet — pour it carefully and reduce the heat to medium-low straight away.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use boneless pork chops?
Yes, but bone-in thick-cut chops stay juicier and are harder to overcook. If using boneless, shave a minute or two off the searing time per side.
Is this pork chop recipe paleo?
It is: all-fruit jam, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Dijon, and citrus juices form the sauce. Check that your jam is truly no-sugar-added and your mustard is clean.
Can I freeze this meal?
Yes — the chops and the sauce freeze together in nested bags. Thaw overnight in the fridge and cook straight away for a speedy Monday dinner.
What should I serve with these pork chops?
Mashed cauliflower or roasted root vegetables are perfect for catching the apricot-orange glaze, along with some simply wilted greens.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- Serves 4 Prep Day: Place the pork chops in a 1-gallon freezer bag and seal.
- Place a 1-quart bag in a tall container to help stabilize it, and place the sauce ingredients in the bag. Push the air out of the bag, and seal. Gently squish the contents around to combine them.
- Place the bag of pork chops and the bag of sauce in another 1-gallon freezer bag, push out the air, seal, and freeze until needed.
- Thaw the pork chops and sauce in the refrigerator overnight.
- When ready to cook, melt the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Season the pork chops with sea salt and pepper, and cook them in the heated oil until browned and almost cooked through, 5-7 minutes per side depending on the thickness of the meat.
- Pour the sauce over the chops, being careful to avoid hot splatters.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until the chops are cooked and the sauce has thickened a bit, about 5 minutes.
- Serve the chops with lots of sauce spooned over them.
