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Maple Glazed Pork Chops and Sweet Potatoes – The PERFECT fall-inspired dinner with juicy pork chops that are smothered with the most mouthwatering maple bourbon glaze and cinnamon-and-spiced roasted sweet potatoes on the side! This stunning comfort food recipe is great for family dinners and busy weeknights because it’s EASY to make!
Maple Glazed Pork Chops And Sweet Potatoes
These Maple Glazed Pork Chops and Sweet Potatoes always impress everyone but I’ll let you in on a little secret – this dish is really so easy to make. And ready in 1 hour.
This fall-inspired dinner recipe is ready from start to finish in 1 hour making it not only perfect for a family Sunday dinner, but for busy weeknights, too!
There are a few steps and stages, but everything is very simple and straightforward, beginning by brining the pork chops.
That’s just a fancy way of saying you need to soak them in salty water for a little bit and the reason for doing so is that this helps ensure that your pork chops turn out juicy, tender, moist, and perfect.
After brining and pan-searing, you’re going to glaze these pork chops with the most flavorful fall-inspired glaze that includes maple syrup, brown sugar, jam, cinnamon, and a touch of bourbon for that extra special pizazz before baking off the chops. Glazes and sauces are always my favorite part of any meal, and this one is no exception!
Additionally, there are roasted sweet potatoes that are also rubbed with a buttery, maple syrup, brown sugar, and cinnamon coating. The sweet potatoes roast away in the oven while you’re working on your pork chops. Your house will smell divine!
The pairing of roasted sweet potatoes with tender, juicy maple and bourbon glazed pork chops is magical. When it comes to seriously satisfying fall dinner recipes, it doesn’t get better than this!
Ingredients In Maple Glazed Pork Chops
This list of ingredients may not be short, but they’re all simple and affordable. In fact, you might already have most of these in your kitchen right now!
Brine
- Pork chops (bone-in works best!)
- Warm water
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet potatoes
- Unsalted butter
- Maple syrup
- Light brown sugar
- Cinnamon
- Smoked paprika (or regular)
- Salt
- Pepper
Pork Chops
- Olive oil
- Smoked paprika (or regular)
- Salt
- Pepper
Maple Glaze
- Maple syrup
- Bourbon (or water; or orange, pineapple, or cranberry juice)
- Light brown sugar
- Raspberry jam (or another favorite jam)
- Lemon juice
- Garlic
- Cinnamon
- Ground ginger
- Salt
- Pepper
- Cayenne pepper, optional
How To Make Maple Glazed Pork Chops And Sweet Potatoes
Whether you serve this pork chop entree at a dinner party with friends or just for a weeknight dinner with the family, you’re going to love the amount of compliments you get.
You don’t have to tell them how easy it was to make… That can be your little secret!
Let’s get started:
Step 1: Brine the pork chops. Combine water, salt, and pepper in a large shallow dish. Place the pork chops in the water and make sure they’re all fully submerged. Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge, where you need to let it sit for a minimum of 15 minutes and up to 1 hour. When you’re ready to use them, remove the pork chops from the brine and pat them dry.
Step 2: Coat the sweet potatoes and roast them. Place the cubed sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and pour the sauce over them. Toss them to make sure all of the potatoes are evenly covered by that delicious sauce! Bake the sweet potatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet for 25 minutes, tossing them from time to time to make sure they’re browned on all sides.
Tip: If you love sweet potatoes as much as I do, you’ll really love Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Honey Cinnamon Dip! They’re similar to these sweet potatoes in the way that their natural sweetness is enhanced so perfectly.
Step 3: Make the glaze. Combine all of the ingredients for the glaze in a saucepan. Cook the mixture over medium low until it thickens into a sauce-like consistency.
Step 4: Sear the pork chops. Heat the oil in a pan. Season the pork chops on all sides with salt, pepper, and paprika. Sear the pork chops in hot oil for about 2 minutes per side. Once seared, remove them from the pan and set aside.
Step 5: Lower the heat and bake the pork chops. Once the sweet potatoes have baked for 25 to 35 minutes, lower the heat of the oven to 375°F. Place the pork chops on top of the sweet potatoes and spoon about a third of the glaze on top of the chops. Bake for 5 minutes.
Step 6: Glaze again. Is there such a thing as too much glaze? When it’s this good, no! Take the pork chops out of the oven, flip, and spoon another third of glaze right on top. Place them back in the oven and bake for another 4 minutes. Check the temp with a digital thermometer.
Step 7: Rest and serve. This is the best part! Remove the pork chops and sweet potatoes from the oven. Allow the meat to sit for about 5 minutes before serving. Serve your entree with the remaining glaze, and enjoy!
Why Should I Brine My Pork Chops?
Letting the pork chops sit in the salty brining liquid is how to make the most moist, tender pork chops because the liquid seeps into the chops ensuring that when you cook them, they’ll be tender and juicy.
Don’t skip this step, friends!
If you skip the brine entirely or don’t brine for long enough, you’ll likely end up with dry pork chops.
What Kind Of Pork Chops Are Best For Maple Glazed Pork Chops?
When making these moist maple glazed pork chops, I like to use bone-in pork chops that haven’t been frozen.
You can certainly use boneless pork chops instead, but they usually don’t need as long to cook so keep your eye on them! Overcooked pork chops are no one’s favorite.
Do I Have To Use Bourbon In The Maple Glaze For Pork Chops?
No you don’t!
While you should keep in mind that the alcohol essentially goes away as it cooks, you can swap the bourbon if needed.
It can be replaced with orange, apple, or cranberry juice. In a pinch, it can even be swapped with water.
How To Determine When Maple Glazed Pork Chops Are Done?
While you don’t want overcooked pork chops, you definitely don’t want them under cooked either.
A digital thermometer is the solution to this balancing act.
Pork is fully cooked and safe to eat once it reaches 145°F. However, you can always remove pork from the oven when it reaches 140°F and after it rests for about 5 minutes, the internal temperature will rise to 145°F and you’re set to slice and serve.
Serving Suggestions For Maple Glazed Pork Chops
I absolutely adore sweet potatoes and have a huge arsenal of sweet potato recipes. I think these buttery maple and brown sugar coated sweet potatoes that are presented here are absolutely perfect with the pork chops because of the similar flavor profile.
Other sweet potato recipes that I also recommend include this Roasted Sweet Potato Salad (a reader favorite every year for Thanksgiving), Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes, or Honey Butter Smashed Sweet Potatoes.
But if sweet potatoes aren’t your jam, never fear. Roast up a tray of Crispy Parmesan Ranch Potatoes, Parm Roasted Broccoli, Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts, or this tray of Harvest Roasted Chickpeas and Vegetables – a total fall favorite!
How To Store Leftover Glazed Pork Chops And Sweet Potatoes
Leftovers will stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
Reheat gently in the microwave or a very low oven but I am team microwave for quickness and ease.
Tips For The Best Maple Glazed Pork Chops And Sweet Potatoes
I’ve got a few final tips and tricks to make sure your pork chops with a maple glaze and your cinnamon rubbed sweet potatoes come out to perfection.
Pork Chops: As I mentioned previously, I used bone-in chops here. But more importantly, I like to use a nice and thick chop, about 1-inch thick to make sure I’ve got enough to work with to avoid dry pork chops at all costs, which can happen with thinner cuts.
Maple Syrup: Since this is such a fundamental element of the recipe, I strongly recommend using real maple syrup and not imitation maple syrup, also known as “pancake syrup.” That’s just a bottle of brown chemicals and nothing maple-y about it. I don’t know how the recipe will work with honey or agave syrup since I haven’t tested them, although they probably work just fine, they just don’t bring the actual maple flavor.
Bourbon: I’ve already mentioned that I strongly suggest it for the depth of flavor imparted after the alcohol cooks off, but substitutions are provided above. When selecting bourbon, you can use a nice single barrel middle-of-the-road bourbon like Maker’s Mark. You don’t need to use your partner’s 10 year-aged super fancy bourbon. However, don’t use the cheapest thing ever, either.
Whiskey in Place of Bourbon: Whiskey is fine in place of bourbon, noting the flavor of the glaze will be a bit sharper; not bad – just more intense. Good ‘ole Jim Beam calls itself “bourbon whiskey” after all!
Sweet Potatoes: I love sweet potatoes and they are just perfect with the maple glazed pork chops because the spices of both are really complementary. However, if you don’t love sweet potatoes, you don’t have to make this component of the recipe and can simply omit it. Make mashed potatoes or a BLT salad or any of the ideas I referenced in the above section.
Peeled: I do enjoy sweet potato skins but not everyone does. Peeling them is my recommendation here.
Not Too Big: Make sure to cube the sweet potatoes in 1-inch pieces so that they cook through in the indicated baking time. If they’re too large, they’ll drag on much longer to bake through which isn’t fun when the family is waiting for dinner staring at you.
Cayenne Pepper: You’re only using a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper. It’s enough to help balance the sweeter flavors, but not enough to really add spice. However, if you’re nervous about introducing any level of spice to this dish for any reason, feel free to omit it entirely.
Doubling the Recipe: You can certainly double this recipe as needed, but you shouldn’t need to double the cooking time!
Ingredients
Brine
- 1 quart warm water
- 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 4 bone-in pork chops*
Sweet Potatoes
- 1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons real maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar. packed
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (or regular paprika)
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
Pork Chops
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (or regular)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
Maple Glaze
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup bourbon (or whiskey, orange/pineapple/cranberry juice, or water)
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup raspberry jam (or another favorite jam such as strawberry or blackberry or jelly)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- pinch cayenne pepper, optional and to taste
Instructions
- Brine – In a large shallow dish or bowl, add the water, salt, pepper, and stir to combine.
- Carefully add the pork chops, making sure to submerge them fully. Brine for at least 15 minutes, or up to 1 hour. While the pork chops brine, start roasting the sweet potatoes.
- Sweet Potatoes – Preheat oven to 400F.
- Dice the sweet potatoes and place on a foil-lined baking sheet (optional but really helps with cleanup and I highly recommend it); set aside.
- To a small bowl, combine the melted butter, maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and stir to combine.
- Evenly drizzle over the sweet potatoes, toss to evenly coat, and bake for about 25 to 35 minutes, making sure to toss and flip them once or twice during baking to ensure even cooking. In the final 10 minutes of roasting, move onto searing the pork chops and making the maple glaze.
- Pork Chops – After the allotted brining time, remove the chops and pat dry.
- To a large skillet, add the oil, pork chops, and evenly season with smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and sear over high heat for 2 minutes per side. Remove from the skillet; set aside on a platter.
- Maple Glaze – To a small saucepan, add all ingredients, stir to combine, and simmer over medium-low heat for about 5 to 10 minutes, or until thickened slightly.**
- Putting it All Together – Lower the oven temp to 375F.
- By this point the sweet potatoes should have been roasting for about 25 to 35 minutes. Flip and toss again. They should be nearly done at this point, meaning soft and fork tender.
- Place the pork chops directly over the sweet potatoes.
- Carefully spoon about a third of the glaze over the chops and bake for 5 minutes.
- Flip the chops over, spoon a third of the remaining glaze over the chops, and bake for another 4 minutes, or until the internal temp of the pork chops has reached 140F using a digital thermometer to be sure. Pork is fully cooked and safe to eat once it reaches 145°F. However, you can always remove pork from the oven when it reaches 140°F and after it rests for about 5 minutes, the internal temperature will rise to 145°F and you’re set. Make sure to let it the pork chops rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
- Serve with the remaining third of the glaze or whatever you have left.
- Leftovers will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months. Reheating gently in the microwave is my preferred method to reheat.
Notes
*I like to use bone-in pork chops that haven’t been frozen. You can use boneless pork chops instead, but they usually don’t need as long to cook so keep your eye on them. Look for pork chops that are at least 1-inch thick since thicker pork chops will deliver a better result than thinner cuts.
**I’ve already mentioned that I strongly suggest it for the depth of flavor imparted after the alcohol cooks off, but substitutions are provided above. When selecting bourbon, you can use a nice single barrel middle-of-the-road bourbon like Maker’s Mark. You don’t need to use your partner’s 10 year-aged super fancy bourbon. However, don’t use the cheapest thing ever, either.
Whiskey in Place of Bourbon: Whiskey is fine in place of bourbon, noting the flavor of the glaze will be a bit sharper; not bad – just more intense. Good ‘ole Jim Beam calls itself “bourbon whiskey” after all!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 569Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 1381mgCarbohydrates: 69gFiber: 5gSugar: 45gProtein: 30g
More Easy Pork Recipes:
Air Fryer Pork Chops – Coated in Parmesan cheese and a rich spice rub, these air fried pork chops are perfectly crispy on the outside while staying tender and moist on the inside! They’re EASY, ready in 15 minutes, perfect for busy weeknights, and a healthier way to enjoy “fried” food. Oven-baking and grilling instructions also provided.
Best Grilled Pork Chops —Learn how to make juicy and tender pork chops on a gas grill thanks to a super simple homemade marinade that provides the perfect amount of savory flavor! When combined with the natural smoky flavor you get from the grill, these marinated grilled pork chops are a FAST and EASY family favorite! Indoor cooking instructions also provided.
Slow Cooker Hawaiian Pulled Pork — Pork is slow cooked to perfection and has Hawaiian-inspired flavors from pineapple and teriyaki sauce! Sweet, tangy, tender, and juicy! It makes the best pulled pork sandwiches that everyone loves!
Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin — Tender and juicy boneless pork tenderloin is slow cooked with hearty vegetables for a complete and EASY meal! Reminiscent of a hearty and rustic recipe, yet fancy enough for a special dinner or holiday entertaining!
Tacos Al Pastor — Learn to make this staple Mexican recipe that includes thinly sliced pieces of pork marinated in a tangy, sweet pineapple sauce AT HOME! Juicy, flavorful, tender pork served in tortillas with onions, cilantro, lime juice, and salsa! You’ll want every night to be taco night!
Orange Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin – An orange-scented teriyaki sauce keeps the pork so tender, juicy, and flavorful!! Easy, one-skillet recipe that’s ready in 20 minutes and healthy! Under 250 calories with 25 grams of protein!!
Spicy Pork Lettuce Wraps — EASY, ready in 20 minutes, perfectly SPICY yet wonderfully fresh!! Just enough heat to keep you going back for more! A new dinnertime WINNER!!
Asian Pork Noodles — An EASY comfort food stir fry that’s ready in 20 minutes with so many textures and flavors in every bite!! Juicy pork, tender noodles, crisp-tender veggies in a bath of sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, and chili garlic sauce if you want to turn up the heat!!
Pork Belly Burnt Ends — Crispy, sticky, sweet-and-savory pieces of pork belly are grilled to burnt ends “perfection”! The pork is moist, tender, and everyone goes crazy for it so double the recipe! Perfect for Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, game day parties, or as a special weeknight treat for your family!
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