This Apricot Pork Chops recipe has been in our family rotation of meals for nearly 15 years. It’s so easy, and I can’t believe I’ve forgotten to share it here. It’s so simple!
It’s time you add it to your next meal plan. This recipe is versatile, and I share all the swaps below to make it gluten-free, pork-free, and paleo-friendly.
Back Pocket Dinners
This is a term I learned from Jenny Rosenstrach, author of Dinner, A Love Story. The idea of this concept is meals that you can make without a recipe. My apricot pork chops recipe has become one of my “back pocket” dinners. With just a couple of ingredients, it’s easy to remember once you make it twice.
My granola and almond milk are both recipes I’ve learned after making them multiple times for meal prep. You probably have a few back-pocket dinners that are staples in your house. Maybe this recipe will become one of them.
High-Quality Meats Matter
Sourcing local, high-quality meat is worth the effort. You’ve heard the saying; you are what you eat. But, it can also be said, you are what your food eats. Look for a local meat farmer who takes care of their animals and the land if you can. One meat farmer I’ve met said he is really a “grass farmer” since he needs to give his cattle a variety of grasses. Make sure those grasses they eat are not sprayed with pesticides, and in the cold winter months, the animals are eating organic feed. (In my opinion, the organic certification for meat is not as important as knowing the farmer and their practices.)
In today’s recipe, I’m using pork from Walden Local Meat. I was on the waitlist for about two months and just got our first delivery. I was very impressed, and the kids were all happy with the recipes I made with the meat. (trust me, that doesn’t always happen, especially with new recipes!)
Walden promises their beef is 100% grass-fed and finished – the animals receive no grain, no soy, no corn, and no wheat ever. For anyone with food allergies, switching to a grass-fed meat option can make a difference in your symptoms.
Check Walden Local Meats out here, and you can get free bacon and eggs in your first delivery. The eggs are AMAZING!
Homemade Breadcrumbs
You can buy your breadcrumbs, but it’s even easier to make them yourself. If you have a food processor, this will take no time at all. I store all the heels of a loaf of bread in our freezer. You know all the end pieces of the bread that the kids won’t eat? I store them up and then make a big batch of breadcrumbs. I’ll store them in the freezer, too, so I can make this recipe, or my homemade chicken nuggets, super fast.
For this recipe, though, you’ll just need one slice of bread. It can be an end piece or a regular slice of bread. It works either way. Below is my mini food processor, which is great for quick jobs like this one. And everything can go into the dishwasher to be cleaned.
Apricot Pork Chop Recipe
This is such a simple dinner idea, and there are lots of variations you can do to make it work for your family. I’ll detail them below the recipe. The recipe was originally published in the everyday Food cookbook, and I’ve made some tweaks over the years. Fifteen years of making this, and it’s still a delight.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 slice sandwich bread
- 4 pork chops boneless
- sea salt and pepper
- 4 tbsp apricot jam
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F.
- Line a 9x12 baking dish with parchment.
- Tear the bread into small pieces and add to a food processor. Pulse to create breadcrumbs. Drizzle with olive oil and pulse to evenly distribute the oil.
- Place the pork chops in the baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top each piece with a tablespoon of the jam. (I don't usually measure this, I make sure each piece is covered.) Top with the breadcrumbs.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until meat is cooked through. This will depend on the thickness of your pork chops. (also, if you use bone-in pork loin chops, it will cook faster, so you can decrease the time by a couple of minutes.)
Variations for the Apricot Pork Chop Recipe
Gluten-Free: use gluten-free panko or gluten-free bread crumbs.
Paleo-friendly: top with crushed pecans or walnuts
Pork-Free: we’ve also made this recipe using chicken. I find chicken thighs cook up better than chicken breasts, which tend to be too dry.
