Amazing Pecan Crusted Pork Chops with a Fresh Plum Sauce
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Pecan Crusted Pork Chops topped with plum sauce are not only delicious they are ready within an hour! Take plain pork chops from meh to ‘mazing with a flavorful pecan and rosemary crust! Serve with the fruity sauce made with fresh plums, balsamic vinegar, and honey, and a helping of creamy mashed potatoes – it’s comfort food at its finest!
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Pecan Crusted Pork Chops
The full ingredients list and instructions are found in the printable recipe card at the end of this post. I highly recommend reading the blog post all the way through so that you don’t miss any tips or substitution suggestions and to ensure that you have all the ingredients and equipment required as well as understand the steps and timings involved.
Let’s be honest, pork chops can be dry and unflavorful can’t they? But all they need is a little love and attention to make them taste great.
If you’re tired of serving pork chops that are tough and tasteless, then do I ever have the recipe for you!
Imagine if you will, pork chops that have been coated in a delicious pecan crust and are seared to a golden brown and topped with fresh plum sauce. Every bite is full of flavor!
With all the flavor in the crust and sauce, serve the chops with some creamy mashed potatoes and a simple vegetable dish like green beans.
Ingredients & Equipment Used In This Recipe
You may have some of the ingredients for this recipe in your kitchen already – the full list with measurements is found in the recipe card.
For your convenience, any specialized or notable ingredients and equipment needed for this recipe have been listed below and linked to Amazon if available online.
- Eggs – for the egg wash to coat the pork chops.
- Dijon Mustard – mixed with the eggs.
- Pecans – forms the crust with chopped Fresh Rosemary.
- Thick-cut Boneless Pork Chops – ask the butcher to cut these for you if you can’t find them pre-packaged.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Plums – the base of the accompanying sauce.
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Honey – buy local honey if possible.
- Cast Iron Skillet – or another oven-safe pan, as the chops are seared in the skillet first and finished in the oven.
This recipe uses American cups. They’re a handy piece of kitchen equipment to have along with a kitchen food scale. Having both in your kitchen means you’ll be able to make all of the different recipes on my blog as I use both cups and weighted measures.
More Recipes Using Pecans
One of the hero ingredients in this recipe is pecans, so here are some more recipes using the same:
- Candied Cinnamon Pecans
- Pecan & Pumpkin Spice No-Churn Ice Cream
- Apple Pie Spice Popcorn with Bourbon Sugar Pecans
More Pork Recipes
Looking for more pork recipes to make? Check these out next:
- Greek-Cypriot Pork Tavas
- Pork in Coffee-Chipotle Marinade with Vegetable Rice
- Grilled Herb-Rubbed Pork Chops
Tips for Juicy Pork Chops
You might ask what prevents the pork chops from drying out. That, my friends, is searing the meat first and finishing the cooking process in the oven. It really does make a world of difference.
Before you being to cook the chops, you should bring the meat to room temperature as it helps to retain moisture and they cook more evenly.
When you sear pork chops, it seals in the natural juices and keeps the meat tender. While cooking in the oven ensures that the meat is cooked through without overcooking.
You should not serve pork chops raw or rare.
Use a meat thermometer to test that the pork chops are cooked through. Always test the thickest part of the meat which should read 145F (63C) when fully cooked and safe for consumption.
If you don’t have a meat thermometer you can insert a metal skewer into the thickest part and the juices should run clear.
To prevent over-cooking, it’s best to remove from the oven a few degrees lower as the residual heat will continue to cook the pork chops while they rest.
And speaking of resting, leave the pork chops to rest for 5-10 minutes for the juices to redistribute into the meat. This keeps the chops tender, juicy, and full of flavor.
How Do I Make Pecan Crusted Pork Chops with Plum Sauce?
Just check out the recipe card below with full ingredients, instructions, and demonstration photos. You can print the card out too (don’t worry, the pics don’t print to save your ink!).
Pecan Crusted Pork Chops
Take plain pork chops from meh to 'mazing with a flavorful pecan and rosemary crust!
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 3 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1½ cups pecans
- 3 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves
- 4 thick-cut boneless pork chops
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 6 large plums, pitted and chopped
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 3 Tbsp honey
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
- In a small bowl, combine the eggs with the Dijon mustard. Season with salt and black pepper, as desired, and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Place the pecans and rosemary leaves into a food processor and roughly process into crumbs, leaving some larger pieces for texture. Transfer to a shallow plate and set aside.
- Season the pork chops with salt and black pepper on both sides and dip each chop into the egg mixture, then into the pecan crumbs, making sure the chops are coated with pecans on each side.
- Heat the olive oil in a large cast-iron or another oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Once hot, sear the pecan-crusted chops, approximately 2-3 minutes per side.
- Transfer the cast iron skillet to the preheated oven and cook for 15-20 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chop reads just below 145F (63C). The temperature will rise several degrees while the meat rests. If you don't have a thermometer, insert a skewer into the thickest part of the chop and the juices should run clear.
- While the chops are roasting, combine the plums, balsamic vinegar, and honey in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until the plums start to break down and the sauce starts to thicken; approximately 15 minutes.
- Remove from heat and cool for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a blender or food processor. Purée until smooth.
- When ready, remove the pork chops from the oven and transfer to a serving platter. Rest for 5 minutes before serving along with the sweet plum sauce. Enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 788Total Fat: 57gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 43gCholesterol: 196mgSodium: 534mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 6gSugar: 26gProtein: 45g
This site uses Nutritionix to provide estimated nutrition. Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.
Make It A Meal!
You’ve made the main dish, but what about the rest of the courses?
Here are additional recipes to make a full meal!
- Appetizer: One-Pot Easy Beer Cheese Soup Recipe
- Side Dish: Rustic Roasted Potatoes with Garlic, Rosemary & Lemon
- Beverage: Apple Cider Dark and Stormy Cocktail
- Dessert: Baked Cinnamon Apple Crisp
There are 500+ Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog for you to enjoy – please feel free to check them out too!