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Brown Sugar Pork Chops are a fail-proof dinner that’s equal parts easy and irresistible. These are about to become your new go-to recipe. Thick-cut pork chops are coated in a buttery brown sugar glaze that caramelizes beautifully in the oven, creating juicy, tender, flavor-packed pork every single time. This is the kind of weeknight dinner everyone at the table gets excited for!
Brown Sugar Pork Chops Recipe
With simple pantry ingredients and minimal prep, this recipe hits that perfect balance of sweet, savory, and smoky. Plus, you can bake them in the oven or make them low-and-slow in the crock pot. Either way, you get perfectly cooked pork chops that taste restaurant-quality with almost no effort.
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Ingredients for Brown Sugar Pork Chops
- Thick-cut boneless pork chops (about 5–6 pork chops) – If you use thin-cut pork chops, you’ll need to reduce the time and keep a close eye for burning.
- Brown sugar – dark or light brown sugar both work
- Salted butter – unsalted butter woks as well
- Soy sauce – Low sodium soy sauce cuts down on the salty flavor, and if you want to make this gluten-free, you could substitute it with tamari or coconut aminos.
- Worcestershire sauce
- Dijon mustard – Any kind of mustard will do.
- Paprika – If you don’t care for a smoky flavor, use regular or sweet paprika.
How to Make Oven-Baked Brown Sugar Pork Chops
1. Prep the Pork Chops
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels, this helps the glaze stick and prevents steaming.
Prepare your pan. Spray a 9×13 with non-stick cooking spray.
Make the Brown Sugar Glaze
In a bowl, whisk in the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, and smoked paprika until smooth and glossy.
Add the pork chops and brown sugar to the baking pan. Place your pork chops into the dish and top each one with a heaping spoonful of brown sugar.
Baking Tips for Perfect Pork Chops
Use Thick-Cut Chops
Thin chops cook too fast and tend to dry out. Thick boneless pork chops hold moisture and develop a better caramelized glaze.
Avoid Over Baking
Pork is fully cooked at 145°F. Going much higher can cause dryness, so use a meat thermometer when possible.
Let Them Rest
Those extra 5 minutes make a big difference in keeping the center juicy.
Broil for Color
A quick broil creates a golden, sticky glaze that takes these pork chops from simple to stunning.
Top with butter. Place 2-3 pads of butter on the top of each heaping pile of brown sugar.
Drizzle the mixture over each pork chop.
Bake. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Uncover and bake again. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes or until the pork chops are golden and the internal temperature reaches 145°F.
Optional Crock Pot Brown Sugar Pork Chops
Prefer a hands-off dinner? This slow cooker method melts the sauce into a rich, buttery caramel and keeps the pork unbelievably tender.
How to Make Crock Pot Brown Sugar Pork Chops
- Mix melted butter, brown sugar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, and smoked paprika.
- Place pork chops into the crock pot.
- Pour the sauce over the top.
- Cook on:
- LOW for 5–6 hours, or
- HIGH for 2½-3 hours
- Spoon the warm caramelized sauce over the chops before serving.
Slow cooker variation notes:
Thicken the sauce after cooking by simmering it on the stovetop with 1 teaspoon cornstarch + 1 tablespoon water.
Add sliced onions underneath for extra flavor.
Yes! Just increase the baking time by 5–8 minutes depending on thickness.
Absolutely. Coat the pork chops in the glaze up to 24 hours in advance and store covered in the refrigerator.
Yes. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Reheat gently to prevent drying out.
More Easy Dinner Recipes
Brown Sugar Pork Chops Recipe
Brown Sugar Pork Chops
Equipment
- Mixing bowl and spoon
- 9×13 baking dish
- foil
- Non-Stick spray
Ingredients
- 2 pounds thick-cut boneless pork chops about 5-6 pork chops
- ½ cup dark brown sugar packed
- ½ cup 1 stick salted butter
- 2 Tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Parsley optional garnish
Instructions
- Prepare your pan. Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray a 9×13 with non-stick cooking spray.
- Add the porkchops and brown sugar to the baking pan. Place your pork chops into the dish and top each one with a heaping spoonful of brown sugar.
- Top with butter. Place 2-3 pads of butter on the top of each heaping pile of brown sugar.
- Make the sauce. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon, and smoked paprika. Drizzle this mixture over each pork chop.
- Bake. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Uncover and bake again. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes or until the pork chops are golden and the internal temperature reaches 145°F.
- Baste and serve. Spoon any sauce in the bottom of the dish over the pork chops, garnish with parsley, and serve warm.
Notes
Serving Ideas
Pair your Brown Sugar Pork Chops with:- Creamy mashed potatoes
- Roasted green beans
- Garlic Parmesan noodles
- Buttery corn on the cob
- A crisp garden salad
Making this now tonight
Just found this recipe and I’m looking forward to making it. But the photos & blog instructions don’t match with the instructions in the recipe portion.
Do you mix the brown sugar with the rest of the wet ingredients OR do you put the brown sugar directly on the pork chops?
Thanks for the clarification!
I wish you would have given the amounts of the glaze ingredients. I had no idea how much of each ingredient to use.
All of the ingredient amounts and detailed instructions for the recipe are in the printable and interactive recipe card just above this comment section.
Looking forward to making this! It’s there something I can substitute for the soy sauce? My husband can’t have it. Thanks for sharing!
Bursting with flavor! I will definitely be making this again!