Pork chops get an upgrade with a crisp rosemary crust, soft pears and caramelized onions in a simple bourbon sauce. With just 6 ingredients and one skillet, a quick and easy dinner has never looked so good! (gluten-free, dairy-free)

closeup overhead view of overhead view of pears and onions in a white cast iron skillet.

This post is sponsored by the National Pork Board. As always, all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Lively Table running!

When I need to get a balanced dinner on the table quickly and effortlessly, I often turn to pork chops. We always keep them in the freezer to pull out for simple weeknight dinners. Not only are pork chops affordable and so simple to cook, they’re also tasty and nutritious!

overhead view of ingredients needed to make pan seared pork chops with pears and bourbon on a white background.

Why Pork Deserves a Spot On Your Plate

Think pork is unhealthy? Think again! Pork, especially lean cuts, can absolutely be part of a balanced, healthy diet. There are 7 fresh cuts of pork classified as lean, and some are even leaner than a chicken breast. Fresh pork is nutrient-rich, providing key nutrients, including high quality protein, B vitamins, potassium, selenium, and zinc - nutrients especially important for pregnant women, moms and children, all of whom have high needs. If you’re looking for lean cuts, you can never go wrong with the words “loin” and “chop”, such as pork tenderloin, or boneless loin chops, like I used in this recipe!

Pork is also incredibly easy and versatile to prepare, so you can almost always come up with a simple dish that goes with whatever you’ve got on hand and whatever you’re craving.

Learn more about how pork can fuel your active lifestyle at pork.org/realpork.

Why You’ll Love These Pan Seared Pork Chops

Lowering unnecessary stress has been on my radar even more than usual lately, including mealtime stress. Any time I can get a delicious, nutritious meal on the table quickly, it’s a win for me. And it just feels good to prepare something that nourishes your body AND feels a little fancy. These rosemary-crusted pan seared pork chops with pears and bourbon check all the boxes. They’re nutritious, flavorful, and easy to make with only one skillet and 6 ingredients!

How To Make Pan Seared Pork Chops with Pears and Bourbon

collage showing steps for making pan seared pork chops with pears and bourbon.

Rub pork chops with salt, pepper, chopped fresh rosemary, and a touch of olive oil.
Sear the pork chops in a skillet about 3-4 minutes per side, then remove them to a plate and cover.
Add sliced pears and onions to the pan, and continue cooking until they’ve softened, about 3 minutes.
Stir in the bourbon and Dijon and season with a little salt and pepper. Let the bourbon cook off for a couple of minutes.
Nestle the pork chops back into the pan with the pears and onions, cover, and continue cooking until the pork reaches 145°F, about 10 minutes.
Serve!

rosemary crusted pork chops with pears and onions in a white cast iron skillet.

Pro Tips For The Best Tasting Pork Chops

Sear pork chops on medium high heat, undisturbed, so that a crust can form on the bottom. Once that crust develops, the pork chops will easily release from the pan. Flip and repeat to get a golden crust on the other side.
For lean pork chops, look for “loin chops” or “center cut loin chops”. Boneless are easy to prepare, but bone-in chops tend to stay more moist.
Don’t overcook! Pork chops are done when they reach an internal temperature of 145°F. I highly suggest investing in a meat thermometer to ensure juicy and safe meat every time!
Slice the pears and onions and gather your ingredients before you start cooking - these come together quickly.

Ingredient Substitutions and Recipe Variations

If you don’t care for bourbon, you can use broth instead.
Fresh thyme would be delicious in place of rosemary.
If you’d like a thicker, more substantial pan sauce, you can stir in about a tablespoon of butter, a splash of broth, and a couple tablespoons of cream or half and half right after the bourbon cooks off but before adding the pork chops back to the pan.

overhead view of a seared porj chop with pears and onions on top of a bed of arugula.

What To Serve with These Pork Chops

For a lighter meal, I like to plate these pork chops and pears over a bed or arugula and a few crumbles of blue cheese or goat cheese.
Pair with my easy oven-roasted potatoes, or blue cheese mashed potatoes!
For a warm vegetable side, try my stove top balsamic carrots, easy oven broiled asparagus, or balsamic roasted brussels sprouts.

For more delicious recipe inspiration and to learn more about how pork can fuel your active lifestyle, head to pork.org/realpork.

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the comments!

Pan Seared Pork Chops with Pears and Bourbon

Print Recipe

Author: Kaleigh
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Category: main dish
Method: stovetop
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

4 small pork loin chops
Kosher salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
2 tsp olive oil, divided
1 medium pear, sliced (any variety)
1 medium onion, sliced
¼ cup bourbon
1 tsp Dijon mustard

Instructions

Sprinkle pork chops generously with salt, pepper, and chopped rosemary on both sides and drizzle with one teaspoon of the oil. Gently rub into the surface of each side.
Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 teaspoon of oil and swirl to coat the skillet.
Sear pork chop until a golden crust forms, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove pork chops from the pan to a plate and cover.
Lower the heat and add the sliced pears and onions. Cook on low heat, stirring, until onions start to brown, about 3-4 minutes.
Add the bourbon and continue cooking, until the strong alcohol smell has cooked off, 1-2 minutes. Stir in the Dijon.
Nestle the pork chops back into the skillet with the pears and onions and cover. Cook until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145°F.
Serve pork chops topped with pears and onions.

Notes

Sear pork chops on medium high heat, undisturbed, so that a crust can form on the bottom. Once that crust develops, the pork chops will easily release from the pan. Flip and repeat to get a golden crust on the other side.
Slice the pears and onions and gather your ingredients before you start cooking - these come together quickly.
Don’t overcook! Pork chops are done when they reach an internal temperature of 145°F. I highly suggest investing in a meat thermometer to ensure juicy and safe meat every time!

Recipe Variations

Fresh thyme would be delicious in place of rosemary.
If you don’t care for bourbon, you can use broth instead.
If you’d like a thicker, more substantial pan sauce, you can stir in about a tablespoon of butter, a splash of broth, and a couple tablespoons of cream or half and half right after the bourbon cooks off but before adding the pork chops back to the pan.

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