Honey Mustard Pork Chops

A marinade of sweet and warm ingredients is what makes these pan-fried Honey Mustard Pork Chops so extraordinary! Prepared from start to finish in less than one hour, these are a great weeknight dinner option the whole family will enjoy! And, if you love spicy food, you can easily make the chops that way too if you wish!

I have shared many pork recipes with you over the years, Dear Reader, but not as many pork chop recipes as I’d like. If you’ve been a reader of my blog for any length of time, you know that I love pork more than any other type of meat, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that I’m showcasing another pork recipe. This time, it’s my Honey Mustard Pork Chops, and I’m so proud of them. They’re so easy to make – fast too – and the flavour if wonderful every time!

Since these are marinated and pan-fried, I do find that it’s best to use a thinner pork chop. Save those large, thick pork chops for another day. This recipe is fashioned around a weeknight, hurried dinner, so we have just three goals. First, tenderize the chops by means of marinating. Next, we are frying the pork chops so that it’s fast and has little cleanup. And, finally, we need to have flavour! What else could we want in a pork chop recipe!?

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Pork Chops – Be sure to use thinner pork chops for maximum marinade infusion and a quicker cooking time.
• Honey – For added sweetness, but also, the honey will help with caramelization and browning.
• Grainy Mustard – This adds warmth and texture.
• Honey Mustard – I find that this rounds out the spiciness of the grainy mustard and adds a nice colour to the sauce as well.
• Apple Cider Vinegar – This acid is what makes the marinade work so well. Plus, it balances out the sweetness.
• Soy Sauce – This acts as a seasoning and adds saltiness to the marinade.
• Garlic – Every dish is good with garlic, right!?
• Onion Flakes – Added for flavour, but used for ease. You could use an equal amount of fresh, finely chopped white onion.
• Dried Red Chili Flakes – This is optional, but I love the extra spice!
• Salt and Ground Black Pepper
• Olive Oil – For frying.

MUSTARD, MUSTARD, AND… MUSTARD?

How do you feel about mustard? Most of us have a squeeze bottle of yellow mustard somewhere in our fridge. It’s most likely French’s or Heinz too, isn’t it? But, what about other types of mustard? I don’t love classic yellow mustard, but I don’t hate it either. It’s a must on hotdogs, and I always put a bit in my Mom’s Classic Macaroni Salad and my Mustard Potato Salad. But, other than that, I much prefer honey mustard.

If I’m making a sandwich, I always reach for honey mustard, while John.e goes for yellow mustard. And, McKenna doesn’t use mustard at all. We’re always divided, I tell you! Honey mustard is a great way to add a little bit of warm flavour, and a little bit of sweetness at the same time. My Deviled Chicken is a great example of using honey mustard in a savoury recipe.

I’m also a big fan of grainy mustard, but only in small quantities. It has such a wonderful flavour and I love the texture of the mustard seeds. However, if you’re not careful, it can completely overpower a dish. I use it sparingly, just like I did in this Creamy Crab Salad and this Avocado Spread. For these Honey Mustard Pork Chops, I’m using both honey mustard and grainy mustard, making for an incredible burst of flavour!

LET’S TALK ABOUT MARINATING

When it comes to marinating pork, some of us think that it’s okay to marinate it all day or even overnight. That might work for some marinades, but not all. Let me explain.

If you’re using a marinade that has acidity in it, then I would not marinate longer than two hours. The acid will react with the enzymes in the pork and actually toughen it rather than tenderize it. Since this particular marinade has a good bit of acidity, I would not recommend marinating the pork chops for longer than two hours.

My favourite marinades for chicken always use buttermilk. Buttermilk helps to make for a more tender chicken dish. The acidity of the buttermilk will break down protein structures in the chicken and helps it to retain moisture a whole lot better. But, my favourite marinade for beef and pork is always olive oil or vinegar-based. The olive oil has the unique ability to pull the flavours from the other marinade ingredients and infuse them right into the beef.

Therefore, a marinade consisting of more acidic ingredients, like a mixture of olive oil, vinegar, mustard, etc., might toughen the meat rather than making it more tender and flavourful. For this particular marinade, I would highly recommend you allow the pork to marinate for at least 30 minutes, but no longer than two hours.

HOW TO MAKE HONEY MUSTARD PORK CHOPS

First things first – we have to assemble the marinade. It’s really quite easy! Measure the following ingredients into a mixing bowl: honey, grainy mustard, honey mustard, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, onion flakes, salt, ground black pepper, and dried red chili flakes, if using. Whisk together and set aside.

Transfer the pork chops to a large, resealable bag. Pour the marinade into the bag and gently massage the chops so that each one is covered with the marinade. Set the bag into a large bowl – just in case there’s a leak! – and let the chops marinate for 30 minutes. If you plan to marinate for a longer period of time, set the bowl in the fridge.

To cook, heat the olive oil in a large skillet, and over medium-high heat, remove the pork from the bag and gently shake off the excess marinade. Fry the pork chops for 4-5 minutes per side. The internal temperature of the pork should be 145 degrees F. Overcooking will result in dry, chewy meat. Once cooked, remove from the skillet and set aside. Pour the leftover marinade into the skillet and crank up the heat to high. Whisk until a thick sauce is formed. When the pork is plated, serve the thickened marinade as a sauce.

OTTAWA VALLEY MEATS

For this particular recipe, I am using bone-in, eight-ounce pork chops from Ottawa Valley Meats. Like all of their products, their pork is completely antibiotic and hormone-free and provided a diet consisting of vegetable feed with no soy products. Each pork chop is carefully butchered, quickly flash-frozen, and vacuum-packed so that it arrives at your door as fresh as possible.

If you are in Ontario, be sure to look into Ottawa Valley Meats to see if they deliver to your area. They offer seafood, poultry, and pork too. And, they deliver right to your door! I have had other suppliers deliver meat and seafood, but Ottawa Valley Meats were the best! It comes in a freezer-refrigerated truck, which means the box doesn’t need to be stuffed with ice packs or dry ice. And, the food doesn’t need to be packaged into those silver cooler bags. Do you know what that means for me? Less waste!

WHAT TO SERVE WITH PORK CHOPS

Honey Mustard Pork Chops have a lot of warm, savoury flavour, so when it comes to serving a side dish or two, you will want to keep that in mind. Sides should always complement the main and not fight or contradict it. What that means is that you should not serve a side dish with a lot of complex flavours if your main is already extra flavourful as it is. For example, I would not serve this Mexican Rice with this pork; it would fight with the flavour of the pork too much.

Go for basic or subtle sides like Lemon Butter Asparagus, or some simple grilled veggies. Whenever I serve a main like this pork, I almost always reach for some steamed broccoli to go with it. It’s the perfect side dish for any savoury main. In wintertime, I’d serve this with mashed potatoes and sautéed green beans.