Introduction
For those following a paleo or Whole30 diet, finding satisfying and flavorful meals can sometimes be a challenge. Pork chops, a versatile and readily available protein source, can be transformed into exciting dishes that adhere to these dietary guidelines. This article explores a variety of paleo pork chop recipes, from balsamic-glazed delights to herb-infused wonders, offering options for quick weeknight dinners and cozy fall meals alike.
Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops
These paleo and Whole30 compliant balsamic pork chops are perfect with a side of roasted sweet potatoes, apples and onions. My love for balsamic continues with these balsamic glazed pork chops! Here we have it - an easy paleo dinner with tons of flavor and almost no work.
Ingredients and Seasoning
I decided to season the pork chops themselves with Primal Palate’s Amore seasoning blend, but you can use any compliant Italian seasoning you like. Honey does add a nice sweet flavor to the balsamic reduction, but, it’s not necessary.
Cooking Instructions
While the pork chops cook on the stovetop, you’ll be roasting the sweet potatoes, apples and onions in the oven. I used a honeycrisp apple (everyone’s fave!) and they came out perfectly fork tender and sweet - just the way I love them. I hope you’re ready for juicy pork chops packed with flavor! Once skillet and ghee are sizzling, add pork chops and sear until toast brown on the first side (about 3-4 mins) then flip and repeat for second side. Remove to a large plate and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Lower heat to medium/low and add balsamic and honey/date paste, if using, whisking. Return pork chops to skillet and cook another 2-3 mins, flipping once to coat them in balsamic. Sprinkle with rosemary if using. Toss sweet potatoes with oil and arrange sweet potatoes on a large (nonstick) baking sheet (you can also line with parchment if desired), sprinkle with salt and pepper. Continue to roast another 15 mins or until apples and onions are soft and sweet potatoes are toasty. Serve with pork chops, with extra balsamic glaze if desired.
Whole30 + Keto Balsamic Mustard Pork Chops
Low carb pork chops served with a balsamic mustard pan sauce. A 30 minute clean eating dinner! Don't you just love cozy dinners like this Whole30 + Keto Balsamic Mustard Pork Chops?
Read also: Paleo Granola Recipes
Preparation and Searing
Dry the pork chops completely with paper towels. Use a chefs knife to score the fat cap through to the meat several times ¾" apart, this prevents the pork chops from curling up as they cook. Season the pork chops generously with kosher salt and pepper.Add the ghee to the warm skillet, and sear the pork chops for 5-7 minutes, until crispy and golden brown. Flip, and continue cooking on all sides (even the edges! The fat cap tastes so good when it's ben seared off an caramelized!) until the pork chops have an internal temperature of 145ºF, roughly another 7-10 minutes. Remove the pork chops from the skillet and transfer to a plate to rest.
Balsamic Mustard Sauce
After searing off the pork chops until golden brown, I add onions and garlic to the pan to cook down and soften and brown. Then add in the heavenly mustard balsamic sauce. It is made with deli mustard (or really any mustard you like!), balsamic vinegar + chicken stock. Want to add a touch of sweetness?
Final Touches
Add the pork chops back in to the pan just before serving to warm them, and top them with the balsamic mustard sauce. Full of flavor, and healthy as can be.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Meat: If you can get your hands on bone in pork chops, those are my favorite because they have even more flavor. Boneless work too!
- Balsamic Vinegar: If you're out of balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar would be a fun substitute.
- Mustard: I love using brown deli mustard, but you could also use dijon mustard or a grainy mustard.
- Cooking Oil: I love using ghee, but you could also use olive oil, avocado oil, or coconut oil.
One-Skillet Pork Chops with Apples
One-skillet pork chops with apples features seasoned, savory juicy pork chops with sweet apples simmered to perfection! This Paleo and Whole30 compliant dinner is easy, fast and great for weeknights! Simple, fast, tasty and filling. What more could you want for a weeknight dinner? They have more flavor, don’t dry out in 3 seconds and still cook as quickly as I need them to in my cast iron skillets. I probably wouldn’t have posted a pork chop/apple recipe if it weren’t for all the reader requests I’ve gotten over the past few months. As a bonus? They’re basically already paleo, as in, you would actually have to TRY to take the paleo out of them, if you see what I mean. Also, to avoid the whole mushy apples problem, make sure you use crisp-sweet apples (I used one honeycrisp and one pink lady) rather than varieties that break down too quickly, such as red delicious and Macintosh. Having everything ready before you heat up your skillet also helps get the timing right for pretty much ANY recipe. Trust me - I make this mistake at least once per day and pay for it, always, by overcooking or burning something. But, now I’m way off topic, so back to the pork chops! You’ll have plenty to serve over the pork chops to keep them nice and juicy! I love this recipe with roasted sweet potatoes, or a baked sweet potato, but the sky’s the limit with the side dishes! Lower heat to medium and add remaining ghee to melt. Return pork chops to skillet, making room for them by pushing apples and onions aside/around them. Once cooked through, remove from heat and serve hot, immediately.
Rosemary Dijon Pork Chops
These Rosemary Dijon Pork Chops are easy to make and so flavorful. Perfect for the grill, but still delicious cooked indoors. This marinade was something I threw together when we needed a meal quick and it came out so good that I made it again and measured everything.
Read also: Paleo Diet Delivered: What You Need to Know
Marinade Ingredients
- Dijon Mustard- Annie's is the only brand I have used (and I love it) since a lot of brands list "spices" and I can't take a chance that that include garlic and onion.
- Garlic Oil- gives great garlic flavor without stomach discomfort.
- Avocado Oil- mild in flavor and has a high smoke point.
- Coconut Aminos- always so good in marinades.
These pork chops are kept low FODMAP by using garlic oil for the garlic flavor. All the other ingredients are compliant.
Marinating and Grilling Instructions
In a glaze container big enough to hold the pork, combine the mustard, garlic oil, avocado oil, coconut aminos, salt, and rosemary. Stir until well combined. Add in the pork chops and make sure to press them so they are fully covered. Marinate for at least one hour or up to overnight. Grill at medium/high heat about 5 minutes a side, but this really depends on how thick your pork chops are and how hot your grill is.
Pan Seared Pork Chops with Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce
These Pan Seared Pork Chops with Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce are paleo and Whole30 compliant. The sauce is so flavorful and delicious and gives the best flavor to these juicy, tender pork chops!
Cooking Instructions
Pat pork chops dry and generously season on both sides with salt, pepper, and thyme.Heat avocado oil in skillet on medium high heat.Add pork chops and sear on each side for 5-8 minutes depending on thickness. Cook to an internal temp of 145 F.Set pork chops aside and keep warm for 10 minutes while preparing the sauce.
Simple Seasoned Pork Chops
Simple paleo recipes are, simply, the best. Over at Garlic My Soul, we realized we hadn’t experimented with an easy pork chop recipe yet - so here it is! We used simple seasonings (salt, lemon and spicy brown mustard) and the results were delicious. We made a 1/2 pound of 1 and 1/2 inch boneless chops. You can decide on quantity and whether or not you’d like to cook them with the bone in. Cooking time can vary depending on thickness.
Read also: Paleo Mayonnaise Recipe
Preparation
- 2. 3. 3. 4. Flip them over. Re-season with lemon and salt.
- 6.
Pork Chops with Applesauce
There may be nothing more classic than pork chops served with applesauce, but you can still get the same effect by cooking up apples along with your pork chops. Everyone has their own idea of what it means to make pork chops. Growing up, my mom didn’t really think of herself as a gourmet chef by any means. Her version of pork chops was tossing them in Shake ‘n Bake and serving them up with a side of store bought applesauce. But with Paleo it’s all about taking simple, rustic dishes like ordinary old pork chops and turning them into something extraordinary. Of course, the Shake ‘n Bake had to go, as it’s mostly breadcrumbs, so it was a matter of getting that nice outer coating without adding any grains of any kind. The trick to getting these pork chops just right is to sear them in a pan before putting them in the oven. That way you get a nice outer browning and then let the oven do the rest of the work. Store bought applesauce is loaded with sugar most of the time, and if you go with unsweetened applesauce you’re still left wondering what kind of apples were used to make it. The reason I really love this dish is because you’re getting a complete meal that’s done all at once. Bacon is a Paleo treat that you should take advantage of. Just a few strips added to these pork chops is all you need to take the flavor to the next level and make everyone happy.
Baking Instructions
Preheat oven to 425°.Pound the chops lightly with a meat mallet. Sprinkle the chops with half of salt and half of black pepper.In a large cast iron pan heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over high heat. Add the pork to pan and cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove the pan from the heat and remove the pork from the pan.In the pan add the remaining olive oil, apple and onion wedges and bacon. Sprinkle with thyme and remaining salt and black pepper and toss to coat. Put in the oven and bake for 25 minutes then arrange the pork chops over apples and onion and bake for 10 minutes more. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with fresh ground black pepper and serve with your favorite salad.
Honey Chipotle Glazed Pork Chops
Spicy, smoky, and slightly sweet, these easy paleo pork chops are full of flavor. A simple honey and chipotle glaze is brushed on the pork as the main seasoning.
Preparation
- Sprinkle the pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper. Season with the garlic and onion powder and let rest for 10 minutes.
- In a blender or mini food processor, blend the chipotle pepper with the adobo sauce.
- Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brush the pork chops with the chipotle sauce and sear for about 2 minutes per side. Then turn down the heat to medium-low and cover. Cook for 5-7 more minutes until the pork chops are cooked through.
- Brush with the remaining glaze and remove from heat.
Paleo Whole30 Pork Chops with Herbed Butter
These Paleo Whole30 Pork Chops with Herbed Butter make a quick weeknight meal. Tender, juicy pork chops topped with an easy butter filled with fresh herbs.
Herbed Butter Ingredients
Fresh thyme, rosemary, chives, and parsley are mixed in and the fresh flavor pairs perfectly with the juicy pork chop. The recipe does call for grass-fed butter so if you need it to be Whole30 then use ghee. That's a simple switch!
Cooking Instructions
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season the pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper. Place the pork chops in the skillet and sear on both sides until they are golden brown and cooked all the way through, about 6 minutes per side. While the pork chops are cooking, make the herbed butter. Place the butter (or ghee) in a small bowl and add in the chives, parsley, rosemary, thyme and garlic oil.
Paleo Pork Chops with Mushroom Sauce
This easy recipe is a healthy weeknight dinner! Juicy chops are coated in a creamy, garlicky sauce packed with mushrooms.
Ingredients
4 boneless, thick-cut pork chops, room temperaturefine sea salt, plus ½ teaspoon for the saucefreshly ground black pepper1 tablespoon avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil8 oz.
Cooking Instructions
Pat the pork chops dry. Trim any excess fat - you don't need or want to trim all the fat, just any large chunks or loose bits.Season both sides with salt (roughly1/4 teaspoon total) and freshly ground black pepper.Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.Add the chops so they're not touching each other. Try to have the fat side toward the middle of the pan where it's hotter. Let them cook for about 4-6 minutes per side, until they reach 145°, then remove the chops to a plate.Add the shallot, mushrooms and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes. Try to get the mushrooms in a single layer - the pan might be too crowded at first but they'll shrink as they cook. Then stir them only occasionally. You really want them to brown so you don't want them to stir too often.Meanwhile, whisk together the chicken broth and arrowroot.Once the mushrooms are browned and the shallot is soft, stir in the garlic, anchovy paste or tomato paste, thyme and rosemary.Then stir in the broth/arrowroot mixture and use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. (This will add flavor and also make the pan easier to clean.) Let the sauce simmer for 2-3minutes, until somewhat thickened.Stir in the coconut milk and vinegar.Add the chops back in the sauce, along with any juices accumulated on the plate.
Serving and Storage
Can I make Paleo Pork Chops with Mushroom Sauce ahead of time? The chops and sauce can refrigerated for up to 5 days. Reheat the chops in a low oven and the sauce over low heat on the stove.
Can I freeze Paleo Pork Chops with Mushroom Sauce? You can freeze them: wrap the chops in plastic wrap, then store the chops and sauce separately in airtight containers or baggies.Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Substitutions
- You can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead of pork chops
- A quarter yellow onion also works instead of the shallot
- You can use 1.5 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme instead of dried
- You can also 3/4 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary - use a little less than fresh thyme because fresh rosemary can be very overpowering)
- You can use tapioca starch instead of arrowroot
- Almond milk would work in place of coconut milk but the sauce won’t be as thick and might have a subtle sweetness to it
- Sherry, red wine or white wine vinegar would all be good here instead of balsamic