These paleo and Whole30 compliant balsamic pork chops are perfect with a side of roasted sweet potatoes, apples and onions. Easy to make, great for weeknights and family approved!
My love for balsamic continues with these balsamic glazed pork chops! Honestly, I’m typically not all that keen on pork chops, so when I make them they have to be pretty special.
And, well, this one made the cut! The sweet/savory flavors in the pork chops and glaze pair so well with easy roasted sweet potatoes, apples and onions.
BAM! Here we have it – an easy paleo dinner with tons of flavor and almost no work. My kind of dinner, because I always find myself with almost no time or energy to cook on most weekdays!
There’s something about pork chops that call for a little sweetness, in my opinion.
My bacon wrapped pork tenderloin and teriyaki pork tenderloin both have some (Whole30 friendly) sweetness in the sauce, thanks to dates, and my pork chops with apples get lots of sweetness from the apples themselves and warm spices.
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. The Italian seasoning lends a nice savory edge to all the sweetness from the balsamic.
For the balsamic, if you’re looking for one that’s Whole30 compliant, there are many to choose from – HOWEVER – all balsamic will say on the label “contains sulfites” or “naturally occurring sulfites”.
You might think that this means they’re no-go, BUT it’s fine to use them if you’re on Whole30 as long as there are no sulfites listed on the actual ingredient list (or added sugar, of course.) I typically use an organic balsamic like this one, but you can use any as long as the ingredient list is Whole30 compliant.
Speaking of Whole30, you’ll see on the ingredient list that using honey is an option in the balsamic glaze, but this is only if you’re not currently doing the Whole30.
Honey does add a nice sweet flavor to the balsamic reduction, but, it’s not necessary. To keep the recipe Whole30 compliant, you can sub the honey with date paste, OR leave it out entirely.
While the pork chops cook on the stovetop, you’ll be roasting the sweet potatoes, apples and onions in the oven. Since apples get mushy when they’re in the oven for too long, they only go in for the last 10-15 minutes of roasting time.
I used a honeycrisp apple (everyone’s fave!) and they came out perfectly fork tender and sweet – just the way I love them. A little bit of rosemary rounded out the flavors of the whole dish and makes everything smell that much more delicious!
I hope you’re ready for juicy pork chops packed with flavor! Get your oven preheated and your skillet hot – let’s go!
Balsamic Pork Chops with Sweet Potatoes and Apples {Paleo, Whole30}
Balsamic Pork Chops with Sweet Potatoes and Apples {Paleo, Whole30}
These paleo and Whole30 compliant balsamic pork chops are perfect with a side of roasted sweet potatoes, apples and onions. Easy to make, great for weeknights and family approved!
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in pork chops
- Salt and pepper
- Primal Palate Amore seasoning or any Italian seasoning blend
- 2 Tbsp ghee
- 2/3 cup balsamic vinegar Whole30 compliant
- 1 Tbsp raw honey omit for Whole30 - or use 1 Tbsp date paste
- Fresh rosemary if desired
- 1 med sweet potato cut into 3/4” pieces
- 1 1/2 Tbsp melted coconut oil for roasting
- Salt and pepper
- 1 large honeycrisp apple cut into 1” pieces
- 1 small red onion sliced
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 450 degrees and heat a large heavy skillet over med-hi heat, add the ghee to melt.
Pork Chops:
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Sprinkle pork chops with salt and pepper and Primal Palate Amore seasoning on both sides.
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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. (They should be nearly cooked through at this point, adjust timing for thickness)
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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. Raise heat to med and cook for 5 mins, until mixture is reduced and beginning to turn syrupy.
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Return pork chops to skillet and cook another 2-3 mins, flipping once to coat them in balsamic. Sprinkle with rosemary if using. Serve with sweet potato apple mixture, drizzling extra glaze over the top.
Sweet Potato/Apple Mix:
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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. Roast for 25 mins, then stir/flip and add the apples and onions.
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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. Enjoy!
What I Used to Make My Balsamic Pork Chops with Sweet Potatoes and Apples:
Want More Whole30 and Paleo Dinner Recipes? Try One of These!
Crispy Chicken with Creamy Mushroom Sauce
One-Skillet Pork Chops with Apples
Swedish Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes
Chicken Stir Fry with Veggies and Garlic Sauce
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I love your blog!! Thank you as I am trying different recipes. I tried whole30 and loved it. I kept 7/8 lbs off. But paleo seems A little Less strict n I want to enjoy life. Thank you again!
Reema
So happy you’re enjoying the blog!
Made this for dinner tonight and it was a huge hit! We’ll be making this again soon.
Sounds great, glad you enjoyed!
This is brilliant I`m host of garden party this weekend and this will fit perfect in my menu. This is the best food blog!
Loved this so much!
Oh, delicious ribs, I like to eat ribs
Delightfully tasty recipe! Had sweet potatoes on hand frozen and chopped from prior recipe. Took a little longer in oven to toast. This recipe is delicious. Thank you for sharing this gem! Readers: you won’t be disappointed.
Delicious recipe! Changed it a bit, I didn’t have all ingredients on hand but still turned out great!! Hubby absolutely loved it, have made it part of my meal rotations. Thank you for sharing! I will make a double portion of the roasted vegetables, we couldn’t get enough! 🙂
This is very good. My only concern was that I should have stirred the sweet potatoes before 1/2 way through the first cooking time, then only cooked for 20 minutes before adding the apples and onions. Several of my potatoes were burned. The flavor is delicious, though!
You are AMAZING! Thank you thank you thank you so much for this. I was considering doing the same thing and you’ve just made the task a lot less daunting.
My fam loved the crispy-ness of the pork chops and the flavor is perfect for fall. They loved the apples and sweet potatoes!
Thanks for keeping my kitchen delivering goodness.
I made this tonight almost exactly as the new directions say. I had baked chicken left over from Sunday dinner so I used cooked chicken instead of raw. I just added the chicken and the rice a little later. It was not too thick at all. In fact just perfect. I love soup. Will be a family favorite.
Great, a very freshly prepared dish, surely they will have lots of vitamins. Thank you for sharing the article very well
The balsamic pork chops were absolutely delicious.
The next time I make it, I will only set my oven to 425. We chose to make sweet potato disks.
Great flavor combination.
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