Caramel-Glazed Pork Chops with Roasted Carrots, Parsnips and Red Onion

These caramel-glazed pork chops turn a simple weeknight cut into a glossy, flavorful dinner. A quick pan sauce of garlic, thyme, sugar, stock concentrate and a little cayenne coats the pork with a sweet-savory finish.

On the side, carrots, parsnip and red onion roast until tender and lightly browned, making this a complete plate with minimal fuss.

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Ingredients

1 teaspoon Cayenne PepperView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

12 ounce Boneless Pork ChopsView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

6 ounce ParsnipView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 unit CarrotsView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit Red OnionView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.25 ounce ThymeView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 clove GarlicView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit Chicken Stock ConcentrateView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

unit SaltView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

unit PepperView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 teaspoon Vegetable OilView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 tablespoon SugarView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 tablespoon Olive OilView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Wash and dry the produce.
2. Peel the carrots and parsnip, then slice them on a slight diagonal into 1/4-inch rounds. Halve, peel and slice the red onion into 1/2-inch wedges.
3. Strip the thyme leaves from the stems and roughly chop the leaves. Mince or grate the garlic.
4. On a baking sheet, toss the carrots, parsnip and red onion with half the thyme, 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Roast until tender and lightly browned, 23 to 25 minutes.
5. While the vegetables roast, heat a drizzle of vegetable oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels and season all over with salt and pepper.
6. Add the pork chops to the hot pan and sear until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the pork to a plate and set aside.
7. Reduce the heat to medium and add another drizzle of vegetable oil to the same pan. Add the garlic and cook, tossing, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
8. Stir in a pinch of cayenne, adjusting to your heat preference, along with the sugar, remaining thyme, chicken stock concentrate and 1/2 cup water. Scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
9. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook until reduced by about half, 2 to 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
10. Return the pork chops to the pan and turn them in the glaze until coated. Use tongs to lift each chop briefly over the pan so excess glaze drips back into the sauce.
11. Thinly slice the pork. Divide the roasted vegetables and sliced pork between plates, then spoon any remaining glaze over the top.

Recipe Tips

FAQ

How spicy are these glazed pork chops?

The heat comes from cayenne pepper. The cooking method uses just a pinch to taste, so you can keep the glaze mild or add a little more for extra heat.

What vegetables are served with the pork?

The side is a roasted mix of carrots, parsnip and red onion seasoned with thyme, olive oil, salt and pepper.

How long do the vegetables roast?

Roast the carrots, parsnip and red onion at 400°F for 23 to 25 minutes, until tender and lightly browned.

What makes the glaze glossy and sweet-savory?

The glaze is made in the pork pan with garlic, sugar, thyme, chicken stock concentrate, water and a pinch of cayenne, then simmered until reduced.