Pineapple Pork Chops with Easy Glaze - Gluten Free

Pineapple Pork Chops with Easy Glaze is the perfect summer-time meal. (Heck, or for any time of the year really.)

Delicious in-season produce, inexpensive (yet incredibly tasty and tender) pork chops, and quick/easy cooking and clean-up time. This is a meal we eat time and time again during the summer at my house, and I hope you will, too!

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Why are Pineapple Pork Chops so good?

The flavors in this dish are so well-balanced that it's one of those dishes I can't think of anything else I'd want to add to it. (That's rare for me!)

• Sweet: Brown sugar, fresh (or canned) pineapple chunks, and pineapple juice help make this dish have a touch of sweet.
• Tangy: Soy sauce, red onion, and a dash of red pepper flakes give this dish a tangy, bold element that helps balance out the sweetness. Hint: The red pepper flakes are such a small amount that it does not add any heat to this dish. You may add a few dashes more if you like to kick things up a notch.
• Savory: Bell peppers, soy sauce, and chicken broth add a savory component to this dish, balancing out both the sweet and the tangy. Hint: For more savory, serve over white jasmine rice.

Be sure to use gluten-free soy sauce or tamari if making gluten-free. I use the brand San-J Tamari because it's gluten and corn free from Thrive Market (Get 40% off your first order + sometimes a gift) for half of what it costs at my local grocery store.

How to Cook:

If you have an oven-safe large frying pan, cast iron skillet, or grill pan you'll want to use it (I use a grill pan on my stove top). You'll want something large and somewhat flat so you can fit all of the ingredients at once.

At this time, I don't recommend using a cookie sheet for this recipe as I have not tested it myself. The goal is to get a good sear on the pork chops and I have doubts a cookie sheet would do the trick. However, if you try it please let me know!

Besides a flat pan, all you will need is a saucepan to cook the sauce in. Note: If serving with rice, you will need to cook that as well.

Prep:

• Rinse and chop produce into large 1" chunks (red onion, bell peppers, and pineapple). Start your white rice, if making.

For the Pineapple Glaze:

• Mix ingredients for the Easy Pineapple Glaze (pineapple juice, chicken broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, organic cornstarch and red pepper flakes). Set aside covered, until ready to be used.
• Meanwhile, pour the Easy Pineapple Glaze mixture into a saucepan over medium-high heat until brought to a low boil. Then, turn down the heat to low and simmer for 2-3 minutes until thickened, stirring frequently.

For the Pork Chops:

• Heat an oven-safe grill pan, large frying pan, or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat along with 1 tablespoon oil. Add vegetable/pineapple mixture to skillet. Allow to cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring every so often, until seared and just about fork-tender. Scoop the vegetable/pineapple mixture out of the grill pan and set aside in a covered bowl.
• Season pork chops with salt and pepper and place spaced out in the pan along with a pat of butter. Once the first side is seared and golden brown, flip and sear the other side. Add vegetable/pineapple mixture back to the pan, around the pork chops, and heat through.

• Pour thickened glaze over top of the pork chops and vegetable/pineapple mixture. Place the pan in the oven and Broil on Low for 3-5 minutes until the glaze is a little sticky and the pork chops have an internal temperature of at least 145 F. Serve over cooked white rice.

Notes on Pineapple Pork Chops:

• Both bone-in and boneless pork chops will work with this recipe. I used boneless because they were on sale, but I tend to alternate between the two.
• You want the vegetables to be tender but still have some crunch. Poke with a fork to test doneness.
• Since the glaze contains soy sauce, don't add any other salt (other than seasoning the pork chops) until you've tasted it.
• Switch it up! You can also make this recipe with proteins like chicken or salmon (although a pork chop night is kind of my favorite these days).
• Sub fresh pineapple for 1-2 cans pineapple chunks for easier clean-up and faster prep. Tip: Only use canned pineapple in 100% pineapple juice, not the sugar-added syrup kind.
• Want to add another fun element to this dish? Make coconut rice by cooking your white rice in a can of full-fat coconut milk instead of water. It. Pairs. So. Well. With. This. Dish. (You can see my coconut rice in the photo below).