Ordinary pork chops turned extraordinary with a quick and easy balsamic vinegar sauce. This sauce is a secret weapon when it comes to jazzing up a midweek meal.
Pork is the perfect quick cooking protein for busy weeknight meals. Whether it’s sweet and sour pork, pork chops and apples or juicy grilled pork chops, there are so many options when it comes to turning various cuts of pork into a healthy meal for your family.
Boneless Pork Chops with Balsamic-Fig Sauce Recipe
This simplistic, tasty, somewhat-savory, somewhat-sweet dinner is for you. These boneless pork chops are by far the most effortless weeknight meal you could possibly throw together. Bonus…it’s so good (like restaurant good), you could even serve it on the weekend.
The quick cooking time coupled with this sauce keeps this dish moist and delicious. No one will believe you made this sauce from scratch. NO ONE!
Ready in twenty minutes, including prep time and no matter busy your day was, you’ve got time to make this delicious meal.
Ingredients for Boneless Pork Chops with Fig Sauce
Full recipe is at the bottom of the page.
Pantry Ingredients
- salt and pepper
- olive oil – you can use extra virgin olive oil too
- beef broth – can also use beef stock if that’s what you have available
- dried figs – you can find them next to the raisins at the market
- cornstarch
Fresh Ingredients
- boneless pork loin, thin sliced chops – readily available at the grocery store
- shallot – one large bulb
How to Make Boneless Pork Chops with Balsamic Sauce
Step one: Preheat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season both sides of your pork chops with salt and pepper.
Step two: Add olive oil and fry pork chops in batches (only do four at a time, remove and add any others you might have; this will keep the temperature of the pan from falling too low.), 2 minutes per side and remove from pan (the goal here is not to cook them all the way through, you will finish that later); keep warm. Add shallot to the pan and cook until softened, 3 minutes. Add beef broth, balsamic vinegar and figs. Bring to a boil and simmer until reduced by half, about 7 minutes. In a separate small bowl, make a slurry with cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water, until cornstarch is completely dissolved. Slowly add the cornstarch slurry to the broth mixture and whisk for 1 minute.
Step three: Add chops back to the pan and cover. Simmer 2-3 minutes or until meat is cooked through. Remove the chops from the pan and pour sauce all over. Serve immediately.
Can I Substitute the Protein?
You could use skinless, boneless chicken, but thighs will be a better choice than chicken breasts.
If you do use chicken, fillets of the thigh and breast are thin enough to be quick cooking.
Is This The Same As A Balsamic Reduction?
Technically this is a reduction since we are taking the balsamic vinegar and reducing it by half.
What makes this reduction a little different is the addition of shallots to the balsamic so it’s not exactly a classic reduction, but still a reduction.
How To Store Leftovers?
Place any leftovers in a dish tightly covered and store in the refrigerator for up to three days.
To warm up any leftovers, place them in a microwave safe dish and reheat in the microwave. I find they stay juicier when reheated this way as opposed to on the stove top.
What To Serve With These Pork Chops
- Cheesy Bread
- Salt and Vinegar Smashed Potatoes
- Lemon Couscous
- Acorn Squash Mashed Potatoes
- Roasted Potatoes with Balsamic Glazed Onions
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Boneless Pork Chops with Balsamic-Fig Sauce
Ingredients
- 1.5-2 lbs. boneless pork loin, thin sliced chops
- salt and pepper
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- 1 large shallot, finely chopped
- 2 cups beef broth or stock
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 9 dried figs, diced
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season both sides of your pork chops with salt and pepper.
- Add olive oil and fry pork chops in batches, 2 minutes per side and remove from pan; keep warm. Add shallot to the pan and cook until softened, 3 minutes. Add beef broth, balsamic vinegar and figs. Bring to a boil and simmer until reduced by half, about 7 minutes. In a separate small bowl, make a slurry with cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water, until cornstarch is completely dissolved. Slowly add the cornstarch slurry to the broth mixture and whisk for 1 minute.
- Add chops back to the pan and cover. Simmer 2-3 minutes or until meat is cooked through. Remove the chops from the pan and pour sauce all over. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
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Asthmagirl says
Lovely… Where did I leave those figs???
Here figgy, figgy!
Maureen says
This looks great. I love the combo of figs and pork. I make a simple pork tenderloin that I stuff with chopped figs, and gorgonzola. Super simple, and deliciously deceiving. Better than chicken anyday!
kate says
i love the figs standing in a line photo, and that meal looks so good, i’m wondering how i can duplicate in a meatless way. i’ll let you know what i figure out. yum. in all kinds of ways.
Kevin says
Those pork chops look so good! The fig and balsamic reduction sounds really tasty. I like the step by step photos!
Michael Mohammadi says
Wow, these look amazing! I’ve gotta tell you, I love the way you layout the recipes with step by step photo’s. Easy to follow and most of all, looks fun and delicious wanting me to try it at home!
Keep it coming 🙂
Deborah says
Yum! This was delicious!
Chronicles of a Country Girl says
Hey, I want a magical kitchen friend, too! And I’d like to prepare gourmet food and settle discrepancies among my vegetables while in my underwear.
YOU ROCK, NOBLE PIG!!!
pam says
Yay! I have everything to make this! I’ve bookmarked it, can’t wait to try it!
Maggie says
You are so awesome. You just make EVERYTHING sound interesting and fun and worthwhile. Even – *gasp* – cooking!
peabody says
These pork chops were fabulous!
amy says
Okay, honestly I don’t know about the figs. Figs scare me. But I am a sauce girl, and that sauce looks DIVINE. So I’m thinking I will definitely try this one!
Brandy says
I know I’m coming to the party late but I just wanted to add:
1) This is an amazing recipe and oh so good
2) There are no figs in the state of Louisiana – we have a strict ‘no figs allowed’ policy – so I used dates instead and it was still really good.
Thanks for the recipe!
ruthie says
I stumbled upon this yesterday and made it tonight. So tasty and easy. Can’t wait to make it again. Thanks!
Seduction Meals says
I just stumbled on this recipe and stopped dead in my tracks. Great job! This is a deliciously seductive dish.
Doug says
Hey, I love this recipe! The figs make it, and I love to cook with shallots. Tomorrow night is liftoff. Keep it coming!
Another Doug says
I’m trying this one tonight. I love figs, shallots, and balsamic vinegar. Combined they should make a great sauce.
Stefani says
Love the detailed pictures.
harmony says
food porn! *drool*!!
.. i didn’t have beef stock, but i had chicken… waiting on it now!hope its still as awesome!
Kathy says
I thought this would be a wonderful dish because I love figs, pork and balsamic – it was easy and looked good, but I thought the seeds were just too much and took something from the dish. Another dried fruit without seeds might work, I’ll have to try it.
Sarah says
I *just* got done cleaning up after making this for a dinner party with a couple of friends, and they were a HUGE hit! I’m so making them again!!
Naz says
trying something similar tonight, using chicken stock instead of beef, and dried cranberries instead of figs (all i had on hand). also dredging the pork chops ahead of time in flour. we’ll see how it turns out!
Danielle says
This looks fantastic! I can’t wait to make it!
Kathleen says
This looks super yummy! Can’t wait to try it. I make a similar dish with chicken but pork sounds much better. Thanks for sharing!
internet dating says
Hi,
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Laura L. says
What would you recommend this be served with? Both sides/wine? I’ve had this bookmarked forever and I’m finally going to try it.
Laura L. says
Where can I buy figs? I went to two different stores on a mission to make these chops and have yet to find them! Is there something else I can substitute for them if I can’t find them?
Noble Pig says
Interesting. Dried figs are in every grocery store I shop, from small Mom & Pops to big chain stores. I have tried this with other dried fruit and it’s just not the same. The figs are usually in the snack aisle next to the raisins. Good luck.
Noble Pig says
This is perfect with mashed potatoes and asparagus. As for the wine, Syrah is my choice.
KelleBelle says
This recipe sounds divine! I will be making this next week for the inevitable “what do we want for dinner?” night. And I love your commentary on each ingredient, especially that sad police line-up of the dried figs. I half-expected little prisoner numbers under each one. I’m a new fan of this blog!
Partypoodle says
This entrée is delicious. When I made it for my 89 year-old mom, I used chicken breasts. I asked her, “How do you like the figs?” She replied, “This isn’t pig, it’s clearly chicken!” I smile every time I pull the recipe out to use it.
I LOVE the photos, thanks for all you do!
Cherisse says
Made this today and it was a big hit! New to your site and enjoying it very much. Can’t wait to try more recipes.
Marni says
I wonder if fresh figs would work…I’ve never found dried figs here, but right now the market has fresh.
Kelly says
Took this recipe and ran with it in a bit of a different direction. I used 2 tablespoons of Chambord and 1 heavy tablespoon of triple berry preserves in stead of figs. Served with garlic cheese mashed potatoes. Delicious!
Renee says
yum!!! I just recently made something similar! I work for Vom Fass and we have this amazing fig-chili balsamic vinegar. I reduced the vinegar with shallots and beef broth and made a glaze for the pork chops! It was delicious… And added a little spicy kick. I also used it for a marinade for chicken and grilled it. We have just a fig balsamic too if you don’t like spicy 🙂 I was really excited to see your post! I think more folks need to use figs!! They are amazing! You should check out our vinegars… So many yummy possibilities! I love experimenting.
Peggy Finger says
Even easier using shallot infused olive oil and fig balsamic! Thanks for the idea for my next tasting. I love your site and I use your recipes often.
Lynn says
I have not tried this yet but your writing cracked me up! Thanks for the smile!! 🙂
Angela says
Your instructions are hilarious. Usually I scroll through recipe posts with a silent hatred for the person telling me about the young waiter in Greece blah blah…. Way to go and I will be making this.
Sara Coleman says
Holy smokes we loved the flavors in these pork chops! We made them with mashed cauliflower!
wilhelmina says
I was so excited when I saw this recipe and realized I had leftover figs from holiday baking still in my pantry! This is amazing!!! I served it over chicken, as I was out of pork, and it was incredible!
Katie says
This recipe is AMAZING! I love the way to cook these so the pork is super moist.
Toni says
This is so good!! That sauce is a really a must-make!