Slow-Cooker Pork Chops with Apricot Barbecue Sauce

Barbecue pork chops are a delicious hit wherever you cook them—on the grill, in the oven, or in a slow cooker, as in this recipe. And there’s really something special about the juicy tenderness of slow-cooked pork—it’s just hard to beat.

Apricot preserves melt into sweet, fruity goodness in the slow cooker. A little chile pepper and garlic, orange juice and cider vinegar bring a balance of flavors—and create one yummy barbecue sauce for fall-off-the-bone pork chops.

Note: The sauce will become very thin in the slow cooker, but 10 minutes in a skillet on the stovetop renders a thick, luscious sauce to serve with the chops.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 jalapeno chile, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup apricot preserves
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp chile powder
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 4 bone-in pork loin chops, about 3/4-inch thick

Barbecue Sauce Ingredients

Pork Loin Chops

Preparation

1. Heat a saucepan over medium heat and add the oil. Add the garlic, jalapeno, and onion and sauté 3 minutes. Add the apricot preserves and next 6 ingredients (through chile powder) and season with salt and pepper.
2. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand 10 minutes.

Garlic Mixture Beginning to Cook

Sauce Beginning to Cook 

Apricot Barbecue Sauce

1. Season the chops with salt and pepper and place in a slow cooker. Pour the sauce on top and cook on low until the meat is very tender, 8 hours.
2. Transfer 1 cup of the slow-cooker sauce to a small skillet. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced and slightly thickened, 10 minutes.

Seasoned Chops 

Chops in the Slow Cooker

Sauce Added

Slow-Cooked Pork Chops 

Transfer Sauce to a Skillet 

Thickened Barbecue Sauce

Plate the chops and serve with the thickened sauce spooned on top.

Slow-Cooker Pork Chops with Apricot Barbecue Sauce