Creamy Apricot Pork Chops are a sweet and savory dish where pan-seared pork chops are cooked in a creamy sauce until tender and served over egg noodles for a perfect weeknight meal for the family in less than 30 minutes.
Got some pork chops and looking for ways to use them? Perfect Grilled Pork Chops with Sweet BBQ Pork Rub and Classic Southern Smothered Pork Chops are two of our other favorite preparations!
Creamy Apricot Pork Chops
I fell in love with these creamy apricot pork chops not long after I fell in love with my husband. Possibly before, actually.
See, apricot pork chops is another signature recipe from my husband’s Grandma Nash. Along with her poppy seed dressing and english toffee, these creamy apricot pork chops are one of the tried and true recipes that she was known for and made over and over again.
I can’t say for sure that she made these tender pork chops the first time I met her, but it wasn’t too long into our relationship that I was introduced to this unique and tasty dish that quickly became a favorite that I would make at home.
Now every time I make apricot pork chops for my family, I am reminded of her.
While I’m not normally a fan of canned fruit, I make an exception when it comes to these apricot pork chops. Some of the syrup that the apricots come in is used to sweeten and flavor the savory sauce that is made with cream of chicken soup, a little sour cream, and some chopped green onions.
I know, people get all up in arms over cream of chicken soup as an ingredient, but it’s the way grandma made it and it makes dinner so easy, so I’m sticking with it here. Although if you want to, you can make condensed cream of chicken soup from scratch and use that instead.
The apricot halves are added right toward the end of cooking, just so the fruit can heat up a bit and become one with the rest of the dish without cooking down into mush (which is what happens when the apricot halves get added too early).
I prefer boneless thin-cut pork chops for this dish, although I will often buy a big package of the thick ones from Costco and then slice them in half. You could use bone-in pork chops if you want, but it might take a few minutes more for the pork chops to cook through.
This fruit-focused main dish is easily one of my favorite pork chop recipes ever. I know apples and pork chops are often paired together, but I love, love, love apricots with pork chops and have another glazed apricot pork chops recipe that I make too, which will eventually make it’s way to the blog.
You could serve these creamy apricot pork chops over mashed potatoes or even rice, but we always enjoy them with cooked egg noodles. The yummy sauce coats the pasta in a velvety savory-sweet deliciousness and you can get a perfect bite with a little bit of apricot, pork chop, and pasta altogether.
How to Make Skillet Pork Chops with Creamy Apricot Sauce
If you have ever wondered how to cook pork chops in a cast iron skillet, it’s as simple as can be.
- Melt a little butter in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. The butter adds flavor and helps the naturally lean pork chops brown beautifully in the pan.
- Lay the pork chops down in the melted butter and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, just until they begin to brown. There is no need to cook the pork chops all the way through at this point, which is easy to do if using thin pork chops, so once they have got some color on both sides, you are ready to make the sauce that they will finish cooking in.
- Drain any excess fat from the pan, then make the easy apricot sauce by adding the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, reserved syrup from the canned apricots, and some chopped green onions and stirring to combine. You don’t have to remove the pork chops form the pan to do this, but it might make things easier.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover, letting the pork chops simmer in the sauce until cooked through. The time will depend on how thick the pork chops are and how cooked through they were before making the sauce, but I find it’s usually about 15 minutes for me. Be sure to add the apricot halves during the last 5 minutes of cooking so they can heat up with the rest of the dish.
- Sprinkle with some extra chopped green onions for looks and serve over cooked egg noodles.
More Easy Weeknight Dinner Ideas for the Family
- Homemade Hamburger Helper Cheeseburger Pasta Skillet
- Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas
- Salisbury Steak with Onion Gravy
- Meatloaf Hamburger Patties
- Cheesy Chicken Quesadillas
- Cheesy Baked Spaghetti Casserole
- Chicken Spaghetti Casserole
- Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Creamy Apricot Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds thin cut pork chops about 6 pork chops
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions plus more for garnish
- 30 ounces apricot halves in heavy syrup
- 6 cups dried wide egg noodles cooked according to package directions
Instructions
- Drain both cans of apricots, reserving ½ cup of the syrup for the sauce. Set both the apricots and the syrup aside.
- Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Sear the pork chops in the melted butter, cooking about 2 minutes per side until nicely browned. Transfer the pork chops to a plate and pour off any fat remaining in the pan.
- Reduce the heat to medium, then stir the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, reserved apricot syrup, and green onions together in the pan. Return the pork chops to the pan, nestling them into the sauce and bring everything to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover, stirring occasionally and simmering just until the pork chops are tender, about 15-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the pork chops. Add the apricots during the last 5 minutes and stir into the sauce.
- Serve the pork chops over cooked egg noodles with the apricots and sauce spooned over the top.
This looks SO good! Love sweet and savoury combos so totally loving the addition of apricots here! Have to try this one out soon….super comforting – just what I love!
This looks incredible! I would never have thought to put apricots with pork chops, but it totally makes sense! Savory and sweet — yes, please!!! And, absolutely love that it is a family recipe ๐
Yum I love the simplicity of this recipe, great for a weeknight meal! Also, your photos are gorgeous! thanks for sharing ๐
Amy, this pork chop dinner looks scrumptious!!!! I have a deep love for cast iron skillet recipes !
Thank you! I love cast iron skillet recipes as well!
This looks really interesting. It looks like a cross between a apricot glaze i make for pork ribs and vodka sauce! Cannot wait to make this!