Oh for the love of pork chops, especially these Instant Pot Pork Chops that consistently turn out moist and tender. The sweet and tangy sauce adds a flavor twist that will make this dish one of your new favorites.
Like so many Instant Pot recipes, the cooking time is so fast and the cooking steps are easy. Get ready to dive into the perfect recipe for the best pork chops.
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Don't you just love a nice, thick, juicy pork chop that is teeming with flavor? The trick when cooking pork chops is to make sure they don't dry out. Pork is a delicious lean meat. But that leanness means you need to be careful how you cook them so they don't turn out like leather.
My family absolutely loves this pork chop recipe and I especially love this one because it is an easy recipe that makes a delicious meal. Hands down it is one of my favorite Instant Pot Pork Chop recipes along with this thick cut pork chops recipe.
Fortunately, the Instant Pot is perfect for cooking meats to perfection and retaining all those wonderful juices. It can make less expensive cuts of meat more tender. Additionally, you can sear the chops as in this recipe using the saute mode to get that wonderfully brown exterior.
What Makes This a Great Recipe
Perfect Results. Super moist and tender pork chops are achieved, unlike many other cooking methods. If you are an amazing cook or chef, you can cook perfect pork chops, but pressure cooker pork chops give the home cook an edge in serving amazing pork chops.
Balanced Flavors. The sweetness of the figs and honey, the balsamic vinegar, and the pungent rosemary come together in a delicious buttery sauce. This sauce is an outstanding complement to the rich pork chops.
Cooking Time. You can have these pork chops done in under 30 minutes. The Instant Pot does take a few minutes to pressurize so it can take a bit longer than the 19 minutes listed in the recipe card.
Easy. A handful of ingredients that can be found in your grocery store or pantry, short preparation and cooking time, easy cleanup and delicious results might make this easy Instant Pot pork chop recipe one of your go-to recipes.
Ingredients
Pork Selection. You will need boneless pork chops. You can use bone-in chops if the bone isn't too large and the chops will fit in the inner pot nicely. You have the option of not choosing the most expensive pork chops available. While I would recommend a quality pork chop, the pressure cooking process makes pork chops that are moist and full of flavor.
5 Ingredients. Pork chops, balsamic vinegar, dried figs, rosemary, and honey are the main ingredients in this pork chop recipe. I haven't included in the number of ingredients the salt, pepper, broth, and cooking oils which are standard pantry ingredients. If you want to count them, then 10 ingredients are the magic number for these Instant Pot pork chops.
Steps for Juicy Pork Chops
- Season the pork chops with kosher salt and black pepper.
- Set your Instant Pot to the sauté function. Wait until the display says hot and then add the olive oil and heat until shimmering. Working in batches, add the pork chops and cook, turning once, for 2 minutes per side or until browned on both sides. Transfer the pork chops to a plate as they are browned.
- Stir the chicken broth into the pot and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Place pork chops in the bottom of the pot and pour in the juices that accumulated on the plate.
- Close and lock the lid and turn the steam release handle to the sealing position. Set your Instant Pot to manual High pressure for 3 minutes.
- When the cooking time is done, press Cancel and do a quick pressure release. When the pressure is released, remove the lid. Test the pork chops with an instant-read thermometer. The chops should register 145°F and the pork should be no longer pink but still juicy. (If more cooking time is needed, continue pressure cooking on High for 1 minute, do a quick release and test the temperature again.) Using tongs, transfer the chops to a platter and tent with foil.
- To make the sauce, set your Instant Pot to sauté. Add vinegar and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until the liquid is reduced by half. Stir in figs, rosemary, and honey; cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes or until sauce is reduced by half. Stir in butter until melted. Return pork chops and any juices to the pot and turn to coat in sauce.
- Transfer chops to a serving platter and spoon sauce over top. Serve immediately.
Cook's Tips
- When searing the pork chops, do not crowd the chops in the inner pot. Sauté the chops in stages if necessary to give them a nice sear.
- Use a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits in the bottom of the pot to prevent a burn notice on your Instant Pot.
- If you don't have chicken broth, you can use chicken stock, bouillon cubes with one cup of water, white wine, or plain water. For more substitutes for chicken broth, see the tips in the recipe card.
Using Frozen Pork Chops
Yes, you can make Instant Pot Frozen Pork Chops. Unlike using a slow cooker, it is safe to pressure cook frozen pork chops. I prefer to defrost my pork chops overnight in the refrigerator before cooking. However, if you haven't defrosted the pork chops and are in a hurry, you can still make this easy Instant Pot pork chops recipe using frozen pork chops with the following changes:
- Omit searing the pork chops since you won't be able to get a good sear with frozen chops.
- Place the chops into the pot with the chicken broth.
- Increase the pressure cooking time to 5 minutes. When the cooking time is done, let the pot stand for 5 more minutes for a natural pressure release and then release the remaining pressure.
Side Dishes
Many delicious side dishes can be ready in the time it takes to pressure cook the pork chops.
These Instant Pot pork chops are served with a simple side salad and a drizzle of vinaigrette. If you want more ideas for what to serve with pork chops, then check out Sautéed Broccoli with Garlic or Sautéed Green Beans for some easy side dishes that go great with pork chops.
Storage and Safe Handling
- Fresh raw pork chops can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days or frozen safely for 4 to 6 months.
- Cooked pork chops can be refrigerated for 3 to 4 days or frozen for 2 to 3 months.
If you are looking to get the best results using your Instant Pot, check out my post on How To Use The Instant Pot.
📋 Recipe
Instant Pot Pork Chops With Balsamic Fig Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 boneless pork loin chops about 1-inch thick
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil (approx.)
- 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth (see tip)
- 3 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup finely chopped dried figs
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1-½ tablespoon liquid honey
- 2 tablespoon butter, quartered
Instructions
- Season pork with salt and pepper. Set your Instant Pot to sauté on More. When the display says Hot, add 1 tablespoon oil and heat until shimmering. Working in batches, add chops and cook, turning once, for 2 minutes per side or until browned on both sides, adding more oil as needed between batches. Using tongs, transfer chops to a plate as they are browned.
- Stir broth into the pot and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Return chops and any accumulated juices to the pot. Press Cancel.
- Close and lock the lid and turn the steam release handle to Sealing. Set your Instant Pot to pressure cook on High for 3 minutes.
- When the cooking time is done, press Cancel and turn the steam release handle to Venting. When the float valve drops down, remove the lid. An instant-read thermometer inserted horizontally into the thickest part of a chop should register 145°F (63°C) and the pork should be no longer pink but still juicy. (If more cooking time is needed, continue pressure cooking on High for 1 minute.) Using tongs, transfer chops to a platter and tent with foil.
- Set your Instant Pot to sauté on Normal. Add vinegar and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Stir in figs, rosemary and honey; cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes or until sauce is reduced by half. Stir in butter until melted. Return chops and any accumulated juices to the pot and turn to coat in sauce.
- Transfer chops to a serving platter and spoon sauce over top. Serve immediately.
Cooks Tips
- You can use a Low-Sodium Instant Pot Chicken Stock in place of the store-brought chicken broth.
- The pork chops may not be as pink in the middle as you are used to when cooking to medium-rare using a dry cooking method, but they will still be very juicy and tender.
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