Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: This recipe for sheet pan pork chops delivers juicy pork, tender sweet potatoes, and caramelized apples—all roasted together for a deliciously easy meal with minimal cleanup!
How long it takes: 1 hour
Equipment you’ll need: sheet pan
Servings: 4
Pin this now to find it later
Pin ItI think the struggle so many of us have with dinner is finding meals that save time without sacrificing flavor or nutrition—otherwise, we’d all just be tearing open a box of Rice-a-Roni for dinner every night and calling it a day.
For me, these sheet pan pork chops with apples and sweet potatoes are exactly what I’m looking for. Like my sheet pan chicken thighs and ham steak sheet pan dinner, I can toss everything onto one pan just a few minutes after walking in the door, pop it in the oven, and let it roast while I tackle homework duty or catch up on emails.
What really seals the deal for me is how delicious and family-friendly it is, even for picky eaters. The pork chops come out juicy and flavorful, while the apples and sweet potatoes bring a natural sweetness and aroma that makes the whole kitchen smell like fall!
Sheet Pan Pork Chop Dinner
The ease of a sheet pan dinner. Sheet pan dinner recipes are reader favorites around here because they’re quick, easy, and they have everything you need for a full meal. It’s a full meal—protein and sides—all in one, so you don’t have to stress about planning side dishes on top of everything else.
Minimal cleanup too. Just one pan to wash means you won’t be stuck scrubbing pots an hour after dinner!
Comforting and wholesome. This is a warm, home-cooked meal that feels special and makes you want to sit down with your family and enjoy a nice dinner together, even on the busiest weeknights.
Seasonal ingredients. Apples and sweet potatoes are in peak season during the fall, which means you’ll be able to get the best of the best. No mealy, bland apples here!
Ingredient Notes
- Pork chops: Look for pork chops that are about one inch thick, either bone-in or boneless. Bone-in pork chops are more flavorful, but boneless are easier for kids. If the pork chops are thin-cut, or very thick, it will affect the baking time. While testing this recipe, we found that chops that are one inch thick get perfectly done in the same amount of time that the sweet potatoes and apples need.
- BBQ rub: The pork chops are rubbed with a bit of olive oil, and then a seasoning mixture of brown sugar, chili powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, crushed dried rosemary, salt and black pepper. The oil helps the seasonings stick; the brown sugar BBQ rub yields a nice caramelization on the outside of the pork chops.
- Sweet potatoes: I recommend peeling the sweet potatoes, especially if you’ve got picky eaters, but if the potatoes are smooth and unblemished, simply scrub them well. Cut the sweet potatoes into even pieces so they all finish cooking at the same time.
- Apples: Honeycrisp, Fuji, or another sweet-tart variety that holds its shape when baked is best. Softer apples like MacIntosh will get mushy when roasted.
- Red onion: The flavor of the onion will mellow and get sweeter when roasted.
- Olive oil: A couple tablespoons of oil are essential for a good sheet pan dinner.
- Thyme: I use dried thyme for convenience but if you happen to have fresh thyme in your garden or sitting in your fridge, you can use that instead. Fresh sage would work well, too.
- Rosemary: Another woody herb that adds a fragrant, earthy touch, rosemary is a little more potent than thyme, so you won’t need to add as much.
- Salt and black pepper: I use kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
How to Make Sheet Pan Pork Chops
Prepare. Start preheating your oven to 400ºF. It’s important to start with a preheated oven when you’re making a sheet pan dinner so the food cooks evenly. Either line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or grease the pan directly with oil or nonstick spray.
Season the vegetables and apples. Toss the sweet potatoes, onion, and apples with the olive oil, herbs, and seasonings, either right on the sheet pan or in a large bowl. Make sure everything is evenly coated. You don’t have to break up the onion layers, but if they do break apart, that’s fine. (I like how the thicker pieces get tender and the smaller pieces get crisp when roasted.)
Roast. Arrange the mixture on the sheet pan, evenly spread out. Place the pan in the oven and bake the veggies for 20 minutes.
Season the pork chops. Meanwhile, mix the seasonings for the pork together in a small bowl. Pat the pork chops dry with clean paper towels. Drizzle the chops with oil and then rub them with the seasoning mixture.
Add the pork chops. Place the seasoned pork chops on the sheet pan, moving the vegetables around to make room, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes more, or until the pork chops reach 145ºF and the sweet potatoes are tender.
Serve. Let the pork chops rest for 5 minutes so the juices can reincorporate and then divide the pork, vegetables, and apples onto plates.
Easy Recipe Variations
- Add spicy heat. For a little kick, add cayenne to the spice rub for the pork chops. If someone in your family doesn’t like spicy food, season a couple of the pork chops without the cayenne, then add cayenne to the bowl and season the rest. (Just try to remember which ones are which!)
- Switch up the veggies. Cubed butternut squash makes a great substitute for sweet potatoes. Thickly sliced carrots, Brussels sprouts, or other fall veggies would work well too—so many fall vegetables naturally pair well with apples!
- Give it a drizzle. Honey or maple syrup would add sweetness, a splash of apple cider vinegar gives this dish a hit of acidity, or try a syrupy balsamic reduction. Go bold with a drizzle of hot honey (like this hot honey chicken sheet pan dinner).
- Top it. Toasted walnuts, pecans, or pepitas are an excellent finishing touch to add a little crunch to the roasted veggie mixture, or add freshly shredded Parmesan or cheddar cheese.
Serving Suggestions
Rice/Grains. Although you don’t need any sides to make these sheet pan pork chops with apples and sweet potatoes a complete meal, you can stretch it a little further by serving it with Instant Pot brown rice. Earthy farro would work really well with the fall flavors in this dish, too.
Salad. This kale and pear salad is also full of fall flavor; it’s one of my favorites!
Bread. Don’t save it for St. Patrick’s Day! Irish soda bread is an easy recipe to whip up and the subtle sweetness would be a great complement to this meal. Beer bread is another easy bread recipe that would go well.
Refrigerate: Store any leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend freezing this recipe; while it’s safe to freeze leftovers, the texture of the apples and sweet potatoes when frozen, thawed, and reheated won’t be ideal.
Reheat: Reheat individual portions of leftovers in the microwave until warm or place leftovers on a sheet pan, cover with foil, and bake at 350°F until heated through. Covering the pan keeps the pork chops from getting dry. I usually chop the pork chops into smaller-sized pieces so the pork reheats more quickly and evenly.
More One Pan Dinner Recipes
Sheet Pan Pork Chops with Apples and Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
For the Pork Chops:
- 4 bone-in or boneless pork chops, 1-inch thick (about 1 ½ pounds total)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
BBQ Rub:
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon crushed dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
For the Vegetables:
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks about ¾-inch in size (10 to 12 ounces each)
- 2 apples, cored and cut into chunks about ¾-inch in size (Honeycrisp or Fuji are good choices)
- ½ large red onion, cut into chunks about ¾-inch in size
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh)
- ½ teaspoon crushed dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
- In a large bowl, toss the sweet potatoes, apple, and onion with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, thyme, ½ teaspoon rosemary, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper until well coated.½ teaspoon kosher salt, 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks about ¾-inch in size, 2 apples, cored and cut into chunks about ¾-inch in size, ½ large red onion, cut into chunks about ¾-inch in size, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon crushed dried rosemary, ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- Spread the sweet potatoes, apples, and onions evenly on the prepared sheet pan. Place in preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, smoked paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, rosemary, salt, and pepper to make BBQ rub.1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon crushed dried rosemary, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then rub the BBQ spice mixture evenly over both sides of the pork chops. Set aside until vegetables have baked for 20 minutes.4 bone-in or boneless pork chops, 1-inch thick, 1 tablespoon olive oil
- After 20 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and carefully add the pork chops, arranging the vegetables to make room. Return the pan to the oven and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the pork chops reach an internal temperature of 145°F and the sweet potatoes are tender.
- Remove the sheet pan from the oven and let the pork chops rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Pork chops: Try to buy pork chops that are as close to 1 inch thick as possible. Thinner or thicker chops will require an adjustment in cooking time. If you find that the chops reach an internal temperature of 145°F before the vegetables are tender, simply remove them from the pan and cover with foil until the vegetables are done. It’s better to slightly undercook the pork rather than overcook it; the temperature will rise slightly during the resting time.
- Variations: Make the pork chops spicier by adding ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper to the spice rub. Substitute cubed butternut squash instead of sweet potatoes for a fall twist. Add a splash of apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar or balsamic reduction, or a drizzle of honey before serving for extra flavor. Try hot honey!
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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