If you are looking for an effortless, unique, and incredibly juicy dinner, these Slow Cooker Cranberry Onion Pork Chops are a total game-changer. This recipe features thick-cut boneless pork chops slow-cooked to tender, pull-apart perfection in a rich, glossy purple glaze.
By combining sweet jellied cranberry sauce with savory, rustic French onion soup mix, you create a luxurious sweet-and-savory gravy right out of your Crock-Pot. It requires under 10 minutes of prep work, making it the perfect hands-off meal for busy weeknights!
Prep time, Cook time, & Servings
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 to 5 hours (on Low) or 2 to 3 hours (on High)
- Total Time: 5 hours 10 minutes
- Servings: 5 hearty servings
Ingredients
The Main Ingredients:
- Pork Chops: 5 thick-cut boneless pork chops (about 1.5 to 2 lbs total)
- Cranberry Sauce: 1 can (14 oz) jellied cranberry sauce (whole round jellied style)
- Onion Soup Mix: 1 packet (1 oz) dry French onion soup mix blend
The Seasoning Dust:
- Garlic Powder: 1/2 tsp
- Salt & Freshly Cracked Black Pepper: To taste
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Prepare the Slow Cooker
- Grease: Spray the bottom and inside walls of your 6-quart slow cooker liner heavily with non-stick cooking spray to keep the sweet sugars in the sauce from sticking to the sides.
2. Season and Layer the Meat
- Arrange: Place the 5 thick raw boneless pork chops flat across the bottom of the prepared pot, slightly overlapping if necessary to fit them into a single uniform layer.
- Season: Dust the top of the meat chops evenly with the garlic powder, salt, and plenty of freshly cracked black pepper.
3. Add the Onion Soup Shower
- Layer: Open your packet of dry French onion soup mix and sprinkle the entire contents uniformly across the top of the seasoned meat, ensuring the textured dehydrated onion flakes settle nicely into all the crevices.
4. Position the Cranberry Core
- Unmold: Open your can of jellied cranberry sauce. Carefully tilt and unmold the solid, gelatinous ribbed cranberry log straight out of the can, dropping it smoothly right into the center peak on top of the meat and onion bed. Do not stir or smash the cranberry log! Leaving it whole in the center allows it to slowly melt outward under heat, self-basting the pork chops uniformly as it liquidizes.
5. Slow Cook to Fork-Tender Perfection
- Cover tightly with the lid.
- Cook: Cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours (or on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours). The meat is fully ready when a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest chop reads an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C) and the meat fibers pull apart effortlessly with a fork.
- Note: Cooking on LOW is highly recommended to yield that ultra-tender, melt-in-your-mouth pork texture without drying out the lean meat grains.
6. Whisk the Glaze and Serve
- Whisk: Remove the lid. The cranberry ring and onion powder will have completely melted and merged into the meat fats. Use a whisk or a heavy spoon to gently stir the liquid juices at the bottom of the pot for 30 seconds until it turns into a cohesive, glossy dark reddish-purple glaze.
- Present: Scoop the tender pork chops onto warm serving plates. Ladle a generous mound of the thick, savory cranberry onion gravy straight over the top. Serve hot!
Chef’s Tips for Success
- Choose Thick Cuts: Always opt for thick-cut pork chops (about 1 inch thick) rather than thin-sliced ones. Lean pork chops can dry out easily under prolonged heat, but thick-cut pieces retain their structural moisture beautifully over a long 5-hour slow-cook cycle.
- No Added Water Needed: It might look like there isn’t enough liquid at the beginning because you are only adding a dry powder and a solid jelly ring, but do not add water or broth! As the pork chops slow-cook, they naturally release an immense amount of savory meat juices that combine perfectly with the melting cranberry jelly to form a thick gravy. Adding water will dilute the sauce and make it runny.
- The Perfect Sides: This rich purple glaze cries out for a dipping vehicle. It pairs absolutely beautifully over a heavy bed of fluffy garlic mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or a side of roasted Brussels sprouts!