Pork Chops With Fresh Peaches and Basil Recipe (2024)

Pork Mains
Stovetop Pork
Peach
Pork Chop

Pan-seared pork chops served with spinach and a rich, sweet peach sauce.

Yasmin Fahr

Yasmin Fahr is a food writer, recipe developer and author of the cookbook Keeping it Simple. She has a penchant for cheesy phrases, lemons, fresh herbs, feta and cumin.

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Updated November 03, 2022

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Why It Works

Choosing peaches that are just shy of ripe ensures they retain their shape when warmed in the pan drippings.
Setting the chops over a bed of spinach and then adding the pan sauce lightly wilts and dresses the leaves.
Seasoning the pan sauce with the zest and juice of a lemon tempers the sweetness of the peaches.

I'm in love with this dish—granted more so with the peaches than anything else, but that might be because I've loved soft, sweet peaches since I was a kid. I think it was the Del Monte brand of canned peaches in syrup that I would always crack open, pour into a bowl, and eat plain, or top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream as a "snack." Now, I've decided to make a similar version for serving over pork chops. Made with fresh summer peaches, this fruit-studded pan sauce lacks the excess sugar and preservatives of the canned peach pairings of my youth, and tastes even better, to boot.

"The hot pan drippings are perfect for warming the peaches and pouring over the chops as a finishing touch, infusing them with flavor and lightly wilting the raw spinach served beneath."

I'm not going to say that I actuallylickedthe plate because my mother would severely disapprove and I'm clearly a grown-up now and wouldn't dare do such things...but I'm also not going to deny it, either. The hot pan drippings are perfect for warming the peaches and pouring over the chops as a finishing touch, infusing them with flavor and lightly wilting the raw spinach served beneath.

I made it with three peaches—more than enough to give each chop its fair share—but they're so delicious that I would definitely make more next time, though you may have to adjust the seasoning accordingly. I like fruit skins; if you're not a fan, wait to remove them after the cooking process, when they'll slip right off.

When buying peaches for this recipe (or for any grilling project), look for ones that are on the firm side, with a slight give. Too ripe and the fruit will completely fall apart over the heat; hard as a baseball and it won't have that requisite sweetness. The same goes for other summer stone fruits like apricots, nectarines, or plums, any of which would be a great alternative in this recipe (or try using a combination). You can always use the leftover fruits for breakfast, served with some Greek yogurt and honey, as a mid-day fruit salad snack, or in a fruit salsa for the next evening's dinner.

I found that the bed of spinach rounded out the meal to make it nutritionally balanced enough for a complete one-pot dinner, but if you want a little something else, then a side of vegetables like sautéed summer squash, eggplant, or some corn could round out the meal. Or, if you want to avoid the possibility of any plate-licking action happening at your dinner table, a piece of bread to sop up the liquid on the plate might be a good idea.

August 2013

Recipe Details

Pork Chops With Fresh Peaches and Basil Recipe

Active20 mins

Total20 mins

Serves2 servings

Ingredients

2 bone-in rib or center-cut chops (4 to 6 ounces each)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 peaches, pits removed, cut into 1/4-inch slices (see notes)
2 teaspoons zest and2 tablespoons fresh juice from 1 lemon
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of driedred chile flakes
2 cups freshraw baby spinach
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cupfresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

Directions

Season pork chops generously with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over high heat until lightly smoking. Add pork chops and cook until first side is nicely browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Flip and continue to cook until the internal temperature registers 145°F (63°C) on an instant-read thermometer, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil. Do not wipe out skillet.
Lower heat to medium-low and add peaches, lemon zest, sugar, salt, and dried chile flakes. Stir gently until peaches begin to soften but retain their shape, 2 to 3 minutes.
Divide spinach between 2 plates and put pork chops on top. Pour any juices from plate back into skillet and add butter and lemon juice. Cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan and swirling pan until butter is melted and incorporated into the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in half of basil. Divide peaches between 2 plates and then pour pan juices on top and sprinkle with remaining basil. Serve immediately.

Special Equipment

12-inch skillet, instant-read thermometer

Notes

When buying peaches for this recipe and for grilling, you want to make sure that they aren't overly ripe as they will completely fall apart during the cooking process. You don't want ones that feel like baseballs either, as they will not be sweet enough. Instead, feel for ones that give slightly when squeezed.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
527	Calories
33g	Fat
29g	Carbs
32g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories	527
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 33g	42%
Saturated Fat 10g	48%
Cholesterol 110mg	37%
Sodium 868mg	38%
Total Carbohydrate 29g	10%
Dietary Fiber 5g	17%
Total Sugars 24g
Protein 32g
Vitamin C 29mg	146%
Calcium 81mg	6%
Iron 3mg	14%
Potassium 1076mg	23%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)