Ingredients

For the honey bbq sauce:

3 Tablespoons ketchup

3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 Tablespoons honey

1 Tablespoon molasses (can sub more honey or brown sugar; see notes)

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce (please note that this is teaspoons, not tablespoons!)

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

For the pork chops:

2 Tablespoons olive oil

4 boneless pork chops (about 1 inch thick)

salt and pepper, to taste

thinly sliced green onions (optional, for garnish!)

Instructions

To make the honey bbq sauce, mix the ketchup, vinegar, honey, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, and garlic powder in a bowl. (You can do this ahead of time and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to cook the pork chops.)
To cook the pork chops, pat them dry with paper towels and sprinkle them on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat 2 Tablespoons oil in a large (12″) skillet over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers and smokes a bit.
Carefully add the pork chops to the skillet and let them brown (3-4 minutes). Don’t move them at all for the first couple of minutes; you can turn them 90 degrees toward the end of the searing process to help them get evenly brown.
When they are nicely browned on the first side, flip them over and let them brown on the second side, about 3 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the honey bbq sauce. Use a spatula to scrape the bottom of the skillet and stir the sauce around.
Allow the chops to simmer until cooked through, about 4-8 minutes, depending on their thickness.
When the chops are done (see notes below on temperature), remove them to a plate and let them rest for a couple of minutes before serving (this helps them stay juicy and finish cooking all the way).
Check the consistency of the honey bbq sauce in the pan. If the sauce is thick enough for a spatula to leave a momentary trail if you scrape the bottom of the pan, you can pour it over the pork chops or put it in a separate dish for serving. If not, let it simmer for a minute or two until it’s thickened.

Notes

If you don’t have molasses on hand, you can use more honey or brown sugar instead. The sauce will be slightly sweeter and won’t have quite the same personality, but it will still be delicious! I always have a jar on hand because of gingersnaps and this amazing gingerbread cake. You won’t regret having it around!

Pork needs to be cooked to 145 degrees, but the pork chops will continue to cook a bit after they’ve been removed from the pan, so if they’re around 130 when you take their temperature (pick up chop with tongs and insert a meat thermometer through the side of the chop), it’s safe to take them out of the pan. Or, cut into one of the chops – I look for the center to be barely pink so they cook the rest of the way as they rest.