I love meals that come together in under 30 minutes without a lot of effort! This one-pan easy Mandarin Orange and Red Pepper pork chops recipe is one of those recipes.
And although it's nice to cook ahead, freeze, then pull an amazing home cooked (from scratch) meal out of my freezer on an average weeknight, I don't always have that luxury. I actually do like to spend some of my weekend doing things that don't involve cooking.
Therefore, I make sure I have meals like this in my arsenal; stuff that's realistic to throw together when I get home from work and have 2 apparently starving kids pestering me about when dinner will be ready.
🥘 Ingredients
I think I would have to say this dish is a compromise, especially if you are someone that prefers to cook from scratch. But if you are also short on time, then it's pretty ideal. This recipe pairs store-bought salad dressing with fresh pork, red pepper, ginger and garlic. So, if you're looking for pork chop recipe ideas, this one is quick, easy and tastes completely homemade!
And if you want to keep your ginger fresh for a long time, then store it in your freezer. You can then peel it, grate it right into the dish and pop it back into the freezer. It will last several months. And this little food hack will save you hassle and money!
I came up with this easy pork dinner recipe for a Kraft salad dressing contest. I never would have thought of making a sauce for pork with salad dressing before I was required to make something unique with salad dressing. That's what I love about cooking contests - they inspire me to think outside my narrow little cooking box.
Pork recipes with sauce are perfect for serving over rice. I serve this with a quick Minute Rice that's ready in 5 minutes, So, if you are looking for easy pork recipes for dinner, this is for you!
Enjoy!
Mandarin Orange & Red Pepper Pork Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 boneless pork chops (1.5 lbs)
- 1 cup Mandarin orange with sesame salad dressing (I use Kraft)
- ¼ cup flour
- 1 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ cup beef broth
- 1 red pepper , julienned
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger , minced (See TERRI'S TIP below)
- ⅓ cup plum sauce
- 1 can mandarin oranges 284 ml
Instructions
- Heat frying pan on stove top with oil on medium high. Coat pork in flour on both sides and brown for 2-4 minutes on each side.
- Add dressing, beef broth, plum sauce, red pepper, ginger and garlic then reduce to simmer. Continue to cook over medium for 15 – 20 minutes until meat is cooked through and red pepper is tender.
- Serve hot over rice or noodles
Notes
Nutrition
Terri Gilson
This pork chop recipe is a lifesaver on busy weeknights! Using store-bought dressing as a sauce base is so clever - it adds tons of flavor with minimal effort. I love how it all comes together in one pan in under 30 minutes, perfect for when the kids are 'starving' and dinner needs to be on the table fast.
Mikaela
Yum! I love a good pork recipe and this looks so easy and full of flavor. I've got to pick up some fresh ginger!
Terri Gilson
Hi Mikaela: Thank you. Yes, fresh ginger is key!And the great thing is that it will last in your freezer for a very long time!
Sue Slaght
Quick and easy is always a great combination in my books. I know I sound like a broken record. Even though I have more time these days it's still my preferred choice. 🙂
Food Meanderings
Sue.. I totally agree with you! If you LUV to cook, it's nice to set aside the time and do something more involved on the weekend. But when you're just hungry and/or maybe don't love cooking so much, this is the way to go!:)