Slow Cooker Stout Glazed Pork Chops are thick, bone-in pork chops braised low and slow in dark stout beer with brown sugar and Dijon over a bed of sweet onions, then finished with a glossy, reduced glaze. The sauce is rich and a little molasses-like, perfect for a cozy fall dinner.
How to make stout glazed pork chops: Layer sliced onion in the slow cooker, add seasoned (and optionally seared) pork chops, pour on stout whisked with brown sugar and Dijon and cook on LOW 6 to 7 hours. Reduce the sauce in a pan until thick and spoon it over the chops.
Why You’ll Love It
- A deep, glossy glaze: stout, brown sugar and Dijon cook down into a sticky sauce.
- Tender bone-in chops: the long, gentle braise keeps them juicy.
- Hands-off: 10 minutes of prep, then the slow cooker takes over.
- Sweet onions included: they melt into the sauce as it cooks.
Ingredient Notes
Bone-in pork chops: Four chops about 1 inch thick. Thick, bone-in chops hold up to a long braise far better than thin boneless ones.
Stout beer: One and a half cups of a dark stout, like Guinness. Its roasted, slightly bitter flavor turns rich and sweet as it cooks with the brown sugar. Most of the alcohol cooks off during the long braise and reduction.
Brown sugar and Dijon: The sugar balances the stout’s bitterness and helps the glaze thicken, while the mustard adds tang.
Onion: One yellow onion, thinly sliced, on the bottom of the cooker. It lifts the chops out of the liquid and softens into the sauce. I slice it thin so it melts completely.
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Ingredients
- 4 bone-in pork chops, about 1 inch thick
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1.5 cups stout beer
- 0.33 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
- Neutral oil, for optional searing
How to Make Stout Glazed Pork Chops
1. Add the onions. Grease the slow cooker and layer the sliced onion on the bottom.
2. Mix the sauce. Whisk the stout, brown sugar and Dijon mustard.
3. Season and sear. Season the pork chops with the salt and pepper. If you like, sear them in a little oil until browned.
4. Assemble. Place the chops over the onions and pour the sauce on top.
5. Cook. Cook on LOW for 6–7 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours, until the chops reach at least 145°F.
6. Reduce the sauce. Remove the chops and simmer the sauce in a pan until thick and glossy.
7. Glaze and serve. Return the chops to the sauce and spoon it over them before serving.
How to Get a Thick, Glossy Glaze
Straight from the slow cooker, the sauce is thin because nothing evaporates under the lid. Pour it into a wide skillet or saucepan and boil it hard, stirring now and then, until it reduces to about a third and coats the back of a spoon.
A wide pan reduces much faster than a deep pot. Watch it closely near the end; the sugar in the sauce can go from syrupy to scorched quickly.
Taste the glaze before you spoon it over. I sometimes add a little more Dijon at this point if the stout and sugar taste too sweet together.
Should You Sear the Pork Chops First?
Searing is optional, but it is worth the five minutes if you have them. Browning the chops in a hot skillet builds a savory crust that gives the finished glaze a deeper, roasted flavor and makes the chops look more appetizing after hours in the sauce.
If you skip it, the recipe still works: the stout and brown sugar color the chops as they braise, and the reduced glaze adds plenty of flavor. On busy mornings, just season them and go.
Tips for Success
Why are my pork chops tough?
They were thin or cooked too long on HIGH. Use thick, bone-in chops and cook them on LOW for the most tender result.
Why is the sauce bitter?
Some stouts are very bitter. Add a little more brown sugar to the glaze while it reduces.
Why is the glaze too thin?
It needed more time in the pan. Keep simmering until it is syrupy, or whisk in a little cornstarch slurry.
Variations
- Apple: add sliced apples with the onions for a sweeter sauce.
- Garlic: add a few smashed garlic cloves under the chops.
- Boneless chops: use thick boneless chops, but check them earlier, since they cook faster.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and use them within 3 to 4 days, or freeze them for 3 to 4 months. Store the chops in the glaze and reheat until they reach 165°F. Never reheat leftovers in the slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
Mashed potatoes or crusty bread soak up the glaze; rustic German bread is perfect. For a pub-style dinner, add sausage, sauerkraut and potatoes. For more slow cooker pork chops, try apple brown sugar pork chops, Amish pork chops and apples or 3-ingredient slow cooker pork chops, and in the oven, French onion pork chops.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you put raw pork chops in a slow cooker?
Yes. Searing first is optional and only adds color and flavor. Raw chops cook through in the slow cooker; they are done at 145°F.
Do pork chops get more tender the longer they cook in the crockpot?
Only up to a point. Thick, bone-in chops become tender over the recommended time, but cooking them far past it makes them dry and stringy.
What beer is best for pork chops?
A dark stout like Guinness gives the richest, most molasses-like glaze. A brown ale or porter also works.
Final Notes
Use thick, bone-in chops and take the time to reduce the sauce. If you have a question or make them, tell me how they turned out in the comments.
Slow Cooker Stout Glazed Pork Chops
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Ingredients
- 4 bone-in pork chops about 1 inch thick
- 1 yellow onion thinly sliced
- 1.5 cups stout beer
- 0.33 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
- neutral oil for optional searing
Instructions
- Grease slow cooker and layer sliced onions on the bottom.
- Whisk stout, brown sugar, and Dijon mustard.
- Season the pork chops with the salt and pepper. Optional: sear them in a little oil until browned.
- Place pork chops over onions and pour sauce on top.
- Cook on LOW 6–7 hours or HIGH 3–4 hours, until the chops reach at least 145°F on a food thermometer.
- Remove chops and reduce sauce in a pan until thick.
- Return chops to sauce and spoon over before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates based on the listed ingredients and serving count. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion sizes.
