As a chef clients will often ask me to recommend menus when I am working with them for dinner parties. Usually steak or seafood is requested but I would sometimes get a client who wanted pork for their main entree. My ears would perk up as this side is one of my favorite to make.
I would quickly tell them about my double cut salt and herb crusted bone in pork chop with Crispy Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes. If they liked where I was going, I would tell them about these Honey Roasted Apples. An adaptation of a Michael Chiarello recipe, these are crispy while soft, sweet while salty and they are an absolute amazing side to a pork dish [I’ve also made them with chicken and with stuffed pastas].
They are deceivingly easy and taste like you know some kind of kitchen wizardry that elevates honey and apples to a whole other level. The secret? Some butter, a good hot cast iron skillet and the play between kosher salt and honey. Make this side dish, you won’t be sorry.
Pre-heat oven to 425.
Remove the core and cut into 1 inch chunks, toss with lemon juice. 
Heat a cast iron skillet on medium high heat with the butter in it. 
When the butter begins to brown add the apples and kosher salt. 
Sautee for 5 to 7 minutes until the edges start turning a rich brown color. 
Add the honey and put in oven for about 8-10 minutes. 
The apples should be tender but not mushy and richly caramelized. 
Carefully serve with spatula, taking care not to smash them.
Honey Roasted Apples
Ingredients
- 2 Granny Smith apples
- 2 Braeburn or similar apples
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 425.
Remove the core of the apples and cut into 1 inch chunks, toss with lemon juice.
- Heat a cast iron skillet on medium high heat with the butter in it.
- When the butter begins to brown add the apples and kosher salt.
Sautee for 5 to 7 minutes until the edges start turning a rich brown color.
Add the honey and put in oven for about 8-10 minutes.
- The apples should be tender but not mushy and richly caramelized.
- Carefully serve with spatula, taking care not to smash them.
Recipe Notes
Adapted from: Michael Chiarello
Can these be made with a butter alterative? I have been dairy free while nursing my son but would love to try these.
I haven’t tested with a non-dairy alternative, I don’t see why not but the taste may change a bit.
Dinner was served on of a layer of creamed leeks, broiled center cut pork chops, with the incredible apple crowning it off. This was delicious!. The only would change is since the Braeburns were so sweet, a little more salt to taste, and cut back on the honey just a tad,.
It truly is an easy side and it presents itself beautifully. I’ll be doing this again in the fall and winter as a rotation staple!
The flavor is amazing. I way over cooked them though. I should’ve had the skillet hotter and not waiting so long for them to brown. I worry that’s how they got over cooked. I also should’ve removed the skin. That is a bit tough in comparison to the mushy apples. But again, flavor is great!
I am looking for Apple recipes as a side dish for a pork dinner. These are fine dessert recipes but not for dinner?
My apples where too soft. But the flavor was delicious. Don’t know where I went wrong. Will try again.
This looks amazing! I would love to add some oatmeal to the top! Would I just add 1 cup of quick oats right before I put it in the oven?
I would make a crumble with oatmeal, butter and sugar and add that to the top. If you top with just the oatmeal, it’ll soak up all of the moisture from the apples. Enjoy!
Help! I’m having a dinner party for 8 tomorrow so will have to double this recipe. My cast iron skillet isn’t big enough and my skillet that is large enough isn’t oven safe. I will have a rice dish in my oven at 350. Is there any way for me to modify the cooking so the apples will still be plump and delicious to go with my pork tenderloin and rice? And if not at 350, can I transfer the apples to an oven safe casserole dish to finish the cooking?
Yes, it’ll be okay to transfer the apples to an oven safe dish to finish the cooking.
Can I use Olive Oil instead of butter for this? I’m trying to be on a diet.
It will change the flavor but if you know that going in, go for it. 🙂
Can you tell me if this can be made ahead of time. With several dishes cooking, it would help to have this made already.
I wouldn’t recommend it. They really are best served immediately.
These were ok. Not amazing. I added cinnamon to help them out. Find it frustrating when people rate a recipe and they haven’t even actually made it in real life.
This recipe looks so delicious & easy. I’m going to try to make it & main dish being pork chops with acorn squash & cheese. Quick question about the recipe. Why preheat the oven if you don’t put it in the oven. I’m just a lil confused.
At the end you’re going to be putting it in the oven for 8-10 minutes. 🙂 Hope this clears up any confusion.
These are wonderful! But by the time they were nicely browned in my iron skillet, they were already carmelized and plenty soft, so I turned my oven off and just skipped that step.
Now for the downside: My lazy days of opening a store-bought jar of applesauce to go with ham or pork chops are over! Now that they’ve tasted these, that convenient jar of applesauce would cause mutiny at the table. So thank you – but also thanks a lot, lol. You really should include a warning with this recipe 🙂
Sorry, not sorry! Haha!! So glad you loved it!