Juicy tender oven baked chops slathred in spicy bbq sauce and topped with quick spicy pecans for a bonus crunch. This recipe pays homage to my childhood memories of sheet pan pork chops with modern updates!
Pat the chops dry and line a baking sheet with foil.
Place the chops on the baking sheet.
Whisk the brown sugar, salt, paprika, cumin, and pepper together in a small bowl.
Pat the brown sugar-spice mixture all over the chops on both sides.
Bake the Pork Chops
Bake for 15 minutes until the pork reaches 135 degrees F.
Remove from oven, and set the oven to broil. Move the rack to the second highest slot.
Broil the Pork Chops
Baste the chops in Head Country hot and spicy sauce, coating both sides.
Add the pecans around the pork, and place under the broiler.
Cook for 2 minutes.
Remove from the oven, flip the pork chops.
Return to the oven and broil another 2 to 4 minutes, until sauce is tacky and pork chops temp at 140F.
Let rest, covered, for 5 minutes. The pork should rise to 145F while resting.
Place the pecans in a small bowl.
Make the Quick Spicy Pecans
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan whisk together the brown sugar, salt, and cayenne with the jalapeno-infused olive oil and water.
Set over medium heat until the sugar just begins to bubble.
Add the pecans that you toasted with the pork chops and stir to coat.
Allow the brown sugar to just bubble as you stir the pecans to coat.
Turn them out onto parchment paper in a single layer.
The pecans will quickly become tacky.
Once they are dry, give them a rough chop.
Serve
Plate the oven-baked pork chops with desired sides and garnish with the chopped pecans and minced parsley.
Notes
You can use boneless pork chops for this recipe as well, reduce the time to 10-12 minutes of baking for chops under 1” thick and adjust as needed for thicker chops.Depending on where your oven racks sit in proximity to the broiler, adjust the time as needed to finish the cook on the meat and set the sauce.This recipe calls for jalapeno-infused olive oil. Swap with regular olive oil if needed. If you're worried about the Hot and Spicy being too much for your family, try Head Country original sauce instead. Alternatively, for a bold smokey flavor, try their Chipotle sauce.