My penny pinching brother showed me this amazing shortcut. Grab just 3 ingredients and you will have the most incredible sweet and sticky dinner waiting for you after work.

This slow cooker 3-ingredient cola pork chops recipe is straight from my penny-pinching brother, who swears by shortcuts that still taste like you spent all day in the kitchen. With just pork chops, cola, and barbecue sauce, you toss everything into the slow cooker before work and come home to tender, fall-apart chops in a glossy, sweet and sticky cola glaze. It’s the kind of budget-friendly, minimal-effort dinner that feels like comfort food takeout, but it quietly bubbles away on your counter while you’re off living your busy life.

Serve these sweet and sticky cola pork chops over a bed of fluffy mashed potatoes or simple buttered rice so they can soak up all that dark, caramelized sauce. Steamed green beans, a bag of frozen mixed veggies, or a quick coleslaw balance the richness without adding much prep time. If you have an extra minute, warm up some dinner rolls or slice a crusty baguette to swipe through the glaze. For an even easier night, pile the shredded pork and sauce onto toasted buns for messy, delicious sandwiches with a side of chips or a simple salad.

Servings: 4

2 to 2 1/2 pounds bone-in pork chops (about 4 thick-cut chops)

Pat the bone-in pork chops dry with paper towels and trim off any large, excess pieces of fat if needed. This helps the sauce cling to the meat and keeps it from getting too greasy.

Lay the pork chops in a single layer in the bottom of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. It’s okay if they overlap slightly, but try to keep most of the meat touching the bottom so it cooks evenly and gets well-coated.

In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the cola and barbecue sauce until smooth and fully combined. The mixture will look thin at this point but will thicken and turn glossy as it cooks down.

Pour the cola–barbecue mixture evenly over the pork chops, making sure each chop is coated. Use a spoon to scoop some of the liquid over any exposed areas of meat so everything is covered in sauce.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours, or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the pork chops are very tender and easily pull away from the bone. Cooking on LOW gives you the most tender, fall-apart texture and a deeper, stickier glaze.

Once the chops are tender, carefully remove the lid (watch for steam) and use tongs to gently flip each chop in the sauce so both sides are coated in the dark, sweet, and sticky glaze. If the sauce looks thin, leave the lid slightly ajar and continue cooking on HIGH for 15 to 20 minutes so it bubbles and thickens.

When the sauce is glossy and clings to the pork chops, switch the slow cooker to WARM. Spoon extra sauce over the tops of the chops so they’re fully coated and caramelized-looking.

Serve the pork chops straight from the slow cooker, spooning plenty of the dark brown cola-barbecue sauce over each piece. If you’d like the chops even stickier, you can transfer them to a plate, drizzle with more sauce, and let them sit for a few minutes to set before serving.

Use this as a base and tweak it to fit your family and pantry. For a little heat, choose a spicy barbecue sauce or stir in a pinch of red pepper flakes or cayenne to the cola–BBQ mixture before pouring it over the pork. If you prefer boneless pork chops, use the same amount by weight and reduce the cook time slightly (check for tenderness about 30 to 45 minutes earlier). You can also shred the cooked pork right in the slow cooker and stir it into the sauce for easy sandwich filling or taco meat. For a smokier, less sweet version, pick a smoky barbecue sauce and use a cola with less sugar or a cherry cola for a fun twist. To make the glaze extra thick without more ingredients, simply remove the lid for the last 20 to 30 minutes on HIGH and let the sauce bubble and reduce, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t stick to the sides.