My brother passed down this incredibly simple dinner trick. You only need 3 ingredients to make a sweet and sticky glaze over cheap meat that totally transforms your weeknight.

This slow cooker 3-ingredient teriyaki pork chops recipe is the kind of weeknight trick you remember and pass down. My brother actually showed me this method years ago when we were both trying to stretch a tight grocery budget. You take inexpensive bone-in pork chops, pour over just two pantry staples, and let the slow cooker work its magic. By dinnertime, you’ve got tender chops smothered in a sweet, sticky, soy-based glaze that tastes like you fussed all afternoon, even though you only used three ingredients and about five minutes of effort.

These teriyaki pork chops are wonderful spooned over fluffy white rice or brown rice so it can soak up all that glossy sauce. Steamed broccoli, green beans, or a simple side salad help balance the sweetness and make the plate feel complete. If your family loves noodles, you can also serve the chops and sauce over buttered egg noodles or stir-fried veggies and noodles. Add a sprinkle of extra sesame seeds and sliced green onions on top if you have them for a little color and crunch.

Servings: 4

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

Lay the thick bone-in pork chops in the bottom of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker in a single layer as much as possible. It’s fine if they overlap a little.

In a small bowl, whisk together the bottled teriyaki sauce and brown sugar until the sugar is mostly dissolved and the mixture looks smooth and glossy.

Pour the teriyaki-brown sugar mixture evenly over the pork chops, lifting the chops slightly with a fork so some sauce can run underneath. The chops don’t need to be fully submerged; they’ll release juices as they cook.

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 cooked through (they should easily pull away from the bone).

Once cooked, carefully remove the pork chops to a plate, keeping them as intact as possible. Skim off any excess fat from the surface of the sauce in the slow cooker.

If you want a thicker, stickier glaze, ladle some of the cooking liquid into a small saucepan and simmer it on the stove over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes until it reduces and becomes glossy, then pour it back over the chops in the slow cooker. (You can also just use the sauce as-is straight from the slow cooker; it will still be sweet and flavorful.)

Return the pork chops to the slow cooker and spoon the thickened sauce over the top so they are well coated and glossy.

Right before serving, sprinkle the pork chops with white sesame seeds for a simple garnish that makes them look extra special.

Serve the teriyaki pork chops hot, spooning plenty of the sweet, sticky sauce over each chop and any sides on the plate.

For picky eaters, you can choose a milder teriyaki sauce and cut the brown sugar back slightly if they don’t love things too sweet, then let each person drizzle extra sauce over their own chop. If you prefer boneless pork chops, use the same weight and reduce the cook time by about 30 to 45 minutes so they don’t dry out. To add a little heat for grown-ups, stir in a teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes or a small squirt of sriracha to the teriyaki and brown sugar mixture before pouring it over the meat. If you’d like some veggies right in the slow cooker, tuck thick-cut carrot coins or onion wedges around the pork chops at the beginning; just know that this technically adds more ingredients, even though it doesn’t change the basic 3-ingredient trick. For a slightly lighter version, use a reduced-sodium teriyaki sauce and loosely tent the slow cooker with a paper towel under the lid during the last 30 minutes of cooking to help the sauce reduce a bit more. Leftovers reheat nicely and can be shredded and served over rice bowls or tucked into sandwiches with a little extra sauce.