This slow cooker 4-ingredient Amish maple bacon pork chops recipe is the kind of sticky-sweet comfort food that feels right at home on a Sunday supper table. The idea comes from simple Amish-style cooking: a few pantry ingredients, cooked low and slow until the meat is incredibly tender and the sauce turns glossy and caramelized. My uncle always requested this when we gathered after church, because the pork chops stay juicy, the bacon gets crisp around the edges, and the maple glaze bubbles into a rich, spoonable sauce. It’s perfect for busy days when you want something that tastes like you fussed, even though the slow cooker did all the work.
Serve these maple bacon pork chops right from the slow cooker with a big spoonful of the sticky sauce over the top. They’re wonderful with creamy mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles to soak up the glaze, and a simple side of green beans, steamed broccoli, or a crisp salad to balance the sweetness. Warm dinner rolls or crusty bread are great for mopping up every last bit of sauce. For a true Sunday-style spread, add applesauce on the side and a simple coleslaw or corn for the kids.
Slow Cooker Amish Maple Bacon Pork ChopsServings: 4
Ingredients
4 thick-cut bone-in pork chops (about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds total)
8 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
1 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
Directions
Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels and set them aside while you prepare the bacon. This helps them brown a bit better and keeps extra moisture out of the slow cooker.
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon until it is browned and most of the fat has rendered, 6 to 8 minutes. You want the bacon pieces to be nicely crisped but not burned, since they will cook more in the slow cooker. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the bacon drippings in the pan.
Carefully pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings from the skillet. Return the skillet to medium-high heat. Sear the pork chops in the hot drippings for 2 to 3 minutes per side, just until lightly browned. This step builds flavor and helps give the chops a caramelized crust in the final dish. If they don’t all fit at once, brown them in batches.
Place the browned pork chops in a single layer on the bottom of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. It’s okay if they overlap slightly, but try to keep them mostly flat so they cook evenly and stay tender.
In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the maple syrup and chicken broth until well combined. This simple mixture will cook down into a glossy, sticky-sweet glaze that soaks into the pork and bacon.
Pour the maple syrup and broth mixture evenly over the pork chops in the slow cooker, making sure each chop is moistened. Sprinkle the cooked bacon pieces over the top of the chops, spreading them out so every piece of meat gets some bacon on it.
Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours, or on HIGH for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until the pork chops are very tender but not falling completely apart. The sauce should be bubbling around the edges and slightly thickened, with a glossy amber look.
Once the chops are done, you can gently spoon some of the maple-bacon sauce over the top of each chop and let them sit on WARM for 10 to 15 minutes. This rest time helps the meat relax and allows the glaze to cling to the pork a bit more, giving that sticky-sweet finish.
Serve the pork chops straight from the slow cooker, topped with the bacon bits and plenty of the maple glaze spooned over each piece. If the sauce seems a little thin for your liking, you can briefly transfer it to a small saucepan and simmer it on the stove for a few minutes to thicken before serving, then pour it back over the chops.
Variations & Tips
For milder sweetness, use 3/4 cup maple syrup and 3/4 cup chicken broth instead of the listed amounts; this gives you more savory sauce while keeping the sticky texture. If you have picky eaters, you can cook the bacon separately until very crisp and only add it to the adults’ portions at the table, or serve some chops with extra sauce and no bacon on top. To make it a bit more savory without adding new ingredients, sear the pork chops extra well in the bacon drippings to build a deeper browned crust. If you prefer boneless pork chops, choose thicker cuts (at least 1 inch) and check for doneness a little earlier, as they can cook faster and dry out more easily; turn them gently in the sauce halfway through cooking. For a make-ahead option, brown the bacon and pork chops the night before, arrange them in the slow cooker insert, pour the maple-broth mixture over, cover, and refrigerate; in the morning, set the insert into the slow cooker base and cook as directed, adding an extra 30 minutes if starting from cold. Leftovers reheat nicely in a covered dish in a low oven or in the microwave with a spoonful of the sauce to keep them moist.
