Some recipes stick with you because they are just plain practical, and this is one of those little lifesavers. Slow cooker 4-ingredient Dr Pepper pork chops have that comforting, home-cooked flavor Midwestern kitchens are known for, with hardly any fuss at all. The soda cooks down into a dark, sweet-savory glaze that mingles with the pork and makes supper taste like you worked much harder than you did. It is the kind of dependable meal busy folks keep tucked in their back pocket for long workdays, chilly evenings, and those weeks when everybody still needs dinner even if nobody has much energy left.
These pork chops are mighty good served over mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or a scoop of white rice to catch every bit of that glossy sauce. If you want to round out the plate, add green beans, sweet corn, roasted carrots, or a simple side salad. A warm biscuit or slice of plain sandwich bread on the side never goes to waste either, especially when there is sauce left on the plate.
Slow Cooker 4-Ingredient Dr Pepper Pork Chops
Servings: 4
Ingredients
4 thick-cut boneless or bone-in pork chops
1 cup Dr Pepper
1 cup barbecue sauce
1 packet onion soup mix
Directions
1. Lightly grease the slow cooker insert if desired, then place the pork chops in an even layer inside the slow cooker.
2. In a bowl, stir together the Dr Pepper, barbecue sauce, and onion soup mix until well combined.
3. Pour the sauce mixture over the pork chops, cover, and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the pork is tender.
4. Once the pork chops are done, spoon some of the sauce over the top and serve hot.
Variations & Tips
Use bone-in chops: Bone-in pork chops stay especially juicy in the slow cooker and bring a little extra flavor to the sauce. Just be sure they are thick enough so they do not cook too quickly.
Make the sauce tangier: If your barbecue sauce runs quite sweet, add a spoonful of yellow mustard or a splash of apple cider vinegar to balance the cola and give the finished dish a little zip.
Add onions: A sliced onion tucked under or around the pork chops cooks down beautifully and gives the sauce even more savory depth. This is a fine trick if you want to stretch the meal a bit.
Thicken the sauce: If you like a thicker glaze, remove the cooked pork chops and simmer the sauce in a saucepan for a few minutes on the stove, or stir in a small cornstarch slurry until it reaches the consistency you want.
Watch the salt: Onion soup mix and barbecue sauce can both bring plenty of seasoning, so it is best to taste the sauce before adding any extra salt. A good recipe like this gets its charm from keeping things simple.