Slow Cooker Pork Chops and Red Cabbage

Slow cooker pork chops and red cabbage skips the cream soup and heads straight for unmistakable old-fashioned flavor. Pork chops cook low and slow with tender red cabbage, smoky bacon, tangy apples, onions, red wine, and warm spices until everything is fork tender and deeply savory with just a touch of sweetness. It's the kind of dinner that makes the house smell amazing while you spend the afternoon doing literally anything besides standing over the stove.

Table of Contents

• 🥰 Is this slow cooker pork chops and red cabbage recipe for you?
• 🧾 Ingredients
• 📖 Recipe
• 🔪 How to make slow cooker pork chops and red cabbage
• 😱 What can go wrong (and how to fix it)
• 👩‍🍳 FAQs
• 📚 More favorite pork chop recipes
• 🍽️ What to serve with slow cooker pork chops and red cabbage
• 💬 Comments

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🥰 Is this slow cooker pork chops and red cabbage recipe for you?

This slow cooker recipe is the one for you if:

• You think pork chops should be juicy enough to make dry pork chops rethink their life choices.
• You're convinced slow cookers are one of humanity's finer achievements, right up there with sliced bread and air conditioning.
• You like recipes that taste like they took all afternoon because… they did. You just weren't the one doing the work.

🧾 Ingredients

Don't let the ingredient list fool you. Most of the work is measuring, then the slow cooker takes over.

• Center-cut boneless pork chops: About ¾ to 1 inch thick works best. Thin chops tend to dry out during the long cooking time.
• Bacon: Adds smoky flavor and intensifies other flavors.
• Red cabbage: It looks like enough to feed a football team at first, but it cooks down into sweet, tender ribbons as it simmers. If it doesn't all fit in at first add the rest once it cooks down a little.
• Onions: Sweet onions are my favorite, but yellow onions work just as well.
• Honeycrisp apples: Their sweet-tart flavor balances the savory pork and cabbage. Fuji or Pink Lady are good substitutes.
• Carrots: Add a little natural sweetness and color.
• Garlic: Fresh garlic gives the best flavor.
• Beef stock: Creates a sumptuous braising liquid for the pork chops and cabbage.
• Red wine: Adds depth as it cooks. Substitute additional beef stock if you prefer.
• Butter: Brings the flavors together and adds richness.
• Balsamic vinegar: A splash brightens the finished dish and balances the sweetness of the apples.
• Dried ancho chile: Optional, but it adds a subtle earthy warmth without making the dish spicy.
• Bay leaves: Infuse the cooking liquid with savory flavor. Don't forget to remove them before serving.
• Fresh parsley: Sprinkled on at the end for a little fresh color and flavor.
• Salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cloves: Simple seasonings that give the dish its warm, old-fashioned flavor.

Don't forget to download the free printable slow cooker pork chops and red cabbage kitchen cheat sheet with extra tips, variations, and more.

📖 Recipe

🔪 How to make slow cooker pork chops and red cabbage

A quick sear gives the pork chops extra flavor, then the slow cooker takes over while the cabbage, apples, and red wine slowly become something worth looking forward to.

1. Cook the bacon until it begins to crisp, then transfer it to the slow cooker. Brown the pork chops in the bacon drippings until they're golden on both sides. Don't skip this step. Those browned edges are worth every extra minute.
2. Add the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker and give everything a good stir to combine.
3. Nestle the pork chops on top of the cabbage mixture, cover, and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours, or until the pork is fork tender.
4. Fish out the bay leaves, sprinkle with fresh parsley, and serve with plenty of the cabbage and cooking juices spooned over the top.

😱 What can go wrong (and how to fix it)

🥬 Pork chops turned out dry? Use chops that are at least ¾ inch thick and avoid cooking much longer than 8 hours. Lean pork can only take so much before it starts protesting.

🥬 Too much liquid? Red cabbage releases a surprising amount of moisture as it cooks. Remove the lid during the last 20 to 30 minutes or thicken the juices with a cornstarch slurry.

🥬 Cabbage still a little firm? Give it another 30 to 60 minutes on LOW. Every slow cooker has its own personality, and some are just more stubborn than others.

🥬 Flavor seems flat? A splash of balsamic vinegar or a pinch of salt right before serving usually wakes everything right up.

🥬 Pork chops aren't browning well? Make sure the skillet is hot before they hit the pan, and don't crowd them. If they steam instead of sear, you miss out on that caramelized flavor.

👩‍🍳 FAQs

📚 More favorite pork chop recipes

Pork chops are proof that you don't need a fancy cut of meat to make a memorable dinner. Here are a few more reader-favorite recipes to keep your dinner rotation interesting.

🍽️ What to serve with slow cooker pork chops and red cabbage

Wondering what to serve with pork chops? These reader-favorite side dishes make it easy to pull together a complete meal without overthinking it.

🏡 This is the kind of recipe that reminds you why slow cookers became so popular in the first place. Tender pork chops, buttery red cabbage, smoky bacon, and sweet apples slowly become a rich, comforting dinner while you get on with your day. By the time everyone starts asking what's for dinner, you'll already know the answer.