As a chef clients will often ask me to recommend menus when I am working with them for dinner parties. Usually steak or seafood is requested but I would sometimes get a client who wanted pork for their main entree. My ears would perk up as this side is one of my favorite to make.
I would quickly tell them about my double cut salt and herb crusted bone in pork chop with Crispy Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes. If they liked where I was going, I would tell them about these Honey Roasted Apples. An adaptation of a Michael Chiarello recipe, these are crispy while soft, sweet while salty and they are an absolute amazing side to a pork dish [I’ve also made them with chicken and with stuffed pastas].
They are deceivingly easy and taste like you know some kind of kitchen wizardry that elevates honey and apples to a whole other level. The secret? Some butter, a good hot cast iron skillet and the play between kosher salt and honey. Make this side dish, you won’t be sorry.
Pre-heat oven to 425.
Remove the core and cut into 1 inch chunks, toss with lemon juice. 
Heat a cast iron skillet on medium high heat with the butter in it. 
When the butter begins to brown add the apples and kosher salt. 
Sautee for 5 to 7 minutes until the edges start turning a rich brown color. 
Add the honey and put in oven for about 8-10 minutes. 
The apples should be tender but not mushy and richly caramelized. 
Carefully serve with spatula, taking care not to smash them.
Ingredients
- 2 Granny Smith apples
- 2 Braeburn or similar apples
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 425.
- Remove the core of the apples and cut into 1 inch chunks, toss with lemon juice.
- Heat a cast iron skillet on medium high heat with the butter in it.
- When the butter begins to brown add the apples and kosher salt.
- Sautee for 5 to 7 minutes until the edges start turning a rich brown color.
- Add the honey and put in oven for about 8-10 minutes.
- The apples should be tender but not mushy and richly caramelized.
- Carefully serve with spatula, taking care not to smash them.
Notes
Nutrition
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Can these be made with a butter alterative? I have been dairy free while nursing my son but would love to try these.
I haven’t tested with a non-dairy alternative, I don’t see why not but the taste may change a bit.
Dinner was served on of a layer of creamed leeks, broiled center cut pork chops, with the incredible apple crowning it off. This was delicious!. The only would change is since the Braeburns were so sweet, a little more salt to taste, and cut back on the honey just a tad,.
It truly is an easy side and it presents itself beautifully. I’ll be doing this again in the fall and winter as a rotation staple!
The flavor is amazing. I way over cooked them though. I should’ve had the skillet hotter and not waiting so long for them to brown. I worry that’s how they got over cooked. I also should’ve removed the skin. That is a bit tough in comparison to the mushy apples. But again, flavor is great!
I am looking for Apple recipes as a side dish for a pork dinner. These are fine dessert recipes but not for dinner?
My apples where too soft. But the flavor was delicious. Don’t know where I went wrong. Will try again.
This looks amazing! I would love to add some oatmeal to the top! Would I just add 1 cup of quick oats right before I put it in the oven?
I would make a crumble with oatmeal, butter and sugar and add that to the top. If you top with just the oatmeal, it’ll soak up all of the moisture from the apples. Enjoy!
Help! I’m having a dinner party for 8 tomorrow so will have to double this recipe. My cast iron skillet isn’t big enough and my skillet that is large enough isn’t oven safe. I will have a rice dish in my oven at 350. Is there any way for me to modify the cooking so the apples will still be plump and delicious to go with my pork tenderloin and rice? And if not at 350, can I transfer the apples to an oven safe casserole dish to finish the cooking?
Yes, it’ll be okay to transfer the apples to an oven safe dish to finish the cooking.
Can I use Olive Oil instead of butter for this? I’m trying to be on a diet.
It will change the flavor but if you know that going in, go for it. 🙂
Can you tell me if this can be made ahead of time. With several dishes cooking, it would help to have this made already.
I wouldn’t recommend it. They really are best served immediately.
These were ok. Not amazing. I added cinnamon to help them out. Find it frustrating when people rate a recipe and they haven’t even actually made it in real life.
This recipe looks so delicious & easy. I’m going to try to make it & main dish being pork chops with acorn squash & cheese. Quick question about the recipe. Why preheat the oven if you don’t put it in the oven. I’m just a lil confused.
At the end you’re going to be putting it in the oven for 8-10 minutes. 🙂 Hope this clears up any confusion.
These are wonderful! But by the time they were nicely browned in my iron skillet, they were already carmelized and plenty soft, so I turned my oven off and just skipped that step.
Now for the downside: My lazy days of opening a store-bought jar of applesauce to go with ham or pork chops are over! Now that they’ve tasted these, that convenient jar of applesauce would cause mutiny at the table. So thank you – but also thanks a lot, lol. You really should include a warning with this recipe 🙂
Sorry, not sorry! Haha!! So glad you loved it!
Do they still only take 5-7 min in a regular fry pan?
Yes, it should take about the same time. 🙂
I bet this would be great if you cooked some sweet potato and walnuts in with the apples.
That sounds amazing!
Made these tonight as a side dish with pork chops and mashed potatoes. They did not come out looking as browned and carmelized as yours, but they were DELICIOUS! Such a quick, easy weeknight meal too. The husband absolutely loved them and said he hopes I make them again soon. I’m thinking the reason why the apples didn’t brown was maybe I didn’t let the butter brown all that much before tossing in the apples? I did sauté them on the stove for a while and I wanted to get them into the oven before they got too mushy. Great recipe, and I will be making them again!
Thanks for dropping by to let me know! I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it!
Can this be made without the salt? I seriously love everything sweet but tend to mess up when inserting salt. So instead of trying to figure out how to use it, I want to know if omitting the salt will ruin it.
You can definitely omit the salt completely. It really just balances out the sweetness of the dish but if you love sweet, you right ahead and leave it out. Enjoy!
Wonderful recipe, it is always a hit when I make it. Personally, I have used the recipe in crepes, as a desert with vanilla ice cream and gram cracker. Here lately I have been wondering about doing a flambe with a nice bourbon or rum when cooking this.
Thank you! Love all of your creative ways of using it…the flambe especially! Yum!!
Thanks! Tried these today as a side for my slow smoked pulled pork and loved them! My company loved them, too! Lemon juice was brilliant. I was really surprised when your recipe didn’t call for brown sugar and cinnamon. I didn’t want the same old bake apples, and probably would have passed if they did. Also, I am a beekeepers grandson. So, when I saw honey and lemon, I was really excited. They didn’t dissappoint!
You’re so welcome!! Thank you for coming back and letting me know how much everyone loved them!!
Terrible! Not enough honey and very mushy. Should have peeled the apples. Waste of ingredients.
Oh no! So sorry it didn’t turn out for you. If you would like to troubleshoot I would be happy to discuss it further. Email me at contact @ dinnerthendessert.com”
Do they reheat well?
Not really – they sort of deflate and harden, so when you reheat them they won’t have the same juiciness. They still have the same delicious flavor though!
I don’t currently own a cast iron skillet could this be made without one?
So sorry, this comment got snared in the spam filter somehow! Yes, any heavy bottomed skillet, I just really love my cast iron skillet!
Mmm…this looks delicious! I love cooked apples, so I know I would love this recipe.
Thanks!
These look delicious! I pinned this to my Apples Board – I will be making these!
Thanks so much for pinning! Hope you love it!
That looks delicious. I did this with pineapple; it’s delicious, too.
Oh man, I NEED to try that! Did you use fresh or frozen?
This sounds and looks delicious. I have never tried honey roasted apples before. I will have to make this on the weekend.
I hope you love them!
I’m seriously going to try my hand at these today. Crossing my fingers that my girls will like them.
That sounds like a yummy snack. I am not usually a big apple fan, but this I would love
You got the hubby excited to tryout your recipe. He LOVES apples!!! Great pictures.
Thank you! I hope you guys love it!
I am a sucker for any type of apple dish! Totally making this for the hubby soon!
Hope you love it!
These look so delicious! They would be perfect as a side with pork chops.
That is how we normally eat them! Or with a fall squash filled pasta 🙂
Oh YUM! This sounds delicious! My husband loves apple pie so I bet he would love Honey Roasted Apples!
The apples look so delicious. I would love to serve them to my family at our get-together this weekend. They’d be an unexpected surprise.
I am a sucker for skillet apples. Pour that over some vanilla ice cream and we are in heaven.
oh yes, over ice cream these would be dangerous!
Sounds like a wonderful recipe. I wish I had a cast iron pan.
I do a huge portion of my cooking in the cast iron skillet! I love it, and it is far and away the least expensive piece I own. 🙂
Mmmmmm. this sounds delicious. I would love it over some vanilla ice cream!
Yes! with some granola too, it is like an apple crisp 🙂
Whoa. Yes. I love apple anything so I would be so up for trying this. It looks and sounds just yummy!
Thanks!
Oh my gosh that looks delicious. My mouth is literally watering.
Aww how sweet! Thanks 🙂
Yeah… All is just fine until you start slobbering on your laptop. That does look good.
hahaha. I saw a photo like that last night online too. I emailed the person who posted it and waxed poetic about how gorgeous it was and asked permission to recreate it.
I make this slightly different by adding some topping to give it a bit of crunch before putting it in the oven. It’s really great on top of ice cream too. Sometimes, the kids ask for this for breakfast as well.
Yum! That sounds like a delicious apple crisp! One of my favorites!
I was really wondering what I was going to make with the apples I got at the farmer’s market. I also have macintosh apples. Will they work in this recipe?
Yes! They would work wonderfully!
What a beautiful and simple dish. Not all great dishes have to be complicated. 🙂
yes! Some of my favorite chefs make the most magical things out of just a few simple ingredients 🙂
That caramelization is gorgeous! I love honey and apples, so this is perfect for me.
Thank you! You’re so sweet!
That is the yummiest thing I have seen all day! Me and my kids would LOVE that! I can’t wait to make it!
Thanks, that is so sweet! I hope you all love it!
I love having pork with apples. I wish you would move to my neighborhood so we could hang out while you cook and the kids play. My family are boring food eaters and I’m the only one that would eat this. I should buy myself one of those cookie skillets to make this, haha.
Yeah I serve this with crusted pork loin and crispy potatoes and Brussels usually. Also you are welcome here for dinner anytime 😉
Hmmm, honey and apples together sounds like a nice, healthy snack. I will have to try this. Since it’s so sweet, maybe my son will eat it too.
My oldest is as picky as they come and this is a dish that lasts all of five seconds on the plate 🙂
Wow those sound like the best apples ever. I really need to do this soon!
I love that you did this in a cast iron skillet – one of my favorite cooking tools! Nothing makes the caramel-ly goodness come out better than cast iron. Beautiful and a spectacular addition to pork (or by itself…). This looks absolutely amazing. 🙂
YES! I love any excuse to use the cast iron skillet! Especially steaks!
Can you make this apple dish ahead of time?
It’s really best served immediately because they tend to delfate and lose some of their juiciness. They’ll still have the same delicious flavor just not the same texture.
I *really* want to dig into these apples! They look amazing – I can just imagine! Very nice!
How sweet! Thank you!
Thanks for sharing this great recipe! Now all I need is some vanilla ice cream. Yum!
These look so good! I love sweet apple desserts and these would be perfect with a little ice cream.
Oh YUM! My family loves all things apple, I’m sure they would enjoy this. I can’t wait to try this recipe.
You’d be surprised how amazing they taste and they are so easy! I hope you love them 🙂
Those sound awesome. I always loved going to the Cracker Barrel for their amazing baked apples, but this sounds even better – and I can have them right at home.
oooh somehow I just know if Cracker Barrel makes, them I would want to order them!