Name: Mexican Pork Chops with Orange Cinnamon Ancho Chile Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup of orange juice; 1 cup chicken broth; 5 teaspoons Ancho Chile Powder (good quality from a reputable spice shop); 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon; 1 drizzle honey (about a teaspoon); 4 Thin pork chops (center cut rib chops, pan fried)

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Mexican Pork Chops with orange and cinnamon ancho chile sauce. Chops are drenched in a “just right” spicy ancho chili sauce. A beautiful Southwestern sauce with sweet and earthy flavors.

Pan seared pork chops with ancho chile sauce and mashed potatoes in a roasted poblano chile pepper

This is such an easy recipe for a Mexican themed weeknight dinner.

A beautiful Southwestern red sauce that comes together in a jiff over a juicy pork chop. A great little “big” Mexican Pork Chops dinner.

What is Ancho Chile Powder?

Ancho chile powder is made from the sweetest dried chile, the Poblano Chile Pepper. Ancho chile powder has a moderately spice and is rich in flavor.

Ancho Chile Powder is commonly used in Mexican and Southwestern cuisines. Poblano peppers are harvested before ripened and are a popular pepper used in making Chiles Rellenos.

But when left on the plant to ripen not only does its color change to red, but also its name changes from Poblano to Ancho. When ripe, the pepper develops additional sweetness, which balances out its mild heat.

The peppers are dried and then ground for Ancho Chile Powder.

And, a powder that I reach for frequently to season meats or make sauces.

Pure ancho chile powder is a dried ground pepper and should not to be confused with chili powder (with an I) , which is a blend of ground chilies and other spices.

Ancho Chile Sauce for Easy Seared Pork Chops

This Ancho Chile Sauce is a simple and beautiful compliment to turn pan seared pork chops into Mexican Pork Chops. The sauce is quickly prepared stove top and includes orange juice, chicken broth, cinnamon and honey.

Who can resist that lineup of flavors?

I have cooked up my fair share of dry chewy pork chops in my lifetime. Frustrating. I finally have made the executive decision that a thin Center Cut Rib Chop has been my “pork chops for dummies” savior.

About two minutes per side on the grill or in a hot pan on the stove top and voila….a thin piece of meat full of juicy flavor.

For a side dish, I chose a poblano pepper that had been roasted over my gas stove top and stuffed with spicy mashed potatoes. Bob went bonkers over this potato side dish and it was a natural combination of yumminess for the pork chop. It will make a frequent appearance at our dinner table as a side dish for any Southwestern entree.

Seared Pork Chops topped with ancho chile sauce with a side dish of poblano peppers stuffed with mashed potatoes. Easy Mexican Pork Chops

Recipe for Mexican Pork Chops with Orange Cinnamon Ancho Chile Sauce

I hope you give this Mexican Pork Chops dinner recipe a try. And if you do, please come back and give it a star rating. And please leave a comment about your experience with the recipe. I love hearing from my readers.

And if you have a favorite recipe for Mexican Pork Chops, please let me know, I’d love to give it a try.

Pork chops are drenched in a southwestern ancho chile sauce with cinnamon and orange juice.

More Mexican Pork Recipes

Pork tenderloin is one of America’s favorite choice for an easy and delicious pork dinner. Take a look at my recipe for Spice Rubbed Pork Tenderloin. It’s a “how to” and a tasty recipe all in one post.