Breaded Air Fryer Pork Chops

At a glance

What stands out: Breaded air fryer pork chops are flavorful, crispy, and so juicy. The buttermilk-marinated pork chops are fast, straightforward, and guaranteed to be a hit!

How long it takes: less than a half hour, after marinating
Equipment you’ll need: air fryer
Servings: 4

Today we're bringing you an air fryer recipe. The more we cook with our air fryer, the more we find that meat is great when it’s air fried! We love how juicy the meat stays when it is cooked in the air fryer, and it gets a nice sear on the outside, too.

The recipes can be so simple, too. Air fryer chicken breasts seasoned with our all purpose seasoning are rich. No fuss, no muss. Same goes for air fryer chicken thighs or chicken drummies, if you prefer dark meat. Air fryer salmon and air fryer tilapia are pretty reliable, too.

Breaded Air Fryer Pork Chops

Reliable pork chops. Pork chops can be a little tricky to cook properly. They’re quite lean and tend to get tough and dry, especially if they’re overcooked. And when you pan fry them, the breading tends to stick to the pan when you flip the chops. That’s why you’ll love air frying. The hot air circulates all around the pork chops, top and bottom, so the breading sticks to both sides of the chops and not the pan.

Straightforward marinade. The secret to these tender juicy pork chops is a buttermilk marinade. Buttermilk is slightly acidic and has enzymes which help tenderize the pork. It’s a gentle marinade and it won’t make the pork mushy if you decide to marinate the pork overnight, but two hours will suffice, too.

Simple breading. The breading is a one step process instead of the usual three step routine. Crispy panko bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese, along with a few seasonings, are combined to make everything straightforward and rich.

Reen Said:

“Our husband and we both loved this recipe. Our first meal in our new air fryer! Yum.”

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What goes in

• Pork Chops: Choose center cut boneless pork chop. We usually trim off the excess fat but that’s up to you. The recipe is written for chops that are 1 ½ inches thick. We can fit 3 to 4 good-sized pork chops in our air fryer which is a pretty standard size.
• Marinade: You’ll need one cup of buttermilk, just enough to cover the pork. We blend in a couple tablespoons of Dijon mustard to season the marinade. (If you’re not a fan of Dijon, you can skip this!)
• Breading: Panko bread crumbs are coarser and crispier than regular bread crumbs, ensuring that your pork chops will be extra crispy. Grated Parmesan cheese adds lots of flavor to the breading.
• Seasoning: Dried parsley flakes fleck the breading, adding visual interest. Paprika, salt and pepper are added, too.

Cooking Tip

Wondering what to do with the buttermilk remaining in the carton? Try making your own ranch dressing. It’s so much tastier (and better for you) than bottled dressing and a salad made with ranch dressing goes great with these pork chops.

How it comes together

Marinate the pork. In a baking dish that will accommodate the chops in a single layer, blend the mustard into the buttermilk. Add the chops, turn once so they are covered in the marinade. Cover the dish and put it in the fridge. Allow at least a couple of hours to marinate the pork. Overnight is fine, too.

Combine breading ingredients. After the pork has marinated, mix together the panko, Parmesan cheese, and seasonings in a shallow bowl.

Coat the pork chops. Remove each pork chop from the marinade, letting the excess drip off. You don’t have to wipe it off; the buttermilk that remains on the pork chops will help the breading stick. Coat both sides of the marinated pork chops with the breading mixture, pressing it on to adhere. Discard the remaining marinade.

Air fry. Arrange the pork chops in your air fryer in a single layer. Air fry for about 25 minutes, flipping them once. We usually use tongs. The pork chops should release fairly easily from the air fryer basket when you turn them. If they’re sticking, air fry them a couple more minutes and try again.

Ways to change it

• Adjust for thinner or thicker pork chops. Cooking time will depend on the thickness of the pork chop. This recipe is written for a 1 ½-inch chop, which will take 25 minutes; a 1-inch chop will take 12 to 14 minutes. An instant read thermometer is a standby way to tell if your chops are done. The internal temperature should be about 145ºF. When you cut into a chop, the inside should be slightly pink and juicy.
• Try a different breading or skip it. Traditional bread crumbs can be substituted for panko. You can use day old bread to make your from-scratch bread crumbs, too. If you want to leave the breading off completely, try air fryer pork chops. They are made with a straightforward rub which gives them plenty of flavor. You’ll still have great juicy pork chops.
• Make them in your oven. This recipe for breaded pork chops is similar but the pork chops are baked instead.
• Not a fan of pork? Try air fryer chicken nuggets or air fryer chicken tenders. Air fryer breaded shrimp or air fryer coconut shrimp are rich, too!

Serving Ideas

Salads: A tossed salad with from-scratch ranch dressing is a straightforward side. For a special dinner, try a wedge salad with blue cheese dressing. From-scratch coleslaw goes well with pork. Creamy potato salad or grilled ratatouille pasta salad are more substantial salads.

Carbs: Instant Pot rice or Instant Pot baked potatoes would be great!

Veggies: Any roasted vegetable, like roasted broccoli would go well. German red cabbage (sweet & sour) or sugar snap peas are great too.

Dessert: Try fresh blueberry pie with from-scratch no churn ice cream, or Kahlúa brownies.

Keeping leftovers

These pork chops are best eaten immediately, but if you have leftovers, refrigerate them for up to three days. To reheat, you can pop the pork chops back in the air fryer for 5 to 6 minutes to warm them up and crisp up the breading, or eat them cold. We like them sliced on a sandwich.

• Yield: 4
• Prep: 10 minutes
• Cook: 25 minutes
• Total: 2 hours 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 (8 ounces each) boneless pork chops (1 ½ inches thick)
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (optional)
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
• olive oil spray (optional)

Method

1. Whisk together buttermilk and mustard in a baking dish.
2. Add pork chops to the baking dish, turning to coat in buttermilk mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight.
3. In a shallow bowl, combine panko, Parmesan, parsley, paprika, salt and pepper.
4. Remove pork from buttermilk mixture, letting excess drip off. Coat in panko mixture and place in air fryer in a single layer. If they don't fit, you may need to do them in batches depending on the size of your air fryer. To enhance browning, lightly spray the pork chops with olive oil spray (optional).
5. Cook for 15 minutes at 400ºF, flip and cook 8 to 10 minutes more, or until internal temperature reaches 145ºF when checked with an instant read thermometer (see notes). Enjoy immediately.

Notes

Pro tip: Don’t overcook the pork chops! Overcooked pork chops will be dry and tougher, even with the buttermilk marinade. A standby way to check if they’re done is use an instant read thermometer; cook just until internal temperature reaches 145ºF. If you slice into the pork chop, it should be slightly pink and juicy, not bloody red. Adjust the cooking time if you have thinner or thicker pork chops.

Thinner pork chops: Pork chops that are ¾ to 1-inch thick should be cooked 7 minutes, flipped, then 5 to 7 minutes more.

Baked breaded pork chops: If you don’t have an air fryer, try oven-baked breaded pork chops.

Storage/reheating: Refrigerate leftover pork chops in a covered container for up to 3 days. To re-crisp the breading, reheat the pork chops in your air fryer for 5 minutes or until heated through.