Easy Crispiest Air Fryer Pork Chops | Recipes From A Pantry (2024)

FAQs

How long does pork chops take in air fryer? ›

Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Once preheated, spray each side of the pork chops using cooking spray, and place them in the air fryer basket. Cook for 5 minutes, then flip and cook another 4-6 minutes, until browned and crispy. Measure the internal temperature using a meat thermometer (it should reach 140°F).

Place pork chops in a single layer in the air fryer (cook in two batches if needed). To cook boneless pork chops: Air fry at 400° F for 5 minutes. Then flip the pork chops over and continue to cook for 3-7 more minutes, until the internal temperature of the center of the pork chops is 145° F.

If your pork chops are tough, it is probably because you overcooked them. My secret trick, as I talked about earlier, is to cook the pork chops to an internal temperature of 140°F, and then take them out of the air fryer basket and let the pork chops rest until the internal temperature hits 145°F.

Don't add any liquid and don't cover the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until internal temperature registers 145°F on an instant-read thermometer (for ¾- to 1-inch-thick chops, plan on 6 to 10 minutes), turning meat occasionally. If meat browns too quickly, reduce heat to medium-low.

Slow cooking is probably my favorite way to cook pork chops. It's an easy and foolproof way to make pork chops that are fork tender, which is the way I like them.

The best oils to use in the air fryer are high smoke point oils that won't burn at high temperatures. Some examples of high smoke point oils are avocado oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil, and light olive oil.

Place the chops in a single layer in the air fryer basket (you cannot stack pork chops in an air fryer). The temperature you should air fry pork chops at is 375 degrees F. Cook them for 5 minutes, then flip them over.

Pork Chop Seasoning Ingredients

Smoked paprika – Or regular paprika works great as well. Dried herbs – Dried thyme and dried oregano. Black pepper – Feel free to swap in white pepper instead. Cayenne pepper – You could also use chili powder, which would be less spicy.

However, it's pretty tempting to throw a little foil in there to catch any drips and make clean-up even easier, but is that allowed? The short answer is yes, you can put aluminum foil in the air fryer.

Quick roasting in an air fryer is the best method to cook a pork roast without it drying out. Also, using a meat thermometer to ensure that it doesn't get overcooked is key to keeping this cut of meat moist and tender. It is also really important to rest it for at least ten minutes after cooking.

How do you keep pork chops from sticking to the air fryer? ›

Acids help tenderize the pork chops by breaking down the protein in the meat. Here are some examples of ingredients that can act as tenderizers: Soy sauce: Acts as a tenderizing brine and adds significant flavor. Apple cider vinegar: Another acidic ingredient that's also amazingly healthy (I love cooking with it).

Overcooked Pork Chops Are Tough

When they're cooked for even a few minutes too long, whether it's in the oven or on the stovetop or grill, they're quick to dry out, and — you guessed it — become tough, chewy, and less than appealing. This is partly due to carry-over cooking.

Why does breading fall off pork chops? Breading can fall off when your oil is not hot enough or the meat is too wet.

However, washing raw poultry, beef, pork, lamb or veal before cooking it is not recommended. Bacteria in raw meat and poultry juices can be spread to other foods, utensils and surfaces. We call this cross-contamination.

Instead of cutting it off before or after the chop is cooked, stand the chop on its side in the pan with your tongs and get that fat rendered, brown, and crispy.

The quickest way to cook pork chops is to pan-fry or griddle them. As the chops can be quite large, this method is best when serving one or two people. If you're cooking for more you might want to try roasting or grilling.

You'll want to rub both sides of your pork chops with olive oil before adding your salt and pepper. Why? Because fat is a carrier of flavor and can aid in browning, crisping, and caramelizing.

Dry the outside of the food properly before you add oil. Do not use too much oil, as this will make the food less crispy and more fattening. Meat or poultry can be lightly brushed with oil or marinated to get the crispiest results.

Most meats (besides some frozen) do not need oil.

This includes if you just need to spray a baking sheet to make it not stick. You can, however, choose to marinate meat with ingredients such as oil, like these Air Fryer Chicken Thighs recipe.

Can I use Pam in air fryer? ›

You should never use an aerosol like Pam on your air fryer basket as it will damage the coating. That said, if you're working from a recipe that needs a bit of extra oil (like French fries), you can spray Pam directly on the food. My advice is to stick with one of the oil spray for air fryer options on the list above.

I found that spraying with oil halfway through cooking gets the best crisp on most foods. I tend to wait and spray halfway through cooking unless it's an item that doesn't need spraying, like fatty meats. Coated food items should be sprayed. Also, spray any dry flour spots that still appear halfway through air frying.

Using cooking oils that can stand up to a high temperature is key. Extra virgin olive oil is not an air fry-friendly oil due to its low smoke point, but extra light olive oil can be used for air frying because of its high smoke point.

The air fryer is especially suited for cooking foods that you want extra crispy or crunchy, such as French fries, fried chicken and baked potatoes with crispy skins. It's also one of my favorite ways to cook meats such as steak or chicken, since they always turn out juicy and flavorful.

Air-fried foods are touted as a healthy alternative to deep-fried foods, thanks to their lower content of fat and calories. Instead of completely submerging the food in oil, air-frying requires just a tablespoon (15 mL) of oil to achieve a similar taste and texture to deep-fried foods.

Baking pork chops at 350 degrees F will result in more gently cooked and tender pork chops, but it will take more time. This temperature is ideal for thicker chops (between 1 and 2 inches) as well as pan-seared chops, since the lower, slower baking ensures that the pork cooks all the way through.

Cook pork, roasts, and chops to 145 ºF as measured with a food thermometer before removing meat from the heat source, with a three-minute rest time before carving or consuming. This will result in a product that is both safe and at its best quality—juicy and tender.

The safe internal pork cooking temperature for fresh cuts is 145° F. To check doneness properly, use a digital cooking thermometer. Fresh cut muscle meats such as pork chops, pork roasts, pork loin, and tenderloin should measure 145° F, ensuring the maximum amount of flavor.

Some of the best seasoning to pair with pork are salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Some other spices and herbs that pair well with pork are cumin, chili powder, rosemary and much more!

What makes pork chops taste good? ›

Like steak or chicken, pork also needs a lot of salt to bring out all the flavor. If you really want to be fancy, you can brine the pork chops in some salt water (season it with other stuff like whole peppercorns and bay leaves).

What seasonings go well with pork? The sweetness of brown sugar is a great balance to the natural savoriness of pork. Cumin, thyme, oregano, and mustard all mix beautifully with pork as well. And chili powder and paprika both add spice without overpowering.

Parchment paper is a wonderful alternative to aluminum foil for both oven baking/roasting and air-frying.

Any glass you use in an air fryer should be tempered and oven-safe. The best options for air fryer cooking are those glasses made of borosilicate glass, like the well-known brand Pyrex.

Because pork chops are such a lean cut, they are relatively quick-cooking and prone to overcooking. When they're cooked for even a few minutes too long, whether it's in the oven or on the stovetop or grill, they're quick to dry out, and — you guessed it — become tough, chewy, and less than appealing.

Avoid Overcooking with the Stovetop to Oven Method

Pork chops are a tender, quick-cooking cut of meat — so quick-cooking, in fact, that they're very easy to overcook. This is why I like to start the chops on the stovetop, where they get a good sear, and then transfer them to the oven to finish cooking.

In Chinese cooking, proteins like beef, pork or chicken are velveted first before stir-frying them. There are several ways to velvet, but at its most basic level, it involves marinating meat with at least one ingredient that will make it alkaline. This is what tenderizes the meat, especially cheaper, tougher cuts.

Milk is more effective in tenderizing meat than other marinades. The milk enzymes break the proteins, softening the fibers and making the meat more tender. And the milk-tenderized pork chops will remain juicier, and the risk of them drying out during cooking will reduce.

Will soaking pork chops in milk make them more tender? ›

Brining with milk is a great way to tenderize pork and other meats. The brining process opens up the protein to absorb the flavours of your brine and prevents it from drying during the cooking process.

Butter is important because it adds great flavor to the nutty meat. And oil, with its higher smoke point, helps stop the butter from burning so you can cook the pork at a higher temperature, according to The Washington Post. You can use any neutral, unflavored vegetable oil, such as safflower.

When you're frying thin pork chops over medium-high to high heat, 2 to 3 minutes per side is just right for browning and cooking them all the way through. For thicker chops, brown on both sides then check the internal temperature with a digital thermometer. It will take 5 to 6 minutes per side to completely cook them.

Pork Loin Porterhouse

They are commonly regarded as the most tender and flavorful chop, however, given that the loin and tenderloin cook at different rates, they can be a tricky chop to master. Porterhouse can be grilled, broiled, or roasted, but sear on a cast-iron pan for best first-time results.

Fat is key to keeping pork chops moist

Basting them with fat, such as butter. Add in aromatics while basting for more flavor — similar to how you might cook a steak — and then you have the added bonus of browned butter and crispy garlic and/or herbs to serve with the meat.

Bake pork chops uncovered first (more on the timings below) at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Once they're done (the safe internal temperature is 145 degrees Fahrenheit), remove and cover them with foil. Let the chops stand three minutes before serving.

Baking the pork chops covered creates a pocket of steam and causes it be become tender in the process. I then remove the foil and let it bake at a higher heat which then browns the outside. This is one of my favorite ways to cook pork! The pork chops were juicy, tender and packed full of flavor.