Crispy Breaded Pork Chops Recipe

On busy nights, we all like a nice quick and easy recipe, and this one for breaded pork chops fits the bill. As recipe developer Melissa Olivieri tells us, they make "a great addition to any weeknight meal," assuring us they can be "on the table in 30 minutes." All you'll need to do is add a salad — or maybe some noodles or quick-cooking rice — and you'll have yourself a complete meal.

These pork chops are extra-crispy, Olivieri says, due to the panko breadcrumbs used to coat them. She also employs what she calls a "double dredge method" of dipping the chops in both flour and breadcrumbs instead of simply in seasoned flour alone. Using flour, egg, and breadcrumbs, she says, is "necessary for getting that beautiful golden brown exterior when pan frying" and to avoid the dreaded "soggy chop syndrome" that might otherwise arise as the chops sit cooling on the plate. So let's get crispin'!

Besides the pork chops themselves, you will need panko breadcrumbs, an egg, flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder for the breading. You will also need some cooking oil in which to fry the chops. That's it: just these simple pantry staples, plus pork chops. You can, of course, "customize [the seasonings] to your tastes," as Olivieri puts it, by adding spices such as chipotle powder, oregano, or any other flavors you fancy. 

As a first step in cooking, preheat the oven to 350 F. You should also take a paper towel and pat the chops dry so the breading will stick. You'll now want to set up your breading station: Mix the flour, garlic, and salt and put it a dish, then beat the egg in another dish. Pour the panko into a third dish.

Before you begin breading the chops, Olivieri suggests you pour your oil into the pan and let it preheat. As she explains, "You want a nice, hot pan for the initial sear on the pork to crisp it." Once that's underway, you can start the breading. Dip one chop into the egg, then into the flour, then back in the egg, and finally into the breadcrumbs, making sure it's coated. Repeat the process with the remaining chops.

Put the breaded chops into the hot frying pan and cook them for 5 to 7 minutes. Flip them over and allow them to cook for 5 to 7 more minutes on the other side. Once the chops are browned, place them on a wire rack set over a baking pan.

Once you've fried all your chops and they're sitting on that wire rack, toss the baking pan into the oven and bake them for 8 to 12 minutes — how much time they'll need will depend on how thick they are. The best way to know they are done is to use a meat thermometer to test them. Once the thermometer reads 145 F, they're good to go. There's a chance that you may not even need this final step of baking. As Olivieri tells us, "If you have thinner chops, then the pan fry will be enough." 

Assuming you've used fairly large chops here, you may have enough to feed three, but if you're dining solo, no worries. Olivieri assures us "these chops are great reheated," with her preferred method being 5 minutes in the air fryer to keep them crispy.