The BEST Fried Pork Chops Recipe (Takes 10 Minutes To Prep)

These pan fried pork chops are a classic Southern dish that's loaded with flavor! This recipe combines tender, juicy chops with a perfectly seasoned breading to create a dish that's to die for. But these Southern fried pork chops aren't just super delicious, they're also super easy to make. In fact, from start to finish, they only take 20 minutes to make.

The Best Fried Pork Chops

If you've been looking for an easy pork chop recipe, you won't find a better one than these. Seriously, just a few simple steps - and a few minutes - stand in your way of making the most delish fried pork chops ever. 

In fact, this recipe has to be one of my favorite pork chop recipes of all time. And that's saying something because this pork chop casserole is pretty darn good. With that said though, the perfectly seasoned crunchy breading on these fried chops is tough to beat. Plus, they just turn out so, so juicy too.

Now, every great main dish needs a great side dish to go with it. So, if you're looking for some tasty recipes to pair with these chops, you can't go wrong making these easy cheesy mashed potatoes, these turnip greens, this cream cheese corn, or these honey-glazed carrots to go with 'em.

Ingredients

One of the best things about this Southern fried pork chops recipe is that it only requires a few simple ingredients to make it. And honestly, I can almost guarantee that you already have everything you need at your house to make it.

Anyway, here's everything you'll need to make 'em:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• ½ tsp.  black pepper
• ½ tsp. paprika
• ¼ tsp. garlic powder
• 2 eggs
• 4 boneless pork chops
• 1 cup vegetable oil

How simple is that?

By the way, if you have any remaining pork chops left over, you can use them in this incredible moo shoo pork recipe next or you can use 'em to make these shake and bake pork chops.

INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS & SUGGESTIONS

While I recommend making these fried pork chops with the ingredients listed above, there are definitely some fun ways to experiment with this recipe. So, with that said, I'll go over a few suggestions below.

Add other spices and seasonings to your flour

Onion powder, seasoning salt/seasoned salt, hot sauce, cayenne pepper, and smoked paprika can all bring new flavor dimensions to this fried pork chop dish. Just keep in mind that if you do use seasoned salt, you'll just need to adjust the amount of regular salt in the recipe.

Switch the vegetable oil

If you don't have any vegetable oil, canola oil makes a great substitute and won't affect the flavor of your fried pork chops. Honestly, you could even use avocado oil, macadamia nut oil, or even olive oil - really, any frying oil will work.

How to Make Fried Pork Chops

Alright, now it's time to get down to the good stuff and these fried pork chops!

And I know I've said this a few times already but making this fried pork chops recipe is about as easy as it gets.

So, with that said, let's not waste any more time and get cooking!

Step 1: Prepare The Pork Chops

First, you'll make the flour mixture that will give each pork chop all of its flavors.

So, to do that, you'll want to mix the flour, salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder in a bowl. Then, in another bowl, you'll want to beat your eggs to create the egg wash.

Now, when that egg wash is looking good, you can dip each pork chop in the egg wash and then in the seasoned flour mixture - just make sure it’s completely covered on both sides when you do.

Step 2: Pan fry The pork chops

Now that you've done that, it's time to pan fry pork chops!

So, first, you'll want to heat the oil of your choice to 350°F (180ºC) in a cast iron skillet or a large pan. A large skillet is best because it'll give you plenty of room to make sure your pork chops cook evenly.

Now, when you're oil is hot, you can place the pork chops in the cast iron skillet and fry 'em in the hot oil for about 5-7 minutes per side or until they're golden brown. Also, just so you know you can raise the heat of your burner to medium-high if the pork chops are cooking slowly.

By the way, If you're not sure whether your pork chops are cooked, you can use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of them - it should be about 145°F.

Anyway, once you've got your pork chops fried to temperature, you can line a plate with paper towels and transfer them to the plate to remove any excess grease.

Step 3: Serve The Pan Fried Pork Chops

Now, once you've given your pan fried pork chops a chance to degrease a bit, you can serve 'em with your favorite side of choice and enjoy 'em.

How to Store Fried Pork Chops

This recipe for pan fried pork chops makes 4 servings so it's perfect to make for a big family dinner. You might even get lucky and have some leftovers.

Speaking of leftovers, if you do end up with some, you can put them in an airtight container or wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and then store 'em in a sealed bag in the fridge. Stored either one of those ways your cooked pork chops should stay good for 3-4 days.

How to Freeze Fried Pork Chops

Alternatively, if you want to store your pan fried pork chops for even longer, you can freeze 'em for up to 3 months.

So, to freeze your fried pork chops, you'll just want to put them in a freezer-safe container or a freezer safe bag.

How to Reheat Fried Pork Chops

Once you're ready to enjoy these pan fried pork chops again, you can either eat them cold or reheat them. I think they're best reheated though.

With that said, to reheat your leftover pork chops, just put them in an oven safe pan/dish and warm them in the oven at 350°F for around 10-15 minutes - or until hot throughout.

FAQS About This Fried Pork Chops Recipe

Do I need to pound the pork chops with a meat mallet?

As long as your pork chops are not too thick, you don't need to use a meat mallet to tenderize them. With that said, just look for pork chops that are less than an inch thick, and they should cook through perfectly without pounding.

However, if your pork chops are thicker than an inch, you'll want to use a meat mallet to pound them out a bit. Just place the chops between layers of plastic wrap and pound them thinner before frying 'em. After that, you'll want to follow the same cooking process as I described above.

Can I use bone-in pork chops instead of boneless pork chops?

Definitely! Bone-in pork chops make a great substitute for boneless pork chops and you can totally use them to make this fried chops recipe. Just keep in mind that if you do, you may need to use a heavy pan - or a grill press - to make sure the chop is frying evenly. You also may need to increase the cooking time slightly if you're using a bone-in chop.

Can I make this pork chop recipe in an air fryer rather than a pan?

Yes, you can use an air fryer to cook the pork chops rather than frying them in a cast iron skillet. If you do use an air fryer you'll want to just lightly coat your chops in cooking spray before cooking 'em. Then, as far as cooking them goes, they should cook up nicely in about 12 minutes at 400°F. Just make sure you flip them halfway through cooking.

Wrapping It Up

Well, that's how to make fried pork chops in just a few simple steps!

Honestly, these Southern fried pork chops are just so, so good my family simply can't get enough of them. From the crispy flavorful breading to the tender, juicy, and meaty inside pork chops really don't get much better than this. Plus, as you already know, they're super easy to make too.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy these pan fried pork chops as much as I/we do!

If you give it a try, let me know in the comments what you think.

More Southern Recipes

If these pan fried pork chops have gotten you in the mood for some more Southern favorites, we have a bunch on the blog that you can try next:

Here are some reader favorites:

• Pulled pork casserole
• John Wayne casserole
• Cornbread chili casserole
• Baked BBQ pork chops
• Southern meatloaf
• Sweet potato cobbler

Oh, and as always, make sure to check us out on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube! We post new recipes on them every day.

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