Easy Pan Fried Pork Chops
These easy pan fried pork chops are the best way to get dinner on the table in 10-minutes!
All you do is lightly season thin, bone-in pork chops, give ’em a quick flash-fry in an oil/butter mixture and fry to a nice golden brown. No egg or heavy breading involved.
Why this recipe works
- This is a super easy recipe with simple ingredients– bone-in chops, a little all-purpose flour, Lawry’s seasoned salt, black pepper, garlic powder, cayenne pepper (optional), frying oil (canola or vegetable oil) and butter
- Quick dinner-pork cooks really fast, so there’s no need for a slow cooker instant pot or air fryer; just a well- seasoned cast iron skillet and some tongs to flip the pork chops
- The light dusting of seasoned flour gives the chops a nice golden brown, crisp coating without being heavily breaded
- Use whatever kind of pork chops you have – the cooking time for tender pork chops is determined by the thickness of the chop; thick, boneless chops may take a little longer than thin cut chops (thin-cut chops are sometimes called “breakfast pork chops”)
Here’s what you’ll need
- For best results, I recommend using thin to medium thick chops that are bone-in. The pork bone gives this easy recipe an extra great flavor and it’s the easiest way to hold onto the chop while you’re digging in! (Yes, you’re allowed to use your hands to eat these if you want!)
- All-purpose flour- a light dusting of seasoned flour does the trick for a crispy outside
- Seasoned salt – I use Lawry’s but you can use any brand
- Garlic powder
- Cayenne pepper- (optional)-I just use 1/2 teaspoon, but if you don’t like any heat, omit it
- Salt and black pepper- the secret to a well-seasoned chop is lots of black pepper
- Frying oil – canola or vegetable
- Butter -salted or unsalted
How to make the best pan fried pork chops
Here’s an overview of how to make these; for specific instructions and ingredient measurements, see the recipe card below
Prep the meat by either rinsing it under tap water or pat dry with a paper towel
Lightly season both sides of the pork chops with a little salt and black pepper and set aside
In a flat bowl, combine all-purpose flour, seasoned salt, garlic powder, black pepper and cayenne pepper if you want a little heat on the chops; give that a good stir with a fork then heat the cast iron skillet and oil
The exact amount of oil will depend upon the size of your frying pan, the number of pork chops your frying and the thickness of the chops- see the Recipe tips and Recipe notes below
Heat the oil up to about medium-high heat, then add in the butter; once the butter has melted (after about 2-3 minutes), you’re ready to go!
Dredge the seasoned pork chop in the flour mixture, shake off any excess flour and place it in the hot oil; let it cook on the first side for 2-3 minutes then flip it and cook the other side for 3-4 minutes.
You want a good sear on both sides, so sneak a peek from the bottom of the pan to see if your pork chop is crispy golden brown (the typical cook time for 3 chops in a pan is 5-8 minutes); however, the exact cooking time will be based upon how thick the chops are -thicker pork chops take longer.
Recipe tips
For this recipe, I use a 12″inch cast iron skillet, 3/4 cup of canola oil or vegetable oil and 2 tablespoons of butter (salted butter or unsalted butter – your call); do not use olive oil – it cannot tolerate the high heat
Use an accurate digital meat thermometer to test the doneness; there should be no visible pink and the safe temperature to serve is 145°F
Test the temperature in the center of the piece of meat – do not put the thermometer next to the bone. If you put the thermometer next to the bone, you’ll get an inaccurate reading because the pork bone gets hotter faster than the meat.
FAQ
The skillet pork chop is done when the internal temperature reaches 140-145°F ; you’ll want to test the temperature with a digital thermometer or a good meat thermometer at the thickest part of the chop and not near the bone.
There should be no visible pink color on the meat; if you’re making more than three thin-cut chops, I recommend heating the oven to 200°F and place the cooked chops on a baking sheet while you finish cooking the remaining ones
If you want to make a gravy for the pan-fried pork chops, reserve a little of the frying oil in the cast iron pan you fried the chops; turn the heat to medium, sprinkle in a little flour and cook for 3-4 minutes; add water, chicken broth or milk and whisk until the gravy reaches a smooth consistency; season to taste with salt and black pepper
The best way to reheat pan fried pork chops is to wrap them in aluminum foil, place them on a baking sheet in a 325°F oven until they’re warmed throughout.
Storage and reheating
Store leftover pork chops in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The best way to reheat pan fried pork chops is to wrap them in aluminum foil, place them on a baking sheet in a 325°F oven until they’re warmed throughout.
Side dishes for fried chops
In the South, we usually serve green beans and mashed potatoes with this meal. This basic pork chop recipe pairs beautifully with candied sweet potatoes, collard greens or a big steakhouse loaded baked potato!
This quick and easy recipe is a great way to get dinner on the table fast!
More favorite recipes
- Pan Fried Trout with Smokehouse Almonds
- Restaurant-Quality Fried Catfish
- Purple Hull and Black Eyed Peas: how to season and cook
- Southern Collard Greens
- Smothered Okra and Tomatoes
Pan Fried Pork Chops
Equipment
- Cast iron skillet (recommended)
- Meat thermometer
- Tongs
Ingredients
- 8 bone-in pork chops about ½" inch thick
- kosher salt and ground black pepper to lightly season pork chops prior to dredging in flour (about ¼ teaspoon each per side)
Flour Mixture
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspooon seasoned salt See recipe notes
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt , for flour mixture
- 1½ teaspoons ground black pepper , for flour mixture
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional) See recipe notes
- ¾ cup frying oil: canola or vegetable See recipe notes
- 2 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted
Instructions
- Rinse and/or pat dry pork chops with paper towel; lightly season both sides of chops with salt and pepper (about ¼ teaspoon each per side); set aside8 bone-in pork chops about ½" inch thick, kosher salt and ground black pepper to lightly season pork chops prior to dredging in flour (about ¼ teaspoon each per side)
- In a large flat bowl, combine flour, seasoned salt, garlic powder, cayenne pepper (optional), salt and black pepper; combine with fork and set aside1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspooon seasoned salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional), 1½ teaspoons ground black pepper
- Use tongs and dredge each chop through the flour mixture; place on clean plate
- Add oil to cast iron skillet and bring to medium-high heat; add butter; when butter is melted, add in flour-coated chops in a single layer; cook 2-3 minutes until bottom is golden brown¾ cup frying oil: canola or vegetable, 2 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted
- Flip chops and cook another 2-3 minutes until internal temperature reaches 145°F; remove from pan and drain on wire rack or paper towels; repeat process as needed
