This recipe for the Best Damn Air Fryer Pork Chops is so juicy, tender and delicious, it’s sure to quickly become a favorite air fryer recipe. With a few simple ingredients, and only 12 minutes cook time, these air fryer pork chops are perfect for a tasty dinner any day of the week.
Let me start my saying how much i’m loving my air fryer. I’ve owned a lot of kitchen gadgets over the years and my two favorites are my air fryer and my Instant Pot. And honestly, not far behind in my George Foreman Grill – but that’s a discussion for another day. The thing about an air fryer, it that, well, you’re not really frying in the traditional sense. It’s honestly more like a rapid cook oven/broiler. And there’s plenty of times I don’t want to heat up the house by turning the regular oven on. Besides, for this pork chop recipe I get the best results in the air fryer anyways!
What are the best pork chops for the air fryer?
I’ve found that the very best pork chops for the air fryer are thick, center cut, bone-in chops. I try to get them as thick as possible – somewhere between 1 1/2 inches to 2 inches thick. The reason I like the thick chops the best is that with the cooking time required, it’s gives the pork chops a beautiful char on all sides. Thin pork chops will cook to quickly and never get that nice char on them. Thick pork chops require a cooking time of about 12 minutes. And with our rub from this recipe, we get that beautiful char on them that’s delicious!
Make a rub for air fryer pork chops
For this recipe for air fryer pork chops, we will not be breading the pork chops. Rather, we will be making a rub seasoning mix which we are going to very liberally apply to the meat. The rub is very simple too. We’ll use brown sugar, paprika, ground mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. we mix it together and rub it all in to pork chops that have been rinsed, dried, and coated with a little olive oil. Rinsing the pork chops and patting them dry with a paper towel is important to don’t skip that step.
Preheat your air fryer
Preheating your air fryer is an important step! You’ll want to preheat at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. Then when it’s ready, cook the pork chops in the air fryer for 12 minutes, flipping chops over after 6 minutes.
When the pork chops are done, remove them from the air fryer and place them on a plate and let them rest for a couple of minutes. Then you’re ready to serve and enjoy! There will be a nice juice that will form from the seasonings and the natural juices of the pork. Slice the pork chops in thin slices, and get some of the seasoned juice on each bite. You’re gonna love it!
Best Damn Air Fryer Pork Chops
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 12 min
- Total Time: 17 minutes
- Yield: 2
- Category: Pork chops
- Method: air fryer
- Cuisine: American
Description
Juicy, tender and delicious air fryer pork chops.
Ingredients
- 2 center-cut, bone-in pork chops, 1 1/2 – 2 inches thick
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1–2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees for 5 minutes
- Rinse pork chops with cool water and pat dry completely with a paper towel.
- In a small bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients.
- Coat the pork chops with olive oil and rub in the mix. Rub it in well and liberally. Use almost all of the rub mix for the 2 pork chops.
- Cook pork chops in air fryer at 400 degrees for 12 minutes, flipping pork chops over after 6 minutes.
Keywords: air fryer, pork chops
What a recipe! We had all the spices in our cabinet. We had four large pork chops so we doubled the amount of spices. We ended up putting about 2tsp of seasoning on each side of the chops (so 4tsp seasoning per chop). We decided to just cook one pork chop at a time so that the air fryer wouldn’t be crowded.
Let’s talk about the flavor — my, my, my! We usually eat our chops with some 57 sauce or A1 on the side. These damn chops didn’t need anything extra. My husband cleaned all the meat off the bones (and almost ate the bone too. Haha!!) Our 2 year old daughter and 9 year old son ate their full servings of the pork chops.
We served our pork chops with smashed potatoes and broccoli. This recipe is a keeper! I’m going to share it with all my friends.
★★★★★
You just made my day, MyKeshea!! I’m so glad you all enjoyed it so much and your feedback is awesome!
These were a big hit in my house. I did have to cook them a little longer than the recipe called for. But regardless they were absolutely delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
These came out really great! The only downside is my air fryer did get a little messy front when flipping the pork chops. It was a hit with the family and I would definitely make them again.
★★★★
I have pork chops that aren’t bone in. Do you suggest altering the temperature/cook time? Excited to try this recipe!
Hi Lexi, maybe just a couple of minutes less time. Same temp and everything else.
One of the best pork chops I’ve ever had! It was so juicy and the flavor was Just phenomenal! This will definitely be a regular in my menu planning from now on. I’m new to airfrying, so I’m looking forward to trying some of your other recipes. This one will be hard to beat, though. New favorite! Thank you for sharing!
★★★★★
Awesome, Lisa! Thank you!
You’ve set a new standard for delicious pork chops. And so quick and easy. Thank you!
★★★★★
These pork chops were the absolute best! I have never made a decent chop – ever – until today! Just delicious! I think I will make them again tomorrow! And then I am going to make the air fryer fajitas! Keep those airfryer recipes coming!!!
★★★★★
cooked these in our air fryer yesterday for the first time and I agree that they are the best damn pork chops we’ve ever had.
★★★★★
I altered this recipe due to taste and what I had on hand- it was great! First, I cut the sugar in half. Next, I didn’t have mustard seed so I rubbed some mustard in with the olive oil. Lastly, I use bone in fattier type of pork chops. My husband and I loved them! This is a keeper recipe. Thank you!
★★★★★
Thank you, Pam!
Everyone loved them! Im not a pork chop fan, I was tired of the mundane cooking and decided to make these. Wonderful flavor, Added more smiles at our family meal.
★★★★★
Wow! Best ever pork chop. I am fairly new at air frying and decided to try this recipe because I have never been good at frying a pork chop in a pan. This came out juicy and tender. The rub is what made it. I will never cook a pork chop any other way!
★★★★★
I have bone in pork chops. What temp and time do you suggest?
Just as the recipe is written.
Wow! Apt title. Hubby loved it tasted the sweet and spicy. Only had 4 thin chops and air fryer doesn’t have preheat or timer so had to wing it. Probably 5 minutes for the thin but think I’ll make rub and keep in jar. Keeper recipe thanks!!
★★★★★
Just purchased my first Air Fryer. I was looking up recipes on Pinterest and found this one for pork chops. Just as the name of this recipe states they were the best! No need to look for another recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Cindy!!
Over the top fablous!! Never have I ever had a better tasting pork chop. Steakhouse high dollar chops have NOTHING on these. I fixed this today for my Daddy for Father’s Day and he loved them so much he asked for the recipe for the rub. Thank you for sharing! P.S. I should’ve taken a picture, because they were beautiful, but we gobbled them up before I though of it. 🙂
★★★★★
Lol I love it!! Thanks so much for the kind words, Tammy! Hmmm, maybe I should think about opening a high dollar steakhouse now. 😉
Wow!!!! Can’t say enough about these. Everyone loved them. My husband (who is the main chef in our family and very picky) couldn’t say anything but, “These chops awesomely ROCK!!”. The brown sugar I used was regular sugar mixed with molasses. The rub is certainly a keeper. The char is fantastic, moist, tender. I used 1.5 inch center cut, bone in chops. Thank you so much for this recipe.
★★★★★
Yes!! Thanks so much, Connie!! I appreciate the feedback.
OMGosh! These ARE the Best Damn Air Fryer Pork Chops! They were juicy and had a wonderful flavor. Could very easily be pork chop crack! 😊 My Air Fryer has 3 shelves. I cooked 7 chops together and it took about 17 minutes for those on the top shelf and 22 for those on the other two shelves. They were thinner than 1″. This recipe is getting added to the rotation. Everyone loved them. I’m looking forward to trying more of your recipes. Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
Exactly as the recipe said! Amazing! Had me saying cuss words they were so good!
★★★★★
I purchased an air fryer about a month ago, and decided to try pork chops as my first meal, I tried this pork chop recipe and I must tell you, it was the absolute best tasting pork chop I’ve ever tasted. The flavor was amazing! I’ve already asked my husband to take out pork chops for dinner tonight, and I will definitely be using this same recipe:)
thanks!
That’s very cool. I’m so glad you maiden voyage with the air fryer was one of my favorite recipes! Thank you for the feedback!
Hi do you use the air fry setting to cook these or the bake setting ?? I plan on trying them tonight
Air fry
Unbelievable. Interrupted dinner to post. Thank you so much. Just wish i had dropped some potatoes in the fryer to go with the roassted brussel sprouts and salad. Desert is coming soon!
Right on, Ronny!! Thanks for the feedback. And I hope dessert is awesome too!
Great recipe! Very seldom do I follow a recipe without tweaking. This recipe didn’t need tweaking although I did add a teaspoon of red pepper flakes because we like heat. The dry rub was so tasty I made a batch x5 and put in a jar to use later. The rub is also fantastic on chicken wings!!
★★★★★
Thanks, Shawna! Some red pepper flakes definitely add a nice little flare.
Haven’t had a pork chop in probably 15 years. These were amazing! Had to share with all of my friends. Definitely need to make with thick cuts. Absolutely picture worthy!
★★★★★
This was the juiciest and most flavorful pork chop I’ve ever made. I added more garlic powder because I like garlic. I’ll definitely be making these again.
★★★★★
I made this recipe last night. My husband and I couldn’t believe how perfect the pork chops turned out–more flavorful and juicy than any pork chops we’ve ever had–and we’ve been around a long time:). I was a bit hesitant to use so much paprika in the rub…but I’m so happy that I followed the recipe exactly. All I can say is this: There is no reason for me to ever use any other pork chop recipe.
★★★★★
Damn good! I made them with rosemary and thyme instead of the ground mustard at my wife’s request. They were boneless, but perfectly done inside. I let them rest while I made onion rings in the same air fryer (10 minutes), so that helped. Spot on recipe – thank you!
I made these with a 2in thick chop wrapped in bacon. I have a power air fryer pro plus and I cooked it on the meat setting (400°) for 12 mins, flipped it at the 6 min mark and used a meat thermometer and it wasn’t cooked all the way. I put them back in for another 12 mins flipping them at the 6 min mark and rechecked the chop temp it was perfect at 165° done! Best pork chops in awhile! Love the rub!
★★★★★
Oh goodness I can only imagine how awesome it must have been with bacon wrapped chops! Thank you for the feedback, Kikki!
These were delicious and moist! Although I often use boneless pork chops, I used bone in chops! We will have these again soon.
★★★★★
Hi! Going to try this! Did you do this from thawed or frozen? Thank you!
Hi Stacy. I always use thawed.
Exactly what they are called!!! Fantastic! These were the second thing I fixed in my new air fryer easy recipe to follow instructions were great. My boyfriend he could not believe you could get a pork chop that great out of an air fryer……HA! Will be making these again and again.
ok, these were amazing!! My picky husband, 10 year old daughter and 8 year old son all cleaned their plates!! I didn’t have ground mustard, so I brushed on a little champagne mustard (trader joes) with the oil, before the rub. The chops were only 1 and 1/4 inch so I cooked for 11 minutes. Served with pineapple mango salsa (Trader Joe’s). Some of us also enjoyed the champagne mustard on it. We had mashed sweet potatoes and buttered carrots with it. Thank you for a great recipe! fyi – I rarely post reviews, but just had to with this one!
OMG That all sounds SO good, Christina! I’m a huge fan of pineapple salsas too. I haven’t tried the Trader Joe’s pineapple mango but I will put it on my list for sure. Thank you for the feedback!
Just made these pork chops. They were sooo good!! Will be making them again! Thanks for the recipe
We used the Ninja Foodi and I wasn’t sure whether I was supposed to use the air crisp or grill function — we grilled for 12 mins at 400 degrees on grill insert and they came out perfectly cooked and juicy. The seasoning was absolutely incredible — these truly were the best damn pork chops I’ve ever tried!
★★★★★
Delicious, these pork chops were total awesomeness😍Thank you!
★★★★★
Absolutely loved these! Thank you for posting.
I would like to share this recipe with someone who struggles with dry pork chops but she only has an oven, no air fryer. Do you know what I could have her do to imitate this recipe in a regular oven?
Thank you,
Lisa
★★★★★
Hi Lisa. I’m so glad you enjoyed it! For making them in the oven, follow same ingredients, bake on a sheet pan or baking dish at 325 degrees for about 25 minutes. Then, finish under the broiler for about 5 minutes o get that nice caramelization.
Made these tonight. My son 39 year old son they were the best pork chops he has ever had.
They were pretty damn good. Will be using this recipe again. Thank you.
★★★★★
Thank you for posting this absolutely incredible recipe! I followed the receipe exactly as stated and there’s no doubt these were the “best damn pork chops” we’ve ever had!
★★★★★
Thank you Patty!!! 🙂
New to air frying and wanted to try pork chops. I made these last night, only I left out the brown sugar as we are trying to stay away from as much sugar as we can. In my opinion it did not hurt the taste. They were probably the best damn pork chops I’ve had.
One thing, I did have to cook two extra thick chops at least 20 minutes, not sure how long as I was going by increments of 2-4 minutes. This could have been do to my fryer though.
★★★★★
I am not a good cook and I have never been able to make tasty pork chops but we decided to try again ( so tired of chicken and beef). These were easy and delicious. Absolutely the best pork chops we’ve ever had. Thanks so much for the recipe, I’ll definitely be trying more of your air fryer recipes.
★★★★★
Awesome, Jenny!! Try the pork tenderloin. It’s SO good. And I’ve got a bunch more air fryer recipes on the way too. Thanks for the feedback!
I’m new at Air Fry cooking. Tried the Best Damn pork chops tonight. They were absolutely delicious, moist and juicy. Will be making this again.
★★★★★
Awesome! Thanks, Maggie!
Had this for dinner. Have to say it turned out great. In the future I may use 1/2 the dry rub as a lot of it came off in the air fryer. The taste is really good though, paired it with green beans and long grain rice…yummy!!
★★★★
Glad you liked it, Denise!
How long would you cook for a thinner boneless chop?
Just try a minute or two less.
I have made these for my family every week since my kids bought me an air fryer for Christmas and the name says it all. THE BEST DAMN PORK CHOPS.
Wow thank you so much, Douglas!
My family devoured this meal! Thank you so much! I just got an air fryer for Christmas and this email will definitely be made again!
★★★★★
Awesome, Karen!! Many more good air fryer meals to come. Thank you for the feedback!
When does the mustard go in? Directions say to mix all the dry ingredients together and nothing about the mustard, Am I missing something?
Hi Mary. The mustard is actually the dry spice mustard.
We made these chops last night and they were 10 stars they were wonderful juicy and tender never have i had anything better thanks for the recipe.
These were the best chops i have ever made i usually make thin chops because i like crispy but these were truly unbelievable the rub was perfect they were very juicy but cooked through what more could you ask for thanks again for the recipe.–Steve
★★★★★
Thank you so much, Steve!!
Im new to the Insta AFryer, but made your pork chops and the taste was wonderful…But…I did not get the same “look”..my edges were browned but the chop didn’t…what did I do wrong? LOVE the rub!
Hi Cathy. I’m guessing you didn’t actually do anything wrong. There’s so many variables between different air fryers, the distance from the heating element, overall size, etc. What you can do in future is bump the temp up to 400 for the last couple of minutes. I hope this helps and I appreciate the feedback!
This was delicious! I would suggest adding about 1/4 cup of water to the bottom of your Air Fryet to eliminate the smoke.
The best I have made. Thank you
These were lovely! Even the non meat eaters of the family said they were good. I actually have a new air fryer stove. This was the first thing I made with it. Thanks for the amazing recipe.
★★★★★
Ahh I’m honored to have a recipe as the maiden voyage with your new air fryer. You’re gonna love that thing. Many more great recipes to come!
Made for the first time. Absolutely delicious, juicy and tender, thank you!
Outstanding! Thank you for the feedback Tonie.
I am going to try and make these tonight. I just bought the air fryer so I’m super excited. I’d love to add some pineapple to the recipe would I just put it on top after it’s all done or should I cook it with it?
I LOVE pineapple on pork dishes (chicken too). I’d say go ahead and put it on before and cook with it. Now don’t forget, air fryers use forced air so they could blow off. But give it a shot and see. Let me know how it goes!
This was the first thing I tried in my new air fryer. It was delicious and moist.
★★★★★
WOW!!! These are amazing. I would pay for these at a restaurant. New favorite recipe! Thank you so much.
★★★★★
These were hands down the BEST pork chops I’ve ever had! Even my picky kiddo liked them and dipped his potatoes in the juices! I used boneless chops because I had those on hand and smoked paprika in the rub. Absolutely incredible recipe and I will be putting this on a regular rotation in our monthly menu.
That’s awesome, Kristin!! Nothing like hitting a home run with a picky eater. 🙂 Thank you for the feedback!
These were really good. However I made boneless chops that were thick. It took twice the time to cook. Caveat being I had sweet potato fries in the unit at the same time so I did not think that would be an issue.
I used thick boneless center cut chops and it took twice the time. They were however delicious1
★★★★★
Those were RIDICULOUS! Amazing. Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks, Andy!!
Delicious! Off the charts
★★★★★
Thanks, Norma!!
i may not have all ingredients of this can i substitute and i must keep it PEANUT and NUTS FREE.
which of the seasoning is important to keep for flavour.
i am a out of job dad trying to help out at home. please dont laff too much. thanks danny
Hi Danny, while I can’t speak specifically to any particular allergies, all the ingredients are pretty prominent, but the most important is the brown sugar.
I’m out of paprika do you think this will be a problem and I’m thinking about adding pineapple at the end of cooking
If you’re out of paprika that’s ok. I love pineapple on pork! Yes, go for it!
These are just delicious! I can’t wait to look around at some of your other recipes for the air fryer. I have the Corsori air fryer as well as love it. These pork chops were great with the rub. The cooking time was perfect with my super thick chops. Fantastic. Thank you for sharing. I signed up for your newsletter as well.
★★★★★
Thank you so much, Diane!! I’ve got lots more air fryer recipes on the way!
I made these tonight for dinner and the meal was a hit with my family. They absolutely loved the taste of the pork chops and how juicy and moist that they were. My pork chops were not as thick as yours, so I put my air fryer oven on 380 for 12 minute. Thanks for the recipe!!
Excellent! You are welcome and thank YOU for the feedback, Shaneka!
This may be a dumb question but did you use the Air Fry mode or the bake mode? I have the Instant Pot version of air fryer.
Hi Rebekah. Not a dumb question at all. In fact i’m updating the recipe to specifically say “air fry”. There’s so many functions on today’s air fryers and multi-cookers, it’s indeed important to specify. Looking forward to hearing how the recipe goes for you!
Mine didn’t get the char. Is it the brand of Air Fryer I’m using?
What kind are you using, Don?
I tried this receipe last nite. Didn’t have the ground mustard, but did everything else. I have a 1st generation Phillip’s air fryer. So I don’t have to clean so much, I line the inner pot with aluminum foil. That means I let it cook just a little bit longer. It was soo fantastic! I will definitely be doing this one again! Thank you!
This recipe is the “bomb”. My pork chops were not as thick so I cooked on 380 for 12 minutes using your recipe. They came out perfect!! Thanks for sharing.
★★★★★
Dinner in less than 15 minutes! Absolutely delicious, not dry, and great for my low carb diet with just that tiny bit of brown sugar! Loved them!
★★★★★
Awesome! Thanks, Caroline!
mmmmmm…sitting here eating them right now. Delicious recipe! Thanks for sharing
★★★★★
The pork chops were Awesome! We loved them!
Will be making these again! Great taste!
Do you think snoked paprika will ruin this recipe? I can’t find my regular paprika.
No not at all. I love smoked paprika and use it all the time. Go for it.
I wonder if these chips should be marinated in the rub. Mine are alright, but the flavor did not permeate.
Trying this tonight! Wish me luck!
Thanks for posting the recipe
Good luck, Nicole! Let me know how it goes!
My husband just brought these Thick Thick porkchops home. I was thinking — how am I going to cook these without them being tough as nails. He also brought an air fryer home 2 days ago but it came without recipes. So I looked online & found your recipe. DELICIOUS & so very juicy!!!! They turned out just like the pictures. Thank-you Thank-you. Thank-you!!
Aww I love hearing that, Patty! Thanks so much for the feedback! I’ve got more air fryer recipes coming so be sure to check back.
I have everything but the dry mustard will yello mustard do?, or should I leave out all together?
Leave it out
These are the best damn air fryer pork chops ever, they’re moist & juicy and the rub is great!!
Wish I could post a pic, looks just like your pic!! Thanks for the recipe
★★★★★
Awesome, Wilma! Thanks for the feedback!
Made this recipe tonight with boneless chops. I didn’t have the MMS so I used Steak & Chop seasoning. It was delicious!!! So moist and the caramelization was like candy on the outside.
★★★★★
Awesome, Dawn! Glad you liked them!
How would I adjust the recipe for thin chops?
I’ll be making these tomorrow. Can’t wait! It looks amazing!!!
Very cool. Please let me know how it goes!
FABULOUS!! New family favorite!!
★★★★★
Awesome! Thanks, Tonya!
Does anything change if you’re cooking 4 chops?
Hi Frances. Just double the dry rub mix.
My air fryer is coming today! My husband likes thin cut chops. What would you do time-wise with the thin chops? Thank you
All air fryers are gonna be a little different. I’d do just a few minutes less and see how they look. Make sure to use a lot of the rub.
I did thin pork chops and cut the time to 9min then flipped at 4 1/2 minutes. Title says it all, thanks for the recipe.
Thanks, Scott!
This recipe was delicious! Easy to prepare. I would rate this recipe 5 stars all the way! Thanks so much for sharing.
★★★★★
Thanks so much Ginny!
Is the mustard dry or wet ground.
Dry
Sounds great. How do you position the chops? Doesn’t look like there’s enough room fo tdd bfour
Can we stand them up. Stupid. Huh.
Hi Mary, yeah you need to lay them in the basket flat. Depending on the size of your air fryer and the size of the pork chops you might need to do a couple of batches.
Hi Teach
I’m new to airfryer and I have a toaster oven air fryer.
12 minutes didnt really give me that charred look but they were cooked through.
I cant seem to capture crispies
in my airfryer.
Advice?
Mare
Hi Mare, are you able to adjust the height of the cooking surface? If you’re able to raise chops closer to the heating element, that would likely work. If not, you could always finish under the broiler in the oven. I know it’s an extra step, but it would certainly give it that tasty char.
Can I use boneless ??
Absolutely you can.
These look amazing!! What brand of air fryer are you using? I don’t own one, however, I would like someone’s take on it, as I would like to purchase one in the future.
Thanks.
Hi Laura. The pork chops in the photos were done in a Cosori 5.8qt air fryer. I also use an Instant Vortex Plus. Both I like a lot.
I am going to try these tonight! Just wondering why it
shows the NInja Foodi in the video if you used a Cosori?
Awesome Mary! Let me know how it goes! You have a keen eye. My video person does indeed use a Ninja. The recipe worked equally as well. I always like to have a recipe tested on a few different machines if possible. Personally though, i’ve settled on the Cosori as my main air fryer.
Your right. Best damn pork chops I ever ate. I make peach and mango salsa. Put that on top of the pork chop. OMG!!!!!!
★★★★★
I love that idea, Rosealean! Thanks so much for the feedback!
Awesome recipe! The chops were juicy and had such awesome flavor! I will use this recipe over and over.
★★★★★
These turned out so well. Now will make them this way all the time. Juicy. I did add a couple of minutes to the time.
★★★★★
I’m glad you liked them, Ruth! Thanks for the feedback.
I plan on making these tomorrow. I’ve got them rubbed down in the fridge.
Sounds good… let us know how they come out.
These were delicious! Made recipe exactly as written except used brown sugar substitute. Perfect!
★★★★★
Thanks for the feedback, Paige. Glad you liked it! It’s one of my personal favorites too.
I made these pork chops they were delicious.
Thanks, Trisha!