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.
Which Pork Chop Do You Have?
Not all pork chops cook the same way. Start with the cut you’re using, then choose the method that works best for you:
- Using Boneless Chops? If you’d rather use your oven, my Best Damn Oven-Baked Boneless Pork Chops are a reader favorite for staying juicy and tender.
- Have Bone-In Chops? For that traditional “Sunday Dinner” flavor, follow my simple Guide for Bone-In Chops in the Oven.
- Want a Savory Twist? Try these Parmesan Garlic Air Fryer Pork Chops for a buttery, cheesy crust that uses basic pantry staples.
- No Air Fryer Available? If you want to use your stovetop, my Best Damn Pan Seared Pork Chops are perfect for a quick, 10-minute weeknight meal.
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 is my George Foreman Grill – but that’s a discussion for another day. The thing about an air fryer, is 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 on the regular oven. 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 ½ 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 too 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 so don’t skip that step.
Cooking
Preheating your air fryer is an important step! You’ll want to preheat at 400°F for 5 minutes. Then, when it’s ready, cook the pork chops in the air fryer for 12 minutes, flipping them over after 6 minutes. Check for doneness with an instant-read food thermometer. We’re aiming for an internal temp of 140°F. If your pork chops are very thick, they may require an additional few 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
- Total Time: 17 minutes
- Yield: 2
Description
Juicy, tender and delicious air fryer pork chops.
Ingredients
- 2 center-cut, bone-in pork chops, 1 ½ – 2 inches thick
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1–2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 400°F 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 on the air fry setting at 400°F for 12-14 minutes or until internal temperature of 140°F. Flip pork chops over after 6 minutes.
Notes
Air fryer temperatures can vary. Remove pork chops when internal temperature reaches 140°F. The carryover cooking will bring the temp up to 145°F.
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 12 min
- Category: Pork chops
- Method: air fryer
- Cuisine: American
Nick says
Hello… I’ve used your recipe many times and shared it with family and friends and we all agree it’s the best.
However, I was wondering if your ever marinated the chops in a liquid marinade prior to adding your rub and air frying.
Kind regards,
Nick
RecipeTeacher says
Hi Nick. Yes indeed I have used liquid marinade. In fact we have a couple of chicken recipes that use a liquid marinade. And… i’ve got some additional air fryer pork chop recipes right around the corner!
Jackie says
I’m late to the “airfryer party”, but I’m catching up quickly!!! And this recipe is awesome!!!! My husband loves it. I can’t wait to try your other recipes!
April says
OMG!! This recipe is the TRUTH!! Just made some, and each and everyone of ’em is gone as they were so delicious and tender!!! I will also use this for a rub for a pork tenderloin and ribs… The only thing I will add next time is a bit of cayenne pepper ’cause I like spicy!
Terry Grant says
I’ve just acquired some loin chops, but they’re only about 3/4″ thick.
What should the cooking time be?
RecipeTeacher says
Just a minute or two less.
Laura Copeland says
These were the best I have ever eaten. Thank you!
Roseann Froemming says
I have recently purchased an air fryer and am looking for simple foods to try. This pork chop recipe is not only easy, but so very good and tasty! I had all the ingredients for the rub which is so flavorful, but went out and bought 1 1/2 – 2″ chops from our local butcher. The only change I will make is that I needed to air fry the chops longer than 12 minutes to get them to reach the desired 145 degrees (took about 20 minutes total). This is such a simple, yet tasty recipe that I intend to make it often! They are the best damn pork chops we have ever had!
Deborah Schneide says
Great flavor, so juicy and easy!
Jessie Daniels says
These are so good!!! ❤❤
Barbara says
I’m new to air frying and love pork chops but never seem to not dry them out. Tried this the other night and was the very best I have ever made!!! So juicy and full of flavor!! Thank you so very much!
Brendon says
That’s what I’m making for dinner. I Love My Air Fryer. Thank you for sharing!