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
Jagrsg16 says
We have several pork chop recipes that we love, and this one just blew them all away! Wow! Thank you so much for sharing!
Sharron says
This recipe was so easy & so delicious! I have always made ordinary, fried pork chops, but I didn’t want to fry them so I looked here and found this one. So glad I did! Loved them!
RecipeTeacher says
Thanks so much for the feedback, Sharron! I’m glad you found it too. 🙂
Wanda says
I am going to use this recipe tonight. I have a Cuisinart air fryer. Is the cooking time the same in all air fryers ? I’m assuming is still use use the top rack? Thank You!
RecipeTeacher says
Hi Wanda. Times can always vary slightly with different model air fryers. Cuisinart air fryers are excellent so the posted time and temp should be pretty spot on. Best to always have an instant read thermometer on hand to get that perfect temp reading.
Ashley Flippin says
I only have boneless pork chops that are about 1 inch thick… How long do you recommend cooking them? Same temperature?
RecipeTeacher says
Some temp indeed. May be done in a minute or two less time.
Debra L Casarez says
Can you use no bone in pork chops?
RecipeTeacher says
You can indeed. May be a minute or two less time, depending on thickness.
Alicia Pressley says
WOW. I used 2 inch thick boneless pork chops & they turned out AMAZING!!! It took 14 minutes (7 minutes on each side) but they were so juicy and the rub is so flavorful. My hubby, who does 90% of the cooking, says I’m in charge of cooking pork chops now!
RecipeTeacher says
Lol… excellent!
Kathy Lewis says
The title of this recipe says it all!
Peyton says
This recipe is amazing! It’s not only super easy but extremely tasty as well! I had to substitute the paprika for chili powder, but it ended up working out quite nicely. I hope anyone else out there who is looking for a quick and easy dinner uses this recipe, it’s wonderful. (Also, as a side for this dish, I recommend twice-baked potatoes. This is a great side because it also can be made quickly in the air fryer and goes well with the pork)
Cindy says
Very Good & Easy!!!
Its a keeper!
Alicia Pressley says
Hi! I’m going to make these pork chops tonight but I have boneless pork chops. Any difference in cooking time? Thanks!
RecipeTeacher says
Maybe a minute or two less, depending on thickness.
Bfam says
Absolutely the delicious! Oh so juicy and flavorful. ????????????????????
Natalie says
I just got my air fryer and have not used it yet. I wanted to have pork chops for dinner tonight but my chops are only 1/2 inch thick an your recipe sounded sooooo good. Any suggestions?
RecipeTeacher says
Hey Natalie, for thin pork chops, just check them a few minutes sooner. If you have an instant read thermometer, you want that 145° internal temperature.
Pam says
I had 1/2″ thick chops and cooked 4 mins each side @ 400 and they came out a bit dry, but the flavor was amazing, so I’m definitely going to try again with thicker chops or less time.
Martha (Marty) says
This is a totally wonderful recipe. I’ve made it your way several times but sometimes I add all of the ingredients to some bread crumbs. Really good too. Makes it a little crispier. Very good and have passed it on to my daughter and daughter-in-laws. Thanks. Marty
John P Hronek says
These are fab. I used 3/4 inch for 10 tired out moist and tender. Not dry. This is a twist on A barbecue pork rub and I added a little habanero powder to spice it up just a tad. Um um good. The hot sear is what does it for this recipe the 400° cooking cavity sear the meat on the outside and retains the moisture on the inside. The quick cooking time doesn’t let the moisture evaporate it’s really an excellent way to prepare meat keeping your pork moist and tender.
Carol Dravk says
Terrific! My chops were only an inch thick, so I cooked 10 minutes total instead of 12. They were done, juicy and delicious. Great recipe for a quick dinner… served with Mac & cheese and green beans. Delicious!