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
P. K. McGuire says
I made the Best Damned Air Fryer Pork Chops for my wife and myself. They were the best we have ever had. The recipe is easy and simple. Just follow the directions and you too will enjoy them. I modified it a bit. I changed the Paprika to half regular and half smoked paprika. It ads just a bit more flavor. Also, I cut back on the salt as I do with most recipes. I figure if it isn’t salty enough those eating the dish can always ad more and if someone is trying to cut back on the sodium this is one way to help. By the way, my wife seldom finishes the meat on her plate and usually gives me half of hers. This time I didn’t get any of it at all as she raved about how good it was. Can’t wait to fix it again.
David Hammerslag says
Very moist, and very tender, but way to fiery (too much pepper and paprika?d).’
Jane C says
First time cooking a cut of meat in the AF and it was absolutely delicious! It was also ridulously easy and fast. I was a bit wary of the amount of black pepper but decided to trust the recipe. The chops came out so juicy and tender, with just the right amount of heat for us. Thanks!
Michael says
Simple and good
Darlene Brinkman says
Oh. My. Gosh. Delicious and easy for my first air fryer recipe! I doubled the seasoning recipe because I had more than 2 pork chops. But it is delicious and moist and a keeper recipe! Thank you!
Jackie Hamlett says
Chops were juicy and flavorful!
Joyce says
I made these last night, definitely the right name for these pork chops!! They were delicious.
Brian says
Fast ,easy and loved by all !
Brenda Peake says
Have had my Air Fryer a couple of years….no interest in using it. Got it out a few months ago and did Potato Wedges. They were ok. Last week, I did Chicken Thighs…they were to die for! Tonight, I did the Best Damn Pork Chops Ever….delicious!!!
Julie says
This was absolutely amazingly delicious! I followed the recipe to a T but I suggest letting the chops rest for about 2 minutes before serving. My husband wouldn’t stop saying how great they were (and he was traumatized by his mother’s pork chops growing up so he never wanted me to make them). This will be in the rotation forever! I never leave reviews for anything but felt compelled. Thank you!
chris says
The recipe here literally says the same thing that you are “suggesting” here. It says:
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!”