These Air Fryer Pork Chops with No Breading are super juicy with a simple seasoning blend! These air fryer pork chops have great flavor without the breading, and they are ready in less than 10 minutes.
“Just made this! It’s extremely easy and as promised the pork was juicy. Would recommend!!!”
These Boneless pork chops cook up perfectly in the air fryer in less than 10 minutes.
They make a perfect, simple dinner meal that everyone will like, and they can be enjoyed with a variety of side dishes like sautéed mushrooms or a hearty green bean casserole.
While breaded pork chops in the air fryer are crispy and delicious, these air fryer pork chops with no breading are healthier and easier to make.
Do you remember the commercials calling pork “the other white meat”? This is because pork has a texture similar to steak, but is lean like chicken.
If you are looking for more air fryer pork recipes, you might also like to make Air Fryer Pork Loin Roast or Air Fryer Pork Belly. Try this method of making Air Fryer Tofu to feed any vegetarian family members too!
We are not breading these air fryer pork chops, but we are adding lots of seasonings thanks to a homemade spice rub that is salty, sweet and has all the best flavors.
Here’s What You’ll Need
- Boneless Pork Chops: I like to use boneless pork chops for ease. The pork chops from my grocery store are about 3/4 inch thick and work perfectly here. You can use thicker chops or pork chops with bones in the air fryer, you just may need to add a few minutes of extra cooking time.
- Olive Oil: Oil adds moisture to the meat and also assists with browning. Any light-flavored oil will work too.
- Brown Sugar: Pork is always good with a little bit of sweetness. This browns up beautifully as well. You can leave the sugar out of the recipe to reduce sugar or carbs if needed.
- Salt and Pepper: For the best flavor, use kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Paprika: I love the color that this bright red spice adds to pork chops, plus the subtle warmth and slight spiciness.
- Garlic Powder: This brings a lot of flavor to our spice rub. I love using garlic powder because it is less biting than raw garlic and is easy to rub right into the pork chops.
- Onion Powder: Fun fact, onion powder is slightly sweeter than actual onions. It finishes out our simple spice rub so that your pork chops are delicious and full of flavor.
Let’s get started!
- For making unbreaded pork chops, preheat your air fryer for about 5 minutes. We do not always need to pre-heat, but it is helpful for this air fryer pork chop recipe.
- Then, dry the pork chops with paper towels to remove any excess moisture, then rub both sides of each chop with oil.
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and spices.
- Now, rub both sides of the pork chops with the spice mixture.
- Add pork chops to the air fryer, making sure to keep them in one layer.
- Finally, Air Fry as directed in the recipe card below, flipping over the pork chops halfway through cooking time. Air Fryer pork chops are done when they reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).
Do they need to rest?
Yes, like steaks and chicken, pork chops should rest after cooking and before slicing into them. This lets the juices redistribute inside of the air fryer pork chops with no breading and keeps them from running out when you cut the meat.
With this recipe, I suggest letting the chops rest for up to 5 minutes. Simply set them on a plate or cutting board so they can reabsorb all the yummy juices.
How to serve these pork chops
These porch chops are the perfect base for a simple dinner with minimal prep and no marinade time. Add any of your favorite air fryer side dishes and you will be good to go!
Try a potato side dish, like Mashed Potatoes, Air Fryer Potato Wedges or even Air Fryer Sweet Potato Casserole. If you have not tried casseroles in the air fryer, it really is a lifesaver come holiday season.
Did you know pork chops go really well with apples? The sweetness of the fruit really brings out the beautiful flavor of the pork. Make Air Fryer Sweet Apples or serve your pork chops with your favorite applesauce.
The beauty of pork is it goes well with so many healthy vegetables. Some air fryer veggies that go well with unbreaded pork chops include Brussels Sprouts, Butternut Squash, Green Beans, Balsamic Mushrooms, Asparagus, or even Acorn Squash.
should I trim the fat off?
This method cooks pork chops fairly quickly, so there is not really time for large bits of fat to render down nicely.
When making pork chops in the air fryer, I suggest trimming off most of the extra fat before cooking. Thanks to the homemade spice blend, the lean pork chops will still be super flavorful with less fat!
Why are my Pork Chops so Tough?
A tough air fryer pork chop is often an overcooked pork chop.
Pork chops — like most meats — continue to cook for a few minutes after you take them off the heat. The internal temperature needs to reach at least 145 degrees F.
However, these air fryer pork chops with no breading will increase by about 5 degrees while resting. I usually pull mine from the heat at about 142 degrees F and let the resting do the work.
If your air fryer pork chops are tough, try adding a sauce!
Air Fryer Pork Chops – No Breading
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 Pork chops boneless
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 2 tbsp Brown Sugar
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- 1 tsp Onion powder
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper freshly ground
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 400F/204C for 5 minutes.
- Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels. Rub both sides of the pork chops with oil.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar and spices.
- Combine the spices and rub both sides of the pork chops with the mixture.
- Place the pork chops in a single layer in the basket of the air fryer.
- Air Fry for 8-9 minutes, flipping halfway through. Don't forget to let them rest for 5 minutes before eating them!
Notes
- Allow pork chops to rest for 3-5 minutes before serving or slicing.
- For bone-in pork chops, check doneness near the bone at the end of cook time. Add more time if needed.
- Safe pork cooking temperature is a minimum of 145°F (63°C).
- Pro Tip: This recipe can be made in the air fryer unit with a basket or the air fryer oven. If you are using the air fryer oven, use the middle rack and select the “Air Fry” function
- Pro Tip: Check your food as it cooks. Each air fryer runs a bit differently. Sometimes airfying is a trial and error process. Check your food as it cooks to learn your air fryer better! When cooking a new recipe or food items be sure to check your food often to help avoid over/under cooking.
Nutrition
This is such a great recipe to have in my back pocket for busy weeknights! the pork chops cook so quickly, and they are super yummy. Thanks!
So glad you enjoyed it!
these were so good!
Simple, easy, wonderful tasting recipe!
Thank you!
Hi Stacie! Thanks for letting us know you loved the air fryer pork chops! 😋
Just made this! It’s extremely easy and as promised the pork was juicy. Would recommend!!!
Hi Abby! So glad you enjoyed our Air Fryer Pork Chops! We love having the option of no breading on these! So glad you loved them!
These turned out GREAT! I did use boneless porkchops because I already had some on hand. Super easy and the entire family enjoyed them.
I have made these twice and both times I can’t remember if I set the setting on air fryer or bake. The first time they were perfect . The second time a little tough. Please help
They were small boneless chops
Hello. I would use the air fryer setting 🙂 If they are smaller, you may need to reduce the time. I’d check them about midway through and adjust/shorten time if needed 🙂
this is such a good recipe! my husband is a very picky eater and has requested this more times than I can count.
That’s awesome! Glad they turned out well!
Delicious and easy to make!
This is delicious! Will definitely be using again!
Hi Cindy, glad to hear you liked it!
So delicious and easy!!! Thanks!
Great! Glad to hear it!