Air Fryer Crunchy Boneless Pork Chops

Golden brown, perfectly seasoned, and juicy, these Air Fryer Crunchy Boneless Pork Chops are ready in 25 minutes.

You really can’t argue with a recipe that boasts a done-in-time of 25 minutes. Especially when it’s a tender, juicy pork chop with a well-seasoned crispy crust. These crunchy boneless pork chops in the air fryer are a fabulous weeknight dinner option!

Read more and get my tips below or click here to head straight to the recipe.

Type Of Pork Chop To Use?

My favorite cut of meat for this recipe is a boneless center-cut that’s ¾-inch thick. You may also see this called the America’s Cut or New York Pork Chops.

It’s a tender, lean cut that’s easy to find in most grocery stores. Using this boneless cut also makes eating the chop a little easier since you don’t have to guess where a bone might be when cutting into it.

Can I Use Pork Chops Thinner Than 3/4 Inch?

Thinner pork chops need less time, but then they don’t brown as well. So they need to be at a higher temperature. Thicker ones need to be at a lower temp so the crumbs don’t burn before the pork is done.

The 3/4 inch chops will need 10-14 minutes. 145°F is the safe temp but some people like 160°F. Cook them at 360°F for 6 minutes, then flip and cook for 4-8 more minutes depending on desired temperature.

For the thinner chops, cook at 400°F for 4 minutes, then flip and cook for 4-6 minutes more.

Should I Brine Boneless Pork Chops?

Like many of my pork recipes, I often start by brining the pork chops before cooking them. This step is completely optional, and yes, it does add extra prep time but the results are undeniably delicious. If you don’t have the time or the desire, simply skip this step and move on to breading.

Making A Crispy Coating In The Air Fryer

We’ve tried a few things to make a crispy coating in the air fryer. You can spray the breaded chops with cooking spray before cooking them, but we find that mixing the breadcrumbs with oil before using them to coat the chops works best because each crumb is getting crisped. Also, using part panko and part regular breadcrumbs is a good technique. The regular breadcrumbs give a more even coating on the meat while the panko bring extra crunch.

The breading process for these air fryer boneless pork chops involves three steps. It starts by coating the chops in flour, then dipping them in beaten eggs, and finally in a breadcrumb mixture.

To setup your dredging station place 3 shallow pans on the workspace. You can use pie pans or cake pans or a set of breading trays.

Dredge one of the pork chops that’s been patted dry in the flour. Turning it over making sure that all sides are coated. Next, dip the pork chop into the beaten eggs covering all surfaces. Move to the breadcrumb mixture, pressing to make sure the breadcrumbs stick. Repeat with the remaining pork chops.

Note that when I’m short on time, or just feeling lazier, I often skip the flour and egg step and do a homemade shake and bake instead. This will work in the air fryer and in the regular oven. The crust is thinner because you don’t have that egg and flour batter layer, but it definitely saves time and it gets crispy.

Cooking Boneless Pork Chops In The Air Fryer

Add your breaded boneless pork chops to the air fryer basket. If they are crowded, you will need to cook only 2 at a time. If you’re working in batches, you can cover the cooked pork chops in foil and keep them warm in the oven heated to 180°F.

Set the air fryer to 360°F and cook for 6 minutes. Flip and cook until an instant-read thermometer reads at least 145°F, 4-8 minutes.

Pork Temperature

While the recommendation for the safe internal temperature for pork used to be 160°F, it’s now considered safe to cook pork to 145°F, which is my preference. Some people still prefer their pork cooked well-done to 160°F though. Use an instant read thermometer to ensure your boneless pork chops in the air fryer are cooked properly.

Air Fryer Crunchy Boneless Pork Chops Recipe

• Author: Christine Pittman
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings
• Category: Entrée
• Method: Air Fryer
• Cuisine: American

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DESCRIPTION

Golden brown, perfectly seasoned, and juicy, these Air Fryer Boneless Pork Chops are ready in 25 minutes.

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Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 and ½ tsp. salt, divided
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup plain unseasoned breadcrumbs
• ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• ½ tsp. pepper
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 4 boneless pork chops, ¾-inch thick

Instructions

1. On your work surface, line up three wide shallow bowls or pie plates.
2. In the first, mix together the flour and ½ teaspoon of the salt. In the second, whisk together the eggs. In the third, combine the breadcrumbs, panko, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, remaining teaspoon of salt, the pepper, and the olive oil, mix for a moment to coat all breadcrumbs with oil.
3. Add a pork chop to the flour and turn to coat. Dip both sides into the egg. Then put it on top of the breadcrumbs, spoon some crumbs on top, press down on the crumbs, flip the chop over and press again such that breadcrumbs are stuck evenly to both sides.
4. Transfer coated pork chop to a plate and repeat this step with remaining chops.
5. Add pork chops to air fryer basket. If they are crowded, you will need to cook only 2 at a time.
6. Set the air fryer to 360°F and cook for 6 minutes. Flip and cook until an instant-read thermometer reads at least 145°F (160°F for well-done), 4-8 minutes.* 

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Notes

*If pork chops are being cooked in batches, you can keep the first batch warm in a 180°F oven, or on a plate covered with foil and then reheat in air fryer for 3 minutes before serving.

This post originally appeared in March 2020 and was revised and republished in March 2023.