Every now and then I get a craving for some home cooked easy comfort food. Nothing infused with a cilantro-harissa chutney. Nothing from a celebrity chef. Nothing requiring a terrine mold. Just something simple like these crispy breaded pork chops. The kind that still has a little bit of oil on the outside and doesn’t need any sauce…
And the best part is that they are super easy to prepare. This is a basic breading technique (which I similar to what I use for the almond crusted tilapia) involving a flour dredge, egg wash and an outer breading.
In fact, it’s so fundamental that it’s even a listed recipe in the Culinary Institute of America’s “The New Professional Chef” cookbook. Though in their case it’s a pan fried veal cutlet….
Getting Pork Chops Ready for Cooking
One of the most frustrating outcomes when cooking pork chops in a skillet is when they curl up on one side. This happens when the fat band on the outside of the pork chops contracts in reaction to the intense heat.
Take a paring knife and carefully make a slit in the side of the pork chop, about a 1/8″ deep, and you won’t have this problem.
Another key technique is to pound them all out so they are the same uniform thickness. You can do this with a resealable plastic bag and a rubber mallet.
Basic Pork Chop Coating Technique
To make your own crispy breaded pork chops, you’ll need to set up a simple assembly line with flour (optional), an egg wash and toasted bread crumbs.
 | The first step is to toast your breadcrumbs. This will give them a golden color and a crispier final texture |
 | Give each pork chop a dip in the beaten eggs, allow any excess to drip off and then press on the bread crumbs |
 | Once you have them all coated, they are ready to cook! |
Cook the breaded pork chops for 4 to 5 minutes per side. The side you put down first will typically always brown the best and will be the presentation side. I usually give it an extra minute on this side.
Now with that remaining oil in the pan…if you’re really up for a treat, scramble some eggs. Or maybe saute some fresh spinach. Well, go ahead and do both. That’s a pretty tasty meal.
- 4 Boneless Pork Chops
- 1 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
- 1 Cup All Purpose Flour as needed
- 1 Tablespoon Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
- 1/2 Tablespoon butter
- 2 Beaten Eggs
- 2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
Pound each of the chops to about 1/4″ thick. (You can do this with the palm of your hand with the chops in a heavy duty freezer bag)
Make a small slit with a paring knife into the fat band on each chop to keep them from curling in the pan
Lightly sprinkle both sides of the chops with the seasoned salt.
Heat a cast iron pan to medium low and melt your butter until the foam subsides. Toss in your breadcrumbs and toast them until they start to brown.
Set up a Breading Station leading up to your skillet. A flour bowl, a bowl with the two beaten eggs and a bowl with the toasted panko
- Start by dredging each chop in the flour. Coat them lightly and shake off any excess flour.
- Follow with the egg wash and then press the bread crumbs all over the chops. Place all of them on a plate and make sure your pan is ready to go.
Turn up the pan to medium heat and add about 1 teaspoon of oil. Once it begins to shimmer fry the pork chops for 4 to 5 minutes per side
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