Making dinners like these Air Fryer Pork Chops with no breading in the air fryer is such a time saver. If you love cooking with your air fryer, too, you will love these Air Fryer Honey Garlic Marinated Chicken Thighs. Or make our favorite chicken breast recipe, Air Fryer Chicken Breast without Breading.
Pork Chops in Air Fryer No Breading
These flavorful pork chops get browned up with a layer of amazing butter sauce right in the air fryer. And this isn’t just any butter sauce that we are talking about. This butter gets melted into a liquid, then mixed with finely chopped rosemary and aromatic garlic. Soooo much flavor!
At dinnertime around this house, you will definitely find pork chops on our table. These air fryer pork chops make the perfect weeknight meal because they are easy to make and my kids love them.
Air Fryer Pork Chops Without Breading
Making pork chops in my favorite kitchen appliance (the air fryer) means dinner is going to be done in no time. There is no beating that!
I love that this recipe has no breading, unlike a lot of pork chop recipes out there. This makes it keto friendly and great for anyone with celiac or a gluten sensitivity. Of course, the breaded ones are yummy, too, but not always gluten free.
Air Fryer pork chops without breading will be your new go to dinner recipe. If you are a lover of pork recipes, check out this pork loin with sauerkraut. Or if you have an instant pot, make these instant pot ranch pork chops.
Best Pork Chops for Air Fryer
Pork is so versatile and can be cooked in a numerous amount of ways, but pork chops are by far one of the most popular cuts. The pork chop actually comes from the loin, which is in the pig’s hip to the shoulder region. At your grocery store, they may go by loin chops, rib chops, sirloin chops, top loin chops, or blade chops.
Any of those will work for this air fryer pork chop recipe. Make sure to buy pork chops that are over an inch thick (like 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 inch), they work well in this recipe. If you can only find chops that are less than 1 inch, that is fine just keep in mind that the cooking time will be reduced.
What Temperature Should Pork Chops be Cooked to?
The best way to make sure that pork chops are cooked all the way through, is by using a digital thermometer. Pork needs to be cooked to an internal temperature of 145° F.
Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the pork chop being careful to not touch any of the bone (that will give you a higher temperature). Once you’ve reached the correct temperature, remove the pork from the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes before you slice it.
Why Cook Pork Chops in Air Fryer?
The air fryer is my favorite way to cook because it cooks the chops so quickly. I use a Cosori 5.8 quart basket style air fryer.
Secret to Juicy Pork Chops in Air Fryer
To make some tender pork chops when you cook them in the air fryer, check out these tips.
- Picking pork chops. When buying pork chops get ones that are 1-inch thick or thicker. If they aren’t thick enough, they are going to dry out in the air fryer. The cooking time is going to depend on the thickness of the pork chop. It’s more important to go off of the temperature of the pork rather than the length of cooking time.
- Leave the fat. Leave the fat band around the outside of the pork cut. This will ensure that the edges don’t dry out in the cooking process.
- Don’t overcook the chops. The best way to keep pork chops super juicy is to not over cook them. The temperature plays a key role in making the best pork chops. Cooking them to the correct temperature ensures that you will have perfect chops every time.
- Using a thermometer. Using a meat thermometer will help you know what temperature the pork chops are cooked to. Once the pork chops reach 140°F, you will want to remove them and allow them to rest for about 5 minutes before cutting into them. The temperature will continue to rise up to 145°F even after the chops have been taken out of the air fryer.
Getting the Best Pork Chops to Air Fry
- When buying pork chops for air frying, you want to get ones that are over 1-inch thick, this will make sure that they stay juicy while air frying.
- The cut of meat that is the pork chop is part of the pig that runs from the shoulder to the butt. The most popular cuts are the loin chop and the rib chop. For this recipe I use center cut bone-in pork loin chops.
Air Fryer Pork Chops No Breading Ingredients
- Pork Chops: I use bone in pork chops that are 1 1/4 inch -1 1/2 inches thick.
- Salt: I like to use kosher salt or sea salt.
- Pepper: Freshly ground will give the best peppery flavor.
- Butter: I use unsalted butter. If you use salted butter, you may want to cut down on the added salt.
- Rosemary: You will need fresh rosemary, that has been very finely chopped.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic that has been minced.
How to Make No Breading Air Fryer Pork Chops
- Pull the pork chops out of the fridge and allow them to come up to room temperature for 20-30 minutes (optional, but helps them cook quicker).
- Preheat the air fryer.
- Add salt and pepper to both sides of the pork chops.
- Melt butter and add in garlic and minced rosemary, stir. Pour about 1/4 cup into a separate bowl to use on top of cooked pork chops.
- Brush on the rosemary butter to both sides of the pork chops.
- Place into preheated air fryer. Flip over halfway through cooking.
- At 10 minutes check the chop with a meat thermometer to see if it’s reached 143 – 145°F. Let rest for 5 minutes before enjoying. Top with reserved garlic butter.
What if my Cooked Pork Chop is Lightly Pink Inside
I grew up eating tough and dried out pork chops that were neither tender nor juicy. At the time, it was recommended to cook pork to 160°F, which guaranteed there was absolutely no pink in the pork (and no moisture either, lol).
Now, pork is fully cooked when it reaches 145°F, so this means that there may be a tiny bit of pink in the pork chops after you cook them (and juicier too!). So if you are wondering if it is safe to eat a pork chop that is slightly pink, the answer is yes. It is perfectly acceptable, but may definitely take some getting used to. The key word here is slightly pink, if it is really pink, you need to cook it longer.
Air Fryer Pork Chops No Breading Tips & Variations
- Make sure not to over cook the pork chops.
- Open the air fryer at any time to check on the pork chops to make sure they aren’t over cooking.
- Check the temperature of the pork chops with a meat thermometer to make sure they are at least 145°F. Usually if you pull them out at 140°F, they will continue to cook while they are resting and will reach 145°F.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this Air Fryer Pork Chop Recipe keto friendly? Yes, these pork chops are perfect for the keto diet and are gluten free.
Can I use different herbs? Of course you can. If you love herbs like thyme or even dill, you can swap those in instead of the rosemary. You could even leave the herbs out completely and just make it a garlic butter.
Storage Instructions
How to refrigerate air fryer pork chops no breading? Let the pork chops cool and put in an air tight container. They should last about 3-4 days in the fridge.
How do you reheat pork chops in an air fryer? Pre-heat the air fryer to 380° F. Cook pork chops for 4-5 minutes. Keep a close eye on it so that it doesn’t overcook.
How to freeze pork chops? Let pork chops cool completely before putting into an air tight, freezer safe container. Pork chops can be frozen for 3 months, just be sure to label with the recipe and date.
How to thaw frozen air fryer pork chops? Thaw frozen cooked pork chops in the refrigerator until defrosted.
Try these other recipes!
- Best Damn Air Fryer Pork Chops
- Air Fryer London Broil
- Air Fryer Bagel Bites
- Cornish Hen in Air Fryer
- Dinner Rolls in Air Fryer
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Air Fryer Pork Chops No Breading
Ingredients
- 2 pork loin chops, bone in, more than 1" thick
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 stick or 1/4 cup butter
- 2 teaspoons rosemary, fresh, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, fresh, minced
Instructions
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Pull the pork chops out of the fridge and allow them to come up to room temperature for 20-30 minutes (optional, but helps them cook quicker).
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Preheat the air fryer to 380°F.
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Add salt and pepper to both sides of the pork chops.
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Melt butter in the microwave in a small bowl (I like to cover with a paper towel). Pull out of microwave and add in garlic and minced rosemary, stir. Reserve about 1/4 cup into a separate bowl to use later on top of cooked pork chops.
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Brush on the rosemary butter to both sides of the pork chops. Place into preheated air fryer.
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Cook the pork chops for 10-13 minutes. Flip over half way through the time. Check the temperature with a digital thermometer at the 10 minute mark. Once it reaches about 143°F, remove the chops from the air fryer and let it rest for 5 minutes before cutting into it (carryover cooking will continue to cook it up to 145°F which is the safe temperature to eat pork).
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Top with rosemary butter before serving.
Equipment
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Air Fryer
Recipe Notes
- Make sure not to over cook the pork chops.
- Open the air fryer at any time to check on the pork chops to make sure they aren’t over cooking.
- Check the temperature of the pork chops with a meat thermometer to make sure they are at least 145°F. Usually if you pull them out at 140°F, they will continue to cook while they are resting and will reach 145°F.
* Please note that all nutrition information are just estimates. Values will vary among brands, so we encourage you to calculate these on your own for most accurate results.
Nutrition Information
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