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Simple pan fried pork chops in lemon butter sauce are crunchy on the outside and perfectly tender and delicious on the inside!

If you love these pork chops, you will also love our Slow Cooker Pork Chops and Baked Pork Chops!

Fried Pork Chops over arugula topped with lemon slices served on a white plate.

We Love crunchy Pork Chops!

We’ve always loved pork chops and love that we are trying new ways to prepare them for dinner.

We especially love Southern fried pork chops because they are so easy and delicious.

Why we love these chops:

  • Tasty. These pork loins are crunchy on the outside, super tender and juicy on the inside, so flavorful, and made in a pan.
  • Easy. Although it’s fairly simple to make, these fried pork chops are quite the impressive dinner entrée!
  • A complete meal! Serve topped with sliced lemon and fresh herbs, a side salad or green beans and mashed potatoes – maybe even top with some gravy!

You’ve got to try it for yourself (along with our Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops and our Smothered Pork Chops)!

Pork chops seasoned in a glass baking dish.

Ingredients

  • center cut pork loin chops – thinly sliced. Prime center-cut loin chops are ideal for a high-heat sear and a medium to medium well doneness. The outside crust will be nice and crispy while the inside remains tender and juicy. 
  • salt and black pepper – For added flavor sprinkle in some cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, or onion powder.
  • all-purpose flour
  • large eggs
  • water
  • unseasoned Panko breadcrumbs
  • grated Romano cheese
  • oil Use a high-heat oil such as vegetable oil, canola, oil, peanut oil, or even an olive oil labeled suitable for frying.
  • chicken broth
  • fresh lemon sliced
  • unsalted butter  room temp
Breaded pork chops frying in a cast iron skillet.

How to Fry Pork Chops

  1. PREP. Season boneless pork chops with salt and pepper.
    • Add flour to a shallow dish. Add eggs and water to another shallow dish. Add bread crumbs and cheese to a third shallow dish.
    • Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
  2. DREDGE. Prepare each pork chop while the oil is heating up. Dredge chops in flour mixture, then egg mixture then bread crumb/cheese mixture.
  3. FRY. Add pork chops to oil and cook for 5 minutes on each side (or until golden brown). Remove from pan and place on paper-towel-lined plate or on a rack. Fry remaining pork chops the same way.
  4. LEMON BUTTER SAUCE. Clean out the frying pan, add ½ cup chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Add lemon slices and let the liquid reduce by half. Turn the heat to low and add the remaining broth along with the butter.
  5. SERVE. Add chops back to the pan and coat in the sauce cooking an additional 5 minutes or until fully cooked through. Serve warm. ENJOY!

Air Fry Directions

Preheat the air fryer to 380°F. Coat the pork chops as directed in the recipe. Spray both sides with cooking spray and place 2-3 in the air fryer basket. (Make sure they do not touch.)

Fry for 6 minutes. Flip and fry for another 4-6 more minutes. *See your air fryer manual for more specific fry times.

Fried pork chops with lemon cooking in a frying pan.

Recipe Tips

  • Cast iron skillet. It’s ideal for frying because it holds and distributes heat so well. It also provides a naturally nonstick surface for easy cleanup!
  • Internal temperature for the best cook:
    • Medium rare. pink center 145-150°F
    • Medium. ribbon of pink in the center 150-155°F
    • Medium well. a light pink hue 155-160°F
    • Well. light white 160°F
  • Breading tips. Sometimes when frying meat the breading doesn’t stick as well as it should.
    • Pat the pork chop dry before dredging in flour. Or use cornstarch to toss the pork in instead of flour.
    • Shake off excess flour before dipping it in the egg mixture.
    • Cover the entire chop with panko.
    • Gently press the final coating against the chop.
    • Flipping too much can cause the breading to loosen or come off.

Storing Info

  • STORE leftover fried pork chops recipe in an airtight container or wrap them in foil and place in the fridge for 3-4 days.
  • Reheating. The best way to reheat easy fried pork chops is in the oven. Place them on a foil-lined baking sheet. Lightly brush with olive oil (or spray) and reheat at 350°F for 8 minutes or so on each side.
Pan fried pork chops with lemon slices served on a white plate.

For More Pork Recipes:

5 from 17 votes

Fried Pork Chops Recipe

By: Lil’ Luna
Simple pan fried pork chops in lemon butter sauce are crunchy on the outside and perfectly tender and delicious on the inside!
Servings: 4
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 25 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 4 thinly sliced center cut pork loin chops
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • ½ to ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 to 2 large eggs,
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 cup unseasoned Panko breadcrumbs
  • ½ cup grated Romano cheese
  • 1-2 tablespoon oil for frying

Lemon Butter Sauce

  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 lemon sliced
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter room temp

Instructions 

  • Season pork chops with salt and pepper.
  • Add flour to a shallow dish. Add eggs and water to another shallow dish. Add bread crumbs and cheese to a third shallow dish.
  • Heat oil in large skillet over med-high heat until shimmering.
  • Prepare each pork chop while oil is heating up. Dredge chops in flour, then egg mixture then bread crumb/cheese mixture.
  • Add pork chops to oil and cook for 5 minutes on each side (or until golden brown). Remove from pan and place on paper-towel lined plate.
  • Clean out skillet and add ½ cup chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add lemon slices and let liquid reduce by half. Turn heat to low and add the remaining broth along with butter.
  • Add chops back to the pan and coat in the sauce cooking an additional 5 minutes or until fully cooked through. Serve warm. ENJOY!

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 474kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 36g, Fat: 29g, Saturated Fat: 13g, Cholesterol: 174mg, Sodium: 556mg, Potassium: 639mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 465IU, Vitamin C: 18.4mg, Calcium: 190mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Making this recipe? Tag us!
Share it with us on Instagram using the hashtag #lilluna, so we can see what you’re creating in the kitchen!

Adapted from Renee’s Kitchen Adventures

About Kristyn

My name is Kristyn and I’m the mom of SIX stinkin’ cute kids and the wife to my smokin’ hot hubby, Lo. My mom’s maiden name is Luna, and I’m one of the many crafty “Lil’ Lunas” in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!

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Recipe Rating




29 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Absolutely delicious! I did add a little bit more butter (we are a butter loving family) to help with some of the saltiness I accidentally added when salting and peppering the chops in the beginning. And I didn’t add a whole lemon because it just looked to be too much. But this was amazing and the family raved over it.
    As a side dish I made au gratin (sp) zucchini and summer squash which paired perfectly with the chops and the couscous. This meal is a keeper!!!

  2. 5 stars
    Another great recipe from lilluna! I followed the directions precisely with the only exception being that I bought medium-thickness boneless pork chops…so I added another minute in the pan per side. They came out soooooo tender and crispy on the outside. I used avocado oil b/c that’s what I had on-hand and b/c it has a high smoke point, preventing too much stink in the house. Perfecto!

    1. If you want to make baked boneless pork chops without sautéing, here is how we do it…
      Preheat oven to 350 degrees (180 degrees C). Place pork chops in a baking pan. Spread 1 teaspoon of butter over each pork chop along with any spices. Bake 25-30 minutes in preheated oven, or until the internal temperature of the chops has reached 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).

  3. 5 stars
    Absolutely AWESOME pork chops!! Everyone in my family loves them, they’ve become a staple in our home. thank you so much for the recipe!