This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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!
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 entrรฉe!
- 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)!
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
How to Fry Pork Chops
- 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.
- DREDGE. Prepare each pork chop while the oil is heating up. Dredge chops in flour mixture, then egg mixture then bread crumb/cheese mixture.
- 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.
- LEMON BUTTER SAUCE. Clean out the frying pan, add ยฝ 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.
- 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 380ยฐF. 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.
Recipe Tips
- Cast iron skillet. Itโs 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 145-150ยฐF
- Medium. ribbon of pink in the center 150-155ยฐF
- Medium well. a light pink hue 155-160ยฐF
- Well. light white 160ยฐF
- 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 350ยฐF for 8 minutes or so on each side.
For More Pork Recipes:
Fried Pork Chops Recipe
Simple pan fried pork chops in lemon butter sauce are crunchy on the outside and perfectly tender and delicious on the inside!
Ingredients
- 4 thinly sliced center cut pork loin chops
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ยฝ to ยพ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 to 2 large eggs,
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 cup unseasoned Panko breadcrumbs
- ยฝ cup grated Romano cheese
- 1-2 tablespoon oil for frying
Lemon Butter Sauce
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 lemon sliced
- ยผ 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 ยฝ 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.
Adapted from Renee’s Kitchen Adventures
While I liked the crispy coating and found it flavourful, I found the cook time to be completely off. I used thin, to medium chops and cooked them 3 minutes a side, not 5 minutes, on medium heat in a cast-iron skillet. This brought them to fully cooked. If I had put them back in the lemon sauce to cook, they would have been way overdone. I did make the sauce, but halved the lemon, but was not wildly excited about it. Neither of my kids (5 and 8) liked the sauce.
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 didnโt 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!!!
Yummy!! Sounds like a delicious meal!
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!
So juicy and tasty! Love it!
Can you cook your fried pork chops recipe in the oven if yes for how long and what temperature
If you want to make baked boneless pork chops without sautรฉing, here is how we do itโฆ
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).
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!
Love to hear that! Glad it has ๐ Thank you so much!
Pork CHops remind me of my childhood! THis recipe did not disappoint!
Love how quick and easy this recipe is!
I hope you will & hope you like it!