These Pan-Fried Pork Chops are an impressive yet easy protein that comes together in just 20 minutes. Made without flour, they develop a golden-brown crust while staying tender and juicy in the center, and you can use either bone-in or boneless chops depending on what you have on hand.
Pan-Fried Pork Chops at a Glance
- 🧄 Flavor & Texture: Savory, tender, and juicy pork chops with a beautifully caramelized, golden-brown crust.
- 🛒 Main Ingredients: Bone-in or boneless pork chops, sugar, salt, pepper, and cooking oil.
- ⏱️ Total Time: 20 minutes.
- 🍴 Servings: 4
- 🥗 Dietary Info: Naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, high-protein, and made without flour or breading.
- 🍚 Best Served With: Mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, mac and cheese, rice, or a fresh side salad.
- ❤️ Why You Will Love It: These easy, budget-friendly pork chops deliver restaurant-quality flavor in just 20 minutes.
Summarize and Save This Content On
When I make pork chops, I've learned that less is more. I skip the flour to keep the coating light and let the pork develop a beautiful sear, while a little sugar helps with caramelization and gives the outside that gorgeous golden-brown color.
I also make a few small slices into the side of each chop, right through the fat and silver skin along the edge. This keeps the chops from curling in the pan, so they stay flat for even browning while the center stays tender and juicy.
If you're looking for more easy skillet proteins to try, you'll love my pan-fried lamb chops and these pan-fried catfish fillets.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Budget-friendly cut: Pork chops make a hearty, satisfying meal without a hefty price tag.
- Naturally gluten-free: No flour or breading, so they're naturally gluten-free.
- 20 minutes in one pan: From start to finish, this comes together in just 20 minutes with minimal cleanup.
- No dredging mess: Skip the flour, breading, and messy dredging-just season and cook.
Jump to:
- Pan-Fried Pork Chops at a Glance
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients
- Variations
- How to Fry Pork Chops on the Stove
- How to Tell When Pan-Fried Pork Chops are Done
- Expert Tips
- Troubleshooting Pan-Frying Pork Chops
- Serving Suggestions
- Pan-Fried Pork Chops Recipe FAQs
- More Skillet Pork Chop Recipes
- Pan-Fried Pork Chops
Ingredients
The chops and sugar are the most important components here-the sugar is where you get that deep, caramelized crust!
- Pork chops: I recommend loin or center-cut pork chops about 1 inch thick. Bone-in or boneless pork both work in this sous vide pork chops recipe, too.
- Cooking Oil: Use your favorite neutral cooking oil, such as vegetable, canola, or avocado oil. For best results, use one that has a relatively high smoke point.
- Sugar: A little sugar helps the chops brown and caramelize as they cook. It won't make them taste sweet; it simply helps create that flavorful, golden-brown crust.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Bone-In or Boneless?
Both pan-fried boneless pork chops and pan-fried bone-in pork chops work for pan-frying in a skillet. I usually reach for bone-in chops because they're flavorful, tend to stay juicier, and are often a good value.
Boneless chops work as well, but they cook a little faster, so check their temperature earlier.
Variations
- Sugar-free: The sugar helps with browning, so you can leave it out if you prefer. Just expect the chops to be a little less browned than pictured.
- Spicy: We love spicy food, so I like adding ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes along with the salt and pepper.
- Add more seasoning: Try adding 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, Cajun seasoning, lemon pepper, or Italian seasoning to your pork chops for more depth.
Craving a sauce? Try my balsamic-glazed pork chops or this Greek pork chops recipe, too!
How to Fry Pork Chops on the Stove
Pat your pork chops dry and get them ready before you get started on this pan-fried pork chop recipe.
Step 1: Season the chops. As your cast iron skillet heats, sprinkle both sides of each pork chop with salt and pepper, and then one side of each chop with sugar.
Step 2: Sear the sugar side. Place the chops in the hot skillet, sugar side down, and cook for about 5-9 minutes, or until deep golden brown.
Step 3: Flip, finish, and serve. Then, flip them and cook the other side for about 3-7 minutes or until browned and the pork is fully cooked. Serve them hot with a side of slow cooker ranch potatoes!
How to Tell When Pan-Fried Pork Chops are Done
- A little pink is fine: Don't rely on color or cooking time alone. A little pink in the center is perfectly fine when the chops reach 145°F.
- Temperature and resting: Remove pork chops from the pan when they reach 140°F and then allow them 3-5 minutes to rest. The temperature will continue to climb to 145°F as they rest.
- Thermometer placement: Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the chop, away from the bone, for the most accurate reading.
Expert Tips
- Rest them long enough: Let the pork chops rest for 3 to 5 minutes after cooking. This gives the juices time to settle back into the meat, and carryover cooking finishes the cooking.
- Don't overcook them: Pork chops can turn dry and tough when overcooked, so use a digital thermometer rather than relying on color or cooking time. A little pink is fine as long as they reach 145°F after resting.
- Storage directions: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or freeze them for up to 3 months.
- Reheating methods: Reheat in a skillet with a splash of water over medium-low heat until warmed through. You may also place them in a covered baking dish with a little water and heat at 325F for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on thickness.
This broiled pork chops recipe is another simple way to enjoy flavorful pork for dinner.
Troubleshooting Pan-Frying Pork Chops
- Curled pork chops: Cut through the fat edge every 1 ½ to 2 inches before cooking. This helps keep the chops flat instead of curling up in the pan.
- Pork chops are pale: Make sure the oil is shimmering before adding the chops, and pat them dry with paper towels first. Excess moisture can prevent good browning.
- The sugar side is too dark: The heat is likely too high. Keep the pan at medium to medium-high heat, then reduce it to low after flipping so the sugar can caramelize without burning.
- Chops are dry or tough: They may have cooked past 140°F in the pan, or they didn't get a chance to rest. Pull them at 140°F and let them rest 3 to 5 minutes, when they should reach 145°F.
Serving Suggestions
- Make the most of leftovers: Slice leftover skillet pork chops and add them to sandwiches, salads, wraps, or rice bowls for an easy next-day lunch. I highly recommend using the chops to make this fried pork chop sandwich!
- Choose a few sides: Serve them with mashed potatoes, Mediterranean roasted vegetables, jalapeño mac and cheese, or a simple side salad.
- For any occasion: These are easy enough for a weeknight dinner but feel right at home on a Sunday dinner table or at a casual family get-together.
Pan-Fried Pork Chops Recipe FAQs
Oil works better for this pan-fried pork chops recipe because it can handle the higher heat needed for pan-frying without burning as quickly as butter.
No, keep the pan uncovered so the chops can brown properly instead of trapping steam and making the surface pale.
No! These pork chops don't need flour or breading. The seasoning and sugar create a flavorful, browned crust right in the skillet.
The first side usually takes 5 to 9 minutes, with the second side taking 3 to 7 minutes. Timing varies with thickness and whether the chops are bone-in or boneless, so use temperature as your guide and pull them from the pan at 140°F and then let them rest. The temperature will continue to rise to 145°F through carryover cooking.
Yes. Let the cooked pork chops cool completely, then freeze them for up to 3 months in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag.
More Skillet Pork Chop Recipes
Do you want more pork chop recipes? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.
If you try this recipe and love it please leave a star rating in the recipe card below or even better, drop a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to follow along with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more easy recipes!
Pan-Fried Pork Chops
Equipment
- Tongs or spatula
Ingredients
- 4 pork chops loin or center cut, bone or boneless, 1 inch thick
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- salt
- black pepper
- ¼ cup vegetable oil more or less to taste
Instructions
- Wash and cut slices into the side of each pork chop with the fat and silver skin along the edge. This stops the pork chops from curling.
- Make cuts every 1 ½ to 2 inches along that edge. The cuts should be no more than ½ an inch deep.
- Dry pork chops with paper towels and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.
- In a large skillet, with a lid, heat oil until it shimmers or a drop of water flicked in it dances.
- Sprinkle the first side of each pork chop with salt, pepper and a then ¼ teaspoon of sugar.
- Press into pork chop.
- Next, gently place pork chop in skillet, sugar side down.
- Repeat with remaining pork chops.
- Sprinkle salt and pepper on the tops of all the pork chops once in the skillet.
- Cook until sugar side is nicely brown, 5 to 9 minutes.
- Flip and reduce heat to low.
- Cover and cook until the center of each pork chop is cooked. Use a thermometer to check (140 degrees usually) and between 3 and 7 minutes.
- The sugar side will be a darker color.
- Serve immediately with applesauce if desired. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- To check for doneness, insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the chop, avoiding the bone, for the most accurate reading.
- Let the pork chops rest for 3 to 5 minutes after cooking so the juices can settle back into the meat, keeping the chops moist.
- Cut through the fat edge every 1½ to 2 inches before cooking to help keep the pork chops flat and prevent them from curling in the pan.
- Use oil for these pan-fried pork chops because it handles the higher cooking temperature without burning as quickly as butter.
Tami says
Wash the chops? What does this mean?
Karin and Ken says
Carefully rinse pork chops under wand pat dry with paper towel. That is all. Any more questions don’t hesitate to ask. These pork chops are delicious! All the best. Karin
Max says
First time my pork chops didn't curl and recipe easy and good Thx
Karin and Ken says
Glad to hear all went well. I was so glad once I started using that trick to stop them from curling too. Used to drive me crazy. Thank you for taking the time to let me know you liked this recipe! You made my day. All the best. Karin
Marsha says
This recipe is so easy and produced an excellent chop Thx
Karin and Ken says
So glad this recipe worked out so well for you. This recipe is so easy and the pork chops always turn out flat and flavorful! Hopefully you find some other recipes on this site that you enjoy just as much. All the best. Karin