These air fryer bone-in pork chops are insanely flavorful and they only take 5 minutes to put together. The juicy, perfectly seasoned chops go well with just about everything!
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Pin RecipeWith simple seasonings like pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder, the flavors of these pork chops will pair well with all your favorite side dishes. Pair them with classic mashed potatoes, with some Southern style green beans, or with a Brussels sprout salad. But don’t worry, they are also flavorful enough on their own!
The pork chops are sprinkled with some brown sugar to make them sweet and also a little paprika to give a deep, smokey taste. These air fryer pork chops sure are going to tantalize your taste buds in more ways than one!
Easy Air Fryer Bone-In Pork Chop Recipe
While the flavor of these simple air fryer pork chops is definitely something to talk about, I also want to make sure you know exactly how easy it is to make them. It only takes 5 minutes to get the pork chops seasoned and into the air fryer. Then, the air fryer takes over, cooking the pork chops beautifully.
The air fryer makes the pork chops a little crispy on the outside, while keeping them juicy and tender in the center. It’s also so much faster to heat up than waiting for your entire oven to reach 400 degrees. I actually prefer to cook pork chops in the air fryer rather than in the regular oven for just this reason! They really do turn out better and bake faster. I think you are going to try this recipe and never bake pork chops in the oven ever again. You’ll have to give them a try to find out!
(Love a good pork recipe? Give my Instant Pot Pork Roast a try too! For another delicious air fryer dinner, make my Air Fryer Tilapia. Want an Asian twist on pork chops? You’ll love my Sweet and Sour Pork Chops!)
Items Needed
Ingredients
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Bone-in pork chops – Look for pork chops that are about 6 to 8 ounces. This is the perfect size for a single serving.
- Brown sugar – Either light brown sugar or dark brown sugar will work in this recipe.
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Smoked paprika – I like to use smoked paprika, which has an intense, complex flavor. However, regular paprika will work just as well. It will just be a little bit more mild, without the smoky element.
- Olive oil
Variations
If you are missing an ingredient or just need to tweak this pork chop recipe a little bit, these variations and substitutions may help.
- Use boneless pork chops in place of bone-in pork chops. Pork chops with the bone will be juicier and more flavorful. However, if you only have boneless, they will still be quite tasty. Just be sure to only cook the boneless pork chops for 10 minutes in the air fryer. They will cook faster than pork chops with the bone.
- Use a low calorie brown sugar sweetener, like Splenda Brown Sugar Blend, if you would like to cut back on a few calories.
- Add a sprinkle of cayenne pepper to the spice mix to make the pork chops have a little bit of spicy heat.
How to Make Air Fryer Bone-In Pork Chops
- Prep your air fryer: Preheat your air fryer to 400ºF and then get the air fryer rack ready by spraying it with some cooking spray.
- Season the pork chops: Before you season the pork chops, pat them with a paper towel. Drying the pork chops will help the seasoning stick. Mix the brown sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika in a bowl and then sprinkle the mixture over both sides of the pork chops.
- Bake the pork chops: Place the seasoned pork chops on the greased air fryer rack and cook them for 12 minutes. I like to flip them halfway through to make them evenly cooked and crispy. The pork chops are then ready to eat!
Quick Tip
You can cook this pork chop recipe in the oven if you do not have an air fryer. Line a baking sheet with foil and grease it with a little olive oil or cooking spray. Add the seasoned bone-in pork chops to the tray, then bake the pork chops at 400ºF for 15 minutes, flipping them halfway through the cooking time so they crisp on both sides.
How to Store Air Fryer Bone-In Pork Chops
This recipe makes two nice-sized servings of pork. If you happen to have extra, you want to store it in an airtight container in the fridge. It will stay fresh for three to four days.
When you are ready to reheat your air fryer pork chops, you can just pop them back in the air fryer for about 3-4 minutes. They will be heated all the way through and have a golden brown, crispy, seasoned crust.
You can also reheat your pork chops in the microwave for about one to two minutes. They will be fresh and tasty, but not quite as crispy as if you used the air fryer.
Serving Suggestions
There are so many great side dishes you can serve with these air fryer pork chops. I really like the smoky, sweet taste of the pork chops next to cheesy scalloped potatoes. A classic Waldorf salad is amazing with pork and quick to make. I also really like to serve these air fryer pork chops with fried rice and give the meal an Asian twist.
FAQs
Pork chops will become tough if they are over cooked. This can happen quickly in the air fryer. The pork chops should only take 12 minutes to cook. You can check the internal temperature of the pork chops using a meat thermometer. When the thermometer reads 145ºF, the pork is done.
You can put foil in the air fryer, but it will block the air flow within the air fryer. The main idea of the air fryer is to circulate hot air all the way around the food. This makes it crispy and evenly cooked. When you add foil, you stop that air circulation, and the food will not cook properly.
You can use freshly minced garlic in place of garlic powder. Freshly minced garlic will add a lot of powerful flavor and give the pork chops a nice, crunchy crust that you may really enjoy.
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Air Fryer Bone-In Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 2 bone-in pork chops
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees F and spray your air fryer rack with cooking spray.
- Place the pork chops in a shallow dish and pat them with a paper towel to dry them off.
- In a second shallow dish, mix together the brown sugar, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika.
- Drizzle the pork chops with the olive oil and give them a good rub so they are coated completely in the oil.
- Sprinkle both sides of the pork chops with the spice mix, using all of the spices to coat the pork.
- Place the pork chops on your air fryer rack and into the air fryer to cook for 6 minutes. After 6 minutes, flip the pork chops and cook for another 6 minutes. Enjoy while warm!
