Skip The Oven And Cook Juicy Pork Chops This Way For Dinner In Less Time

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From grilling to frying to roasting in the oven, there are tons of ways to cook a batch of pork chops. But if you're in a rush to get dinner on the table, these methods might not be the most ideal way to prepare them. Luckily, Dennis Littley, chef and culinary expert at Ask Chef Dennis, has just the solution if you're looking for both speedy and delicious pork chops: Skip the oven and use the air fryer instead. 

"Air fryers help create a good crust on your pork chops," Littley explains. "The circulating air browns them well and keeps them moist from the inside." You may have thought that cooking pork chops in an air fryer will dry them out, but it's actually the opposite. That circulation also helps them cook super fast and evenly, too; air frying takes around 12 minutes, while baking chops in the oven can take up to 25 minutes.

"Since pork chops are generally lean cuts of meat," he explains, "it will be easier to achieve excellent results in the air fryer without adding too much extra oil — as long as they are prepared correctly." However, he does note that a little bit of oil will enhance browning. If you're seasoning it with a rub, coat the pork chops with a little olive oil first. If you decide to coat them in a crust, like in our air fryer parmesan-crusted pork chop recipe, simply spray each side with a bit of olive oil before throwing them into the air fryer.

Before throwing them into the air fryer, you'll want to make sure you know what you're looking for to achieve the best pork chops possible. According to Littley, one of the worst things people can do when making pork chops is overcooking them.

"That is why it's important to prepare pork chops based on internal temperature, using an instant-read thermometer," he explains. Using a thermometer, like this one from TempPro, is always a good choice when cooking meat; checking it by color alone is a total meat cooking myth. Once your pork chops have reached 145 degrees Fahrenheit, take them out of the air fryer and let them sit for about five minutes. Letting them rest will ensure that you're left with a juicy cut. If you cut into them right away, they'll be more likely to dry out. 

Littley also stresses the importance of leaving enough room in your air fryer's basket. This is perhaps the most important tip for cooking crispy pork chops in the air fryer; if air can't circulate around the pork chops, you'll be left with pale or undercooked results, since they won't be able to cook evenly. Nobody wants that for dinner.