Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops
Lean boneless pork chops are breaded simply with parmesan and Italian bread crumbs, then quickly pan fried in olive oil until golden brown and juicy. These Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops are a great weeknight dinner!
Pork chops are often written off as dry or tough unless they’re brined, but this recipe is proof that that doesn’t have to be true.
No brining is necessary here to get pork that’s crispy on the edges, but juicy in the middle, and that’s part of what keeps this recipe so quick and perfect for weeknights.
I’m not against brining, but it adds a lot of prep time, you know?
This recipe takes about 15 minutes total, so if you’re looking for a reliable weeknight dinner that’s quick and tasty, this may become one of your go-to recipes.
Anytime I see pork chops on sale, I grab a bunch and make this parmesan pork.
How to Make Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops:
To get started, set up your breading station with three separate bowls. One with Italian bread crumbs, one with beaten eggs, and one with grated parmesan:
A quick tip: grate your own parmesan using a zester. This will give you an ultra-light parmesan that sticks like magic to the pork chop:
Season the pork chops with salt and pepper, then dip them into the grated parmesan:
Shake off any excess, then dip into the beaten egg:
Again, make sure to shake off the excess. If you’ve ever had the breading fall off, it’s because there was excess that needed to be shaken off.
Finally, dip the pork chops into Italian bread crumbs:
If you prefer, you can also do Panko bread crumbs instead, which is what I do for my Parmesan Crusted Chicken.
Pan fry the breaded pork chops in olive oil for about 5 minutes on each side:
You only have to cook pork chops to 145F for the interior temperature, so that should be plenty of time to crisp up both sides to a golden brown color, with a juicy interior:
I like to serve the pork chops with an easy vegetable side, like Coleslaw, Mediterranean Quinoa Salad, or Greek Zucchini Salad. Enjoy!
Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops
Lean boneless pork chops are breaded simply with parmesan and Italian bread crumbs, then briefly pan fried in olive oil until golden brown and juicy.
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 boneless pork chops (about 1.5 lbs)
- salt
- black pepper
- 1 oz (1 cup) parmesan cheese, freshly grated*
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
- 3 tbsp olive oil, for frying
Directions
- Season the pork chops generously on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Set up three bowls, placing the grated parmesan in the first bowl, the eggs in the second, and bread crumbs in the third.
- Dip each pork chop into the parmesan, then into the egg, then into the bread crumbs, making sure to shake the excess off after each breading station. This prevents the coating from falling off.
- Heat up a skillet over medium heat, then add the olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan.
- Pan fry the pork chops for 4-5 minutes on each side, until golden brown and crispy on both sides, with a minimum interior temperature of 145F. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
*The pork chops I typically get from the store are 3/4" in thickness, or 1" max. Thickness will affect cooking time, so make sure not to get the double cut or extra thick pork chops here. Thinner is better.
**If possible, use a zester to grate the parmesan. It will give you an ultra light parmesan that will stick well to the pork.
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Post updated with new photos, writing, and tips in August 2018. Originally published July 2011.
I made the parmasean crusted pork chops tonight and they were so moist and tender. The flavor was wonderful and they browned up nicely. It appears ive been breading my chops all wrong after all these years! My hubby loved these and will make again. I also paired the chops with your refipe for roasted broccoli with lemon and pine nuts holy cow that was good too. We like every recipe you post Joanne. Thank you. Steph
Hi Steph, that is SO wonderful! Very happy to hear you enjoyed the pork chops and the broccoli side dish too! I’m actually about to go to the store to pick up the ingredients to make that for friends 🙂 Have a great day!
This was delicious and so easy to make! I had purchased thicker chops and finished them off in the oven for 15 minutes and they were crunchy on the outside and moist and juicy in the center. Thanks for posting such a quick and easy dinner idea!
Joanne! I absolutely LOVE that you dip them into the parmesan BEFORE the egg! How brilliant is that?! As always, your photography and wonderfully lighting make an already SCRUMPTIOUS-looking meal look beyond divine! So yummy! We rarlely make pork chops, but the next time I do I will have to add the parmesan to our recipe! (It’s very similar, we just have never made them with Parm!) I make breaded parmesan chicken all the time, and I can’t WAIT to try out the parmesan cheese FIRST, then the egg! Amazingly brilliant idea!
– Sydney