As amazing as it is, fried chicken is not the only deep-fried game in town. There is another option that is equally delicious and simple to make. Today we are going to look at my southern fried pork chops recipe for a quick and easy meal.
Pork chops are usually cheap. They take little prep work, and they cook very quickly. Learning how to cook pork chops is simple. It’s one of my easy dinner ideas for kids as well. You can’t go wrong with this classic southern recipe.
Ingredients for Southern Fried Pork Chops:
- 4 bone-in pork chops
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups of flour
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp rosemary
Prep
The pork chops themselves don’t need much work. You can hit them with a meat tenderizer if you wish, but I usually don’t. I would take them out of the fridge about ten minutes before you want to cook them, though.
I always prepare my dredge in a plastic container with a good lid. Make sure your container is big enough for the pork chop to move around in it. Place your flour and other dry ingredients into the container and mix well. You want a homogenous mix for this breaded pork chop recipe.
You can possibly get away with using just one cup of flour depending on the size of your pork chops. I always list 2 cups for deep frying recipes just to make sure you have enough. If you do use the full 2 cups, you might want to double up on the spices.
Next, crack open your eggs into a decent-sized bowl. You are going to be dipping your pork chops into the egg wash, so make sure the bowl is big enough for them.
Finally, turn your deep fryer up to 350 degrees. These southern fried pork chops can be pan-fried on the stovetop, but I personally try to avoid pan-frying as much as possible. I find deep fryers to be so much easier to deal with, and I’m in love with my T-Fal deep fryer.
How To Cook Pork Chops
It doesn’t get much more simple than this breaded pork chops recipe. I usually dredge my pork chops as the oil is heating up. I typically give mine a single dredge, but you can double dip if you please.
First, dip your pork chops into the egg wash. Let the excess egg drip off before transferring them to the flour container. If your container is big enough, you can do all four together.
Once your pork chops are in the flour mixture, seal the lid tightly and give the container a good shake. Make sure the pork chops are coated completely in flour. When you have multiple chops in the flour mixture, make sure they are not touching as they mix or some parts will be left without flour.
If your container is large enough to hold all four pork chops, you can let them rest in the container until the oil comes up to temp. However, if you are having to mix them in batches, simply transfer the coated pork chops to a plate to rest until the oil is ready.
Cooking
When the oil is at 350 and all of the pork chops are coated, proceed to drop them in the oil. You don’t want to crowd the oil, as this can drop the temperature too much and not give your food room to cook. Cook in batches if you much. If any of the pork chops are pushed against one another and can’t move freely, you have too many in the fryer.
Cooking time will vary based on the size of your chops. The smaller boneless cuts will only take 3 to 4 minutes. The thicker cuts with bones will take around 5-7 minutes depending on thickness. Double-check the temp with a meat thermometer to be sure they are done. The internal temperature should be at least 145 degrees.
How to Serve Southern Fried Pork Chops
Once the chops are up to temp, they are done! Carefully remove them from the fryer and lay them out to rest on a plate covered in a paper towel. This will help drain the excess grease. Give the pork chops a nice sprinkle of salt while they are still hot.
Most of the sides that go with southern fried chicken also go with southern fried pork chops. Mac and Cheese, black-eyed peas, southern fried potatoes, you name it. Steamed cabbage is one of my personal favorites. You can even convert them to smothered pork chops by adding your favorite gravy over the top.
Pork chops are great for a family dinner. You can create the perfect Sunday dinner with my Ultimate Southern Sunday dinner ideas guide.
I hope you enjoy this southern fried pork chops recipe. This makes for an easy dinner idea for kids, as it is quite similar to chicken nuggets for them. Especially if you cut it into bites before they see it! Be sure to check back for more simple southern recipes and easy family dinner recipes.
