Make dinner easy and delicious with these parmesan crusted pork chops. You pound these pork chops until they are thin and then dredge them through egg and a parmesan mixture. We brown them in a cast iron pan until perfectly golden brown.
Crispy Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops
There is nothing better than a perfectly cooked pork chop. No chalky pork chops allowed, only juicy pork chops with a perfectly crisp parmesan crust.
This parmesan crusted pork chop recipe has a short ingredient list and is easy (and fun) to make. We love this recipe because the parmesan crust is golden brown and crunchy and the inside is juicy and delicious.
What is a pork chop?
Pork chops are sliced cutlets from pork loin. They are a leaner cut of pork with some fat marbling that come pre-portioned.
You can either buy pork chops bone in or boneless. We use boneless pork chops in this recipe! They come in varying thicknesses and are widely available at most U.S. grocery stores.
Featured Ingredients
Boneless Pork Chops: for this recipe we prefer boneless pork chops. They cooked more evenly and because we pound the pork chops, the bones get in the way.
Parmesan: finely grated parmesan is a must for this recipe. It sticks to the pork chops best. We suggest using freshly grated parmesan.
Cornmeal: how do we get a crunchy outside on this pork chop? Cornmeal!
Eggs: in order to get your parmesan cheese mixture to stick to the pork chops, you need to dredge the pork chops through whisked eggs.
How to Make Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops
Pound the pork
In order for the pork chops to cook evenly on the stove top, you want the pork chops to all be the same thickness. And? Pounding the pork chops will also tenderize the pork chops.
Place the pork chops on a cutting board and cover them with plastic wrap. Pound the pork chops with a meat tenderizer until the pork chops are about 3/4-inches thick.
salt the pork chops
After you have pounded the pork chops salt the pork chops and use your hands to massage the salt into the pork chops. This gets the juices flowing in the pork chop which leads to a juicy pork chop.
Dredge in egg + parmesan
Once you have prepared the eggs and parmesan mixture, dredge the pork chops through eggs and then place the pork chops in the parmesan mixture and flip the pork chop over a few times so the pork chop is completely covered in the parmesan mixture.
Cook
To brown the pork chops, heat a large cast iron skillet over medium/high heat and add olive oil to the pan. When the pan is hot, add the pork chops. Cook the pork chops for 4-5 minutes on each side.
Be sure not to move the pork chops around too much or else the parmesan crust may fall off.
When the pork chops are golden brown and have an internal temperature of 145ºF and let them rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Try it!
Parmesan Cheese Recipes
Love parmesan cheese? Check out some of our very best recipes featuring parmesan cheese!
FAQ
Is it better to fry or bake pork chops?
We prefer frying pork chops because they get crispy and brown!
How do you get the perfect crust on pork chops?
To get a perfect crust on pork chops you have to have a balance between eggs, a mixture that will brown and get crunchy (in this case corn meal and parmesan cheese), and hot oil.
How do you cook thin pork chops without drying them out?
Salt! Be sure to salt the pork chops before you cook them. Using salt is technically a dry brine. If you’d like to use a wet brine, that would work too!
Storage
Store these pork chops in an airtight container once cooled. Store the pork chops in the refrigerator up to 5 days.
What to do with Left Over Pork Chops
If you have leftover pork chops, there are some delicious ways you can use the pork chops throughout the week.
- Make a sandwich with sliced pork.
- Chop the pork into chunks and serve it on a salad.
- Serve the pork chops for breakfast with eggs.
Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 4 boneless pork chops ~1.5-lbs.
- 2.5 teaspoons coarse salt separated
- ¾ cup finely grated parmesan
- ⅓ cup cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Place pork chops on a cutting board and make sure your work space is sturdy. Cover the pork chops with plastic wrap and then pound the pork chops with a meat tenderizer until they are about ¾-inch thick.
- Sprinkle both sides of the pork chops with 2 teaspoons of coarse salt. Massage the salt into the pork chops and set them aside.
- Add parmesan, cornmeal, brown sugar, garlic powder, thyme, pepper and the remaining salt into a medium-sized bowl and mix until combined. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs. Set aside.
- Dredge each pork chop through the egg mixture and then through the parmesan mixture. Flip the pork chop around a few times in the parmesan mixture so the pork chop is coated in the parmesan mixture.
- Heat a large, oven safe cast iron skillet over medium/high heat and add oil to the pan.
- When the oil is fragrant and sizzling, add the pork chops to the skillet and brown for 4-5 minutes on each side or until both sides are golden brown.
- When the internal temperature of the pork chop reaches 145ºF remove the pork chops from the stove top.
- Let the pork chops rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Tips & Notes
- Stove tops and pans are all different. Be sure to check the internal temperature of the pork chops when you flip the pork chops over to make sure they aren’t over-cooking.
- Cast iron pans retain heat better than other pans or skillets. If you are using a non-cast iron pan, you may need to cook the pork chops longer on the stop top.
This recipe turned out SO GOOD! Quick and easy and packs a lot of flavor and the pork chop was nice and juicy! Using a meat thermometer is a game changer in making sure you don’t overcook the chop. This is for sure added to my dinner rotation.
YUM! We’re big fans of a meat thermometer too 😀