Air fryer pork chops
By:
Tom Shingler
Head of food, delicious.
- Published: 23 May 24
- Updated: 3 Jun 24
Pork chops are one of the most underrated pieces of meat out there – and an air fryer can cook them to perfection. The trick? A splash of water in the base turns your air fryer into a makeshift steam oven, ensuring tender, juicy pork with perfectly rendered fat.
We’ve added a quick dry rub for a barbecue-like flavour, but adapt the spices to whatever you’re serving it with (just salt and pepper is perfectly good, too). And read our top tips below for air fryer pork chop perfection.
Love crispy pork? Try our air fryer pork belly strips and tips for the best air fryer bacon.
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Serves 2
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Hands-on time 5 min, plus resting. Air frying time 12-14 min
Before you start
Preheat your air fryer to make sure it’s hot before you add anything.
Scoring the fatty side before you start helps the chop to render as it cooks, avoiding that rubbery strip of fat you sometimes get.
Ingredients
- 2 pork chops, thick-cut
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 thyme sprig, leaves picked (optional)
Method
- Pat the pork chops dry with kitchen paper, then use a pair of scissors or a very sharp knife to score cuts into the fatty edge, 1cm apart. Drizzle over the vegetable oil, then use your hands to rub it all over the chops.
- Heat the air fryer to 200°C. Mix the rest of the ingredients (apart from the thyme) together to make a quick rub, then sprinkle this all over the pork chops. Pour enough water into the bottom of your air fryer to just cover the base, then add the basket and sit the pork chops in it. Cook for 12-14 minutes, turning halfway. If your air fryer is big enough, stand the pork chops upright with the fat facing upwards for the final 3 minutes. Sprinkle with thyme leaves (if using) and rest for at least 3 minutes before slicing.
- Recipe from Online only 2024 Issue
Nutrition
- Calories
- 609kcals
- Fat
- 47g (15g saturated)
- Protein
- 44g
- Carbohydrates
- 2.3g (0.9g sugars)
- Fibre
- 1.4g
- Salt
- 2.6g
delicious. tips
Our top tips for perfect air fryer pork chops:
1. Pouring water into the base of your air fryer helps prevent the pork drying out by creating a steamy environment for some of the cooking time. This only works with air fryers with a separate raised basket, though – if yours doesn’t have one, you can skip this step.
2. Always try to add your pork chops to the air fryer in a single layer with a little space around each, so the hot air can reach each bit.
3. Finishing the pork chops standing upright with the fatty side on top allows some of the rendered fat to drip down onto the meat as it finishes cooking, adding extra flavour and succulence.
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