Super Crispy Pork Panko Breaded Pork Chops

Crispy, juicy, breaded pork chops might be one of the most old school preparations around. But breading the pork chops with… ground up pork rinds, aka pork panko? That’s a fairly new revelation, and I wasn’t confident making them this way would compare.

But what if… Pork panko breaded pork chops are even better than the original version?

Listen, I’m a purist about a lot of classic food things, and I tend to do more in the recreation department with baked goods than I do with meat and veg recipes. But this is one of those situations that I’m changing my tune.

I’ve had pork panko in my pantry for a while, and have used it in addition to gluten-free bread crumbs a few times with great results. I also cooked some up on its own with some garlic and olive oil to use to top a simple pasta dish. Also: great results. But I wasn’t sure how it would perform as breading on its own.

Namely, I wasn’t sure if it would really stick to the pork chops. When I’ve attempted to make breading out of almond flour, it’s been a bit crumbly and sensitive to being burnt.

So, how’d the pork panko do?

Friends, it did GREAT. The first time I cooked these up, I first dredged in tapioca starch, then egg, and I added some grated parmesan to the pork panko. In other words, a classic 3-step breading process that is just a tried and true way to go.

But I also wanted to see how the pork panko would stick without the tapioca step, and omitting the parmesan. I can happily report that the breading still held onto the pork chops perfectly, and the results were just as good as my initial 3-step attempt. That’s what you’re seeing the photo above, in fact!

My #1 goal when creating recipes for you is for them to be as delicious as possible. I don’t add or omit steps and ingredients unless it positively impacts the results. If I can simplify without sacrifice in flavor, I absolutely will.

That’s the case with these crispy, juicy, dead simple breaded pork chops: Minimal ingredients, two steps to bread, and a quick pan fry. Serve them along side a simple salad (pictured is spinach and parmesan tossed with lemon juice and olive oil), or go the classic route and top them with apple sauce.

I like to keep these super simple, but the addition of rosemary is a nice touch. Feel free to add other sturdy herbs (like thyme), or garlic powder, just be careful to not use anything that will burn quickly.

Possibly the most important details: This recipe quick – around 20 minutes start to finish, and easy – you only need a handful of ingredients to make it

I used Bacon’s Heir Pork Panko for this recipe. My favorite place to buy pastured meat is Belcampo. If you shop with them, make sure to use coupon code zenbelly10 to save 10% off your order.

Pork Panko Breaded Pork Chops

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Crispy, juicy, keto, and even better than the original 

• Author: zenbelly
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 6 minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings
• Category: pork
• Method: pan fry

Ingredients

• 4 pork chops, about 1–1.5 inches thick, about 2 pounds
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup pork panko
• 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese (optional)
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary (optional) 
• a few turns freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

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Instructions

1. Pat the pork chops dry and season with salt.
2. Set up a dredging station: In one shallow bowl, beat the egg. In another, mix the panko with the Parmesan, rosemary (if using), and black pepper. 
3. Dredge the pork chops in the egg, allowing the excess to drip off, and then into the panko mixture, pressing the crumbs onto the pork. 
4. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Once shimmering, add the pork chops and cook for 4-6 minutes on each side. Resist the urge to disturb them the first 2-3 minutes, minimum, the breading has the tendency to stick to the pan before it’s browned. 
5. Serve right away with apple sauce and/or a simple salad. 

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