Make Air Fryer Boneless Pork Chops [The Easy Recipe]

Make air fryer boneless pork chops that taste great with this super easy recipe. I’ll talk about the pork chop location, some common rub ingredients, optimal cooking times, premade sauce options, and plating options. If you prefer a full pork loin, check out my companion post here. Finally, feel free to click on the quick links below to jump to a specific section.

• Overview
• Location
• Prepping
• Cooking Instructions
• Plating Ideas

Overview

The beauty of the boneless pork chop is both its versatility and ease of cooking. Thick or thin, grilled or baked, pan-fried or air-fried, this universal meat always hits the spot. It can be catered to your mood too. Mushrooms and gravy? Sure. Spiced rub? Yum. Parmesean crusted or breaded? Yes, please. My air fryer boneless pork chops are easy, tasty, and require minimal kitchen skills. I’ll give you two preparation options for your chops.

The pork chop location

Of all the ways to cook your pork, why choose the air fryer? The reason is that you can cook many different cuts of pork quickly. Where does the pork chop originate? Pork chops are cut from the pork loin, in various thicknesses based on preference. I prefer a thin pork chop because it’s lean, works as a meal or a sandwich, and is a great source of protein when dieting (which I usually need to do a few times per year).

Preparing your pork loin

It’s a snap and you can tailor it to any flavor profile you desire - hot, sweet, aromatic, or earthy. It all works. For my air fryer boneless pork chops, all you need is olive oil, salt, pepper, common seasonings, and sauces. I’ll give you my favorite rub combination, but you can also grab some premade seasoning mixes and sauces at your favorite local grocery stores. The Mrs. Dash and RUB SOME brands work fine for dry rubs. Try Terrapin Ridge Farms Tart Cherry, Apple, and Rosemary Glaze for your sauce. If you want to make your own sauce, try the cranberry apple glaze recipe from Just A Pinch. It’s a keeper.

Three steps

• Unpackage your thin boneless pork chops, rinse them, and pat them dry with paper towels.
• Option one - rub some olive oil on your chops and season them with salt and pepper.
• Option two - grab a small mixing bowl and combine the dry ingredients from the spices in the block below.

• Brown sugar (1 tbl); Roasted garlic powder (1/2 tbl); Salt (1/2 tsp); Pepper (1/2 tsp); Onion Powder (1/4 tsp); Thyme (1/4 tsp); Cumin (1/8 tsp)*,Chili Powder (1/8 tsp)*,Paprika (1/8 tsp)*

*The last three ingredients add some kick. You may choose to omit them if you prefer a milder outcome. Apply this mixture evenly across your pork chops, gently rub the spices into your chops on each side, and you’re ready to go.

Cooking instructions for your thin boneless air fryer pork chops

Air frying is a simple process that can be repeated over and over, with minimal effort and clean-up. A little bit of wear and tear on your machine is a badge of honor. You’ll notice that in some of my photos. It’s time to cook.

Step 1: Treat your basket

Rub your basket with some olive oil using a paper towel or spray it with a non-aerosol EVOO mister.

Step 2: Preheat the air fryer to 370 for 2-3 minutes

You should preheat your air fryer for the best results. This will allow you to get a nice, even cook using the hot air circulation inside the machine. Since we’re using thin boneless pork chops, a few minutes is plenty of time.

Step 3: Load the basket

Place your boneless pork chops in the basket. Leave plenty of room around them so you get a consistent cook. This is a picture of a 6-quart air fryer with 4 chops included. The two on the left include salt and pepper. The two on the right include my spice rub.

Step 4: Cooking Time

Cook your air fryer boneless pork chops for 5 minutes per side - 10 minutes total.

Let them rest in the air fryer for another 2 minutes.

Then remove them and cover for another 2-4 minutes.

It’s important that you let your meat rest. It will continue to cook. This will create that nice, juicy finish. This recipe is for standard, pre-packaged thin boneless pork chops that are approximately 1/4″ thick. Your cooking time may need to vary a few minutes based on the overall thickness of your chops.

Plating Options

You can’t go wrong here so have some fun. For option one, you’ll want to add some texture to enhance the experience. I recommend walnuts and coleslaw so you get a nice crunchy texture with your pork chops. Complement your bowl with some sweet cherries. This serves a dual purpose because it turns your lean protein into a nice dietary meal. For option two, drizzle some cherry apple glaze on your rubbed chops to cut the heat. Finish your plate with crunchy cucumbers and coleslaw.

Another great option is to turn these delicious boneless pork chops into a refreshing summer sandwich. I’m thinking fresh ciabatta bread, leafy greens, a cranberry-raspberry glaze, and some exotic cheese. That feels like another recipe to me. Check back soon for that post.

Finally, if you want to go all-in and you have the means to cook multiple air-fried foods at the same time, then you’ll definitely want to add some starch to your plate. Enter my french fry and tater tot recipes. They are fantastic, just remember to mix in some fruit if you go down this path. You’ll need something to balance out that plate of fried excellence. Cherries and blackberries hit the spot. That tartness works well with pork.

Enjoy!