These old-fashioned breaded pork chops are tender and delicious with a crispy panko coating. Made with simple ingredients, they are quick and easy to prepare. After a brief stovetop browning, they are baked in the oven to perfection—an easy 30-minute recipe for a weeknight dinner.
🐖Ingredients
Pork chops—¾ to 1 inch thick, boneless preferred
Egg
Panko breadcrumbs—Italian preferred.
Pantry ingredients—oil, all-purpose flour, seasoning salt, black pepper
Jump To (scroll for more)
- 🐖Ingredients
- 👨🍳How to Bake Breaded Pork Chops—Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
- ⏲️How long to bake breaded pork chops
- 😊Tips to make it right every time
- 🌡️Levels of Cooked Pork (Doneness)
- 🤔How to keep the breading attached
- 🐖Ingredient options and variations
- 📋Other pork chop recipes
- 🥣How to make gravy
- 🍴How to serve breaded pork chops
- ❄️How to store and reheat leftovers
- ❓FAQs
- 📖The Recipe Card with Step-by-Step Instructions
Featured Comment by Alicia:
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"I made this for my family tonight, and it was delicious. The chops were fork tender, and the breading stayed on perfectly. I appreciate the step by step and look forward to making this recipe often!"
I have been making these delicious panko-crusted pork chops for over 50 years. Coat with an egg wash and Panko coating. Do a brief stovetop sear in a cast-iron skillet and finish in the oven—so easy and logical. This is excellent comfort food that everybody will love.
👨🍳How to Bake Breaded Pork Chops—Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
1. Trim and dry pork chops.
2. Prepare a tray with a whipped egg and another with Panko bread crumbs, flour, seasoning salt, and pepper.
3. Dredge a pork chop in the egg mixture, covering all surfaces. Shake off excess.
4. Coat the egg-coated pork chop in the flour mixture. Shake off excess.
5. Let the coating set up for a few minutes before cooking.
6. Heat oil in an oven safe pan over medium heat and add the chops.
7. Brown each side of the chop for 2-3 minutes until you have almost the final color you want.
8. Move the pan to a 425° oven and bake to your desired temperature—about 10 minutes for 145°
9. Allow to rest on a plate for 5 minutes before cutting.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
⏲️How long to bake breaded pork chops
It takes about 10 minutes after the 5 minutes of browning for a ¾-inch-thick breaded boneless pork chop in a 425° oven to reach the minimum suggested temperature of 145°. If you skip the stovetop browning, the baking time will be 15-20 minutes, depending on thickness and the other variables.
As you move to the oven, do a fast internal temperature check to understand how close you are to being done.
However, many variables affect the time: thickness and initial temperature of the meat, the oil temperature in the stovetop pan, the pan itself, and the oven. So, always cook to the final internal temperature and account for a final rise of a few degrees after removal from the oven.
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😊Tips to make it right every time
Trim all the fat off—you don't want a surprise hiding under the breading.
Dry extra well with paper towels. This, along with a few minutes of rest before cooking and flipping as directed with a fork, will solve most problems with the breading not sticking.
Thin pork chops may reach temperature before baking, so follow the instructions about checking the temperature before placing it in the oven.
Cast iron works especially well for this recipe. It is nonstick and has an even heat distribution, which helps ensure even browning and cooking.
🌡️Levels of Cooked Pork (Doneness)
- Rare—less than 145°—Not recommended due to USDA safety recommendations
- Medium-Rare is 145°-150°
- Medium is 150°-155°
- Medium-Well is 155°-160°
- Well Done is 160°+
🤔How to keep the breading attached
One of the biggest problems people have is how to get the breading to stick to pork chops.
- Be sure to dry the chops with paper towels before starting to bread—nothing sticks to wet meat well.
- Use boneless pork chops. When cooking bone-in pork chops, the meat will contract when cooked and crack the crust.
- Be sure to rest after applying the final coat. Eggs and flour will make excellent adhesion given a few minutes on dry meat.
- Cook in a well-oiled, non-stick pan. Cast iron is perfect due to its non-stick nature and even heat distribution.
- Flip and move the least possible. Things like tongs will rip the breading, so use a fork and stab the edges.
🐖Ingredient options and variations
Pork Chops: I use ¾ to 1-inch boneless center-cut chops. For breaded pork chops, I try not to use bone-in chops, but you may if you wish. The meat contracts away from the bone with cooking, frequently breaking off some of the breading.
Panko breadcrumbs-Italian seasoned preferred but other flavors or even normal breadcrumbs will work.
Seasoning—Seasoning breaded pork chops is simple. Only a little black pepper is needed between Italian breadcrumbs and seasoning salt. You may season any way you wish with fresh herbs or spices like oregano or thyme. Some suggest adding some Parmesan cheese to the topping.
📋Other pork chop recipes
While I love this recipe, here are a few other pork chop recipes you may enjoy. Pan Fried Pork Chops with Gravy, Sheet Pan Apple Pork Chops, Grilled Apricot-Glazed Pork Chops, and How to Grill Pork Chops.
Fried Pork Chops and Gravy
30-minute Fried Pork Chops and Gravy are moist and tender. Easy to make using a fast pan-frying and a simple pan gravy—an old-fashioned comfort food at its best.
🥣How to make gravy
Everybody loves gravy. It will add a few minutes but is worth the little work if it fits your plans. I didn't build it into this recipe, but you can easily add it.
Check out my stovetop fried pork chop recipe below with instructions specifically for pork gravy. Or see How To Make Gravy at Home and use the slurry method.
🍴How to serve breaded pork chops
These pork chops are comfort food, so they are served with vegetables like green beans, corn, or peas. A potato dish like Crispy Baked French Fries, Twice Baked Potatoes, or Baked Baby Potatoes. And some of my soft, easy dinner rolls or crusty bread are great additions.
❄️How to store and reheat leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 days. You can freeze for 3 months, but the breading may not save well.
To reheat, use a 350° oven or an air fryer. You can microwave, but the crust will suffer.
❓FAQs
I don't feel the need for a brine. It will slow you down for a few hours but adds moisture and tenderness to the final results if you have time.
If you want to brine, use a brine of 2 cups cold water and 2 tablespoons salt. Mix well and submerge the pork. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours—rinse off the salt when done.
If you brine, do not add salt to the seasoning. Instead, substitute paprika and garlic powder for the seasoning salt.
The FDA recommends a minimum temperature of 145 ° with a 3-minute rest for pork. However, the meat may still be slightly pink in the center. Since my wife does not like pink pork, I tend to go slightly higher to 155°.
📖The Recipe Card with Step-by-Step Instructions
Breaded Pork Chops in the Oven
Video Slideshow
Ingredients
- 2 boneless pork chops - about 1-inch thick
- 1 tablespoons oil
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup Panko bread crumbs - Italian or Plain
- 1 ½ teaspoon Seasoning Salt - Lowry's or similar
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° convection or 425° conventional.
- Trim the fat rim off 1-inch thick boneless pork chops and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Prepare two trays. First, with one egg whipped with a teaspoon of water. Second, with ¼ cup of Italian Panko bread crumbs, ¼ cup of all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons of seasoning salt (Lawry's or similar), and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper.
- Dredge a pork chop in the egg mixture, covering all surfaces. Remove with a fork and allow to drain for a moment.
- Dip the egg-coated pork chop into the flour mixture. Coat all sides, remove with a fork, and shake to remove the extra flour mixture.
- Set the chop on a plate or chopping board. Repeat for the next chop. We want to coat to set up for a few minutes before cooking.
- Over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil to an oven-safe, non-stick skillet—cast iron preferred. When the oil is shimmering, gently lay the chops into the pan with a fork.
- Brown each side of the chop for 2-3 minutes until you have almost the final color you want. Use a fork to flip by poking the meat's edge and not anything to grab the meat and pull off the coating.
- Check the internal temperature, do one last flip of the pork, and place it in the preheated oven until the internal temperature you want. It takes about 10 minutes for 145°, but this will vary a lot in time, so you must use an instant-read thermometer to get the final temperature you want.
- Allow to rest on a plate for 5 minutes before cutting.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- Well-trimmed boneless pork chops are the best here. A bone-in chop will make it harder for the breading to stick.
- Dry the pork well before proceeding with the coating.
- After the pork chop is breaded, let it sit for about 5 minutes for the coating to combine and attach firmly to the pork.
- The pan needs to be non-stick and oven-safe—cast iron preferred.
- Be sure the oil is hot before adding the chops.
- Only touch the pork with a fork during the breading and cooking to prevent disturbing the coating.
- Thicker chops will take longer. A thinner chop may be to your desired temperature even before the oven, so you MUST use an instant-read thermometer.
- If you are interested in brining or gravy, see the discussion in the post above.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Originally Published March 20, 2019. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Debbie Cook says
This is pretty much the way I've been cooking my breaded pork chops for the past 50 years, but I never thought of finishing them in the oven. I love it! The only difference besides the method of cooking, is I love making mine with crushed cracker crumbs instead of panko.
Bill S says
Recipe was great loved the pork chops. Paired with bacon bits can corn and can string beans cooked in a Alfredo sauce great dinner.
MH says
Love all your recipes, and the built-in flexibility! CookBOOK needed! Hurry?!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi MH,
Welcome to the blog. Glad you are liking the recipes.
Now about that cookbook. Not happening, that is work. I'm retired from my "real job" and although successful, this is still a hobby.
Enjoy the blog.
Dan
David says
I didn't actually make the recipe, but II like what I see. Your Pro Tips: are all things it took me years to learn, wish the Net was around when I started. Love the brevity in your writing..
Holly says
Love your recipes and the photos really help a reader to visualize the prep. Many thanks.
NANCY L BERG says
Dr. Dan,
Do you come from a family that makes Mikesell's Potato Chips?
DW Mikesell lived on Northview Rd. in Dayton, Oakwood, Ohio.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Nancy,
Distant cousins (very very distant). All Mikesell's are related due to a common origin of the spelling from an immigrant family in the 1700's.
Dan
Judy says
Great recipe with ingredients we usually have on hand.
Jaime says
Another winner. I love trying your recipes. Haven’t had a fail yet. I’m a better cook because of you. Thank you.
Bob says
What temperature do you recommend they be baked at after the frying?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Bob,
Welcome to the blog.
The oven temp is 350. It is in the oven for only a short period of time so almost any temp would do since we are cooking to a final temperature end point.
Thanks for the note and rating.
Dan
Alicia Bland says
I made this for my family tonight and it was delicious. The chops were fork tender and the breading stayed on perfectly. I appreciate the step by step and look forward to making this recipe often!
Alicia Bland says
Forgot to add that we paired it with your easy roasted red potatoes-thanks again for taking the time to share with us!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Alicia,
I do love pork chops and breaded is great if it will stick on.
Thanks for the notes and rating. I really need to add some suggested side dishes to some recipes.
Dan