These pork chops start off marinating in a spicy buttermilk, breaded in a flour seasoning mix that is packed with flavor, then fried until golden brown. You’ll love the flavorful crunch and the juicy tenderness of these Fried Pork Chops so much that you’ll keep going back for more!
I can tell you that there are so many reasons to make this Fried Pork Chop recipe until I’m blue in the face but it’s one of those recipes that you have to make it to truly understand its power. Typically my wife doesn’t like pork chops because she had them so much growing up that when I do serve them, it’s met with a groan. Until I started to serve this recipe.
All you need are a few hours of prep work to do the trick and a little bit of Crystal Hot Sauce. (This is not sponsored. I just like the hot sauce). Through trial and error I found that if I let the pork chops marinate in a spicy buttermilk bath, they come out so much better. You could let them sit overnight, but honestly, two to four hours is enough.
How I make this Fried Pork Chops recipe usually begins just after I start my Monday Red Beans and Rice. I’ll make these pork chops just after the beans start their few hours of simmering and it times out perfectly. Usually, we eat the red beans and rice alone as a meal, since I include meats in the cooking process, but sometimes we want to enhance the bean experience by having Fried Pork Chops with them or Fried Chicken or even Fried Andouille Sausage on a Stick (think homemade corndogs but with Andouille sausage – that recipe is coming soon).
The pork chops will go into the buttermilk and sit while the beans simmer. As the beans start to turn creamy, and with less than an hour of cooking time remaining, I’ll start the process of frying up the pork chops. More on that below.
What made me decide to make Fried Pork Chops was seeing all of the restaurant posts on social media advertising their red beans and rice meals on the Monday special. I’m sure you’ve seen it; Little Dizzy’s shares the picture a lot. It’s an opened styrofoam container with the red beans and rice in the large compartment, a wedge of golden cornbread in one of the smaller parts, and a large fried piece of chicken or pork chops nestled on top. It looks amazing, doesn’t it? That was my goal.
Now, my wife doesn’t grumble when she sees that I bought a package of pork chops. Like they say: if you cover it in batter and fry it, it’ll be good. I never said my food was healthy. Comforting, but not healthy. The only health I’d say is that it’s good for the soul.
You’ll also love the Fried Pork Chops with my Creamy Mashed Potatoes recipe, green peas, topped with gravy, and a side of cornbread.
What are the Ingredients for Fried Pork Chops?
Meat: You could go either bone-in or boneless pork chops for this recipe. I prefer boneless.
Spicy Buttermilk: Hot sauce and buttermilk are the unsung secret ingredients to making amazing fried pork chops. You’ll let the pork chops sit in this mixture for at least a few hours to tenderize and soak up the flavors.
Seasoning: I use a combination of smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and a premade Creole/Cajun seasoning mix like Slap Ya Mama.
Oil: You’ll want a good quality oil that can withstand the high heat temperature to fry the pork chops. I tried a variety of oils and found that canola oil worked the best for me.
How Do You Make Fried Pork Chops?
1. In a large, sealable bowl, pour in the buttermilk. Add the hot sauce and mix well.
2. Using a meat hammer, pound the pork chops to an even thickness, working from the middle out.
PRO TIP: How Do You Tenderize Tough Pork Chops? One thing I do every time, before step one, is place the pork chops between two pieces of Reynold’s Wrap and hit it with a mallet. This step will break down the meat and allow it to become tender.
Also: The ingredients are not noted in the listing, but after tenderizing the pork chops with the meat hammer, I lightly season each one with a few shakes of salt, black pepper, and Creole Seasoning before adding the pork chops to the spicy buttermilk.
3. Place the pork chops in the buttermilk mixture, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
4. In a shallow bowl, mix the flour, smoked paprika, salt, Creole seasoning, cayenne pepper, and black pepper.
5. Add enough oil to a heavy pot, such as a Dutch oven, so it will reach at least halfway up a pork chop. Preheat the oil until it reaches 360°F. About 10-12 minutes.
6. To fry, dredge a pork chop in the seasoned flour and carefully place it into the heated oil. Fry for about 3-4 minutes, then carefully flip and fry for an additional 3-4 minutes. The crust should be golden brown, and the internal temperature should reach 145°F. Remove the pork chop from the oil and place it on a paper towel-covered plate. Repeat this step for the remaining pork chops.
PRO TIP: This tip came from a reader. Dredge the pork chops in the seasoned flour, place the chops on a wire rack, and let them sit for 10-15 minutes for the flour to semi-dry. This will make the coating stick better and prevent the breading from falling off after frying.
7. To serve, sprinkle the fried pork chops with a light added pinch of salt and additional hot sauce if desired. Enjoy!
What to serve with Fried Pork Chops:
Other Main Recipes:
- Hamburger Steak with Smothered Onions
- Creole Pork Tacos with Remoulade Sauce
- Mahi Mahi in a Creole Sauce
Fried Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups buttermilk
- 2 tbsp Crystal hot sauce
- 6 pork cops boneless
- 1 cup flour
- 1-1/2 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1-1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp Creole Seasoning
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp black pepper
- Canola oil for frying
Instructions
- In a large, sealable bowl, pour in the buttermilk. Add the hot sauce and mix well.
- Using a meat hammer, pound the pork chops to an even thickness, working from the middle out. Season each pork chop with salt, black pepper, and Creole Seasoning.
- Place the pork chops in the buttermilk mixture, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- In a shallow bowl, mix the flour, smoked paprika, salt, Creole seasoning, cayenne pepper, and black pepper.
- Add enough oil to a heavy pot, such as a Dutch oven, so it will reach at least halfway up a pork chop. Preheat the oil until it reaches 360°F.
- To fry, dredge a pork chop in the seasoned flour (see notes below for additional tips) and carefully place it into the heated oil. Fry for about 3-4 minutes, then carefully flip and fry for an additional 3-4 minutes. The crust should be golden brown, and the internal temperature should reach 145°F. Remove the pork chop from the oil and place it on a paper towel-covered plate. Repeat this step for the remaining pork chops.
- To serve, sprinkle the fried pork chops with a light pinch of salt and additional hot sauce, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Eric Olsson is the food blogger of RedBeansAndEric.com. He publishes new recipes and interviews weekly. He has developed recipes and written articles for the famous Camellia brand in New Orleans, Louisiana. He has been mentioned in Louisiana Cookin‘ magazine and has had recipes featured in Taste of Home magazine – with his Creole Turkey recipe being runner up in their annual Thanksgiving recipe contest. He lives outside of Detroit, Michigan, with his wife and four children.
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