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Air Fryer Pork Chops

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Crispy, spice-crusted pork chops cooked in the air fryer that stay juicy inside thanks to rapid circulating heat. Ready in about 25 minutes with a perfectly browned exterior and a safe, moist 145°F center.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 pork chops, bone-in or boneless, approximately ½–¾ inch thick
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • Optional: ¼ tsp dried thyme or rosemary

Instructions

  1. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (200°C) for 3–5 minutes.
  2. Remove pork chops from the refrigerator 10 minutes before cooking. Pat each chop completely dry on both sides with paper towels. Drizzle with olive oil and rub to coat both sides and edges. Mix all dry spices together and press onto both sides of each chop.
  3. Place chops in the air fryer basket in a single layer without overlapping, leaving space between each piece for air circulation.
  4. Cook at 400°F for 10 minutes. Flip with tongs and cook for another 10 minutes (20 minutes total for ½-inch chops; add 3–4 minutes for ¾-inch chops; bone-in chops need 2–3 extra minutes).
  5. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part avoiding bone — target 145°F (63°C). Rest loosely covered for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Pat dry: Removing all surface moisture is essential for a crispy crust — steam prevents browning.

Use a thermometer: Pull chops at exactly 145°F; past 160°F moisture loss accelerates rapidly. A slight pink center is safe and expected.

Rest is mandatory: Rest 5 minutes loosely covered with foil so juices redistribute before cutting.

Equal thickness: Choose chops of matching thickness so all pieces finish at the same time.

Don’t overcrowd: Cook in batches if needed — second batch in a hot basket cooks 1–2 minutes faster, so check early.

Find it online: https://airfrycentral.com/air-fryer-pork-chops/