Crispy Breaded Baked Pork Chops are simple and satisfying with a flavorful parmesan crust that bakes perfectly in the oven. Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, these baked pork chops are ready in 30 minutes! Includes step by step and special tips for the perfect chop.
Growing up, my mother made the best oven fried pork chops. I studied her technique, working to perfect a delicious parmesan seasoned crust with just baking. Now, it’s a family favorite in our house, just like when I was a kid.
Between sports, school and work obligations, it seems like we’re always on-the-go. Today more than ever, I appreciate any dinner option that I can have plated in thirty minutes or less. Especially when the meal is well-balanced and doesn’t trigger any mom guilt. Some of our go-to favorites for busy evenings include Hibachi, Cajun Blackened Chicken, and these Crispy Breaded Baked Pork Chops with Crispy Onion Strings, Cheesy Spinach Stuffed Squash or Roasted Carrots.
Why you Should Make This Recipe
- When breading, you can either bake or pan fry and both turn out crispy and delicious.
- Simple pantry staples and only 5 ingredients.
- They’re a welcome reprieve from chicken and serve as an incredibly versatile main dish.
- The addition of the Parmesan cheese creates a flavorful and crispy breading that stick well to the pork.
What I most love about this recipe is being able to let it cook in the oven while I do something else. The kitchen can be completely cleaned before the food hits the table. That means that there is less fighting about doing the dishes after dinner!
Ingredients and Notes
Below is an overview of what you will need to make Crispy oven pork chops along with any notes on substitutions or specific ingredients.
Milk: Any milk you have on hand should be perfectly fine, although 2% and Whole milk will grab onto the surface and breading a bit better.
Boneless Pork Chops: Thin cut is the best way to cook these evenly. No more than a ¾ inch thick.
Parmesan Cheese: I prefer to shred off a block rather than buy the pre-shredded because there is more moisture content in the cheese, and it melts and breaks a little easier.
Eggs: The eggs help the breading stick well to the pork chop.
Italian Breadcrumbs: The quick seasoning way is to use the Italian version, but no worries if only have plain. You can add 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, or I have included a seasoning recipe below.
How to Get Breading to Stick Well
To get the breading to stick well, we use a quick egg wash and a double dredging.
- Dab the meat with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture.
- Make egg wash by blending together milk and eggs. On a large, rimmed plate or shallow and wide bowl, mix the Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper.
- Dredge meat into bread crumb mixture, then egg wash and again in bread crumb mixture.
- Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Allow the meat to rest while the oven is heating. Breading sticks better when it has 15-30 minutes to rest before baking.
Reader’s Tip: Trim off any excess fat around the outside. While this fat is delicious and crispy when sautéed, it is unnecessary on oven fried pork chops. The fat won’t become crispy or brown like in other recipes.
How Long to Bake Pork Chops
How long meat need to bake depends on the thickness, as well as whether or not it is bone in. Pork needs to be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. A good guideline is 16 minutes at 350 degrees per half inch thickness for boneless.
I love the “just toss them in the oven” simplicity, but the breading would be even crispier if you seared them for 2 minutes per side in a skillet over medium high heat. If you sear the meat before, reduce the baking time by 4 minutes.
If you use bone in, you may need to add a few minutes to the cooking time.
How to Make Italian Breadcrumbs
If you only have plain breadcrumbs on hand (like I usually do), then it is easy to make them into Italian breadcrumbs. Mix together in a bowl:
- 1 cup of Plain Breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Expert Recipe Tips
We have made these Oven Pork Chops many times and perfected the crust fully sticking to the pork chops.
- Use a non-stick baking sheet or a silicone baking mat. Cooking sprays and oils tend to soak up into the crust and don’t prevent sticking.
- Breadcrumbs stick better if you let the breaded meat rest 15-30 minutes prior to putting in the oven.
- A light pan searing will always keep the breading in place the best. Especially if you add a gravy or topping, I like to pan sear after breading for about 2 minutes per side and then put in the oven. Reduce the baking time about 5 minutes.
- When baking, be sure to give each chop 1-2 inches of space. This allows for steam to escape and helps the breading to crisp up.
- If you want to roast some veggies as well, I recommend a second cookie sheet for that. The vegetables may release water or oil that will impact how well the breading crisps up.
- Let your meat rest for at least 5 minutes after baking.
How to Reheat
Reheating this recipe is easy! Keep them in the refrigerator until ready.
- Oven Place them on a non-stick baking sheet and warm them in the oven for about 15 minutes at 350 degrees
- Microwave They can be reheated in the microwave, but they won’t be as crispy on the outside as oven reheating. I usually cut them in half or pieces for more even heating.
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Recipe FAQs
When I first met my husband (a former chef), I realized just how much I was overcooking proteins. I was concerned with getting every bit of pink cooked out that it often ended up dry and unsatisfying. As a general rule, if your meat is dry, it is either being cooked too long or too high of a temperature.
This recipe is designed around boneless pork chops that are a little over ½ inch thick, because that is what my grocer carries. You can use a thicker pork chop, increase the cooking time and use a meat thermometer. If you are prone to over cooking, a thicker pork chop may be the best option to ensure success.
You can substitute chicken very easily with this recipe, but I recommend either cutting the meat into tenders or pounding it out to an even ½-3/4 inch thickness.
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Breaded Baked Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 4-5 boneless pork chops, ½ inch thick
- 3 eggs
- 2 tablespoon milk
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- ¾ cup Italian bread crumbs
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Make egg wash by blending together milk and eggs. On a large rimmed plate or shallow and wide bowl, mix the Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, salt and pepper.
- Dredge pork chops into bread crumb mixture, then milk mixture and again in bread crumb mixture. Place on non-stick baking sheet (i.e. copper) or use silicone mat.
- Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Allow the pork chops to rest while the oven is heating. Breading sticks better when it has 15-30 minutes to rest before baking. This step is not necessary but highly recommended for a nice, crispy crust.
- Pork should reach an internal temp of 145 degrees. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Karen says
So easy! And very good! I did start them off on the stove with a cast iron skillet. Then popped into the oven for about 10 minutes turning halfway through. I used bone in chops, about 3/4 inches thick. Will absolutely make again!
Rhiannon says
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Jordan says
I was actually surprised how easy this was and the crust wasn’t soggy at all.
Roxanne says
I’m not a big fan of pork, but this looks so amazing I’m going to try it!