How to fry pork chops
Shallow-fry pork chops over medium heat for about 3–4 min per side, until golden brown and crispy. Treat the time as a starting point and confirm with a food thermometer. Whole cuts of beef, pork, veal and lamb: 145°F (63°C), then rest for 3 minutes.
- Heat
- Medium heat
- Method
- Shallow fry
- Starting time
- 3–4 min per sideoil halfway up the chops (about 1/4 cup); add when oil shimmers
- Piece size
- bone-in chops about 1/2 inch thick
- Done when
- golden brown and crispy
- Safe internal temp
- 145°F (63°C) + 3 min rest
Numbers from Food Network Kitchen: Crispy Pan-Fried Pork Chops · safe temperature from the FoodSafety.gov chart. Celsius values are rounded.
Getting it right
- Use a wide, heavy skillet with enough oil to come partway up the food, and keep it well below the rim.
- Heat the oil over medium heat until it shimmers. It should sizzle steadily, not smoke.
- Pat the food dry before any coating. Water on the surface spits in hot oil and steams the crust soft.
- Lay it in away from you, leaving space between pieces.
- Leave it alone until the underside is set and golden, then turn once with long tongs.
- Drain on a rack rather than paper so the underside stays crisp.
- Lift a piece out and check its thickest part with an instant-read thermometer before serving. Whole cuts of beef, pork, veal and lamb: 145°F (63°C), then rest for 3 minutes.