Air Fryer Boneless Pork Chops Recipe

You'll love our air fryer boneless pork chops that are seriously the most tender and juicy pork chops you'll ever have! With just oil and a simple pork rub, no breading is used in our popular recipe.

These juicy air fryer boneless pork chops are so good!

• They are SO juicy, tender, and full of flavor yet made with simple ingredients. The high heat and quick cook time seal in the juices.
• In less than 20 minutes, dinner is on the table which makes these perfect for weeknights
• A healthy recipe: Our boneless pork chops are made without breading, making these low carb, keto, paleo, and gluten-free.
• Make them with our homemade pork seasoning or use your favorite store bought brand.

Don't have an air fryer yet?? After tons of research, we decided to purchase an air fryer/toaster oven combo that replaced our old counter top toaster oven. Instant Pot sells another model through Walmart will most of the same features but for less.

Ingredients you'll need

• 2-4 boneless pork chops (1 ½ lb for 4 chops)- about 1.5" thick each
• 2 Tbsp+ store bought pork rub (or our homemade dry rub for pork)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

You can use your favorite store-bought rib rub mix or our easy recipe. This is the exact same dry rub for pork recipe we also used in our oven-baked baby back ribs and instant pot country-style ribs.

We love to make our own meat rub mixes since they're so easy, and they don't have artificial ingredients or sugar. I know pork chops aren't technically ribs, but I can assure you the rib mix goes well with all cuts of pork.

The ingredients for the homemade pork rub are cumin, chili powder, ground garlic, onion powder, smoked paprika, sea salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and sweetener (we used stevia).

Cooking boneless pork chops in an air fryer

Many people struggle with pork chops and dry them out or overcook them. Learning how to cook air fryer pork chops makes mastering them as easy as can be.

1 - Make our homemade pork rub mix if you don't already have a favorite store-bought brand by combining all of the ingredients in a small bowl. The recipe makes a lot more than you'll need for this one dish, but it'll keep for many months in a mason jar or small covered dish.

2 - Brush both sides of the pork chops with olive oil. You'll use about 1 Tbsp+ of olive oil for 4 boneless pork chops.

3 - Spread pork rub seasoning on both sides of the pork chops. It works well to gently press the rub into the pork chops to help get the seasoning to stick.

4 - We cooked the air fryer chops on 400F, you might see other recipes that cook the chops at a lower temperature, but one of the secrets to juicy meat is the high temperature and quick cook time!

5 - Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray if you're using an aluminum air fryer oven basket. Don't use spray if you have a non-stick basket.

6 - Put 2-4 boneless pork chops into the air fryer basket.

7 - You'll be cooking the pork for a total of 12 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 145F. Cook the pork chops for 7 minutes on one side.

8 - Flip them over and continue cooking for 5 more minutes. We couldn't believe we had perfect juicy and tender pork chops after 12 minutes of cooking! It would've taken double this time in an oven!

If you're baking 4 pork chops in an air fryer, make sure to flip and ROTATE the pan to ensure an even cooking time. Meaning, the pork chops that were in the front for the first 7 minutes, don't just flip them, but also put them in the back of the pan for when they finish cooking.

9 - The pork chops are done cooking when the internal temperature in the center of the meat is 145F. Different air fryer models might vary in their wattage, which could mean some air fryers cook a little slower than others.

It's super important to keep an eye on the temperature to get the hang of how long to cook pork chops in your specific air fryer model.

10 - Remove the boneless pork chops from the air fryer and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. This is a critical step and one of the reasons many people don't end up with juicy chops. It takes at least 5 minutes for the juices to redistribute evenly throughout the meat and make every bite juicy and moist.

Jen's tips

• Pull the pork chops out of the fridge 15-30 minutes before cooking. Letting the meat start to come to room temperature helps to ensure that it cooks evenly.
• Press the rub into the meat so that the seasoning stays on the meat and doesn't fall off during cooking or flipping.
• Don't crowd the chops, leave space on all sides, and do not stack them. While you might be able to cook 4 pork chops in a large air fryer, it might only work to make 2 in a small model.
• Let the meat rest for 5 minutes before serving. This is critical and helps the juices to distribute throughout the pork and makes them extra juicy.
• Mix grated parmesan or breadcrumbs with the seasoning as a variation, or coat the chops with a mix of olive oil and mustard instead of just oil.

What to serve with Air Fried Pork Chops

Here's a list of our favorite side dishes that go great with pork chops. Some of these are cooked in an air fryer and others are not. Serving side dishes is why we bought a second air fryer, and recommend that if you have the space. One large one for meats and another for small sides.

• coleslaw
• peppers and onions (cook them alongside the pork chops)
• corn on the cob (instant pot corn)
• potato salad (warm mustard potato salad)
• other potato dishes (herbed potatoes, air fryer baked potatoes)
• air fryer baked sweet potato
• cucumber salad
• Baked beans (bourbon baked beans in a pressure cooker)
• roasted vegetables (Brussel sprouts, radishes– a low carb potato alternative)
• macaroni and cheese
• baked cauliflower mac and cheese (a low carb mac and cheese variation)
• a simple green salad

Storage and leftovers

Store the cooked leftovers for up to 4 days in the fridge in an air tight container. Cooked pork chops can also be stored in a freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost them in the fridge overnight and then reheat them in the air fryer until they reach an internal temperature of 145 F.

Can you cook frozen pork chops?

Did you forget to frost your pork chops and are now wondering if you can still cook them?? The answer would be YES! It will take on average an extra 5 minutes to cook air fryer frozen pork chops.

What about Bone-in Chops?

Our recipe is for boneless pork chops, can you cook bone-in pork chops using this same method? YES, you can follow this same recipe for air fried pork chops that have a bone. Check the internal temperature after a total of 12 minutes of cooking time, if it isn't yet 145F add 1-2 more minutes to the cook time.

Why are my pork chops tough?

If your pork chops are tough in the center, they most likely were overcooked. All air fryer models can vary, plus the cooking time can also vary depending on whether you preheated your air fryer or not.

We always recommend using a digital meat thermometer, it’s seriously a must-have kitchen essential (that we can't live without!) and it's the best way to avoid accidentally overcooking your meat.

According to the USDA, pork chops are done when the internal temperature reaches 145 F when testing in the thickest part of the meat with a meat thermometer.

More air fryer recipes

• Air Fryer Chicken Wings Recipe
• Air Fryer Turkey Breast Recipe
• Air Fryer Kielbasa
• Air fryer pork steak

If you loved our recipe, please leave us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review and leave us a comment too! Connect with us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube!