Golden Fried Pork Chops are one of those meals that screams comfort food. We all know that fried foods aren’t that healthy, however, moderation is key. A golden fried pork chop which has been perfectly seasoned fried to perfection is sure to put a smile on your face from ear to ear.
My mother made the best pork chops. In the summertime when our windows were open you could smell the fragrance of the chops being cooked in our kitchen. I can remember playing outside with my brothers, sisters and friends as our mom made dinner. It put a big smile on my face because I knew we would be digging into juicy golden fried pork chops for dinner.
Thanks, mom for passing down your talent for cooking. I got it!
To Wash or Not Wash Your Pork Chops?
Frying pork chops is a simple process. You don’t have to over think it. It takes very few ingredients to make a delicious pork chop.
To prep my chops, yes I do rinse the pork chops first. I got it from my mother. It worked then and it works now for me.
- Rinse the chops with warm water and pat dry.
- Season with your favorite spices. I sprinkled paprika, pepper and a pinch of salt on both sides of the chops. (Seasoning meat is personal to each individual, only you know what your tolerance for spices are).
- Most of my spices go into the flour for seasoning the chops. Add a pinch of dried parsley, paprika, ( it gives the pork chops that beautiful color), pepper, and garlic powder. Mix the spices into a cup of all-purpose flour.
Dredge the chops in the seasoned flour. Even though I pull all the spices out I do not normally use them all. I didn’t use the Adobe or the onion powder, however, use what you like for seasoning your golden fried pork chops.
Frying Pork Chops
I grew up cooking with cast iron skillets for fried foods. The cast iron skillet helps to crisp the meat perfectly. Get yourself several cast iron skillets for your frying. Check out the Goodwill and your local secondhand stores for cast iron skillets. You need at least two in your arsenal of kitchen equipment.
- Place the vegetable oil in your skillet. The oil should completely cover the bottom of the skillet. Heat the oil until hot (if you drop a few sprinkles of water in the skillet it should sizzle and pop). You don’t want to see smoke coming from your oil. At that point, you are burning the oil. It’s probably best to use a meat thermometer and follow the temperature direction if you are really not sure of the meat internal temperature. For me frying food is a feel, after years of cooking I can look and touch to determine doneness. Know when I first start frying that wasn’t always the case. You don’t want to press and pierce your chops because they will lose all those lovely juices, then they will become tough and dry. You don’t want that.
- Using a medium-size skillet I cooked two pork chops at a time. The skillet size will determine how large the pork chops are. You don’t want to overcrowd the pan. These pork chops are thin so I cooked them for about 4 to 5 minutes on the first side until golden brown. They were then turned to the other side and cooked for another three to four minutes until done.
Golden Fried Pork Chops
Once you remove the pork chops from the skillet, allow the chops oil to drain on a plate cover with paper towels. Let the golden fried chops to sit on the paper towel to allow the juices to redistribute throughout the meat.
Serve with your best sides and have the golden fried pork chops occasionally to take your mouth to its happy place of childhood.
- 4 thin cut bone-in pork chops
- Paprika, garlic powder, salt, dried parsley, and pepper
- 1 cup self-rising flour
- Vegetable oil
- Season each side of the pork chops with paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Place the flour on a paper plate, parchment paper or in a shallow container.
- Add garlic powder, dried parsley, paprika, pepper to the flour. (Add as much or less according to your taste).
- Mix the seasoning with the flour.
- Dip the pork chops into the flour mixture, coating both sides in the flour. Shake the excess flour from the pork chop.
- Pour enough vegetable oil into a large skillet completely covering the bottom of the pan. Bring the oil temperature to 350 degrees (use a meat thermometer if needed) frying two or more pork chops at a time. Do not overcrowd the skillet this helps the pork chops to become crisp.
- Fry for about 3-4 minutes until golden brown, then turn and cook 2-3 minutes more until done (golden brown).
