Air Fryer Garlic Butter Pork Chops are the perfect level of tender and juicy, prepped with amazing flavor and cooked in just a few minutes.
This recipe is sure to become a family favorite for a busy Weeknight Meal. This healthy Pork Recipe is just as tasty as my Classic Pork Chop Recipe, but made in about half the time! For a fun twist try my Hawaiian Pork Chop Recipe or Bacon Wrapped Pork Medallions!
Sabrina’s Air Fryer Garlic Butter Pork Chops Recipe
If you want a home-cooked weeknight dinner without having to spend all evening in the kitchen, then this is the perfect pork recipe for you. There’s no need to marinate or do any time-consuming prep work for this quick recipe. Instead, you just toss the pork chops in a butter and garlic mixture. Then leave the rest of the recipe up to the air fryer.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter , melted
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar , packed
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 4 bone-in pork loin chops
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- In a medium bowl add the butter, brown sugar, paprika, salt, and garlic.
- Stir to mix, then add in pork chops and coat well.
- Put pork in the air fryer basket, and cook for 10 minutes.
- Flip and cook an additional 5 minutes.
Nutrition
Want to save this recipe? Create a free account to easily save your favorite recipes
Table of Contents
About this Recipe
In just 25 minutes, you’ll have juicy, garlicky, delicious Air Fryer Pork Chops. The flavorful pork chops with garlic butter have been a hit with both the kids and adults alike, and you’ll love that you can make them so quickly!
Ingredients
- Pork Chops: This recipe is made for 4 bone-in pork chops. Bone-in pork chops are typically a little more flavorful than boneless, so they’re excellent for this ultra-flavorful butter and garlic recipe.
- Butter: You don’t need a lot of oil to cook meat in the air fryer, so just melt 1 tablespoon unsalted butter for this recipe. The butter mixture helps combine the spices and then seeps into the meat as it cooks, carrying the flavors.
- Seasonings: The main flavor in this recipe comes from the garlic. You’ll use 3 cloves of freshly minced garlic. However, you can use garlic powder instead. It only takes ⅛ teaspoon of garlic powder for every clove of fresh garlic. Along with garlic, you’ll also add ½ teaspoon of delicious paprika and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt.
- Brown Sugar: Mix 1 tablespoon brown sugar into the spice blend to balance out the bold and savory flavors with a little bit of sweetness. Much like the butter, you don’t need a lot of sugar to make the recipe absolutely irresistible.
Kitchen Tools & Equipment
- Air Fryer: Of course, you’ll begin with your air fryer. The pork chops will cook wonderfully in the basket.
- Medium Mixing Bowl: You will need a medium-sized mixing bowl to stir the butter and all of your seasonings together. It needs to be big enough to add the pork chops and fully coat them in the seasoning mixture.
- Tongs: Grab your favorite tongs so you can easily flip the pork chops in the air fryer.
- Meat Thermometer: Lastly, you’ll need a meat thermometer so you can make sure your pork chops are fully cooked. Make sure you put the thermometer in the middle of the thickest part of the pork chop for the most accurate reading.
Can this be made ahead of time?
These pork chops cook so quickly, you won’t have much need to make them ahead of time. Additionally, you will have the absolute best results of juicy pork chops when you make them fresh. They can be reheated in a pinch. You can use the air fryer to reheat them, but make sure the center comes to 145 degrees again so they are heated through and not cool in the center.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
Ensure your Pork Chops are extra juicy and tasty by following these tips:
- Give the Air Fryer Time to Heat Up: Allowing your air fryer to heat up for at least 5 minutes will help the pork chops cook more evenly.
- Let Pork Chops Rest Before Serving: Remember to remove the pork chops from the fryer and tent them in aluminum foil for 5 minutes. This works no matter what recipe you’re following. The foil keeps the meat warm and helps trap moisture while the juices distribute and soak through the meat.
Serving Ideas
- To round out this simple meal, serve it up with your favorite comforting side dishes. The tender pork chops taste amazing served with Stick of Butter Rice, Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, or Fluffy Dinner Rolls. Along with those filling add-ons, you can also make a tasty veggie side like Glazed Carrots or Cheesy Garlic Broccoli.
- You can also make the pork chops into a completely different dish by slicing the pork and serving on top of a salad, using the thin strips on a sandwich, or in a wrap.
How to Store
- Serve: After cooking, don’t leave Pork Chops at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
- Store: After they’ve cooled, you can store the pork in an airtight container to keep in the fridge for 3-5 days. Reheat the juicy pork chops in the microwave, stovetop, or air fryer to enjoy later in the week.
- Freeze: Alternatively, you can seal and freeze the pork chops for 3-4 months.
Pan or Grill Cooking Method
If you love this recipe but you don’t have an air fryer, you can make them in a pan or on the grill. Simply season the pork chops as directed, but replace the butter with vegetable oil so your pork chops don’t burn. Cook the pork chops for 6-8 minutes on each side, or until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees.
Frequent Questions
Pork is deliciously tender and juicy when cooked properly. Unfortunately, it can also easily dry out if it’s not prepared well. To avoid this, make sure you don’t overcook the meat. Keep to cooking times in the recipe, and after cooking, use an instant meat thermometer to check that it’s reached 145 degrees. As long as the meat is at or just slightly above 145, do not keep cooking.
It also helps to let the pork rest before serving. Remove the pork chops from the fryer and tent them in aluminum foil for 5 minutes. The foil keeps the meat warm and helps trap moisture while the juices distribute and soak through the meat for ultra-tender Pork Chops.
If you’re using boneless pork chops, simply reduce the cooking time by 2-3 minutes. Check the temperature at the thickest part of the meat to ensure it’s reached 145°F and serve.
Variations
- Seasoning: There are many different herbs and spices that you can add to the butter mixture to experiment with the flavor of these Pork Chops. Try adding a little onion powder, coarse-ground black pepper, cumin, thyme, rosemary, cayenne powder, or ground mustard. You could also use a spice blend like Cajun or Italian seasoning.
- Parmesan Crusted Air Fryer Pork Chops: To add a crispy Parmesan crust to the pork chops, start by adding the usual seasoning mix to a bowl (without the butter), then stir in ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese into the blend. In a separate bowl, beat one egg. Dip each pork chop into the egg mixture, and let excess drip off before coating it in the Parmesan and spice mixture on both sides. Then cook as usual. The Parmesan coating should be crisp and golden brown after cooking.
Related Recipes
More Delicious Pork Chop Recipes
Photos used in previous posts
Haven’t made them,
My air fryer is also a toaster oven-any suggestions as to how to cook them
in it?
Thanks
I would just follow the Air Fryer instructions as outlined in the Recipe card. My air fryer is just an air fryer but I’m guessing that the toaster oven feature wouldn’t affect the air fryer use of the machine? Please let us know how your pork chops turned out.