These air fryer pork chops are seasoned with the tastiest slightly smoky, slightly sweet, perfectly salted dry rub, and then cooked in the air fryer for a quick 8 minutes. They’re delicious alongside a couple of sides for an easy, family-friendly dinner!
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I know, I know, pork chops often get a bad rap for being bland and dry, but this recipe is here to change the pork chop game. These chops get rubbed in the TASTIEST dry rub ever (seriously, it’s so good) and then air fried (for just 8 minutes) to juicy perfection.
Serve these perfect air fryer pork chops alongside your favorite sides (Instant Pot mashed potatoes and simple sautéed green beans would be delicious picks) for a complete, satisfying meal!
Looking for more redeeming pork recipes? We’ve got a bunch (really good, juicy, flavorful pork recipes are kind of our thing, actually). Add our oven roasted pork tenderloin, slow cooker carnitas, and teriyaki pork tenderloin to your list!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s flavorful – this air fryer pork chop recipe is really good, y’all. With ingredients like brown sugar, cinnamon, chili powder, garlic powder, and paprika, this dry rub is insanely delicious and packed with flavor!
- It’s quick and easy – 8 minutes in the air fryer, y’all! 8 minutes! It doesn’t get quicker or easier than this recipe.
Recipe Ingredients for Air Fryer Pork Chops
You’ll need several spices (I bet you have a handful of them in your spice drawer already) for the dry rub, olive oil, and, of course, pork chops. That’s it! Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and swaps) below.
- Pork chops – pork chop size can vary quite a bit, but for this recipe, you’ll want to grab large, thick, bone-in pork chops.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations and Modifications
- Use a different cut of pork – while we really love a good, thick pork chop, if the dry rub is calling your name but you’d rather use a different cut of pork, this oven roasted pork tenderloin recipe uses the same rub!
- Make it refined-sugar free – if you want to keep this recipe refined-sugar free, simply swap the brown sugar for coconut sugar.
- Make it dairy-free – this recipe is dairy-free all on its own, so no modifications needed.
- Make it grain-free – again, this is a grain-free recipe as-is.
- Make it gluten-free – no need for modifications to make this recipe gluten-free, it’s gluten-free all on its own.
How to Make Pork Chops in the Air Fryer
This recipe is incredibly easy to make! Follow along below for the full how-to.
Step 1: Add the chili powder, brown sugar, dried oregano, paprika, ground cinnamon, garlic powder, and salt to a bowl and whisk to combine.
Step 2: Preheat the air fryer to 375°F for 5 minutes, and while the air fryer is preheating, coat each pork chop in olive oil and then season liberally with the dry rub.
Step 3: Place the pork chops in the air fryer, and insert an in-oven thermometer into the thickest pork chop.
Step 4: Cook the pork chops in the air fryer at 375°F for 8 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 145°F.
Recipe Tips
Get an in-oven meat thermometer – this meat thermometer is a game changer, friends. If you don’t have one, we highly advise you to grab one ASAP. The “in-oven” thermometer is so nice because it allows you to insert the probe into the meat, start the cooking process (in the oven, air fryer, or grill) with the probe in the meat, and then, once the thermometer reaches temperature, it’ll beep, alerting you that the meat is at temperature and you can pull it and let it rest. It’s honestly the VERY best way to get juicy, perfectly cooked meat every single time!
How to Serve
Serve these air fryer pork chops alongside your favorite sides (Instant Pot mashed potatoes or oven roasted potatoes are great starchy options and sautéed green beans or oven roasted broccoli are great green veggie options) for a complete, delicious, satisfying meal.
How to Store and Reheat
Store any leftover pork chops in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To reheat the pork chops, either pop one in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or in the air fryer (at 350°F) for 4-5 minutes, until warmed through. Keep in mind that pork often gets overcooked and dried out when reheated, so you’ll want to keep an eye on the reheat and stick to the low end of the reheat time to start.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe calls for a quick 8 minutes in the air fryer, but using a meat thermometer is definitely the most solid way to go.
Grabbing thick, bone-in pork chops is the way to go when it comes to keeping pork chops juicy in the air fryer. The bone retains moisture and helps to keep the pork from drying out.
More Favorite Pork Recipes
If you tried this Air Fryer Pork Chops or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Air Fryer Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar or coconut sugar
- ½ tablespoon dried oregano
- ½ tablespoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 large bone-in, thick-cut pork chops
Instructions
- Add the chili powder, brown sugar, dried oregano, paprika, ground cinnamon, garlic powder, and salt to a bowl and whisk to combine.
- Preheat the air fryer to 375°F for 5 minutes, and while the air fryer is preheating, coat each pork chop in olive oil and then season liberally with the dry rub.
- Place the pork chops in the air fryer, and insert an in-oven thermometer into the thickest pork chop.
- Cook the pork chops in the air fryer at 375°F for 8 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 145°F.
Recipe Notes
- Use a different cut of pork – while we really love a good, thick pork chop, if the dry rub is calling your name but you’d rather use a different cut of pork, this oven roasted pork tenderloin recipe uses the same rub!
- Make it refined-sugar free – if you want to keep this recipe refined-sugar free, simply swap the brown sugar for coconut sugar.
- Make it dairy-free – this recipe is dairy-free all on its own, so no modifications needed.
- Make it grain-free – again, this is a grain-free recipe as-is.
- Make it gluten-free – no need for modifications to make this recipe gluten-free, it’s gluten-free all on its own.
Nutrition
Does it have to be bone in?