Make perfect pork chops in 30 minutes or less! These Low Calorie Air Fryer Pork Chops are tender, juicy, and flavorful. The meat is coated in a simple sweet and savory sauce that allows the pork flavors to shine through. Oven baked instructions included!
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Check out my Air Fryer Bacon and Egg Cups and my Air Fryer Pork Egg Rolls for more delicious recipe ideas!
You'll make a simple sweet and savory sauce to use as a baste for these low calorie air fryer pork chops. After basting the pork chops, your air fryer will do the rest of the work for you!
The results are super juicy pork chops with perfectly crisped, lightly caramelized surfaces. Yum!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Thanks to the air fryer, say goodbye to dry, flavorless pork chops.
- It's quick, easy, and a great protein to serve on busy weeknights.
- There's no breading!
- The sauce mixture is simple and delicious!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Pork Chops: Boneless pork loin chops or any pork chops work well, at least 1 inch thickness. Thinner cuts tend to dry out.
- Sauce/Marinade: Instead of a store bought sauce with processed ingredients, these pork chops are coated in a quick mixture of brown sugar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Mix sauce ingredients. Whisk brown sugar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl.
Step 2: Prep pork chops for the air fryer. Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels and coat them on all sides with the sauce mixture.
Step 3: Cook pork chops in the air fryer. Place the sauced pork chops in the fryer basket (working in batches if necessary) and cook at 370 ℉ until the internal temperature reaches 145 ℉ (about 12 to 14 minutes).
Step 4: Rest and serve. Remove the pork chops from the basket and transfer them to a cutting board to rest for 5 minutes. Serve hot with a couple of healthy side dishes, and enjoy!
NOTE: You can print the FULL recipe with all ingredients & detailed instructions below!
Expert Tips
- Plan and marinate the pork chops for 1 to 6 hours. The meat will absorb a more sweet and savory flavor and become even juicier.
- Cook your pork chops in a single layer, leaving space in between each. Depending on the size of your air fryer basket, you may need to work in batches.
- To make sure your pork chops are cooked through, insert a food thermometer into the thickest part of the meat and make sure the internal temperature is at least 145 ℉.
- As tempting as it may be to dig in, letting your pork chops rest for a few minutes will allow them to reabsorb the juices making the meat as moist and tender as possible.
Variations
Dry spice rubs: Another option is seasoning the meat with a dry rub before coating. If you plan to use a dry rub, omit the salt, pepper, and Worcestershire, so the pork isn't overly seasoned. Dry seasoning blends like blackened, Cajun, and creole seasonings are great options.
Oven Baked Pork Chops
- Preheat the oven to 375 °F. Make sure it's fully preheated before placing the pork chops inside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar substitute, reduced sodium soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, fresh lemon juice, salt, and ground pepper. This mixture will be used as the glaze for your pork chops.
- Pat the boneless pork chops dry with paper towels.
- Coat each pork chop on all sides with the sauce mixture you prepared in step 2.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper for easy cleanup. Place a wire rack on top of the baking sheet. This will help air circulate around the pork chops and allow them to cook evenly.
- Place the sauced pork chops on the wire rack, making sure they are not touching. Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chops reaches 145 °F.
- Once the pork chops are baked, remove them from the oven and let them rest for about 5 minutes on the wire rack. This resting period helps the juices redistribute within the meat.
Storing & Freezing
Storing: After cooling to room temperature, place pork chops in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for 3 to 4 days.
Freezing: You can even freeze air fryer pork chops. After cooling, place them in an airtight resealable bag and freeze them for 2 to 3 months.
Recipe FAQ‘s
1 inch thick boneless chops will take between 8 and 12 minutes, flipping halfway through. Thicker cuts will take longer, so always use a meat thermometer to check for doneness.
1 inch thick chops bone-in chops will take between 11 and 15 minutes, flipping about halfway through.
Air Fryer Protein Recipes You’ll Love
Low Calorie Air Fryer Pork Chops
Special Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 boneless pork loin chops any pork chops work well
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar substitute I like Swerve Brown Sugar Replacement
- 1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
- Whisk brown sugar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl.
- Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels and coat them on all sides with the sauce mixture.
- Place the sauced pork chops in the fryer basket (working in batches if necessary) and cook at 370°F until the internal temperature reaches 145°F (about 12 to 14 minutes).
- Remove the pork chops from the basket and transfer them to a cutting board to rest for 5 minutes. Serve hot with a couple of healthy side dishes, and enjoy!
Notes
- Different air fryer brands may cook at different rates, so be sure to keep on eye on food.
- Plan and marinate the pork chops for 1 to 6 hours. The meat will absorb a more sweet and savory flavor and become even juicier.
- Cook your pork chops in a single layer, leaving space in between each. Depending on the size of your air fryer basket, you may need to work in batches.
- To make sure your pork chops are cooked through, insert a food thermometer into the thickest part of the meat and make sure the internal temperature is at least 145 ℉.
- As tempting as it may be to dig in, letting your pork chops rest for a few minutes will allow them to reabsorb the juices making the meat as moist and tender as possible.
- Storing: After cooling to room temperature, place pork chops in an air-tight container and keep refrigerated for 3 to 4 days.
- Freezing: You can even freeze air fryer pork chops. After cooling, place them in an airtight resealable bag and freeze them for 2 to 3 months.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Jennifer
Delicious but Is the serving size correct at 4 grams or should it be 4 ounces?
simplylowcal
It is 4 ounces. Thank you for catching that. I've updated it. 🙂
Anita
This is such a nice and simple recipe. It's incredible how much flavor the pork chops have without any marinating time.
Anjali
What a simple, flavorful recipe!! I had no idea you could make pork chops in the air fryer until I tried this and it turned out great!
Sapana
Such an easy weeknight dinner! Thanks for the recipe.
Jenna
Boneless loin chops came in my food delivery this week and I had no idea what to do with them. Great recipe.
Pam Greer
These are so easy and delicious! They come out perfectly moist every time!
Elaine
Such a simple recipe, but it has so much flavour. Just got an air fryer a few weeks ago, so this was a great recipe to try it out. Turned out perfectly.
Toni
This quickly became a favorite at my house! Love that you can make it in an air fryer!
Priya Lakshminarayan
Cooking in an Air Fryer has become so easy! Love this
Raquel
Those look amazingly juicy for air fryer cooking. Way to go!