Breaded Pork Chops with Herbs and Parmesan
Posted: 04/20/2011
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Crisp on the outside and juicy on the inside, these easy breaded pork chops are baked in the oven. The buttermilk marinade makes them so tender!
Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Perfectly crispy, without frying!
How long it takes: 40 minutes plus 2+ hours to marinate
Equipment you’ll need: shallow dish, tongs, baking sheet, baking rack, oven
Servings: 4
Table of Contents
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Looking for a delicious way to prepare pork chops? Tired of dry, tasteless pork? You’re going to love this recipe!
Have you ever tried marinating pork in buttermilk? You may have heard about marinating chicken in buttermilk but I was inspired by Jessica at How Sweet Eats to try this method with pork chops. If it tenderizes and adds juiciness to chicken, why not pork?
Hmmm, I wonder if a buttermilk marinade works for dry skin. My skin gets so dry in the winter. Sorry, got a little diverted there.
Anyways, back to that pork. Try buttermilk marinated pork, coated with a tasty mixture of panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and chopped parsley, and baked in the oven for an easy entrée.
About Breaded Pork Chops
Why use buttermilk for a marinade? Buttermilk is slightly acidic and has enzymes which help tenderize the pork. It’s a gentle marinade and it won’t make the pork mushy if you want to marinate the pork overnight. Plus, a buttermilk marinade is very easy, just pour it on, nothing to mix up. I use a similar marinade for my easy baked chicken parmesan.
After the pork has marinated, remove it from the marinade and let the excess drip off. You don’t have to wipe it off. The buttermilk that remains on the pork chops will help the breading stick.
Mix the breading ingredients together: panko, Parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, mustard powder, salt and pepper. Use a shallow bowl so you have room to dredge the pork chops in it. Press one chop at a time, both sides, in the breading mixture. Arrange them in a single layer on a baking rack set inside a baking pan (don’t forget to spray it with nonstick cooking spray first!).
Don’t Have A Baking Rack?
If you don’t have a baking rack, that’s okay. Baking the pork chops on a baking rack allows air to circulate all around the chops so they get crispier. Will they still be delicious in a pan? Of course!
Bake the chops for about a half hour or until the internal temperature reaches nearly 145°F. Let them rest 10 minutes or so; the internal temperature will continue to rise. They should be just slightly pink inside and juicy, but not bloody.
What to serve with Breaded Pork Chops
Breaded pork chops are great with roasted vegetables or potatoes because everything can roast in the oven at the same time. Just arrange your oven racks with a little space between the racks. Try roasted sweet potatoes and shallots, with maple mustard sauce. Or this medley of balsamic roasted vegetables. Roasted carrots with thyme and nutmeg are so good, too! Check out 40 of my roasted vegetable recipes.
Make It Your Own
- Play around with the seasoning in the breading. Replace the parsley, dry mustard, salt and pepper with your own seasoning ideas. I often replace it with my all-purpose seasoning.
- Use homemade breadcrumbs. They’re easy to make and are a good way to use day old bread.
- Don’t want to turn your oven on? Try breaded air fryer pork chops.
- Skip the breading. We love air fryer pork chops. They’re easy, juicy, and delicious.
- Not a fan of pork? Try baked chicken cordon bleu.
Storage & Reheating Tips
Refrigerate: Leftover pork chops should be promptly refrigerated in an airtight container. They’ll keep in the fridge for three to four days.
Freeze: Cooked pork chops can be frozen for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheat: The breading on reheated pork chops tends to lose its crispiness. The best way to reheat them is to put them in your air fryer for a few minutes or in the toaster oven until they are just heated through. Try not to overheat them; they may become tougher and dry.
Interested in a weekly meal plan (it’s free!) that includes this pork chop recipe? Take a look at my Meal Plan #14. You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list. Let me do the planning for you this week!
We’ll be adding a new meal plan weekly. If you’re interested, browse all of our meal plans.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
servings
Crisp on the outside and juicy on the inside, these easy breaded pork chops are baked in the oven. The buttermilk marinade makes them so tender!
Ingredients
- 4 boneless pork chops (about 8 ounces each)
- 2 cups lowfat buttermilk
- 1 ½ cups panko breadcrumbs (whole wheat or regular)
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh or dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Pour buttermilk into a shallow dish. Add pork, flip to coat and submerge. Refrigerate, covered, for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line baking sheet with foil, set a baking rack on it, and spray lightly with cooking spray.
- In a large shallow bowl, mix panko, Parmesan cheese, parsley, mustard powder, salt and pepper. Remove pork from marinade, allowing excess marinade to drip off. Dredge each pork chop in breading mixture, patting lightly so breading adheres. Place on prepared rack.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 145°F.
- Allow to rest 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Internal temperature will continue to rise slightly.
Notes
- Don’t have a baking rack? Bake pork chops in baking pan without a rack. They may be slightly less crispy on the bottom side but will still be delicious.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 336kcal, Carbohydrates: 23g, Protein: 39g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.03g, Cholesterol: 99mg, Sodium: 810mg, Potassium: 777mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 365IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 248mg, Iron: 2mg
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Donna says
HA!!! I loved how that whole post from your husbands "no choice" to him loving these delicious chops in the end! Too cute:) (and I can relate;) hahahahahhahaha…
Nutmeg Nanny says
These look amazing! I love the crunchy crust…yum!
Rachel says
Thanks Kelly! Frequent visitors are my favorite. I'm adding you to my Google reader as well. I could stand to "eat myself skinny." ;)
Kelly says
This looks absolutely delicious! Your blog is great!! Consider me a new frequent visitor :)
Autumn@Good Eats Girl says
I'm definitely going to make these! They sound great! I also love cooking on a baking rack! It works like a dream!
Dandy says
On a baking rack is an awesome idea- yum!
Alexa @ Simple Eats says
These look AMAZING! I love any kind of pork, but encrusted pork chops like these sound wayyy too good!
Gin Oakley says
You had me at buttermilk and panko . . .
This is going on this week's menu :)