Breaded Italian Pork Chops

platter of breaded pork chops garnished with basil

5 from 2 votes

Make these Breaded Italian Pork Chops for a quick meal! Feel free to halve the recipe for a smaller batch ready in 15 minutes.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Calories: 318kcal

Author: Mamma C

Ingredients

Bread Crumb Mixture

½ cup plain bread crumbs (Store-bought is fine)
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (Use freshly grated for best results.)
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon salt

Thin Boneless Pork Chops

2 pounds thin, boneless, pork chops (½-inch thick)
1 egg (large or extra-large)
⅓ teaspoon salt (approximately - can sprinkle some salt on each side without measuring)
⅓ teaspoon black pepper (approximately - can sprinkle pepper on each side without measuring)
6 tablespoons olive oil (divided use) (for pan frying; see notes)
4 fresh basil leaves (or use ¼ teaspoon dry basil in bread crumbs)

Instructions

Grate the Parmesan cheese, if needed. Use a whisk or fork to mix the bread crumb ingredients in a shallow bowl or dinner plate.
Crack the egg and add it to a small bowl, such as a pasta dish. Beat the egg with a fork.
Set up an assembly line from left to right with the pork chops, beaten egg, the bread crumb mixture and a clean platter. Use a fork to pierce a pork chop and place it in the beaten egg. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the pork chop and flip it over. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the other side of the pork. Pierce the pork chop with a fork and hold it up to let the excess egg drip off. Transfer the chop to the bread crumbs. Use a fork to cover the meat with the bread crumbs and pat them onto the surface. Flip the pork over and bread the other side. Place the breaded pork cutlet onto the platter.
Continue breading the rest of the chops as above. Discard any leftover egg mixture and any breadcrumbs that had raw meat dipped in it.
On the stove, heat a 12-inch skillet (or larger) on medium-high. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and let it get hot. When the oil is sizzling, add some pork chops to the pan in a single layer. You will probably need to cook them in two batches, since they won't all fit. Cook the first side, uncovered, for three minutes or until the bottom is golden brown. Flip the chops over and cook them uncovered for 90 seconds or 2 minutes, just until the second side is golden brown.
Transfer the cooked pork to a clean platter. (You can cut into one to make sure it's done. It should be white inside or just slightly pink. If you have an instant meat thermometer, the pork chops should have an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees F.) Cover the chops loosely with foil.
The olive oil will have turned dark after cooking the first batch and needs to be replaced. Remove the pan from the heat and wipe out the pan with paper towels. Add another 3 tablespoons of olive oil so you can cook the next batch of pork chops in clean oil.
Continue cooking the rest of the boneless pork chops. Let them rest under the foil for five minutes before serving, to help keep them juicy. Cut up the fresh basil leaves into ribbons and sprinkle them on the pork chops before serving them.
Store leftover Italian pork chops in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. The leftovers are delicious cold out of the fridge or at room temperature. If you want to reheat them in the microwave, just do it briefly so you don't overcook the pork and make it tough.

Notes

If starting with seasoned Italian bread crumbs, just add the Parmesan and skip the other bread crumb ingredients.
The pork chops taste so much better when fried in olive oil instead of canola or vegetable oil. I use regular olive oil, but you can use extra-virgin olive oil.
However, olive oil has a low smoke point, and will turn dark once you've fried a panful of chops. You'll need to wipe out the pan and replenish it with clean olive oil to fry the next batch.
If you make half a batch (one pound), you'll still need to use one beaten egg.

Nutrition