Breaded pork chops are one of those dishes that make an entire kitchen smell like Sunday. In Poland they’re called kotlet schabowy and are just as much a staple on the table as Wiener schnitzel is in Austria — the difference being that the Poles use pork instead of veal. The chops are pounded flat, coated in flour, egg and breadcrumbs, and cooked golden so the crust turns crisp and the meat stays juicy inside.
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In the air fryer you get exactly the same crispy coating, but without a pan full of fat and without splatters on the stove. Three tablespoons of rapeseed oil are brushed straight onto the breadcrumbs, and the hot air does the rest at 190 °C. From fridge to plate, the whole dish takes 39 minutes, resting time included.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Why I love breaded pork chops in the air fryer
Breading and the air fryer are a better match than most people think. The hot air hits the entire surface at once, so the breadcrumbs dry out and brown evenly instead of only browning where the meat touches the pan. The result is a crust that’s crispy all the way round — even at the edges, which usually stay soft in a frying pan.
Then there’s the practical side: no grease splatters on the stove, no smoke in the kitchen, and no pan to scrub afterwards. You can take care of the potatoes in the meantime, since the chops only need to be turned once.
The difference between air fryer and pan
In a pan, the breading soaks up oil like a sponge, and you usually have to top it up along the way because the crumbs drink it all in. In the air fryer, you use three tablespoons of rapeseed oil in total, brushed on in a thin layer, and that’s enough to give it color. The catch is that you have to remember it: completely dry breadcrumbs turn pale and floury, no matter how long they cook.
My kitchen test of breaded pork chops
I made this dish in my Philips XXL, because four flat chops take up quite a bit of space and need to sit in a single layer to turn crispy. At 190 °C, 7 minutes on the first side and 5-7 minutes after flipping is the sweet spot. Once the coating was golden brown, the meat thermometer read 70 °C in the center — exactly where the pork is cooked through without being dry.
The 5 minutes of resting afterwards is non-negotiable, and I always put the chops on a wire rack rather than straight onto the plate. Left flat, the underside of the coating turns soggy from steam in under a minute. All in all, I land on 39 minutes including preparation — the same dish in the oven needs both a longer preheat and noticeably more time.
Press the breadcrumbs firmly onto the meat with the palm of your hand on both sides. It’s the contact between crumbs and meat that determines whether the coating stays put in the hot air.
Tips and tricks from the author: Morten Jensen
The typical mistakes and how to avoid them
The mistake I see most often is breading that falls off in the basket. It’s almost always caused by moisture: the meat wasn’t patted dry before going into the flour, so the breadcrumbs have nothing to cling to. Pat the chops thoroughly with paper towels, press the breadcrumbs firmly onto both sides, and let them sit in the fridge for 10 minutes before putting them in the basket if you have time. The next classic mistake is pale breading, which happens when you skip the brushing step, assuming the air fryer doesn’t need any fat. Breadcrumbs don’t brown from hot air alone, and the three tablespoons of rapeseed oil are what give it that golden color. And then there’s the space issue: if the chops are stacked on top of each other, they’ll steam each other soft instead of turning crispy. It’s better to cook in two batches and keep the first one warm in the oven at 80 °C in the meantime.
How to serve breaded pork chops
In Poland, kotlet schabowy rarely arrives alone on the plate. The sides are simple, but they’re also what makes the dish complete:
- Boiled potatoes with butter and chopped parsley
- Sauerkraut, whose acidity cuts nicely through the crispy coating
- Lemon wedges, squeezed over right before serving
- Mashed potatoes and pickled cucumbers as a softer alternative
- A simple cucumber salad if you want something fresh on the side
Storage and reheating
Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat them in the air fryer at 180 °C for 4-6 minutes, until the coating is crispy again — the microwave inevitably makes it soft and chewy. The chops can also be frozen for up to 3 months; thaw them in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Breaded pork chops are everyday food with a Sunday feeling, and the air fryer makes them both lighter and less of a hassle than the pan. Stay focused during breading and brushing, and the golden crust will stay right where it should.
FAQ
Yes. Panko gives a coarser and even crispier crust, and the method is exactly the same. Time and temperature don’t change.
Almost always because the meat was moist, or because the breadcrumbs weren’t pressed on firmly enough. Pat the chops dry with paper towels, press the breadcrumbs firmly onto both sides, and let them rest in the fridge for 10 minutes before cooking.
7 minutes at 190 °C, then another 5-7 minutes after flipping. Check with a meat thermometer that the core temperature is 70 °C, and let the chops rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe
Breaded pork chops in the air fryer
Cooking Guide
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Airfryer size
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Recommended equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Kødhammer
- 3 Dyb tallerken - For breading
- 1 Brush
- 1 Meat thermometer
Shopping list
Ingredients
- 4 pcs pork chops (Boneless, approx. 150 g each.)
- 1 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp black pepper (Freshly ground)
Breading
- 75 g wheat flour
- 2 pcs eggs
- 2 tbsp milk
- 120 g breadcrumbs (Sweet)
- 1 tsp paprika (For brushing)
- 3 tbsp rapeseed oil (Peeled)
Serving
- 800 g potatoes (Skrællede)
- 400 g sauerkraut (In wedges)
- 1 pcs lemon (I både)
How to make it
Preparation
- Place 4 pcs pork chops between two sheets of cling film and pound them flat to about 1 cm thickness with a meat mallet. The more even the thickness, the more evenly they’ll cook.
- Pat the pork chops dry with kitchen paper and season them on both sides with 1 tsp salt and 0.5 tsp black pepper.
- Put 75 g wheat flour on a deep plate. Whisk 2 pcs eggs together with 2 tbsp milk on another. Mix 120 g breadcrumbs with 1 tsp paprika on a third.
- First turn the pork chops in the flour, then dip them in the egg mixture, and finally press them firmly into the breadcrumbs on both sides, so the coating covers the entire surface. Shake off any excess breadcrumbs.
- Brush both sides of the breaded pork chops with 3 tbsp rapeseed oil. The oil is what makes the coating golden and crispy in the air fryer.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 190 °C.
- Place the pork chops in the basket in a single layer so they don’t overlap, and cook them for 7 minutes at 190 °C. Cook them in two batches if the basket is too small.
- Carefully turn the pork chops with a spatula and cook them for a further 5-7 minutes at 190 °C, until the coating is golden brown and crispy.
- Check with a meat thermometer that the core temperature is 70 °C. Let the pork chops rest for 5 minutes on a wire rack, so the juices redistribute and the coating stays crispy.
Serving
- Serve the pork chops with boiled 800 g potatoes, 400 g sauerkraut and wedges of 1 pcs lemon.
Our notes for the recipe
Press the breadcrumbs firmly onto the meat on both sides — the better the contact, the less the coating will fall off during air frying. If you have time, let the breaded pork chops rest in the fridge for 10 minutes before putting them in the basket. Variation:
If you use thin veal schnitzels instead of pork chops, you’ll get a classic Wiener schnitzel. Panko instead of breadcrumbs gives a coarser and even crispier crust. Serving:
In Poland, kotlet schabowy is traditionally served with boiled potatoes, sauerkraut and a slice of lemon. Mashed potatoes and pickled cucumbers also go well with it. Portion size:
If your air fryer is smaller, you can make the dish in two batches. Keep the first batch warm in the oven at 80 °C in the meantime.
Your notes for the recipe
Nutrition per serving (Guideline)
Important about shelf life and nutrition
Nutrition per serving (guideline): Calculations are based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Shelf life (guideline): Shelf life data is provided, as far as possible, by public institutions, including national food authorities. Our information is therefore only indicative, and it is your responsibility to obtain and calculate accurate information about shelf life and nutrition for all recipes on airfryerkogebogen.dk
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