These basil-Parmesan pork chops are an easy, flavorful addition to your weekly recipe rotation. They cook up quickly, and the basil-Parmesan mixture makes them taste amazing.
I love a good pork chop recipe, and these really hit the spot! The best part is that you only need a few ingredients for this recipe.
Growing up, my mom’s fried pork chops were close to my top favorite dish of hers. She dredged them in flour and always got them so crispy. She typically used bone-in chops because they’re so flavorful. I’m not picky; any pork chop is a good pork chop to me.
How to make basil-Parmesan pork chops
You only need a handful of ingredients. For this recipe, I used one-inch thick pork loin chops. You can use thinner pork chops if you like, but you’ll just want to be mindful of the cooking time.
What you need
- Pork chops: I like a thick pork chop. For this recipe and cooking method, though, I wouldn’t go thicker than 1 inch. Since you’re pan-frying only and dredging with flour, a thicker pork chop will take longer to cook and run the risk of burning. If you do want to use a really thick, bone-in chop, I’d recommend baking it at 400ºF after searing both sides until the desired internal temperature is reached.
- Eggs: You’ll dip the pork chops in whisked eggs to help the flour adhere.
- Flour: I use Wondra because I love how light and airy it is. You can absolutely use all-purpose flour, but if you’ve never tried Wondra, I highly recommend it!
- Basil: I love freshly minced basil leaves in this, but you can use a teaspoon of dry basil instead.
- Parmesan cheese: Use a microplane or the smallest holes on your box grater to ensure the cheese is finely grated.
How to make it
It’s as easy as anything, I promise.
- Step 1: Pat the pork chops dry and season them with salt and pepper.
- Step 2: Dip the pork chops into beaten eggs.
- Step 3: Dredge the chops with your mixture of flour, basil, and Parmesan cheese.
- Step 4: Fry them up until they’re cooked through!
It’s never a bad idea to serve them with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt and more grated Parmesan cheese on top!
What to serve with the pork chops
These pork chops work so well with anything! They would be delicious with mushroom pasta or mushroom-taleggio risotto.
I served mine with a very simple whole wheat orzo ‘risotto’ and a side salad. For the orzo, you just need an onion, olive oil, whole wheat orzo, white wine–though it’s optional–and water or chicken stock. You can finish the orzo with Parmesan cheese which makes it taste just divine!
You make the orzo as you would a risotto. Just fry up an onion, add the orzo, and slowly work in the liquid, stirring often, until the orzo is tender and creamy. Finish with Parmesan cheese, and you’re done!
I hope you loved this recipe as much as I did! If you make it, drop a comment below to let me know what you think. I love hearing from you!
Basil-Parmesan Pork Chops
Equipment
- Large skillet
Ingredients
Pork chops:
- 4 1-inch thick boneless pork loin chops
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup Wondra or all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons freshly minced basil leaves or 1 teaspoon dry basil
- ⅓ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Fresh basil leaves, optional, for serving
Orzo risotto:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 1 cup whole wheat orzo
- ½ cup white wine, or use chicken stock
- 3 cups chicken stock
- ½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste
Instructions
Start the pork chops:
- Pat the pork chops dry and season with salt and pepper.
Prepare your dredging station:
- Place the beaten eggs in one shallow dish. Combine the flour, basil, and Parmesan cheese in another shallow dish. Add a pinch of salt and a few healthy shakes of black pepper. Stir to combine.
Dredge the pork chops:
- Dip the pork in the egg and coat it well. Shake off the excess and transfer to the flour. Coat with flour and carefully shake off excess. Transfer to a platter or a baking rack. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Make the orzo:
- Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a wide pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 6–7 minutes until soft. Add the orzo and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 1–2 minutes until toasted.
- Pour in the white wine. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until almost all the liquid has evaporated. Add 1 cup of stock and cook, stirring regularly, until most of the liquid evaporates again.
- Continue adding the rest of the stock in 1-cup increments until the orzo is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir regularly as the orzo simmers.
- Once the orzo is tender, taste and add salt and pepper. Turn off the heat. Stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted. Keep warm.
Cook the pork chops:
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat until hot and shimmering. Carefully add the pork chops and cook without moving for 4–5 minutes. Flip and cook for 4 minutes more. I recommend using your tongs to flip the chops on their sides and cook each side for 15–20 seconds.
- Check the temperature and continue frying until your desired internal temperature is reached. I cook until 135ºF and allow the pork chops to rest up to 145ºF; however, you may wish to cook up to 145ºF.
To serve:
- Spoon the orzo into shallow bowls and place a pork chop on top. Garnish with more grated Parmesan cheese and a few basil leaves on top if you wish. Enjoy!
