You’ll love this modern twist on an old school classic family dinner! Simple pork chops are transformed into a flavorful, elevated meal in minutes with this Air Fryer Shake and Bake Pork Chops recipe.
“It’s Shake and Bake! And I helped!”
If you immediately recognize that famous line from an old TV commercial, congrats: you’re at least as old as we are! 😁
We couldn’t help but create our own version of a Gen X and Boomer classic recipe. But instead of Shake and Bake Chicken, we’re making Air Fryer Shake and Bake Pork Chops.
These chops are crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and just take minutes to make. This is an ideal family dinner on those super busy weeknights. Or if you’re empty nesters, this recipe makes enough for four servings, so you and yours can enjoy a serving tonight, then heat up leftovers for another lunch or dinner tomorrow!
Table of Contents
What is Shake and Bake?
Shake and Bake is a boxed seasoning mix that was created by General Foods in 1965. This was the time when American meals were starting to get revolutionized by TV dinners and fast food.
The idea behind the seasoning is that it would help home cooks mimic the crispy breading you get from frying, but without the mess, since all you do is shake the meat into the bag of seasoning, then bake!
Why you’ll love this family favorite recipe!
- Nostalgia, elevated – You get the flavors of that nostalgic shake and bake chicken dish but with a modern, elevated flavor profile and cook.
- Easy – The steps are so simple and easy to follow.
- Fast – The air fryer cuts down on cooking time drastically, making this a great weeknight dinner recipe.
- Delicious – The air fryer gets the outside of the pork chops nice and crispy while keeping the inside juicy and tender.
Ingredient notes
Most of the ingredients are probably already in your spice rack!
- Shake and Bake seasoning – We’re creating our own version of the boxed Shake and Bake seasoning. Now, you can still find Shake and Bake to this day, and if you want to make this recipe even simpler, you could use the boxed version instead of our homemade seasoning. Then you’d simply follow the rest of the instructions for air frying the pork chops. But, we personally prefer our seasoning since it only has wholesome ingredients and we know exactly what’s in it.
- Pork – This recipe calls for boneless pork chops, which keeps air frying time down even more.
- Olive oil – Brushing the pork chops with a little olive oil before seasoning helps the seasoning stick and helps keep the pork chops juicy.
Step-by-step instructions
Here are some step-by-step photos and brief instructions to show you how easy it is to make these air fryer shake and bake pork chops!
You’ll find the full list of ingredients along with measurements, and more detailed instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Lightly brush all sides of the pork chops with olive oil.
- Place all of the seasoning ingredients into a large ziplock bag.
- Add a pork chop to the bag and shake until it’s well coated. Remove and transfer to an air fryer basket, then repeat with the remaining three pork chops.
- Place pork chops in a single even layer in the air fryer baskets. You may need to work in batches depending on your air fryer.
- Air fry for 10-12 minutes. If you want, you can flip the pork chops over halfway through the cooking time.
Pork chops are done when a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat reads 145°F.
Marlynn’s Tip
Recipe Tip
Note that you can use bone-in pork chops. However, if you do so, you’ll want to increase the air frying time by 1-3 more minutes.
Recipe FAQs
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Air fry pork chops for 1-3 minutes at 375°F, until they are warmed up to your liking. Note that cooked pork chops do have a tendency to dry out when they are warmed up.
Serving suggestions
I love to serve these air fryer shake and bake pork chops for family dinner! They’re a great protein to serve with a side of cucumber salad and herby potatoes.
Add more veggies to your family’s meal by serving these pork chops with grilled asparagus, instant pot broccoli or air fryer broccoli, or Instant Pot green beans.
Instead of potatoes, you can also serve these pork chops over vegetarian Mexican rice or creamy paprika pasta.
🍷 🥂 Wine pairings
These air fryer shake and bake pork chops pair well with a dry Riesling or Gewürztraminer.
More pork recipes to try
Instant Pot Recipes
Instant Pot Pork Chops and Rice
Air Fryer Recipes
Air Fryer Pork Belly Bites
Filipino Recipes
Filipino Pork Adobo
Filipino Recipes
Filipino Pork BBQ
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card, and if you really loved it, please leave a comment further down on the page. Thank you!
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Air Fryer Shake and Bake Pork Chops
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 boneless pork chops
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
homemade "Shake and Bake" inspired seasoning
- 1½ cups breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Etc
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer at 400°F for 5 minutes.
- In a large ziplock bag, add the garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, paprika, salt, sugar, basil, and black pepper. Shake to mix it up.
- Lightly oil all of the sides of the pork chops with the olive oil. Then add the pork chops, one at a time, into the bag with the seasoning. Shake the bag to coat all sides of the pork chop evenly. Repeat with the remaining three pork chops.
- Lightly spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray.
- Lay down the pork chops in a single layer into the basket. Depending on your air fryer and the size of your pork chops, you may need to work in batches.
- Air fry at 400°F for 10-12 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of each pork chop reaches 145°F.
- Allow to rest for a minute or two before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
