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These Pecan Crusted Air-Fryer Pork Chops turn out perfectly every time! A crispy pecan coating, and juicy tender on the inside with so much flavor. You’ll love this more nutritious way to enjoy pork chops!
It’s AIR FRYER TIME!!! I’ve been loving preparing all kinds of veggies and sides in my air fryer lately, and loving the hands off approach and perfectly textured food. BUT, definitely wanted to experiment even more with main dishes.
Pecan Crusted Pork Chops have been on my to-do list of pork recipes to tackle for a while. I’ve always loved a breaded pork chop, but, I want the comfort of the dish made more nutritious. As a nutritionist, I love taking comfort food recipes and giving them a healthier twist. The pecan and air-fryer combo worked magic to produce the best tasting breaded pork chop! Definitely one of those air fryer recipes that surprised me in the best way.
“Breaded” Pork Chops
To create that “breaded” and crispy pork chop texture, chopped pecans are the key ingredient. The pecan addition creates that bold and nutty flavor with a hint of sweetness that worked deliciously in this recipe.
I’ve used chopped pecans along with a few spices and arrowroot starch as the breading to the pork chops. We first dip the pork chops in an egg and Dijon mustard mixture, then coat with our pecan breading. Cook in your air fryer for only 12 minutes!
Perfectly crispy, and a more nutritious variation to traditional breaded and fried pork chops! I love that the pecans are also naturally gluten-free, and with many nutrients: monounsaturated fats, fiber, plant based protein, and plenty of vitamins and minerals (Vitamin A, E, calcium, potassium, zinc to name a few)*. They’re truly a hard-working ingredient for simple, delicious meals for the family.
Serving your pork chops
Be sure to eat hot right off out of the air-fryer. You can serve with some Dijon mustard, or by itself on top with some extra salt and pepper. I love green beans, or sautéed veggies served alongside for some additional fiber and nutrients! The pork chops also work great as a topping to a salad and can be re-heated to enjoy later in the week.
Here are some great sides with these pork chops:
- Honey Garlic Glazed Brussels Sprouts
- Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Greek Orzo Pasta Salad
- Easy Oven Roasted Potatoes
Air Fryer Pecan Crusted Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans
- 1/3 cup arrowroot starch
- 2 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt + more to taste
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard (+ more for serving)
- 1 tbsp water
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 4-6 medium boneless pork chops (trimmed of any fat)
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees.
- In a medium sized bowl, mix together pecans, arrowroot starch, Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, and sea salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, Dijon mustard, water, and garlic.
- To make the pork chops: first cover the pork chops in the egg mixture, then transfer to the bowl with the pecan mixture to coat all sides. Repeat with remaining pork chops. Place 3 pork chops at a time in the air fryer basket.
- Cook for 12 minutes at 400 degrees. Flip over at the 6 minute mark.
- Serve hot with extra Dijon mustard (if using).
For the Stovetop:
- Heat a large skillet to medium high heat.
- In a medium sized bowl, mix together pecans, arrowroot starch, Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, and sea salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, Dijon mustard, water, and garlic.
- Cover the pork chops in the egg mixture first, then transfer to the bowl with the pecan mixture to coat all sides. Repeat with remaining pork chops.
- Add 2 tbsp avocado oil or olive oil to the pan, and saute for 5-6 minutes per side, or until internal temperature reaches 145.
This was excellent!! A very creative and delicious way to use pecans and arrowroot flour. I used thin cut pork chops and the cooking time was perfect. Thank you for this and this is now among my favorites 💞
Just an FYI on the pecan crusted pork chop recipe there is a spelling error in the ingredients it says:
4-6 medium boneless prok chops
Looking forward to trying out the recipe tonight!