This hearty, classic Southern dish is one of those great recipes that gets the whole family excited for dinnertime. The crisp, yet juicy pork chops are smothered in slurp-worthy homemade pan gravy that satisfies your most stubborn hankerin' for comfort food.
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❤️ Why you'll love it
- Crispy-fried, golden brown perfection in only a half-hour
- Stovetop method creates the most tender pork chops—no oven needed
- Creamy gravy is made with pan drippings (not corn starch!) so it's super flavorful
I love what my kids call "grandma food". It's those old fashioned, hearty recipes that have stood the test of time - you just know they're going to be good.
Like these fried pork chops or this slow cooker braised pork and cabbage.. Yum.
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Season pork chops and dredge them through the flour mixture, the buttermilk mixture, and then the flour mixture once again.
- Fry pork chops in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Drain the fried pork chops on a rack or over paper towels.
- Make the Gravy: combine the flour, drippings, chicken broth, and water.
🥫 Storage
The great thing about pork chop recipes like this one is that no one complains about eating leftovers—in fact, sometimes they fight over who gets to eat 'em!
Let the leftovers cool at room temperature before storing them in an airtight container lined with a paper towel. You can stack the pork chops, but place a paper towel in between each layer to protect the crispy coating.
You can also wrap each pork chop individually in a piece of plastic wrap and then aluminum foil for freezer storage. Lay or stack them flat in the freezer for more even thawing later on.
The leftover fried pork chops last for up to four days in the refrigerator or three months in the freezer. You can thaw frozen chops in the fridge, and then rewarm them in the microwave.
However, fried foods taste even better rewarmed for 10-15 minutes in an oven preheated to 350 degrees F. Cover them in foil before baking for crisp and hot fried pork that's just as yummy as the day you made it!
📖 Variations
- Though I used boneless pork chops, this recipe is equally delicious with bone-in pork chops, too.
- Swap the pork for chicken breasts. However, make sure to pound out the chicken with a meat mallet if the pieces are unevenly thick.
- Some people like to add a bit of garlic powder and onion powder to the seasoned flour mixture. You can get creative with your seasonings!
- If you don't have chicken stock, you can use beef broth. However, it'll be more like brown gravy rather than the light one shown in my photos.
- Saute onions and garlic in the pan drippings before adding the remaining gravy ingredients for a rich onion gravy.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: Use oil with a higher smoke point when frying. I prefer peanut oil, or vegetable oil if you have nut allergies. Olive oil is more expensive, so I don't generally recommend it for frying, though it will work, too.
- To avoid messy fingers, use one hand for dredging through the dry ingredients, and one hand for the wet. Your fingers get stickier when both the wet and dry ingredients combine.
- Always use tongs when frying pork chops. Trying to flip the hot pork chops with a spatula usually results in splashing and burns—ouch!
- Try to keep your frying oil at a stable temperature (350 degrees F) throughout the process for the most even cooking. I like to use a high-temp candy thermometer to monitor the oil at all times.
- For really flavorful gravy, use a wooden spoon to scrape in some of the brown pork bits from the bottom of the pan when transferring the drippings. That's where flavor hides!
- If you prefer a really thick gravy, after bringing it to a boil, drop the heat back down and let it simmer for a while. The more liquid that evaporates, the thicker your gravy will be. You can also add a little extra flour if it's still thin.
👩🍳 FAQs
Cooking time is a little longer for really thick pork chops. As long as your oil is at the proper temperature, thin chops will take about 2-3 minutes on each side, and thick ones will take around 4-5 minutes per side. Add another minute or two of cook time for bone-in chops.
Using a meat thermometer is the best way (and most accurate way) to check for doneness! Most people know that the internal temperature of pork needs to reach 160 degrees F to be considered safe for eating. However, the USDA released updated guidelines saying you can safely eat pork once it's reached 145 degrees F.
For best results, insert the tip of the thermometer into the thickest part of each chop, near the center of the meat. Don't push it all the way through to the pan, or you'll get an inaccurate reading!
I probably wouldn't substitute the entire measurement of water with the heavy cream, but if you've got some to use up, go ahead! The cream makes the gravy taste a little sweeter, so you might want to add additional salt and black pepper after taste testing.
No worries! You can use ¼ cup of butter instead. It won't have quite the same flavor, but I've also never heard anyone complain about the taste of butter! Yum!
📚 Related recipes
- Slow Cooker Pork Chops with braised cabbage is a hearty, easy dinner recipe that doesn't even need sides—just cook, serve, and devour!
- Crisp, flavorful breading and ultra-tender meat are two features of this Chicken Fried Steak. The thick, creamy gravy seals the deal: it's delish!
- Sweet and tangy, these Easy Pork Chops with Honey Garlic Glaze don't take much time to prep and simmer all day in the crockpot for fork-tender goodness in every bite!
🍽️ Serve with...
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📞 The last word
This is so satisfying! If I'm not in the mood to make mashed potatoes I like to serve it with creamy Noodles Romanoff. Try it!
Comfort food at its finest! 🤩 Southern fried pork chops and gravy make for a truly delicious dish.
Whether you're a pro in the kitchen or just getting started, this classic dish is sure to bring smiles to the faces of family and friends.
What’s your favorite southern comfort food? Let me know in the comments!
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fried Pork Chops and Gravy
Print Pin Recipe SaveEquipment Needed
Ingredients
- 4 pork chops, boneless, thick center cut
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 Cup chicken stock
- 1 Cup water
- oil, for frying
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Instructions
- Season the pork chops with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Add the buttermilk and eggs to a medium bowl and mix well. Set aside.
- Add the flour, cayenne, paprika, baking powder to another bowl and mix with a whisk.
- First, pass each pork chop through the flour mixture, then coat with the buttermilk mixture, then coat in flour again.
- Add enough oil to a heavy skillet for it be about ½” deep.
- Bring to 350°F over medium-high heat.
- Fry the pork chops (don’t overcrowd). Don’t try to move the pork chops until they come free from the bottom of the skillet by themselves. Fry for about 3 minutes.
- Turn over and fry the other side for another 3 minutes (or so). You’ll want the inside of the pork chops to reach 160°F.
- Remove from the oil and allow to drain in a wire rack.
- Take ¼ Cup of the drippings from the skillet and place in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Take ¼ Cup of the remaining flour mixture and add to the drippings. Stir well. Keep stirring for a few minutes, until the flour has cooked.
- Slowly pour in the water and broth and bring to a boil.
- Serve this gravy over the fried pork chops.
Notes
- Use oil with a higher smoke point when frying. I prefer peanut oil, or vegetable oil if you have nut allergies. Olive oil is more expensive, so I don't generally recommend it for frying, though it will work, too.
- To avoid messy fingers, use one hand for dredging through the dry ingredients, and one hand for the wet. Your fingers get stickier when both the wet and dry ingredients combine.
- Always use tongs when frying pork chops. Trying to flip the hot pork chops with a spatula usually results in splashing and burns—ouch!
- Try to keep your frying oil at a stable temperature (350 degrees F) throughout the process for the most even cooking. I like to use a high-temp candy thermometer to monitor the oil at all times.
- For really flavorful gravy, use a wooden spoon to scrape in some of the brown pork bits from the bottom of the pan when transferring the drippings. That's where flavor hides!
- If you prefer a really thick gravy, after bringing it to a boil, drop the heat back down and let it simmer for a while. The more liquid that evaporates, the thicker your gravy will be. You can also add a little extra flour if it's still thin.
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