We have some delicious ideas for thin pork chop recipes. Pull up this list of 15 easy recipe ideas to help you get started—and create your new favorite meals!
Ever find yourself with pork chops that are less than a half-an-inch thick?
If you do, then you have what’s called thin pork chops, which can easily dry out when cooked.
No need to worry though, since there are a number of thin pork chop recipes that you can follow to ensure your chops don’t feel or taste like cardboard in your mouth.
Yes, the biggest problem with thin pork chops is the high probability of these drying out once they’re cooked.
Nobody wants to eat chops that are dry, almost flavorless, and too chewy to be enjoyable.
This is why most people tend to order their chops in thicker cuts of half an inch thick or more.
This doesn’t mean that you should avoid such thin cuts of meat altogether.
Thin pork chops, after all, are great for when you’re in a rush to get a meal on the table.
Since these are pretty thin, it takes but a few minutes to cook them.
Just try to be careful that you don’t overcook them.
One of the easiest ways to avoid dry chops is to cook them with a sauce.
This list of 15 thin pork chop recipes has quite a few saucy options for you to choose from.
Examples of saucy dishes you can try include Honey Mustard Pork Chops, Japanese Ginger Pork Chops, and Pork Chops Marsala.
If you don’t like your pork to be swimming in sauce, you can opt to bread them instead.
Breading also helps keep moisture in when cooking meat.
Some choices you have that demonstrate this are Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops and Jagerschnitzel.
So, now that you see what can be done with thin pork chops, you no longer need to fear the dreaded dry and tasteless chops that these can become.
Want to give this theory a try?
Here are some recipes you can experiment with.
Let’s start off with this recipe that uses boneless pork chops.
This dish has a creamy and garlicky sauce that coats your chops.
The addition of sliced mushrooms to the sauce gives the dish another textural element for your palate to enjoy.
Here’s a good example of a breaded piece of meat that isn’t dry when you bite into it.
The coating used in this dish is your usual flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs, but with a twist.
Parmesan is added to the breadcrumbs in this recipe to give the dish an added layer of flavor.
Garlic powder in the breadcrumbs mixture also helps give each piece a garlicky touch, which you can taste in each bite!
The sweet and umami combination of mustard and honey is a classic that lots of people love!
This very same combination is what’s used in this recipe to not only impart loads of flavor to your thin chops but also keep them moist.
The addition of cream to the recipe gives the sauce a bit more depth and helps add richness to the dish.
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The combination of herbs in this dish includes sage, rosemary, and paprika.
You can tweak this recipe to incorporate any other herbs you want, such as basil, oregano, and thyme.
You can also add these herbs to the butter, which you will spoon over each chop once they’re done.
Thin pork chops can also be used for Mexican pork recipes, like this one!
This recipe gives you a spicy, fruity, and smoky dish that partners well with tortillas, tacos, and even rice.
Just make sure to prepare the marinade and chops way ahead of time to allow all the good flavors to seep into the meat for a truly flavorful meal.
Six hours to overnight marination is recommended here.
If you’re short on prep time, here’s a recipe that lets you cook both your main and side dish in a single instance!
This pork chop dish is cooked in the oven, with sweet potatoes and cranberries sharing the same sheet pan.
The glaze for both the meat and the sides is a combination of balsamic vinegar and maple syrup.
This lends some sweetness and tang to the entire meal!
Now here’s a recipe that actually requires you to pound your boneless chops into really thin pieces that are 1/4 inch thick.
What keeps these very thin slices of pork moist is the breading that coats them.
The addition of mushroom sauce on top of each slice adds not only flavor but also moisture to an otherwise dry dish.
Serve with boiled potatoes, some sauerkraut, and a tall glass of ice-cold beer!
If you’re looking for crunch in every bite, these panko-crusted chops can give you what you want.
You can opt to coat each piece with flour before dipping it in the egg mixture for maximum adhesion, or you can simply go with eggs and then panko.
Either way, the coating insulates the meat underneath while giving you a crunchy crust.
When the panko takes on a golden hue while frying, this means your chops are done!
Here’s another recipe that calls for really thin, boneless loin chops.
Your chops are not thin enough?
You can pound these into submission until they’re thin enough for you to stuff and roll.
Oh, and yeah, bacon!
Bacon inside and wrapped around each rolled chop makes this dish heavenly!
This quick-cooking dish is one of the thin pork chop recipes you can tweak to your taste.
While the recipe calls for the use of spices and herbs such as sage, thyme, and paprika, you can replace these with your own spice and herb mix.
You can also choose to serve your applesauce on the side or coat your cooked chops with it, depending on your preference.
Want it spicy?
Add some red pepper flakes or sprinkle cayenne pepper into your applesauce for a sweet and spicy sauce!
11. Cuban Pork Chops
These Cuban-style pork chops are cooked for around half an hour, yet they don’t dry out!
Why?
It’s because they’re boiled in water (or you can choose to do this with some broth) and their own juices until they’re tender and juicy!
Serve with a plate of rice and a lime wedge.
Tonkotsu isn’t the only thin pork chop dish that you can find in Japan.
This ginger pork chop dish called Shogayaki also uses thin, boneless pork chops or pork loin.
As with most thin-cut pork recipes, keep a close eye when you pan fry these babies!
Two minutes on each side is enough since the pork will continue cooking in the ginger and onion sauce later.
Let’s now move to another Asian-inspired dish that uses sesame seeds as a coating.
The sweet and sour element comes from the addition of apricot jam to the dish.
If you want a more pronounced sourness to this recipe, you can squeeze half a lemon or add a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar to the sauce.
You can also choose to use Chinese-style sweet and sour sauce for this recipe if that’s the kind of flavor profile you want.
Marsala is an Italian wine that’s often used in cooking.
It has a rather sweet and dry flavor, sometimes with hints of apricot and nutty notes in it.
Reducing this wine along with the other ingredients into a thick sauce will give you rich and sophisticated flavors.
This is a great dish to serve on date night, partnered with some asparagus spears, a baked potato, and more Italian wine.
The name of this recipe, when translated to English, is pork chops braised in fresh tomato salsa.
This will give you another saucy Mexican pork chop dish that is perfect with rice.
Slightly spicy, acidic, garlicky, and herby, the sauce for this dish can be made using your own salsa recipe or even store-bought salsa.
If you want chunkier salsa, you can choose to skip the pureeing step in the process.
The bottom line
Don’t be scared to cook thin pork chops.
This list shows you that there are a lot of things you can do with them!
The 15 thin pork chop recipes listed here are just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak.
There are lots of other great recipes that you can try with these thin yet flavorful cuts of meat.
Braising, boiling, breading, and quick-cooking are just some of the ways you can ensure that your thin chops don’t dry out.
Smothering these pieces in a fruity mix or some broth will also help give them added moisture.
Just keep in mind that, when you accidentally overcook these thin pork cuts, you can always stew them in some broth or create a sauce to make them juicy again.
Looking for side dishes for your pork chops? We have a list of 19 recipe ideas here.
Best Thin Pork Chop Recipe Inspiration🍴
Ingredients
- Garlic Mushroom Pork Chops
- Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops
- Honey Mustard Pork Chops
- Herbed Pork Chops
- Chuletas Al Pastor Marinated Pork Chops
- Pork Chops With Cranberries & Sweet Potatoes
- Jagerschnitzel
- Thin & Crispy Pork Chops
- Bacon Wrapped Apple Stuffed Pork Chops
- Pork Chops In Applesauce
- Cuban Pork Chops
- Japanese Ginger Pork Chops
- Sweet & Sour Pork Chops
- Pork Chops Marsala
- Chuletas De Puerco En Salsa
Instructions
- Skim through our Thin Pork Chop Recipes list.
- Select the recipe you’re looking for.
- Prep the ingredients as instructed.
- Spill your thoughts on our Facebook page!
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