Pan-fried Pork Chops (煎豬扒)

Learn how to make juicy, tender pork chops like a professional chef!

flodesk gif
Prep Time
25 min
Total Time
40 min
Yields
4 servings
YouTube Tutorial

A Recipe by Daddy Lau

My dad's been cooking Chinese food for over 50 years - as a kid fending for himself in Guangzhou, as the head chef of his own restaurant, and as a loving father in our home.

Hopefully, by learning this recipe, you'll get to experience some of the delicious joy we felt growing up eating his food!

- Randy

People tend to shy away from pork chops because of their reputation for being dry and tough. We don't! As long as you cook them just right, they're the opposite of dry and tough; our Pan-fried Pork Chops are succulent and super flavorful. Never fear this budget-friendly cut of pork again!

Thank you, Kikkoman!

This recipe is brought to you in part by Kikkoman. My dad has been using Kikkoman flavors throughout his 50-year career as a chef, and it's a privilege to get to partner with them on such an iconic recipe, Pan-fried Pork Chops!

  • Kikkoman products are a major flavor enhancer and bring out the “umami” taste, and help balance and round out flavors
  • Kikkoman® Less Sodium Soy Sauce is perfect for home cooks who are looking to cut down on their sodium levels, without sacrificing flavor
  • Kikkoman offers a wide range of Gluten-Free Asian sauces, including Gluten-Free Oyster Sauce and Gluten-Free Hoisin Sauce
  • The KikkomanUSA.com Chinese site offers easy Asian recipes that home cooks can enjoy any night of the week

You can learn more about Kikkoman and follow them on social media here:

Check out a quick story summary of our recipe!

Ingredients

Weight: US
oz
g
Volume: US
cup
mL
Servings
4

Main Ingredients

  • 1 lb pork chop
  • 0.50 white onion
  • 0.50 red onion
  • 0.50 oz ginger
  • 3 clove garlic
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch
  • 3 tbsp cooking oil
  • 1 tsp garlic salt
  • 1 tsp Shaoxing wine (

    can substitute with water or chicken broth

    )

Marinade

  • 2 tbsp Kikkoman® Oyster Sauce (

    Amazon​

    )
  • 1 tbsp Kikkoman® Soy Sauce (

    Amazon

    )
  • 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (

    can use any cooking wine, or omit if desired

    )
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 0.50 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch

Cooking pork chops "just right"

Pork chops get dry and tough when they're overcooked, especially so because they're such a lean cut; there's no fattiness to lend itself to juiciness if you overcook the meat by any margin. This is how my dad ensures that he never overcooks his pork chops:

  • Have several decades of professional and personal cooking experience under his belt (okay, not the case for most of us, so moving on...)
  • Even out the meat to a uniform thickness so that every section cooks through at the same rate
  • Marinate with a particular combination of sauces and seasonings that make the meat flavorful and juicy
  • Coat the pork chops with a light layer of cornstarch that sears beautifully
  • Pan-fry the pork chops most of the way through, then finish off with a gentle steam to juuuuust nudge the pork chop to the finish line

Can I skip the wine?

Yes! We used cooking wine for the same purpose as in our recipe for Pan-fried Chicken Thighs and can make identical adjustments for our Pork Chops here.

The cooking wine in this recipe has a particular function: it makes an instant connection to alcohol-soluble flavor compounds that would otherwise prefer to stay in the background.

As a marinade component, alcohol carries and infuses oil-soluble and water-soluble flavors that don't naturally want to mix. It also helps to counteract possible gaminess in fish and meat. When added during the cooking process, the alcohol increases the release of aromatic molecules, enhancing the sensory experience of the dish. We apply both techniques in this recipe for maximum impact.

If you omit the cooking wine, the pork chops will still taste amazing! You'll miss out on those effects of using alcohol, but you can use water or any kind of broth in the last steaming step to at least get the effects of the steam-cooking.

Step 1: Prepare & tenderize pork

Pat the pork chops (1 lb) dry with a paper towel or clean kitchen towel. This will help get it ready to soak up that delicious marinade!

Set the pork chops down on a sturdy cutting board. Tenderize and flatten the meat with the back of your knife or a mallet. Thoroughly pound the meat with your knife angled in one direction, then change your angle 90 degrees and pound the meat one more time to create a cross-hatch pattern. This step is important for that ideal tender texture, so your pork chops won't turn out dense and rough.

Step 2: Marinate pork

In a medium-sized bowl, combine oyster sauce (2 tbsp), light soy sauce (1 tbsp), Shaoxing wine (1 tbsp), sugar (2 tsp), black pepper (0.50 tsp), and cornstarch (1 tbsp). Mix well.

If you don't want to use alcohol in the marinade, just omit it.

Add the tenderized pork chops to the marinade. Let it marinate for about 20 minutes.

Step 3: Prepare aromatics

While the meat is marinating, prepare the garlic and ginger. Smash, peel, and mince the garlic (3 clove). Then slice and mince the ginger (0.50 oz).

Slice the white onion (0.50 ) and red onion (0.50 ) into 1/4-inch thick strips. If you prefer crunchier onions, you can slice them into larger pieces, or if you want them to soften more and melt into the dish, you can slice them more thinly.

Step 4: Coat pork

Spread a layer of cornstarch (3 tbsp) on a plate. Lay each pork chop on the cornstarch and give it a few gentle flips so that the pork chop is lightly coated in cornstarch. Dust off any excess cornstarch.

Step 5: Pan-fry pork chops

Heat a pan over high heat.

Once the pan is hot, add oil (3 tbsp), enough to cover the bottom of the pan. You want to be generous enough with the oil so that the pork chops don't stick and to get that fragrant frying aroma, but keep in mind that more oil may also result in more splatter.

Let the oil heat up, then gently place the pork chops into the pan. Immediately turn the heat down to medium to prevent the pork chops from burning.

After about 4-5 minutes, or when the bottom surface is golden brown, flip the pork chops.

Step 6: Add aromatics & final seasonings

Let it fry for another 2-3 minutes, then push the pork chops to the sides of your pan. In the center space, add the ginger, garlic, and onions. Make sure these ingredients get underneath the pork chops so they can be closer to the heat and start cooking nicely.

Let the aromatics cook down for about 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle garlic salt (1 tsp) over the pork chops to taste and add Shaoxing wine (1 tsp). Cover the pan immediately with the lid and turn the heat off.

The steam will help finish the pork chops through without drying them out, and the alcohol will really help all the flavors meld together. If you're not cooking with any alcohol, use water or broth for this step. Cook covered with the heat off like this for 2-3 minutes. Then, uncover, give a quick, final stir, and plate. Create a comfortable bed of onions and aromatics and nestle the pork chops on top. Enjoy!

FAQ

How do you marinate pork chops?

  • We like to marinate our pork chops in oyster sauce, light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, black pepper, and cornstarch for at least 20 minutes. Check out the ingredient list and recipe for more specific ratios.

How do you keep pork chops from sticking to the pan?

  • My dad has pretty universal rules for preventing sticking:
  • Heat up your pan or wok until it's completely dry and quite hot
  • Add the oil and give it a quick swirl to coat
  • Once the oil is hot, add the cornstarch-coated pork chops (and turn down the heat so it doesn't burn!)
  • Don't move the pork chops until the bottom surface has seared into a nice, golden-brown crust that naturally releases from the pan or wok

Can you bake these pork chops?

  • We prefer pan-frying for pork chops because we're more easily able to see when they're ready, but if you're comfortable with your oven and can pull the pork chops out the second that they're done, then the oven is a fine choice. They won't be crispy but you might get away with using a bit less oil.

What can I serve these pork chops with?

  • Take an HK-style attitude towards pork chops and make it a natural protein choice for any meal of the day.
  • For a hearty breakfast, throw the pork chops on rice and a fried egg. To make a classic HK diner lunch set, serve with rice, a few pieces of veggies, and a side soup like borscht. For dinner, follow my dad’s lead and serve the pork chops family-style with your favorite side dishes.

Summary

Print Recipe
Made With Lau
madewithlau.com/recipes/pan-fried-pork-chops
Pan-fried Pork Chops (煎豬扒)
Learn how to make juicy, tender pork chops like a professional chef!
  • Prep Time: 25 min
  • Total Time: 40 min
  • Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients

Main Ingredients

  • 1 lb pork chop
  • 0.50 white onion
  • 0.50 red onion
  • 0.50 oz ginger
  • 3 clove garlic
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch
  • 3 tbsp cooking oil
  • 1 tsp garlic salt
  • 1 tsp Shaoxing wine (

    can substitute with water or chicken broth

    )

Marinade

  • 2 tbsp Kikkoman® Oyster Sauce (

    Amazon​

    )
  • 1 tbsp Kikkoman® Soy Sauce (

    Amazon

    )
  • 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (

    can use any cooking wine, or omit if desired

    )
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 0.50 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch

Step 1 - Prepare & tenderize pork

↑ Jump to details

Pat the pork chops (1 lb) dry with a paper towel or clean kitchen towel.

Set the pork chops down on a sturdy cutting board. Tenderize and flatten the meat with the back of your knife or a mallet.

Step 2 - Marinate pork

↑ Jump to details

In a medium-sized bowl, combine oyster sauce (2 tbsp), light soy sauce (1 tbsp), Shaoxing wine (1 tbsp), sugar (2 tsp), black pepper (0.50 tsp), and cornstarch (1 tbsp). Mix well.

Add the tenderized pork chops to the marinade. Let it marinate for about 20 minutes.

Step 3 - Prepare aromatics

↑ Jump to details

Smash, peel, and mince the garlic (3 clove). Then slice and mince the ginger (0.50 oz).

Slice the white onion (0.50 ) and red onion (0.50 ) into 1/4-inch thick strips.

Step 4 - Coat pork

↑ Jump to details

Spread a layer of cornstarch (3 tbsp) on a plate. Lay each pork chop on the cornstarch and give it a few gentle flips so that the pork chop is lightly coated in cornstarch. Dust off any excess cornstarch.

Step 5 - Pan-fry pork chops

↑ Jump to details

Heat a pan over high heat.

Once the pan is hot, add oil (3 tbsp), enough to cover the bottom of the pan.

Let the oil heat up, then gently place the pork chops into the pan. Immediately turn the heat down to medium to prevent the pork chops from burning.

After about 4-5 minutes, or when the bottom surface is golden brown, flip the pork chops.

Step 6 - Add aromatics & final seasonings

↑ Jump to details

Let it fry for another 2-3 minutes, then push the pork chops to the sides of your pan. In the center space, add the ginger, garlic, and onions.

Let the aromatics cook down for about 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle garlic salt (1 tsp) over the pork chops to taste and add Shaoxing wine (1 tsp). Cover the pan immediately with the lid and turn the heat off.

Cook covered with the heat off like this for 2-3 minutes. Then, uncover, give everything a final stir, plate, and enjoy!

Step 7 - Take pictures
Whip out your camera (1). Begin taking photos (1,000,000). Pick your favorites!
Step 8 - Share and tag us on Instagram @madewithlau #madewithlau!
Did you have fun making this recipe? We'd love to see & hear about it. (Especially my dad. He would be THRILLED!)

Enjoy!

We have many, many happy memories of enjoying this dish growing up.

Now, hopefully, you can create your own memories with this dish with your loved ones.

Also, I cordially invite you to eat with us and learn more about the dish, Chinese culture, and my family.

Cheers, and thanks for cooking with us!

Feel free to comment below if you have any questions about the recipe.