Air Fryer Instant Pot Vortex Pork Chops

One of the first recipes I made after getting my Instant Pot Vortex Plus 7 in 1 air fryer oven was to make air fryer Instant Pot Vortex pork chops.  Since the Vortex is new, specific Instant Pot Vortex recipes are harder to come by (but click that link for some with suggestions on how to adapt other recipes and to see a curated list).  So I adapted a regular buttermilk  and breaded air fryer pork chops recipe into a recipe for the Instant Pot Vortex. The result was fabulous! 

Note that you do not have to have a Vortex to make this recipe. It can be made in any air fryer. Just keep an eye on the time, as I have found that the Vortex seems to require a few more minutes than some of the basket style air fryers.  If you have a Ninja Foodi, which is another popular brand, here is a recipe specific for that appliance: Ninja Foodi air fryer pork chops.

Air Fryer Instant Pot Vortex Pork Chops

The nice thing about making pork chops in the air fryer is that they are easy to make and come out super juicy and moist. While regular baking can dry out pork chops, air frying pork chops in the Instant Pot Vortex with a buttermilk brine keeps everything from getting dry. 

A few notes abut this recipe: Buttermilk is great to use as a base for pork and chicken breading because its lactic acid helps tenderize the meat and its  natural sugars create a nice carmelization factor.  You can also add salt to it to use it more like a true brine. For example when I made Rotisserie chicken the other day (recipe to come), I used a 24-hour buttermilk brine. 

You can also use just plain milk if you desire and things will come out fine. But making your own Buttermilk is also super easy with just some vinegar and lemon! You can also add whatever spices that you like to your pork chop recipe. I used basic salt and pepper with some garlic powder. Parmesan is a decent addition, as is a bit of hot sauce added to the milk.  

How to Cook Pork Chops in the Air Fryer (Instant Pot Vortex Plus)

I started out with two nice bone in pork chops, but you can also use boneless pork chops for this recipe. It work well with either kind.

Marinate the chops in buttermilk for about half and hour. This will tenderize the meat a bit and give it a good base for the flour to stick to. Then, mix up your spices in the flour and coat the pork chops. Shake off the excess flour. You want what looks like a batter, but not too crazy thick with gooey dough or too heavily coated with flour.

Lay the pork chops on a well oiled tray or trays. I fit two chops on one tray and cooked asparagus at the same time on a second tray. I never switched the trays, I left the asparagus under the chops for the full cook time. This combo cooked both perfectly and made a dinner meal for two.  For four, you would need to double the recipe and use two trays.

Give the pork chops a spray of oil. I used a canola oil spray, but olive oil or other oil of choice is fine. The spray of oil will help brown up the breading quite nicely. Be gentle with the spray so that you don’t push the flour right off of the pork chops. You can see in my photos where I accidentally did that in one spot!  Oops!

Preheat the Vortex oven temperature to 380 degrees. Pop the pork chops into the air fryer and and cook until golden brown.

Note on cooking time: Use a meat thermometer!

I added the following toa dress some of the comments:  I cooked my chops for a cook time of 28 minutes, turning the chops once a little more than halfway through.  This was with thick chops and to arrive at a closer to well-done temperature of 165. For 145 temperature or thin chops cook time could be as low as 15 minutes or so.

I highly suggest using a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature starting at about 12-14 minutes. If your chops are very thin, perhaps even sooner. This is true of cooking any meat. Ther will never be a perfect overall cook time because cuts of meat can very so much. So checking with a thermometer is the best approach.

I also ignored when the Vortex told me to turn the chops and turned them at halfway. If your chops seem to be sticking to the trays a bit, respray the trays and/or the pork chops when you flip them. I sometimes will flip chops more than once.

If cooking for four or more, I would have used both trays for the chops and switched the trays a few times, while also flipping the chops.  If you find that you need a few more minutes to get your chops to a nice golden brown, simply hit that plus sign on the Instant Pot Vortex Plus and it will add minutes. 

The result was delicious air fryer Instant Pot Vortex pork chops that were crispy on the outside and moist and juicy on the inside. No drying out at all!  The asparagus was also perfectly roasted. It made for a perfect dinner meal!

Want to know more about the Vortex? Read my Instant Pot Vortex Review!

Need more recipes? Check out my curated list of Instant Pot Vortex Recipes.

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Air Fryer Instant Pot Vortex Pork Chops

Yield: 2-4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Additional Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

This easy Air Fryer Instant Pot Vortex Pork Chops beats other recipes by using either bone in or boneless pork chops with flour and marinated in buttermilk to create a breaded pork chop that is crispy on the outside and moist and juicy on the inside. Any air fryer can be used and, by air frying, the pork chops come out more healthy because they use less oil than if they were fried. This is the best way to do chops in a short amount of time in my opinion!

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Ingredients

• 2 bone in or boneless pork chops
• 1 cup Buttermilk
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt and Pepper to taste (I used 1 teaspoon of each)
• Cooking Oil Spray

Instructions

1. Place pork chops and buttermilk in a plastic baggie
2. Marinate for at least 30 minutes or as long as 12 hours.
3. Add garlic powder, salt, and pepper to the flour and mix well
4. Place the flour mixture in a plastic baggie and add the pork chops, discarding the extra buttermilk
5. Shake the baggie until the chops are well coated with flour.
6. Optional: Allow the chops to sit for 5 minutes to better allow the flour to adhere.
7. Preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees.
8. Generously spray the air fryer tray(s) with oil.
9. Place the pork chops on the air fryer tray(s) and spray the chops with oil.
10. Air fry for 14-28 minutes or until golden brown (why such a variation? See the below note!), flipping the chops at least once halfway through. If using multiple trays, switch the trays and flip the chops. Respray the trays and the chops when flipping if desired for browner chops or if they begin to stick. Medium chops are done at an internal temperature of 145 and weel done at 165.
11. Enjoy!

Notes

Air fryers vary. This recipe was made using the Instant Pot Vortex Plus 7 in 1 air fryer oven. Monitor your chops and flip them and adjust time as needed to get golden brown chops.

I cooked my chops for a cook time of 28 minutes, turning the chops once a little more than halfway through.  This was with thick chops and to arrive at a closer to well-done temperature of 165. For 145 temperature or thin chops cook time could be as low as 15 minutes or so.

I highly suggest using a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature starting at about 12-14 minutes. If your chops are very thin, perhaps even sooner. This is true of cooking any meat. Ther will never be a perfect overall cook time because cuts of meat can very so much. So, checking with a thermometer is the best approach.

Additional spices can be added to the flour or the milk. Suggestions: Hot sauce, paprika, onion powder, Italian Seasoning, Parmesan, or seasoning salt.

Two chops will fit on one tray. Use two trays if doubling the recipe.

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  Instant Pot 5252321 Official Round Cake Pan, 7-Inch, Gray

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1 chop
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 544Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 108mgSodium: 500mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 1gSugar: 6gProtein: 44g