This method of making Breaded Italian Fennel Pork Chops yields a nice, juicy chop with a luscious crunchy top. Dead simple and quick to make.
For years, I have been making Italian Fennel Porkchops and loved them, but sometimes, they turned out a little tough or dried out despite simmering in broth and red wine. So today, as I was watching America’s Test Kitchen do a recipe for Deviled Porkchops the method they used seemed like it might make mine better. I highly recommend watching the video 1 to see their method.
This method makes a nice, juicy pork chop with a crunchy top. It’s very simple to make. We had it on top of some buttered spaghetti along with a nice green salad. If you’re tired of dried-out, tasteless pork chops, give these a try.
You can use any kind of pork chop you like, whether it’s boneless, thin, or a thick pork chop. If you have large pork chops, you can make a slit, stuff them, and then use this breading method. Could you use it for a pork loin roast? You betcha!
Why fennel seeds? Fennel seeds are what give flavor to Sweet Italian sausage. If you like the Hot Italian Sausage, you can add chili flakes to the breading. If you don’t like Italian sausage, you could omit the fennel.
You could also make this in an air fryer set to 250F° / 121°C for about 30 minutes. Air fryers are quicker than regular ovens, so you would want to check with an *instant-read thermometer to make sure they are not overdone.
Let’s Make Breaded Italian Fennel Pork Chops
Email Me the Recipe
Breaded Italian Fennel Pork Chops
Equipment
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Ingredients
For the Breading
- ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large garlic clove, minced finely
- 1 tablespoon fennel seed
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the chops
- 1 egg, beaten
- 4 boneless loin pork chops
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250F/121C.
- 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 large garlic clove, 1 tablespoon fennel seed, 1/4 teaspoon salt, Freshly ground black pepper to tasteMelt the butter in a saute pan. Add the garlic and fennel seed. Stir constantly until you can just smell the garlic and fennel. Add the breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper. Saute them constantly until they have browned. Do not let them or the garlic burn.
- 4 boneless loin pork chopsLine a baking sheet with foil, then put a rack on the foil. Put the pork chops on the rack.
- 1 eggUsing a pastry brush, brush the beaten egg on each pork chop. Brush several times so the egg is kind of thick and can act as glue to hold the breadcrumbs.
- Put a spoonful of the crunchy topping on each pork chop and continue doing so until you have used all the topping up. Lightly tap on the topping so it goes into the egg.
- Put the pan in the oven and roast for 40-50 minutes or until the chops reach 140F/60C on an instant-read thermometer. Let them rest for a few minutes and then serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Update 2022: When I originally posted this recipe, I included a link to an America’s Test Kitchen video on YouTube. It was removed but I have put up a new link.
Wow! I saw this on Pinterest and just had to try this. I loved the flavor and that the pork chops stayed nice and juicy. This is a keeper!