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Chinese Salt and Pepper Pork Chops (Air Fryer) 椒鹽豬扒

Name: Chinese Salt and Pepper Pork Chops (Air Fryer) 椒鹽豬扒
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 32 min
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1 lbs Pork Chops - bone-in pork chops and boneless pork chops, each about 50g and 1/4 inch thick; 2 Stalks of Spring Green Spring Onions for garnish; Fresh Cilantro for garnish; Vegetable Oil or Cooking Spray for air frying; 3 tbsp Potato Flour; 3 tbsp Rice Flour; 5 Garlic cloves, minced; 1 tsp Ground White Pepper; 2 tsp Sea Salt Flakes; ½ Red Bell Peppers, diced; ½ Jalapeno Peppers, diced; 2 Shallots, diced; 1 tsp Sichuan Peppercorn (optional, grind to powder); 1 tsp Fresh Chilli Peppers Flakes (optional)

Oct 12, 2022 · 90 Comments

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氣炸鍋椒鹽豬扒 Chinese Salt and Pepper Air Fryer Pork Chops recipe is an addictive and delicious dish in Cantonese cuisine. The crispy chops are air-fried, light, and non-greasy, so thin chops, bone-in or boneless, work better than thick ones. This keto-friendly is a favourite Chinese restaurant must, but you can make it at home in just 15 minutes!

After perfecting the recipe for Salt and Pepper Shrimp, Salt and Pepper Squid and Salt and Pepper Tofu in the air fryer, making the delicious pork chops recipe was on my mind! After all, fried crispy pork chops are one of the famous Chinese dishes to order any night of the week!

Check out this quick story summary of our recipe!

> In This Post: Everything You'll Need For Air Fried Salt and Pepper Pork Chops

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> In This Post: Everything You'll Need For Air Fried Salt and Pepper Pork Chops
Salt and Pepper Seasoning Rub
Ingredients and Substitutes
Should Pork Chops Be Seasoned Before Cooking?
Instructions
What To Serve With Salt and Pepper Pork Chops Chinese Style
> Recipe
Chinese Salt and Pepper Pork Chops (Air Fryer) 椒鹽豬扒

Salt and Pepper Seasoning Rub

The key to perfecting a wildly flavourful salt and pepper seasoning rub goes to one real MVP secret ingredient.

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Can you guess what this secret ingredient is for creating the best results in so many wonderful recipes in Chinese food?

Ground white pepper 白胡椒粉 - Ground white pepper enhances flavour, marries meats and poultry, removes fishiness, and spices up stir-fries. It is much different from black peppers, even though they come from the same fruit. It is also very different from Sichuan peppercorns, which are known for their slow-numbing mala profile, allowing one to enjoy the nuances of a heated dish.

A teaspoon of white pepper will kick that juicy air fryer pork chops up several notches.

Salt and Pepper mixture (椒鹽)

Salt and Pepper mixture (椒鹽) in Chinese recipes is an explosive spice blend commonly used for deep fry crispy dishes.

The main characteristic of Chinese "salt and pepper" is its garlicky, spicy and salty profile.

Our salt and pepper seasoning rub is an easy recipe using only a few simple ingredients to yield a delicious and explosive combination of savoury and spicy profile.

This seasoning mix is later used to flavour the deep-fried protein.

If you love salt and pepper spices, why not try these salt and pepper bone-in pork chops or boneless pork chops coated and air-fried golden brown!

The fried pork chop makes for an excellent protein dish that fits a ketogenic and low carb diet.

Ingredients and Substitutes

Pork Chops - What specific cuts are best for making juicy pork chops? We like using pork loin. Both bone-in pork chops and boneless pork chops are great option s. Thin chops work better than thick pork chops when air fried.
Potato Flour or Rice Flour - the breading is one part potato flour and one part rice flour. This gives the best pork chops that are perfectly light and crispy.
Green Spring Onions for garnish
Fresh Cilantro for garnish
Vegetable Oil or Cooking Spray for air frying

Salt and Pepper Spices

Garlic cloves minced or Garlic Powder
Ground White Pepper
Green Peppers or Red Bell Peppers
Jalapeno Peppers or Red Chili
Shallots or Yellow Onion
Fresh Chilli Peppers Flakes
Sea Salt Flakes
Sichuan Peppercorn (optional) - A little ground Sichuan Peppercorn powder will add that tongue-numbing sensation to the spice rub. This is optional but play around with how you like to bring the heat to your salt and pepper seasoning flavor profile.
Onion Powder (optional)

Have you considered making salt and pepper pork belly instead of pork chops? These thinly sliced pork belly tossed in aromatic spices and batter make them even more snackable and impresses guests!

What Is The Secret To A Crispy Coating?

The critical ingredient to crispy tender pork chops potato starch and rice flour!

Coating your protein with potato starch makes all the difference in making the crispiest crunchy pieces with every bite.

It is night and day compared to plain old all-purpose flour for deep frying!

Potato starch has a bit more grit and, when deep-fried, creates little balls of crunchiness. It is lighter yet crispier and crunchier!

Follow this easy tip, and I guarantee it is the best recipe for a crunchy crust!

Should Pork Chops Be Seasoned Before Cooking?

If you are wondering whether marinating pork is necessary? On their own, pork chops are bland; therefore, seasoning with salt brine before cooking helps bring out the meat's natural flavours and texture.

A strong marinade with oyster sauce, soy sauce, and cooking wine is not required.

Tenderizing pork chops (similar to velveting beef) with baking soda for at least 20 minutes is recommended to tender pork chops.

After 20 minutes, rinse and pat dry with a kitchen paper towel.

Tenderizing meat with baking soda is a practical, economical and straightforward method for everyday purposes. This is a game-changer!

Instructions

First, wash the pork chops and pat dry with a kitchen paper towel.

Tenderize pork chops (similar to velveting beef) with baking soda for at least 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, rinse and pat dry with a kitchen paper towel.

Generously season pork chops with salt for a quick brine for 5 to 10 minutes.

While the pork chops are marinating, prepare salt and pepper spice mix and the crispy batter.

Prepare salt and pepper mixture by dicing jalapeno peppers, red bell peppers, shallots or onions and mince garlic cloves.

Grind Sichuan Peppercorns, dried red chillies, and whole white peppercorns in a spice grinder or using a mortar and pestle. Grind to a powder.

Add diced vegetables, aromatics, salt, and ground white pepper to a small bowl. Mix well. Set aside.

Alternatively, if you do not want to hand chop all the simple ingredients, you can also use a good-quality food processor. Here are my picks for the Best Food Processors!

Add and combine rice flour and potato starch in a shallow bowl.

Pat dry the pork chops with kitchen paper towels.

Dredge and coat each piece of pork chop with crispy breading evenly. Shake off any excess flour.

Everything you need to cook Air Fryer recipes!

How To Air Fry Pork Chops

Preheat air fryer to 400°F.

Use air fryer parchment paper and line the bottom of the air fryer basket for easy clean-ups.

Place pork chops in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Spray the pork chops with cooking spray or with an oil mister.

Set the cooking time to 5 minutes.

Carefully transfer pork chops from the air fryer with tongs or a slotted spoon.

Add cooked pork chops and salt and pepper mixture to a large bowl. Toss and mix well.

Return the seasoned boneless chops to the air fryer and cook at 400F for another 5 minutes for boneless chops or 6-7 minutes for bone-in chops or thicker pork chops.

Insert an instant read thermometer at the thickest part of the chop and check that the internal temperature of the meat is at least 145F.

Air fry until golden brown.

Work in small batches ex. If you are making a large double batch, air fry half of the chops and repeat the process with the leftover pork chops!

Serve these crispy pork pieces on a serving plate lined with a few pieces of kitchen paper towels.

Let rest for a few minutes.

Enjoy hot!

CHINESE SALT AND PEPPER SHRIMP ON A PLATE

Other Variations

Now that you know how to make this Salt and Pepper Pork Chops recipe, you can also try these other popular Cantonese dishes.

The flavours are equally explosive, and every bite is addictive! These are just a few easy recipes that immediately come to mind as excellent pairings!

Serve this crispy tender pork chops that are not deep-fried in a lot of oil as a quick meal protein dish. It is an easy way to impress your guests. They will think it's from their favourite Cantonese restaurants.

What To Serve With Salt and Pepper Pork Chops Chinese Style

Crispy fried pork chops are flavourful garlicky, and savoury. It is best to balance out a bowl of white jasmine steamed rice or stir-fried leafy green vegetables.

After indulging in spicy, heaty, and crispy food, don't forget to cool away heat with a bowl of this liver-detoxing Chinese Sweet Mung Bean Soup 綠豆沙!

I'd love to see how you went with my recipes! Leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @INSTANOMSS #INSTANOMSS.

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