Buffalo Pork Chops
These Buffalo Pork Chops are a great way to change up pork chop night! Baked, thick-cut pork chops are slathered in delicious buffalo sauce, then broiled to perfection in less than 30 minutes. They’re the perfect main course to serve with healthy sides during the week.
![sliced buffalo pork chops](https://thymeandjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/BUFFALO-PORK-CHOPS-7-of-7.jpg)
If you’re caught in a pork chop rut, this buffalo pork chops recipe is a healthy and delicious way to switch things up. You’ll only need five ingredients, including your choice of hot and tangy buffalo sauce.
For paleo & Whole30 pork chops, you can use an approved buffalo sauce (like Primal Kitchen or the New Primal, and serve with your favorite compliant side dishes like roasted veggies and potatoes.
The best part? You can cook these pork chops in the oven or the air fryer. Both methods yield melt-in-your-mouth, tender, and juicy pork chops coated with a rich layer of buffalo sauce. Enjoy!
💗 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Pork chops are a great inexpensive source of protein.
- You’ll only need 5 ingredients and less than 30 minutes of your time.
- It’s the perfect pork chop entree to throw together during the week.
- It’s low carb, keto-friendly, and easy to make paleo and Whole30.
🥩 Ingredients You’ll Need
- Center cut pork chops – This cut of pork includes rib bone meat, loin meat, and a piece of tenderloin. They’re also called loin chops and center loin chops. For the best results, use boneless center-cut pork chops, sliced 1″ thick.
- Avocado oil – Coats the surface of the pork chops, so they stay moist and brown nicely in the oven. You can use olive oil here if you don’t have avocado oil.
- Salt & black pepper – To season and enhance the flavor of the meat.
- Buffalo sauce – Buffalo sauce is a cayenne pepper-based hot sauce cut with butter, so it’s richer and smoother than regular hot sauce. Feel free to use your favorite store-bought buffalo sauce or Whole30 buffalo sauce.
📖 How To Make Baked Buffalo Pork Chops
1⃣ Prepare for baking. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper, and set it aside.
2⃣ Prepare pork chops. Blot the pork chops completely dry with a paper towel, brush both sides with avocado oil, and season with salt and pepper.
3⃣ Bake pork chops. Arrange the seasoned pork chops on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the pork chops are fully cooked. Remove from the oven and turn the oven to broil.
4⃣ Coat with sauce & broil. While the broiler preheats, evenly distribute the buffalo sauce on top of the pork chops with a pastry or grill brush. Then, place underneath the broiler, and broil for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce thickens and the pork chops are beautifully browned on the top.
♨ Air Fryer Buffalo Pork Chops
Following these step-by-step instructions, you can also make buffalo pork chops in the air fryer.
- Preheat your air fryer to 400F for 3-5 minutes. Meanwhile, blot the pork chops dry with a paper towel and season all over with oil, salt, and pepper.
- Once preheated, place the seasoned pork chops in a single layer at the bottom of the air fryer basket and air fry until cooked and no longer pink (12-15 minutes).
- To finish the pork chops, brush the top of each with a layer of buffalo sauce, then return to the air fryer for 2-3 minutes or until the buffalo sauce thickens. Remove and serve hot.
👩🏻🍳 Recipe Tips
- I recommend using pork chops that are at least 1-inch thick. Thinner pork chops tend to dry out quickly. If your pork chops are thicker than an inch, increase the cooking time accordingly.
- Keep an eye on your oven, especially while the pork chops are under the broiler, as the sauce can burn quickly. Remove from the oven as soon as the sauce thickens around the meat.
- The safe internal temperature of cooked pork chops is between 145F and 160F. Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness.
- After baking, let the pork chops rest for three minutes before serving. This results in the juiciest meat.
- Bake with blue cheese! After coating the baked pork chops in buffalo sauce, add a layer of blue cheese crumbles before broiling.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
Make these buffalo pork chops a balanced meal and serve with any of these quick, healthy sides.
- Potato Wedges
- Sweet Potato Wedges
- Buffalo Cauliflower Rice
- Dill Pickle Coleslaw
- Creamy Mashed Cauliflower
- Ranch Cauliflower Mash
🧊 Storage
Storing: Let leftover pork chops cool completely, then refrigerate in an airtight glass container for 3-4 days.
Freezing: Once cooled to room temperature, transfer to a freezer-safe airtight bag and freeze for 2-3 months—Thaw in the fridge for a few hours or overnight before reheating.
Reheating: To reheat leftover pork chops without drying them out, add a couple of tablespoons of water or broth to a baking dish, add the pork chops (buffalo sauce side facing up), and cover with foil. Then, reheat in a 350F preheated oven for 10-15 minutes.
Reheating in the air fryer: Buffalo pork chops can also be reheated in the air fryer. Check out How to Reheat Pork Chops in the Air Fryer for the complete guide.
❔FAQ
The exact time it takes to cook pork chops in an air fryer will vary based on the thickness of your chops and the functionality of your air fryer. For example, if your pork chops are cut 1-inch thick, it will take about 12-15 minutes to cook at 400F in the air fryer.
To make super juicy, tender pork chops, opt for fresh thick-cut pork chops and season them liberally with a quality high-heat oil and salt and pepper before baking. Baste your chops in a sauce before broiling, and let the pork chops rest for 3 minutes once they’re finished.
Yes. If you’d rather make baked buffalo chicken breast, lower the oven temperature to 375F, and bake the chicken for 5-8 minutes more. Chicken is cooked safely when the internal temperature reaches 165F.
🐷 More Pork Recipes
- Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin
- Thick-cut Grilled BBQ Pork Chops
- Instant Pot Pork Ribs
- BBQ Pineapple Pulled Pork
- Crispy Pork Belly
- Slow Cooker Mississippi Roast
- Dutch Oven BBQ Pulled Pork
![sliced buffalo pork chops](https://thymeandjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/BUFFALO-PORK-CHOPS-7-of-7-500x500.jpg)
Buffalo Pork Chops
Equipment
- baking sheet
- pastry or grill brush
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds center-cut pork chops or 4 boneless 1" thick chops
- 2 teaspoons avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅓ cup buffalo sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper, and set it aside.
- Blot the pork chops completely dry with a paper towel, then brush both sides with avocado oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Arrange the seasoned pork chops in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the pork chops are fully cooked through.
- Remove from the oven and turn the oven to broil.
- While the broiler preheats, evenly distribute the buffalo sauce on top of the pork chops with a pastry or grill brush.
- Place underneath the broiler, and broil for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce thickens and the pork chops turn golden brown on top.
Notes
- Preheat the air fryer to 400F for 3-5 minutes.
- Dry pork chops and season with oil, salt, and pepper.
- Place the pork chops in a single layer at the bottom of the air fryer basket and cook for 12-15 minutes or until cooked through.
- Brush with buffalo sauce and return to the air fryer for 2-3 minutes or until the buffalo sauce thickens.
- Remove and serve hot.