Make Lemon Pepper Pork Chops using one of 4 cooking methods! This easy dinner features tender pork chops seasoned with a zesty blend of lemon, black pepper, and salt. Combine four simple ingredients, then oven-bake, pan-fry, grill, or air-fry pork chops for a flavorful meal perfect for busy weeknights or fancy dinners.
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Easy Seasoned Pork Chops
If you love pork chops as much as we do, you will love this pork dinner recipe with bright and zesty flavors. Along chicken casserole, crock pot stroganoff, and beef and vegetable skillet, these adds an excellent variety to your meals.
Historically, lemon pepper seasoning has been a popular choice for chicken, but is lemon pepper good on pork chops too? The short answer is that this popular seasoning paired with pork chops makes a delightful combination. One you will be making again and again.
It has a refreshingly tangy and slightly sweet flavor and aroma that pairs well with savory pork, while the black pepper adds some heat and complexity. Top it off with a slice of lemon, and you have a fantastically delicious plate of pork chops.
The best part is these pork chops come together quickly and effortlessly with only four simple ingredients. Plus, you can choose four different cooking methods, depending on your preference and available time.
So whether you’re baking, pan-searing, grilling, or air-frying your pork chops, the lemon pepper seasoning will infuse the meat with mouthwatering flavors and leave you coming back for seconds.
With just a few simple ingredients, you can create a flavorful and impressive meal perfect for busy weeknight dinners or elegant special occasions.
How to Make Pork Chops with Lemon Pepper
Gather four basic ingredients and you’re halfway to enjoying a lemon pepper pork chop in under 30 minutes. The active hands on time is only five minutes followed by your choice of cooking method. Garnish with a slice of lemon and a little bit of rosemary and enjoy an easy and delicious meal.
The hardest part is deciding how to cook the pork chops. They are all so delicious in their different ways.
You have the option of cooking these pork chops:
- In the oven
- In a skillet
- On the grill
- In the air fryer
The recipe begins the same for all three but then branches off depending on your cooking method.
It’s also important to mention that cooking time varies depending on the thickness of the pork chop. Furthermore, boneless chops cook faster than bone-in pork chops.
The most accurate way to test for doneness is to insert an instant meat thermometer into the thickest part of the chop and when internal temperature of the pork reaches 145°F (63°C), it is done.
Ingredients
- Pork chops – one-inch thick bone-in pork chops will yield the best flavor and texture
- Cooking oil – lard, olive oil, or another healthy cooking fat
- Lemon pepper seasoning – the flavors of this seasoning pairs well with pork chops
- Salt – enhances the seasoning and balances out flavors
- Dried rosemary and fresh lemon – optional for garnish
Substitutions and Variations
Pork chops with lemon pepper have very minimal and healthy ingredients, making them an excellent choice for people following a specific diet. They are naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free.
However, keeping a few things in mind, you can adapt lemon pepper pork chops to suit your diet best. The most important thing to remember is that sometimes storebought seasonings have hidden ingredients that may not comply with your specific diet. That’s why it’s essential to learn to read ingredient labels.
- Keto diet – Ensure the seasoning doesn’t contain any starches or sweeteners.
- Carnivore diet – As the recipe is written, it’s carnivore keto-friendly. Omit the seasoning and use only salt for a strict-carnivore option.
- Paleo diet – Ensure the seasoning doesn’t contain any starches, anti-caking agents, or sweeteners.
- Low oxalate diet – There is a moderate amount of oxalate concentrated in the lemon peel. If you are very sensitive, you may prefer to season with a squeeze of lemon juice, salt, and pepper instead of Lemon Pepper Seasoning (which contains the peel).
- GAPS – It’s important that the seasoning doesn’t contain any starches, anti-caking agents, sweeteners, or natural flavors if you are on strict GAPS.
- Whole30 – As with GAPS, ensure that lemon-pepper seasoning doesn’t have any starches, anti-caking agents, sweeteners, or natural flavors.
Step-By-Step Directions
Follow these simple directions, and you can’t go wrong! Lemon Pepper Pork Chops come together with only five minutes of prep time followed by cooking time and a few minutes of resting time to allow the juices to settle back into the meat.
Step One: Prepare
If cooking the pork chops in the oven, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Likewise, if you are cooking them on the grill, preheat the grill, then proceed with getting your pork chops ready.
Blot the surface of the pork chops with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Rub pork chops with lard or oil on both sides.
Step Two: Season
Combine lemon pepper seasoning and salt in a small bowl. Cover the first side of the pork chops with half of the seasoning. Flip the chops over and season the second side with the remaining amount.
Going forward, the directions will change slightly depending on your cooking method. Pick one and follow the instructions for that specific method.
Method One: Oven Baked
Step Three: Bake
Place the pork chops on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 145°F (63°C).
Once the pork chops are cooked, remove them from the oven and let them rest for three minutes before serving. Baked lemon pepper pork chops are the most hands-off cooking method because you can pop the chops in the oven and get on with your meal prep.
Method Two: Pan Fried
Step three: Fry
Heat a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Place pork chops in the pan and cook on each side for about three to four minutes, until golden brown.
Remove gluten-free fried pork chops from heat and let them rest for three minutes before serving. This method is excellent when you are short on time and need delicious pork chops on the dinner table fast.
Method Three: Outdoor Grill
Step three: Grill
Grill the pork chops over high heat for about four minutes on the first side, then flip them over and grill for three minutes on the remaining side.
Remove pork chops from the grill and let them rest for three minutes before serving. Grilled lemon pepper pork chops tend to yield the juiciest most delicious chops.
I know you’ll love testing all of these cheap cuts of meat for grilling if you love getting outside and cooking.
Method Four: Air Fryer
Step three: Air Fry
Arrange the pork chops in a single layer in the air fryer basket, making sure they are not touching each other.
Air fry the pork chops for 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking time. The internal temperature of the pork should reach 145°F (63°C).
Once the pork chops are cooked, remove them from the air fryer and let them rest for three minutes before serving.
For all four methods, once your pork chops have rested and you’re ready to serve them, garnish with rosemary and lemon slices, if desired. This step is optional but elevates this humble cut of meat and makes it appear extra fancy. You can also step it up by drizzling with our Easy Balsamic Glaze recipe.
Nutritional Info
There are four servings of Lemon Pepper Pork Chops recipe.
Each serving contains:
- 237 calories
- 29 g protein
- 12 g fat
- 1 g total carbs
Please note that the nutritional value will change if you substitute ingredients. Use a nutrition app of your choice to recalculate and reflect your changes.
Lemon Pepper Pork Chops Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 1-inch thick pork chops bone-in, if possible
- 1 tablespoon lard or olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon rosemary optional garnish
- 1 half lemon sliced, optional garnish
Instructions
In the oven
- Preheat your oven to 375 °F.
- Blot the surface of the pork chops with a paper towel to remove moisture. Rub pork chops with lard or oil on both sides.4 1-inch thick pork chops, 1 tablespoon lard
- Combine lemon pepper seasoning and salt in a small bowl. Cover the first side of the pork chops with half of the seasoning, flip the chops over, and season the second side with the remaining amount.1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt
- Place the pork chops on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 145 °F.
- Once the pork chops are cooked, remove them from the oven and let them rest for 3 minutes before serving. Garnish with optional rosemary and lemon slices.1 teaspoon rosemary, 1 half lemon
In a skillet
- Blot the surface of the pork chops with a paper towel to remove moisture. Rub pork chops with lard or oil on both sides.4 1-inch thick pork chops, 1 tablespoon lard
- Combine lemon pepper seasoning and salt in a small bowl. Cover the first side of the pork chops with half of the seasoning, flip the chops over, and season the second side with the remaining amount.1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt
- Heat a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Place pork chops in the pan and cook on each side for about 3-4 minutes, until golden brown.
- Remove from heat and let them rest for 3 minutes before serving. Garnish with optional rosemary and lemon slices.1 teaspoon rosemary, 1 half lemon
On the grill
- Preheat the grill.
- Blot the surface of the pork chops with a paper towel to remove moisture. Rub pork chops with lard or oil on both sides.4 1-inch thick pork chops, 1 tablespoon lard
- Combine lemon pepper seasoning and salt in a small bowl. Cover the first side of the pork chops with half of the seasoning, flip the chops over, and season the second side with the remaining amount.1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt
- Grill the pork chops over high heat for about 4 minutes on the first side, then flip them over and grill for 3 minutes on the remaining side.
- Remove from heat and let them rest for 3 minutes before serving. Garnish with optional rosemary and lemon slices.1 teaspoon rosemary, 1 half lemon
In the Air Fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to high.
- Blot the surface of the pork chops with a paper towel to remove moisture. Rub pork chops with lard or oil on both sides.4 1-inch thick pork chops, 1 tablespoon lard
- Combine lemon pepper seasoning and salt in a small bowl. Cover the first side of the pork chops with half of the seasoning, flip the chops over, and season the second side with the remaining amount.1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt
- Arrange the pork chops in a single layer in the air fryer basket, making sure they are not touching each other.
- Air fry the pork chops for 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking time. The internal temperature of the pork should reach 145 °F.
- Once the pork chops are cooked, remove them from the air fryer and let them rest for 3 minutes before serving. Garnish with optional rosemary and lemon slices.1 teaspoon rosemary, 1 half lemon
Notes
Nutrition & Macros
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, please calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients and amounts used, using your preferred nutrition calculator. Under no circumstances shall the this website and the author be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on the given nutritional information.
I made these in the skillet and really enjoyed them! The tip about blotting moisture and rubbing with lard really seemed to make them come out juicier and more tender.
I’m so glad that tip helped. I find that blotting the meat first also helps get a better crust and minimizes moisture popping back at you while the meat cooks.