Filipino Breaded Pork Chops (Pritong Pork Chop)
Recipe Guy
Filipino Classics
These Filipino breaded pork chops marinate briefly in calamansi, garlic, fish sauce, and black pepper before getting a crisp panko crust and a quick shallow fry.
About This Recipe
Local name: Pritong Pork Chop na May Breading
This is a Filipino home-style fried pork chop with a bright calamansi-garlic seasoning and a crunchy breadcrumb shell. The short marinade flavors the meat without making its surface too wet for breading. A flour-and-cornstarch base helps the egg adhere, while panko creates an airy crust that stays crisp beside rice, atchara, and banana ketchup.
Ingredient Notes
Pork chops
Choose center-cut bone-in loin chops about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Even thickness matters more than exact weight, and the bone helps the chop remain juicy.
Calamansi
Fresh calamansi gives the seasoning its distinctly Filipino citrus edge. A blend of three parts lemon juice to one part lime juice is the closest easy substitute.
Fish sauce and soy sauce
A small amount of each seasons the pork deeply without making the finished chop taste like bistek or turning the breading too dark.
Panko
Coarse Japanese-style breadcrumbs create a lighter, craggier crust than fine crumbs. Press them onto the pork, then rest the coated chops before frying.
Filipino Breaded Pork Chops (Pritong Pork Chop) Recipe
These Filipino breaded pork chops marinate briefly in calamansi, garlic, fish sauce, and black pepper before getting a crisp panko crust and a quick shallow fry.
Yield: 4 breaded pork chops Serving size: 1 pork chop
Yield note: Makes 4 main-dish servings. Nutrition excludes rice, atchara, and dipping sauce.
Shopping List
Meat
- 4 center-cut bone-in pork loin chops
Produce
- Fresh calamansi
- Garlic
- Atchara for serving
Pantry and Refrigerated
- Fish sauce
- Soy sauce
- Brown sugar
- All-purpose flour
- Cornstarch
- Eggs
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Neutral frying oil
- Banana ketchup
Ingredients
Pork and Marinade
- 4 center-cut bone-in pork loin chops, 6 to 7 ounces each and 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick
- 1/4 cup fresh calamansi juice
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 4 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
- 1 teaspoon packed brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Crisp Breading
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- Neutral oil, enough for a 1/4-inch depth in the skillet
Calamansi Banana Ketchup
- 1/2 cup banana ketchup
- 1 tablespoon fresh calamansi juice
- 1 teaspoon Filipino hot sauce, optional
For Serving
- Steamed rice or sinangag
- Atchara
- Calamansi halves
Instructions
- Pat the pork chops dry. Snip through the outer fat cap in two or three places so the chops stay flat, taking care not to cut into the meat.
- Combine calamansi juice, fish sauce, soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar, and black pepper in a shallow nonreactive dish. Turn the chops in the marinade, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Do not marinate longer than 2 hours because the citrus can make the surface soft.
- Set a wire rack over a sheet pan. In one shallow dish, whisk flour, cornstarch, paprika, garlic powder, and salt. In a second dish, whisk eggs with water. Put panko in a third dish.
- Remove the pork from the marinade and discard the marinade. Pat the chops thoroughly dry so the coating will adhere instead of sliding off.
- Coat each chop lightly in the flour mixture and shake off the excess. Dip in egg, let the excess drip away, then press firmly into panko on both sides and around the edges.
- Set the breaded chops on the rack for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, pour neutral oil to a 1/4-inch depth in a heavy 12-inch skillet and heat it over medium heat to 350 F.
- Fry one or two chops at a time without crowding, adjusting the burner to keep the oil between 335 and 350 F. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on the first side and 2 to 4 minutes on the second, until deeply golden.
- Check the thickest part of each chop away from the bone with an instant-read thermometer. Remove it when it reaches 145 F. If the crust is brown before the center is ready, move the chop to a rack in a 350 F oven for a few minutes to finish.
- Drain the chops on a clean wire rack, not paper towels, and rest for at least 3 minutes. Skim loose crumbs from the oil between batches so they do not burn.
- Stir banana ketchup, calamansi juice, and optional hot sauce together. Serve the chops immediately with rice or sinangag, atchara, calamansi, and the dipping sauce.
Nutrition Estimate
Estimated per breaded pork chop using the amount of coating likely to adhere and approximately 2 tablespoons total absorbed frying oil. Rice, atchara, calamansi banana ketchup, and unused breading are excluded.
Tips For The Best Filipino Breaded Pork Chops (Pritong Pork Chop)
- Keep the chops even: If one section is much thicker, gently pound only the meat between sheets of parchment until it is an even 1/2 to 3/4 inch.
- Dry after marinating: The flavor remains in the pork, but removing surface moisture prevents the breading from separating.
- Rest the coating: Ten minutes on a rack hydrates the flour and helps the panko form one secure shell.
- Control the oil: Oil below 335 F makes the crust greasy; oil far above 350 F browns the crumbs before the pork is cooked.
- Use a thermometer: Pork chop thickness varies, so internal temperature is more reliable than a fixed frying time.
- Drain on a rack: Air circulation keeps the bottom crust crisp while the pork rests.
How To Serve And Store
Serving: Serve immediately with steamed rice or garlic fried rice, atchara, calamansi halves, and calamansi banana ketchup.
Make Ahead: Marinate the chops up to 2 hours ahead. Bread them no more than 30 minutes before frying and keep them uncovered in the refrigerator.
Refrigerate: Refrigerate cooled leftovers in a shallow airtight container within 2 hours and use within 3 days.
Freeze: Freeze cooked chops in a single layer, then wrap well and store for up to 1 month. The crust will be slightly less crisp after reheating.
Reheat: Reheat on a wire rack in a 375 F oven or air fryer until the crust is crisp and the center is steaming hot. Avoid the microwave when possible.
Safety: Discard the raw pork marinade. Cook whole pork chops to at least 145 F in the thickest part, away from the bone, then rest them for at least 3 minutes.
Common Questions
Can I use boneless pork chops?
Yes. Use chops about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick and begin checking their temperature after about 5 minutes total because boneless pieces may cook faster.
What can replace fresh calamansi?
Use 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice mixed with 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice for the 1/4 cup in the marinade.
Why did my breading fall off?
The pork was likely too wet, the flour layer was too heavy, or the coated chops did not rest before frying. Pat dry, coat lightly, and rest 10 minutes.
Can I air-fry the pork chops?
Yes. Spray both sides generously with oil and air-fry at 390 F, turning once, until golden and the pork reaches 145 F. Timing depends on thickness and the appliance.
Can I bake them instead?
Yes. Arrange on an oiled wire rack, spray the tops with oil, and bake at 425 F until crisp and the pork reaches 145 F, usually 16 to 22 minutes depending on thickness.
