Air Fryer Pork Chops Inspired by a Kansas Farm Food Tour

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Air fryer pork chops made with a keto friendly breading. The recipe was inspired by a Kansas Farm Food Tour which included a close-up look at meat processing facility.

Disclaimer: This post and the Farm Food Tour was sponsored by the Kansas Farm Bureau, the Kansas Soybean Commission, and the Kansas Pork Association.

This month, I was one of four bloggers to participate in a Farm Food Tour with stops in Kansas and Missouri. It was a follow-up to the tour I did last fall which showed farm side of where food comes from. On this more recent tour, we got to see some of the engineering that makes farming more efficient. And we visited a facility that processes livestock into packaged meat products.

Elanco Animal Health

As a former engineer, I really enjoyed learning more about the science behind farming. Our first stop on the tour was at Elanco Animal Health in Kansas City, Kansas. There, we learned how hormones are used to produce more meat with less environmental impact. We also discussed the use of antibiotics as well as the use of prebiotic and probiotic use to lessen the amount of microbial needed in livestock.

My biggest takeaway from the visit to Elanco is that the use of growth promoting hormones in cattle is not something to worry about. There’s very little, if any, additional hormone actually present in the meat when growth hormones are used.

Another thing I learned is that a lot of meat labeled as “hormone-free” rarely has hormones added. This labeling is used only for marketing purposes. Because of the short lifespan of poultry and pigs, hormones aren’t typically used because the they need more time to work. So you don’t have to worry about hormones when making my air fryer pork chops!

Bayer Crop Science

The most interesting stop on the tour was the Bayer Crop Science facility located in Chesterfield, Missouri. It gave me a much better appreciation for Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and how this biotechnology has ensured there’s enough food to feed our growing population. Although artificial gene manipulation sounds really scary, it’s something that can happen naturally over time. Science has just figured out a way to force it in order to grow healthier plants that are resisted to certain conditions like invading pests and drought.

We also spent time discussing the efforts Bayer is taking to protect the monarch butterflies by tracking and increasing milkweed in the environment. They actually have a new app called HabiTally to help the effort. Bayer also has a Bee Care Program to help protect bees.

Meat Processing

Our final stop was in Fulton, Missouri to visit Central Missouri Meat & Sausage. It’s a place that processes local beef and pork from live animals to packaged meat. We did step into the kill area, but were told how the animals are killed without witnessing it. The animals are slaughtered humanely using electricity to stun them unconscious so they feel no pain.

The meat is then hung in a large refrigerated area until it is ready for butchering. We did get to see how fast the butchers work to cut the pig carcass into the various meat pieces including ribs, pork chops, and bacon. The packing machine worked even faster to seal every piece into a package to keep it fresh.

So now I have a much better appreciation of how meat makes it from a farm to my kitchen. And without the farmer and processing facility, it would be tough to share pork recipes as I don’t raise my own pigs.

Keto Air Fryer Pork Chops

Looking for a delicious air fryer pork recipe? This recipe is low carb and with a crispy bread-like coating. And there’s no need to use tons of oil like you do with traditional frying.

Have you ever had those Bake n Shake pork chops? These were popular when I was younger, basically it was a simple way to get crispy pork chops without being fried. Everything came in the box. The seasoning and bread crumbs. What was great about the product is that it gave the pork chops a fantastic flavor while giving a great crust.

With this recipe for Air Fryer Pork Chops, you use the air fryer to crisp the outsides, and use pork rinds as the bread crumbs. With a recipe like this, you are going to feel like you are eating whatever you want, but without the carbs to throw your healthy eating plan off course.

What to Serve with Breaded Pork Chops?

If you like to have a traditional meal eating low carb, then you can serve mashed cauliflower on the side. You can also make “fried cauliflower bites”.

Anything that you love and enjoy can be paired with these low carb pork chops. My personal favorite is to serve some cheesy zucchini gratin on the side.

Air Fryer Pork Chops Recipe Variations

If you love these Air Fryer Pork Chops but want to change the flavors of the recipes, you can:

• Change the herbs: If you have a favorite flavor profile, you can certainly use that to flavor these pork chops.
• Flavored Pork Rinds: If you like pork rinds that are different flavors, like ranch or BBQ, these can be used to add an additional layer of flavor to the pork chops.

If you have been looking for a lower fat version of your favorite crispy fried pork chops, then making this air fryer recipe is the way to go.

Other Recipes to Try

Here’s a few of my other low carb recipes that use pork rinds as a keto friendly breading:

• Low Carb Stuffing
• Keto Salmon Patties
• Air Fryer Keto Fried Chicken
• Easy Crab Cakes
• Salmon Loaf

You can even make pork rind tortillas! And if you miss those old Shake and Bake mixes, you’ll want to give my Gluten Free Shake and Bake Chicken recipe a try!

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Air Fryer Pork Chops

Author: Lisa MarcAurele

4.6 from 5 votes

Pork chops cooked in an air fryer made with a keto friendly pork rind breading. The recipe results in a crispy fried coating without the need to use tons of oil.

Recipe Video (Click on Image to Play)

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time17 mins

Total Time27 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

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Servings 4 people

Calories 371

Ingredients

• ▢ 4 bone In pork chops about ¼-inch thick
• ▢ 1 tsp parsley
• ▢ 1 tsp paprika
• ▢ 1 tsp onion powder
• ▢ 1 tsp garlic powder
• ▢ ⅛ tsp all spice
• ▢ 2 cups finely crushed pork rinds Finely Crushed
• ▢ olive oil

Instructions

• In a medium size bowl (needs to be big enough to dip the pork chops iadd pork rinds, parsley, paprika, onion and garlic powders and all spice. Whisk until combined.
• Drizzle each pork chop on both sides with olive oil, ensuring to cover it all as the pork rinds are going to stick to the olive oil.
• Place each pork chop in the pork rind mixture, coating it entirely on both sides.
• Place pork chops in air fryer, ensuring not to over crowd.
• Set air fryer to 400° for 12 minutes. Once done flip the pork chop over and cook for another 5 minutes at 400°.

Notes

Try using different herbs and spices to change the flavor.

You can also try using crushed flavored pork rinds to change the taste.

To cook in the oven, bake at 425°F for 15 minutes and then flip and bake for 6-7 minutes more or until fully cooked.

If using a thicker cut of pork chops, the cook time will need to be adjusted up to about 8 minutes after flipping.

Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart

Nutrition

Calories: 371 | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 130mg | Sodium: 352mg | Potassium: 604mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 285IU | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1.3mg

Additional Info

Net Carbs: 0 g | % Carbs: 0 % | % Protein: 49.4 % | % Fat: 50.6 % | SmartPoints: 9

Values

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    [carbohydrates] => 1
    [protein] => 44
    [fat] => 20
    [saturated_fat] => 7
    [cholesterol] => 130
    [sodium] => 352
    [potassium] => 604
    [fiber] => 1
    [sugar] => 1
    [vitamin_a] => 285
    [calcium] => 36
    [iron] => 1.3
)

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Note on Nutritional Information

Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.

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