Weekdays in my world are a whirlwind. I work on my blog Mondays and Tuesdays, and then Wednesday through Friday I work from 4PM till well into the middle of the night. I bartend (just in case you were wondering). Mondays and Tuesdays I'm usually in my kitchen most of the day developing recipes and working diligently on my blog, so when it comes time for dinner I want something that takes very little effort. These pork chops are my new go-to recipe on nights like that!
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Wait, Why Are We Brining Pork Chops in Pickle Juice?
Oddly enough, this recipe developed from a serious craving for a piece of Chic-fil-A chicken. I toyed with the idea of cutting my May Whole30 short for a piece of that chicken, but I stood my ground. Instead, I googled how to make it and found dozens of Chick-fil-A copycat recipes. To my surprise, they all had one strange ingredient in common. Pickle juice. Yup, Chic-fil-A brines their chicken in pickle juice before breading. Who would have thought?
Unfortunately and also fortunately, all I had defrosted at the time was a package of pork chops -and that's how the idea to brine pork chops in pickle juice and then fry them in the oven was born.
Shake N Bake Anyone?
The finished product is reminiscent of Shake N Bake pork chops. Who remembers that stuff? I'm not exactly sure what ingredients are actually in those bags, but they make pork chops taste delicious. This breading is very similar (minus the gluten and the other 68 ingredients I can't pronounce nor spell).
I must note that the breading used for this recipe definitely packs a punch - it's definitely for those of us that can tolerate a little heat!
How to Make Keto & Paleo Spicy Oven Fried Pork Chops
These chops are super easy to make! I recommend letting the pork chops brine in the pickle juice in a Ziploc bag for at least an hour, but they will be even better if you have the time to let them sit over night!
Once the pickle juice is well-saturated into the chops, it's time to prepare the breading. For the base of the breading, I went with coconut flour because it crisps up nicely in a super hot oven. Simply mix the coconut flour with the remaining dry ingredients in a large bowl and beat the egg in a separate large bowl.
When I first started cooking, the idea of making anything breaded seemed daunting, but the process itself is quite simple. Simply dredge each chop through the beaten egg, then through the breading mixture (coating evenly and shaking off any excess) and then onto a prepared baking sheet and into the oven they go! It's really that simple!
The cooking time will depend on the thickness of the chops. I used ¾ inch thick chops and they came out perfect after being in a 425 degree preheated oven for 20 minutes.
When I say perfect, I really mean perfect. The breading came out crispy and incredibly flavorful and the pork itself was tender and juicy. I couldn't be more pleased with the way these turned out! Have a question, comment or critique? Don't be shy! Drop a line in the comments! I can not wait for you to guys to try these! I know you're going to love them!
PIN NOW! COOK LATER!
📖 Recipe
Spicy Oven "Fried" Pork Chops | Paleo & Keto
Ingredients
- ½ cup pickle juice
- ½ cup coconut flour
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 large egg
- 4 ¾ inch thick boneless pork chops
Instructions
- Brine pork chops in pickle juice in a large Ziploc bag for at least an hour (or overnight) in the fridge.
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove pork chops from bag with pickle juice. Discard pickle juice. Pat pork chops dry with a paper towel.
- Combine coconut flour, paprika, onion powder, oregano, salt, ground white pepper, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, chipotle chili powder and red pepper flakes in a large bowl.
- In a separate large bowl, beat the egg.
- Dredge each pork chop through the beaten egg and then through the breading mixture; coating evenly.
- Place the chops on the baking sheet in an even layer.
- Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the breading is lightly browned and the pork is cooked through.
- Chops are best served immediately.
