The air fryer helped deliver a juicy pork chop with a crispy crust, no oil required

We wanted juicy, perfectly cooked pork chops wrapped in a crispy and deeply flavored crust. But since air fryers don't fry in the same way that a hot pan with oil does, we had trouble achieving a well-browned, crisp crust. Pretoasting the breading in the microwave with a little melted butter helped significantly, but it was when we switched from regular bread crumbs to Japanese panko that we achieved a crust with crunch.

As with our chicken cutlets, we streamlined the dredging process by whisking the egg and flour together, but went a step further, packing a ton of flavor into the egg mixture with a double dose of mustard -- Dijon and dry mustard -- as well as garlic powder and cayenne pepper. However, the crumb topping flaked off when we flipped the chops during cooking. To help it stick, we scored the surface of the chops in a crosshatch pattern, creating additional surface area for the coating to cling to.

We also cut two slits into the fat on the edges of the chops to prevent them from buckling in the hot air. Air frying for 18 minutes gave us the juicy chops we were after, and a squeeze from a lemon wedge added pleasant brightness.

1. Toss panko with melted butter in a bowl until evenly coated. Microwave, stirring frequently, until light golden brown, 1 to 3 minutes; transfer to a shallow dish. Whisk egg, Dijon mustard, flour, dry mustard, garlic powder, salt, and cayenne together in a second shallow dish.

2. Pat chops dry with paper towels. Using a sharp knife, cut two slits, about 2 inches apart, through fat on edges of each chop. Cut 1/16-inch-deep slits, spaced 1/2 inch apart, in a crosshatch pattern on both sides of the chops. Working with one chop at a time, dredge in egg mixture, letting excess drip off, then coat with panko mixture, pressing gently to adhere.

3. Lightly spray base of air-fryer basket with vegetable oil spray. Arrange chops in prepared basket, spaced evenly apart. Place basket in air fryer and set temperature to 400 degrees. Cook until pork registers 140 degrees, 18 to 22 minutes, flipping and rotating chops halfway through cooking. Serve with lemon wedges.

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