Asian Pork Chops: A Quick & Easy Family Recipe - The Woks of Life (2024)

This Quick and Easy Asian Pork Chops recipe has been in the family for years. My great grandmother made up the method and taught it to my mom, who taught Sarah and me how to make it.

Tried and true, Asian Pork Chops are an easy 30-minute meal great for weeknights and lazy meals when you want something packed with flavor without too much effort.

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Note: This Asian Pork Chop recipe was originally published in January 2014. Our older recipes are some of our family’s favorites, so we have updated this recipe with new photos and stories!

Asian Pork Chops: Family Origins

Growing up, my parents both worked full-time jobs with long commutes, and I’m honestly not sure how they pulled it off most of the time.

Come to think of it, I guess Sarah and I were pretty independent kids. Out of practicality and my mother’s no-fuss parenting approach, we started making our school lunches pretty young—as much out of a certain pickiness as budding cooks (getting the right ham to cheese ratio on a brown bag sandwich was important) as it was from my mom’s lack of time.

So when my mom came home after a long day of work and still needed to put a full meal on the table, these Quick and Easy Asian Pork Chops were a regular in her rotation. And not once when these pork chops showed up on the table did anyone complain, because not only were they fast, they were tender and delicious.

Making an Asian Pork Chop Dinner in 30 Minutes

Here are a few tips to pull off a successful 30-minute Asian Pork Chop dinner:

• Center cut, bone-in pork chops are key, as they have the right amount of fat. The fact that they’re on the bone also means they don’t dry out as quickly when cooked.
• As for the marinade, it’s easily made with a pretty average set of Asian pantry items. Just make sure to get the pork chops marinating right away, because they only need 20 minutes, and you can assemble the rest of your dinner in that time!
• While the pork chops are marinating, make your rice and wash your veggies. Then, cook the pork chops on a super hot skillet until they’re cooked through, transfer them to a plate to rest, cook your veggies in the same pan, and bam, dinner is on the table. The veggies soak up all the yummy extra flavor and saves you an extra pan to wash.

So weekday warriors, please enjoy this recipe! I have a feeling Asian Pork Chops will be on the menu for many weekdays to come.

Asian Pork Chops: The Recipe

Combine all the marinade ingredients together in a shallow dish, including 1/4 cupsoy sauce, 1/4 teaspoonwhite pepper, 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, 1/4 teaspoon five spice powder, and 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine.

Marinate the pork chops in this mixture for 20 minutes to an hour. Not too long, or they may become too salty!

Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet or frying pan over high heat.

Sear the pork chops on one side for 1 minute (discard any leftover marinade).

Turn the heat down to medium-high and continue to cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side until cooked through but juicy.

Allow the seared pork chops to rest for a few minutes before cutting them. Set them aside on a plate.

While the pork chops are resting, you can grab any leafy green vegetables of choice and saute them (maybe with a little garlic and extra oil if you need it) in the same pan you cooked the pork chops in.

Season to taste with salt, grab some steamed rice, and voila! Dinner is served!