Korean Style Pork Chops. These juicy pork chops are delicious, flavorful, take little cooking time with minimal ingredients. These easy Korean BBQ pork chops are great as a main over a bed of rice with Korean side dishes like kimchi.
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What are Korean Style Pork Chops?
This Korean pork recipe was inspired by the sweet, nutty, and savory flavors from my non-spicy Pork Bulgogi. Find the original recipe here. These thick pork chops are marinated in soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, green and white onion, sesame oil, sesame seeds and black pepper. Then they are fried in a large skillet, cast iron pan, or grill pan. For a bit of heat, add Korean hot pepper paste aka Gochujang to the marinade.
My Korean fried pork chops are succulent, juicy, tender and delicious! These boneless pork chops are marinated in a Korean BBQ sauce. I love making this pork dish because it's so simple, easy and tasty with steamed rice. In addition, I find it also works well for meal prep if you chop up the pork into smaller pieces.
Ingredients
Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.
- Boneless Pork Loin Center Cuts: with a bit of fat running through will make this the best pork chops ever! The fat helps to create moist pork chops. Or substitute with pork belly, pork tenderloin, bone-in pork chops, chicken or tofu for a vegetarian version. If your butcher only has boneless pork tenderloin, ask them to slice it into a thick cut, ½-inch-thick pieces.
- Neutral oil: like vegetable oil, avocado oil or any scentless oil with a high smoke point.
Marinade:
- White onion or red onion: White onion is a common aromatic used in bulgogi sauce to add some sharpness.
- Green onion
- Garlic
- Regular soy sauce: or substitute with low sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce. If you’re gluten-free, substitute with tamari sauce, coconut aminos or a gluten-free soy sauce of your choice.
- Brown sugar: This makes the marinade sweet. Feel free to substitute with 4 tablespoon honey.
- Sesame oil
- Sesame seeds
- Black pepper
- Optional: Gochujang for a little heat. This is a sweet smoky hot pepper paste is made of red chili peppers. You can buy this at most Korean grocers.
Note: Most Asian grocers will carry these ingredients. You may find some at your select grocery store or online, like on Amazon.
Equipment:
- large non-stick pan or cast iron pan or grill pan.
- instant-read thermometer
- mixing bowl
- tongs
How to Make Korean Style Pork Chops
Tenderize Pork Loins
Tenderize your pork loin on both sides using the back of a knife.
Add Marinade Ingredients to Pork
In a large bowl, add pork along with marinade ingredients. Mix well with clean hands or tongs. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
Fry Pork with Marinade
In a large non stick skillet on medium heat, add neutral oil. Once hot, place pork chops along with remaining marinade. Do not overcrowd the pan and fry in two batches, if needed.
Fry until Cooked
Fry on each side for 2-3 minutes until an internal temperature of 140 F on a meat thermometer. Remove pork from pan and transfer to a cutting board. Let the residual heat cook it to 145 F or until juices run clear. Cut into large chunks for serving or serve each thick chop per serving.
Garnish
Garnish with more green onions and enjoy with rice and kimchi!
Storage & Reheating
This dish will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, microwave for 2-3 minutes or reheat on the stovetop in a pan on medium heat until hot.
FAQ
Why are my pork chops are dry?
Pork loins are a VERY tricky meat to cook. The cook time can range depending on your heat setting. I recommend using an instant read thermometer and cooking pork chops until 140 F. Then remove the chops from the hot pan and let them rest for 10 minutes covered in tin foil to keep warm. The residual heat will cook them to a safe temperature for consuming of 145 F.
Other Korean Recipes you may like!
- Jeyuk Bokkeum (Korean Spicy Pork)
- Dak Galbi
- Bulgogi (Korean BBQ Beef)
- Korean Fried Chicken
- Air Fryer Korean Fried Chicken
- Korean Bulgogi Chicken Wings
- Korean Tuna Pancakes (Chamchijeon)
📖 Recipe
Quick & Easy Korean Style Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 1.30 lb Pork loins boneless center cuts
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil
Marinade:
- ⅓ cup White onion or red onion, julienned
- 1 Green onion sliced into 1 inch long pcs
- 3 cloves Garlic
- ⅓ cup Regular soy sauce
- ⅓ cup Brown sugar or honey
- 2 tablespoon Sesame oil toasted
- 1 teaspoon Sesame seeds toasted
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper
For Spicy Version (add the below to the marinade):
- 1 tablespoon Gochujang
Garnish
- 1 Green onion finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon Sesame seeds toasted
Instructions
- If needed, tenderize your pork chops using the back of the knife in a diagonal manner on both sides until about ½-inch thick.
- In a large bowl, add pork loin center cuts along with marinade ingredients. Mix well with clean hands or tongs. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Marinate for at least 20 minutes or overnight.
- In a large non stick skillet on medium heat, add neutral oil. Once hot, place pork chops along with remaining marinade. Do not overcrowd the pan and fry in two batches, if needed.
- Fry on each side for 2-3 minutes until an internal temperature of 140 F on a meat thermometer. Remove pork from pan and transfer to cutting board. Let the residual heat cook it to 145 F or until juices run clear.
- Cut into large chunks for serving or serve one chop per serving.
- Garnish with more green onions and enjoy with rice and kimchi!
B.
Did you use a meat tenderizer or make small slices to tenderize the chops?
christieathome
These pork chops came tenderized so feel free to use the back of your knife to tenderize them in a diagonal fashion.
Matt
I would give this 10 stars if I could marinated it overnight and this is my new way to enjoy pork chops
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making my recipe and for the kind review, Matt! Also, feel free to marinate it the night before or even the day before for a stronger flavour!
Wendy Lamontagne
I made this recipe last night and it was simply delicious! Thanks for the great recipe.
Christie Lai
I am so glad to read this and happy that you found it delicious! Thank you for making my recipe, Wendy! Have a wonderful day!