Hong Kong Pan Fried Pork Chops (港式洋葱猪扒)

Chewy edges, juicy and tender center, with a savory and sweet glaze that is full of aroma, these Hong Kong-style pan-fried pork chops hit all the right notes. It’s a comfort dish that is perfect for your Sunday dinner, and it’s simple enough to make on a weeknight. {Gluten-Free Adaptable}

Ingredients

Hong Kong pan fried pork chops use common pantry ingredients. It’s very likely you already have these ingredients if you cook Cantonese recipes often.

Thin boneless pork chops: If you use bone-in chops, simply remove the bones before cooking.
Shaoxing wine: It’s used in the marinade to add umami and eliminate gamey flavor from the meat.
Light soy sauce: It adds flavor to the marinade and sauce without making the dish darker. If not available, you can use regular soy sauce as well.
Sugar: Sugar balances out the salty flavor, creating a well-rounded sauce.
Baking soda: It tenderizes the meat and keeps it juicy during high-heat cooking.
Chicken stock: Creates a rich pan sauce.
Ketchup: The key ingredient for a rich, savory and sweet sauce.
Cornstarch: It is used in the pork coating to create a crispy chewy texture, and also in the sauce for a glossy mouthfeel.
Red onion: It adds texture to the dish and also makes the sauce vibrant.
Garlic: Fresh aromatics add a ton of flavor to the sauce.
Ginger: Same as the garlic, it adds fragrance to the sauce.
Chinkiang vinegar: We use a splash of vinegar to finish up the cooking, making the dish bright and energetic.

Ingredients for making Hong Kong pan fried pork chops

They keys for tender and flavorful pork chops

Preparation before cooking is crucial.

Use a meat hammer to gently pound the meat to tenderize it. You can see from the picture below that the goal is not to flatten the pork chop into a super thin piece. The goal is to loosen up the chop for a better texture.
This recipe uses a savory sauce and baking soda to impart a great flavor to the meat and further tenderize it.

Prepare the meat so it stays tender during cooking

How to make Hong Kong pan fried pork chops

Coat the pork chops with a thin layer of cornstarch. The cornstarch locks the juice inside of the pork, creating a crispy texture once pan fried.
Pan fry the pork chops in batches to crisp up the surface while the inside is just cooked through.

Quickly cook the aromatics to release fragrance.
Add the sauce, then cook until it thickens.

Add back the cooked pork chops and toss everything together.

That’s it! The pork chops are crunchy on the outside and tender juicy on the inside. The sauce is savory, sweet and a little tangy, full of aroma from the ginger and garlic. The red onion adds a nice crisp texture and a mild sweet flavor. It’s hard to not gobble down a few chops in one sitting!

How to serve Hong Kong pan fried pork chops

I like to serve Hong Kong pan fried pork chops over steamed rice, but you can also serve them with egg fried rice. The egg fried rice is super easy to put together and it elevates your meal immediately. You can also serve the pork chops by themselves as a main dish, with a slice of toast and a small salad for a complete meal. For a Sunday dinner, consider serving the dish as a centerpiece, along with roast potatoes or roasted garlic green beans.

Chinese Cooking Made Easy

Are you new to this website? This free email series is a great place to start. I’ll walk you through a few of my most popular recipes and show you how and why they work. You’ll quickly start to cook better Chinese food in your own kitchen.