Lemon Parmesan Pork Chops {frugal and easy}

I am going to start out by saying I have never been a huge fan of pork chops…. that is until I made this recipe. My Lemon Parmesan Pork Chops are so good that even my pickiest child eats it.

Growing up I had pork chops a lot, and I never looked forward to it. The meat was always so tough and I remember thinking it didn’t have a lot of flavor. When my husband came home with some pork chops after work one day asking me to cook it up for dinner, I was skeptical to say the least. Boy was I surprised what a little Parmesan cheese and panko bread crumbs could achieve.

We were all amazed at how good they were and why in 10 years of marriage we had never made them until now. The meat was very tender, the Parmesan/ panko breading was crunchy and flavorful. My original recipe was good, but the more I made them, the more I experimented with them. Adding lemon zest to the Parmesan mixture and serving with freshly squeezed lemon was the ticket. It really took this pork chop recipe to a whole new level.This recipe is not only simple but frugal too! I will do the cost breakdown to feed a family of 6 below.

Lemon Parmesan Pork Chops

Ingredients:

2 large eggs
1 cup panko bread crumbs
3/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese
zest of 1 lemon
4-6 boneless thin cut pork loin chops
salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 tbs olive oil
lemon wedges for serving (optional)

Method:

Whisk the eggs in a pie plate to blend. Place bread crumbs in another pie plate.  Place the cheese and lemon zest in a third pie plate.  Sprinkle the pork chops generously with salt and pepper. Coat the chops completely with cheese and lemon mixture, patting to adhere. Dip the chops into the eggs, then coat completely with the panko bread crumbs, patting to adhere.

Heat up 3-6 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add pork chops and cook about 6 minutes on each side, or until nice and golden brown and the temperature reaches 150 degrees in the center of the meat.

*Optional-Serve with lemon wedges.  Squeeze lemon juice over top of chops and enjoy!

Price Breakdown

I love how simple this meal is, but even more I love how inexpensive and frugal it is. This lemon Parmesan pork chops recipe feeds a family of 6. Here is the breakdown.

Eggs- $0.23
Panko bread crumbs-$0.74
Lemons-$0.35 cents
Olive oil- $0.70
Grated Parmesan cheese- $1.75
Pork chops-$5.30
Salt and pepper- $0.03

Total price is $9.10. Pretty awesome! It’s not everyday that you can feed that many people a nice dinner for under 10 bucks.

Below is the printable recipe for your convenience

5 from 6 votes

Print

Lemon Parmesan Pork Chops {frugal and easy)

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

12 mins

Total Time

17 mins

 

Lemon Parmesan Pork Chops is quick and delicious! 

Servings: 6 Pork

Calories: 218 kcal

Author: Karrie

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 3/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese
• zest of 1 lemon
• 4-6 boneless thin cut pork loin chops
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 tbs olive oil
• lemon wedges for serving optional

Instructions

1. Whisk the eggs in a pie plate to blend. Place bread crumbs in another pie plate. Place the cheese and lemon zest in a third pie plate. Sprinkle the pork chops generously with salt and pepper. Coat the chops completely with cheese and lemon mixture, patting to adhere. Dip the chops int the eggs, then coat completely with the panko bread crumbs, patting to adhere. Heat up 3-6 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add pork chops and cook about 6 minutes on each side, or until nice and golden brown and the temperature reaches 150 degrees in the center of the meat.
2. *Optional-Serve with lemon wedges. Squeeze lemon juice over top of chops and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Lemon Parmesan Pork Chops {frugal and easy)

Amount Per Serving (1 Pork)

Calories 218 Calories from Fat 149

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 16.6g 26%

Saturated Fat 2.7g 14%

Cholesterol 62mg 21%

Sodium 182mg 8%

Potassium 73mg 2%

Total Carbohydrates 14.1g 5%

Dietary Fiber 1.1g 4%

Sugars 1.5g

Protein 4.6g 9%

Vitamin A 2%

Vitamin C 10%

Calcium 4%

Iron 7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Stick around a little longer. We have plenty more recipes you might like. Go here for more frugal recipes, here for my from scratch recipes and here for my favorite freezer meals.