Pan fried pork tenderloin cutlets are crispy on the outside and so tender and juicy you can cut them with a fork. Pan fried in a flavorful garlic-infused oil and breaded with Ritz cracker crumbs and parmesan, creates the crispiest exterior. Cooking them quickly leaves them tender and juicy. Pound the cutlets for quick cooking so they’re ready in a flash.
Crispy Breaded Pork Cutlets for Dinner
Pork tenderloin cutlets are the kind of weeknight dinner that trick you into thinking you’ve put in way more effort than you have. Buttery Ritz crumbs and parmesan give them that loud, satisfying crunch, and because they cook in minutes, the inside stays tender enough to cut with a fork.
No long prep. No complicated steps. Just quick, crispy, and ridiculously good.
I used to think pork was boring. Dry. Something you served with a sauce to make it tolerable. But living in North Carolina, pork is everywhere, on breakfast biscuits, roasted and grilled at backyard cookouts.
My grocery runs specials on pork tenderloin all the time, so I started keeping a couple in the freezer to have on hand to make more simple pork tenderloin meals. That’s when I learned the one rule that changes everything: pull it from the heat at 135°F, let it rest, and it finishes perfectly at 145°F. Not chewy. Not tough. Just juicy.
The cutlet idea came from a batch of pork medallions I was making but I was out of panko, so I grabbed a sleeve of Ritz crackers, and crushed them into fine crumbs. One bite and I knew buttery crumbs would be a winner. They brown beautifully, taste rich, and make pork feel special without much effort. And the best part? This isn’t an all-day project. Bread them, let them rest, pan fry for a few minutes, and you’re done.
They’re also flexible. Serve them with something fresh, like my cold green bean and potato salad with honey vinaigrette, where the honey vinaigrette cuts through the richness, or tuck one inside a buttermilk biscuit for breakfast (trust me, pork sandwiches in the morning are a thing here).
I have since tried them with panko and they are wonderful both ways, so use what you have in your pantry and top them with some homemade white country gravy.
Ingredient Notes
The coating is crisp but not greasy, and since you probably have the ingredients already, pork tenderloin, Ritz crackers, parmesan, there’s no scrambling for last-minute grocery runs. The rest is in the recipe card.
Featured reader review
“I made this last night and it is delicious! I made it about a month ago also but forgot to rate it. I do not fry food typically but this is amazing. Both times I fried it in a cast iron skillet with olive oil. I find the cutlets at a market near by already sliced and tenderized. My boyfriend LOVES this meal! I will try to remember to take a picture next time. Thanks!”
Jamie
How To Make the Crispiest Pork Cutlets with Ritz Cracker Breading
Step 1: Prepare the pork.
Step 2: Coat the medallions
Step 3: Prepare the skillet.
Add about ¼ inch of cooking oil to a large skillet. Add the smashed garlic and heat over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. The garlic will start to brown. Use a slotted spoon or small strainer to remove the garlic from the oil.
Step 4: Pan fry.
Add a single layer of pork cutlets to the hot oil. Make sure there’s a bit of room between them. Cook for about 2 minutes then flip and cook for another 2 minutes on the other side. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. When it reads 135°F, remove the pork from the pan and set on a clean plate.
Loosely tent the pork with aluminum foil. It will continue to cook on the plate and rise to 145°F (the safe temperature for pork). Repeat with any remaining pork cutlets.
If you loved this recipe, give it a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating! Also, snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #butterandbaggage and tagging me @butterandbaggage.
Fork-Tender Pan Fried Pork Cutlets with Ritz Crackers
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ lb pork tenderloin
- Vegetable oil or olive oil, for frying, about ½ cup
- Salt and pepper
- 3 cloves garlic smashed
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 ½ cups Ritz crackers crushed
- 1 cup parmesan cheese finely grated
Instructions
- Cut the pork tenderloin into ¾ inch slices. Pound to ¼ inch thickness and season both sides with salt and black pepper.
- Combine the cracker crumbs and cheese and place in a shallow dish or pie plate.
- Whisk eggs and add them to a shallow bowl or pie plate.
- Coat the slices of pork in the egg mixture and then coat both sides in the cracker crumbs. Place on a wire rack and let sit for 10 minutes.
- Add the oil to a large skillet until it’s about ¼ inch deep. Add the smashed garlic and heat over medium-high heat for about 2-3 minutes until the garlic starts to brown. Remove it from the oil.
- Add a single layer of pork cutlets to the hot oil and cook about 2 minutes per side or until golden brown and a meat thermometer reads 135º. Remove to a plate and loosely cover with foil while you cook the remaining cutlets.
Barbara’s Tips + Notes
- Don’t skip letting the pork chops rest after you bread them. This will help the coating stick really well to the pork so it doesn’t flake off in the hot oil.
- If you don’t have Ritz crackers, you can use saltines or panko bread crumbs, but the flavor of the Ritz crackers is my favorite!
- Pounding the pork chops is critical. Don’t skip this step. If you don’t have a meat mallet, use a rolling pin or wine bottle.
- The garlic can burn quickly, so watch it closely and remove it when it starts to look brown. If the garlic does burn, it’s best to dump out the oil and begin again.
- Don’t overcrowd the skillet. It’s better to cook in batches.
Nutrition
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Jamie says
I made this last night and it is delicious! I made it about a month ago also but forgot to rate it. I do not fry food typically but this is amazing. Both times I fried it in a cast iron skillet with olive oil. I find the cutlets at a market near by already sliced and tenderized. My boyfriend LOVES this meal! I will try to remember to take a picture next time. Thanks!
Barbara Curry says
Jamie, thanks so much for coming back to give a rating. I would love to see a photo!