How Long It Takes To Cook Boneless Vs. Bone-In Pork Chops

Aside from the thickness of a cut, the most significant variable for how long it takes to cook a pork chop is whether it's a boneless or bone-in cut. The science behind this is straightforward but crucial to understand when enjoying the many different ways to cook a pork chop — whether you're making a Chicago-style pork chop sandwich, garlicky pork chops with roasted sunchokes, or a one-skillet French onion pork chop.

While the primary structural mineral for bones is calcium phosphate, a great conductor of heat, bones are quite porous. The porousness cancels out the conduction of calcium phosphate, switching bones from a heat conductor to a heat insulator. The insulation slows down heat penetration in the meat surrounding the bone, which is why this part is typically the rarest of a whole cut. And that means that bone-in takes longer to cook – often about 20 minutes or so.

However, time differences for cooking boneless and bone-in pork chops also depend on the type of heat used while cooking. Conduction, convection, and radiant heat all respond differently to a bone, and some of these differences are more pronounced than others.

You should cook pork chops, regardless of whether they're bone-in or boneless, to an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit (medium rare) to prevent illness and no more than 160 degrees (well done) to prevent dryness. No matter how the pork is cooked, you should flip the chops halfway through.

When broiling or grilling a pork chop, there is little difference between bone-in or boneless. This is because both methods, to varying degrees, use the same types of heat: conduction through the chop touching a hot grate or cooking sheet, convection through heated air in an oven or closed grill, and radiation from the flames or the broiler.

Essentially, both a grill and a broiler wrap a pork chop in so much heat that a bone becomes much less relevant than when using a pan. Eight minutes on a grill or under a broiler will cook a ¾-inch boneless or bone-in pork chop to medium-rare — cook for 12 minutes to make things well done.

Conduction heat, such as sauteing and pan searing, is much more affected by a bone. A ¾-inch bone-in pork chop takes 10 minutes to reach medium rare over medium heat whereas the same size boneless takes only eight. For those who like their meat more well done, expect a boneless chop to take 12 minutes and a bone-in to take up to 16 minutes.

Baking and air frying bone-in pork chops will take longer than boneless chops. Keep in mind that air fryers and ovens vary quite a bit in consistency compared to a grill, so cooking times may require adjustment.

When baking at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, boneless, 1-inch pork chops require 25 minutes while bone-in cuts require 35 minutes. Keep in mind that these times are affected by the presence of other ingredients like vegetables or sauces, the pan you are using, or whether you're using the fan or not.

When air frying at 380 degrees, boneless, 1-inch pork chops require about fifteen minutes to reach medium rare. Bone-in pork chops require a boost in temperature to 400 Fahrenheit — and to cook between 18 and 20 minutes. While air fryers are, essentially, tiny convection ovens, their drastically reduced cooking space means they heat up and cook items much faster than ovens. If your pork chop is not yet to your liking, continue to cook it in one-minute increments, checking each time, until it's reached your desired doneness.

Regardless of whether you're baking or air frying your pork chops, remember this old cooking adage: "If you're looking, it ain't cooking." Air fryers and ovens lose massive amounts of heat anytime they're opened, so check your pork chops as little as you can throughout their cooking process.