Air-Fryer Roasted Bone-In Pork Chops

Why This Recipe Works

Aiming to roast bone-in pork chops for two in our air fryer, we first tried using two 8-ounce chops, but rotating and flipping them proved too awkward; they didn't quite fit. Since bone-in chops are often found thick-cut, we switched to a single 1-pound chop, which was sufficient for two people and easier to fit in the basket, and it made for a dramatic presentation. With such a thick chop, however, we needed a way to cook the meat through without the exterior drying out. While 400 degrees promised better browning, the intense heat dried out the sizable cut too quickly. Roasting at a more moderate 350 degrees resulted in an evenly cooked, juicy chop, and—to our pleasant surprise—also gave the chop more color because of the longer roasting time. Cutting two slits in the sides of the chop prevented it from curling during cooking. To contrast with the rich, roasted meat, we created two bold sauces, a peach-mustard sauce (made with frozen peaches) and an herbaceous, smoky chermoula.