Pork Scallopini with Lemon Caper Sauce

Thinly pounded pork chops, breaded and pan fried then drizzled with a tangy lemon caper sauce. An easy and delicious weeknight meal!

Pork is a great choice for a weeknight! Pork easily adapts to marinades and sauces, and it goes well with all sorts of side dishes.

Pounding the pork thin makes it cook evenly and quickly and breading it gives it a delicious flavorful buttery crust. Frying it up in butter and olive oil creates the base for the most flavorful pan sauce.

Add some capers and lemon and you have an easy and delicious weeknight meal!

What You’ll Need to make Pork Scallopini with Lemon Caper Sauce

• Pork Chops – 6-8 thin, boneless pork chops.

• Milk – 1/2 cup. We use whole milk but skim or 2% milk also will work.

• Egg – 1 large egg, lightly beaten, any color, white or brown.

• Flour – We prefer to use all purpose flour for best results.

• Panko Breadcrumbs – We prefer to use Panko because it is crispier than regular breadcrumbs. You can substitute regular breadcrumbs instead of the Panko.

• Olive Oil – 3 tablespoons. We use 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil for this dish. You can substitute any olive oil, avocado oil, vegetable oil, or canola oil.

• Butter – 6 tablespoons, divided. We use regular salted butter, but you can use unsalted butter.

• Capers – 1 tablespoon, drained. Briny and salty, these add both texture and a bright acidity to the sauce.

• White Wine – 1 cup. You can use any type of white wine. If you want to skip the wine, you can use an equal amount of extra chicken broth instead.

• Chicken Broth – 1/2 cup. You may substitute vegetable or beef broth.

• Lemon – One small lemon. about 1 1/2 tbsp of juice. Lemon juice adds a tangy brightness and acidity to the sauce.

• Salt and Pepper – To taste.

How to Make Pork Scallopini with Lemon Caper Sauce

This is a flavorful breaded and pan fried pork chop dinner, finished with a tangy and delicious lemon caper pan sauce.

The flavors are great together and the entire recipe takes about 30 minutes – perfect as the star of a weeknight meal!

Fold a large piece of plastic wrap in half and one pork chop at a time, cover and pound with a meat mallet until about 1/4 inch thick.

Remove to a plate.

Season the pounded pork chops generously with salt and pepper.

Set out three shallow bowls. Place flour into the first bowl. Mix together the lightly beaten egg and the milk in the second bowl and place the Panko breadcrumbs into the third.

Prepare the pork chops by first dredging each chop in the flour. Shake off the excess and then dip into the egg and milk mixture so that both sides are coated. Finally, push each chop into the Panko so it sticks to both sides. Set aside.

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 4 tablespoons of butter in a cast iron or heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat.

Once butter is melted, add half of the breaded chops.

Cook until crispy and golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.

Remove to paper towel-lined plate and cover with foil.

Repeat the process on the remaining pork chops and set aside.

Add the capers and remaining butter to the skillet. Use a whisk to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom.

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of flour over the butter-caper mixture and whisk until incorporated.

Add the wine and chicken broth to the skillet and bring to a bubble. Simmer, whisking constantly, until the sauce begins to thicken, about 2 minutes.

Remove from the heat and finish the sauce by squeezing in the lemon and adding salt and pepper to taste.

Plate the pork chops and spoon the lemon caper sauce over them just before serving. Enjoy!

Other Weeknight Recipe Favorites

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Weeknight Shrimp Portofino – A light pasta dish featuring shrimp and marinated artichokes, topped with a tasty lemon and garlic butter sauce.

Simple Weeknight Meatloaf – Hearty and satisfying comfort food made with simple spices and pantry ingredients