Sweet Tea-Marinated Pork Chop Sandwich

This recipe features boneless pork chops pounded thin, marinated in sweet tea for tenderness and flavor, then breaded and fried until golden brown and crispy. The fried chops are served on hamburger buns with classic sandwich toppings like lettuce, tomato, and onion.

Print Recipe

Cook Time 35

Total Time 6 35

Course lunch/dinner

Cuisine American

Servings 4 people

Calories 5601.8 kcal

Equipment

1 Meat Mallet
1 Container with Lid For marinating
1 Large Heavy Skillet Or deep fryer
1 Deep-Fry Thermometer
2 Shallow Bowls or Plates For breading station

Ingredients

Main

Four 4-ounce boneless pork chops
4 cups freshly brewed tea sweetened to taste, chilled or at room temperature
Vegetable oil for frying
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons seasoning salt
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 cup milk
4 large hamburger buns
4 tomato slices
4 red onion slices
Leaf lettuce for serving
Desired condiments for serving

Instructions

Working one at a time, put the pork chops between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound with the flat side of a meat mallet to a 1/4 inch thickness. Combine the pork chops and sweet tea in a container, cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
Pour enough oil into a large, heavy skillet to come 1 inch up the sides (or use a deep fryer). Heat the oil over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 325 degrees F.
Meanwhile, combine the flour, pepper, seasoning salt and garlic in a shallow bowl or plate and mix to blend well. Pour the milk into a shallow bowl. Remove the pork chops from the tea; discard the tea. Dip the pork in the milk, then dredge in the seasoned flour to coat thoroughly. Fry until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
Place the pork chops on the heels of the hamburger buns and top each with tomato, onion and lettuce. Cover with the top half of the buns and serve with the desired condiments.

Notes

Ensure the pork chops are pounded to an even 1/4-inch thickness for uniform cooking. Marinating overnight in sweet tea imparts significant flavor and tenderizes the meat; don't skimp on this step. Maintain the oil temperature precisely at 325°F (160°C) – too cool results in greasy pork, too hot burns the coating before the chop is cooked through. Drain fried chops on a wire rack over paper towels for maximum crispness.