Filipino Fried Pork Chop Recipe with Tomato and Salted Egg

soy sauce and calamansi with a side of tomatoes, salted eggs, and spicy bagoong alamang. The pork is fried until deep brown, with a salty and slightly sour taste from the marinade. The juicy tomatoes and salted eggs go well with the pork, especially when eaten with warm rice.

My mom used to pack fried pork chop and rice for my school lunch back in the Philippines. Those pork chops had the fat still on, and I liked how they were cut that way. When I lived in the Midwest, most of the pork chops at the store had the fat and skin trimmed off. You can use either cut for this recipe.

The marinade is only soy sauce, calamansi, and ground black pepper. It needs time more than anything else, so give the pork at least 3 hours in the refrigerator and leave it overnight if you can. Mix the tomato and salted egg shortly before frying so everything is ready when the pork chops come out of the pan.

What Is Filipino Fried Pork Chop with Tomato and Salted Egg?

Fried pork chop is everyday food in Filipino homes and carinderias, usually with a big serving of rice. Soy sauce and calamansi are the usual seasoning. You will know the combination if you have made my pork steak, although that one is simmered with onions and this one goes straight into hot oil. You can find grilled and baked versions in my pork chop recipes collection.

Kamatis at itlog na maalat is a familiar side dish for fried and grilled food. My salted eggs and tomato salad uses fish sauce, but here the seasoning is spicy bagoong alamang. The juicy tomato and the salty egg cut the richness of the fried meat.

Why This Filipino Pork Chop Recipe Works

• Soy sauce and calamansi marinade – The soy sauce seasons the pork and the calamansi makes it a little sour. My basic fried pork chop recipe uses a dry rub instead.
• Letting the excess marinade drip off – Too much liquid causes splattering, and the pork browns better without it.
• Medium heat and a short frying time – Start with about 5 minutes on the first side and 4 minutes on the other, then check the internal temperature. The thickness of the chops matters, and pork turns tough when it stays in the pan too long.

Filipino Fried Pork Chop Ingredients

Pork Chops and Marinade

• Pork chops – Get the cut with the fat and skin still on if your store has it. Trimmed pork chops work too.
• Soy sauce – Soy sauce seasons the pork and gives it a darker color as it fries.
• Calamansi – Freshly squeezed calamansi juice gives the pork its slightly sour taste. Take out the seeds.
• Ground black pepper – A quarter teaspoon is mixed into the marinade for a mild peppery taste.
• Cooking oil – For shallow frying. The recipe uses half a cup.

Tomato and Salted Egg Side

• Tomatoes – Medium tomatoes that are ripe but still firm are easier to dice. Removing the seeds is optional and makes the side less watery.
• Salted eggs – These are salted duck eggs, sold as itlog na maalat. Cut each one in half through the shell and scoop out the white and yolk with a spoon.
• Spicy bagoong alamang – Bottled shrimp paste, the spicy kind, which is the one I reach for with green mango or grilled pork. It seasons the tomato and salted egg, so the side does not need salt or fish sauce.

Salted eggs are duck eggs cured in salt and then boiled. Filipino stores usually sell them already cooked, often with red shells. The white is very salty and the yolk is rich and a little oily. Look for them at Filipino and Asian stores.

1. Combine the pork chops, soy sauce, freshly squeezed calamansi juice, and ground black pepper in a bowl. Mix well to coat the pork chops evenly.
2. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.

1. Cut the tomatoes in half and remove the seeds, if desired. Dice the tomatoes and transfer them to a bowl.
2. Cut the salted eggs in half and scoop them out of their shells using a spoon.
3. Add the salted eggs to the tomatoes and break them into smaller pieces.
4. Add the spicy bagoong alamang to the tomato and salted egg mixture. Gently toss until well combined. Set aside.

1. Heat the cooking oil in a frying pan over medium heat until it reaches approximately 350°F.
2. Remove the pork chops from the marinade, allowing the excess liquid to drip off. Carefully place them in the hot oil and fry for approximately 5 minutes on one side.
3. Turn the pork chops over and fry for another 4 minutes.
4. Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the pork chops. Check the thickest part with a meat thermometer and cook until it reaches at least 145°F.

Soy sauce darkens quickly in hot oil, so expect a deep brown color. Turn the heat down a little if the outside is browning before the first 5 minutes are up.

1. Remove the pork chops from the pan and transfer them to a wire rack or plate. Let them rest for 3 minutes before serving.
2. Serve with the tomato and salted egg mixture and warm white rice.

What to Serve with Filipino Fried Pork Chop

• Warm white rice – A cup per person, with the tomato and salted egg spooned beside it.
• Sinangag – Garlic fried rice in place of plain rice. Add a fried egg for a silog-style plate.
• Atchara – Its sweet and sour taste is a good match for fried pork chops.
• Ensaladang talong – Grilled eggplant with tomato and onion in vinegar.
• Banana ketchup – A sweeter condiment for the pork, if you prefer.
• Spicy vinegar – For dipping.

Storage

• Refrigerator: Keep the fried pork chops in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The tomato and salted egg side goes in its own container and is best within a day, because the tomato keeps releasing juice as it sits.
• Freezer: Cooked pork chops can be frozen for up to 2 months. Wrap each one so you can take out only what you need. The side is not for the freezer, so dice fresh tomatoes and make a new batch when you serve the pork again.
• Reheating: Warm the pork chops in a pan over medium-low heat with a teaspoon of oil for a few minutes per side. A 350°F oven or air fryer for 5 to 8 minutes works too. Serve the side cold, straight from the refrigerator.

More Filipino Pork Chop Recipes

• Inihaw na Pork Chop – Marinated in soy sauce, banana ketchup, garlic, and lemon or calamansi for 5 to 8 hours, then grilled and basted with the marinade.
• Filipino BBQ Pork Chop – Grilled pork chops in a soy sauce and ketchup marinade. It goes well with rice, salted eggs, and ensalada.
• Grilled Pinoy Pork Chop – Seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder mixed in oil instead of the usual soy sauce marinade.
• Oven Baked Pork Chop Silog – Pork chops fried for a minute per side and finished in the oven, served with garlic fried rice, fried eggs, and atchara.
• Honey Garlic Pork Chops – Brined, fried until golden, and tossed in a garlic and honey glaze with a splash of apple cider vinegar.
• Deep Fried Seasoned Pork Chop – Seasoned with salt, seasoned salt, garlic powder, and pepper, coated in bread crumbs, and deep fried. It can be served with rice, fries, or coleslaw.

• Calamansi – Lemon or lime juice. About 2 to 3 tablespoons replaces 6 to 8 pieces of calamansi.
• Spicy bagoong alamang – Regular bagoong guisado with a chopped chili pepper mixed in. Fish sauce also works. It is what I use for my salted eggs and tomato salad.
• Salted eggs – Hard-boiled chicken eggs with a pinch of salt when you cannot get salted duck eggs. It will not taste the same as itlog na maalat, but it still goes with the tomato and bagoong.
• Tomatoes – Any ripe tomato is fine. Cherry or grape tomatoes can be quartered and used with the seeds in.
• Soy sauce – Low-sodium soy sauce for a less salty pork chop, using the same amount.
• Pork chops – Sliced pork belly or pork shoulder steaks take the same marinade. Fry them until they also reach 145°F.

Serve the pork chops as soon as they have rested, with the tomato and salted egg on the side. The tomatoes release some juice as they sit with the salted egg and bagoong. Make sure there’s enough warm rice for the pork and all that bagoong-seasoned tomato juice.