German Pork Schnitzel is a quick and easy meal that is sure to please.
The dish is made by cutting a piece of pork into thin, breaded slices and frying them until they are golden brown.
It is then served with a savory sauce that complements the meat perfectly.
German Pork Schnitzel is a dish that is typically made with veal, but can also be made with pork.
Pork schnitzel is one of the easiest German dishes to make, and it’s always a hit with my family.
You’ll love this German pork schnitzel recipe – so easy to make!
If you’re looking for an easy and delicious pork dish to make, look no further than a yummy schnitzel.
It’s some seriously good comfort food.
This recipe is so simple to follow and only requires a few ingredients, including pork chops, flour, eggs, and bread crumbs.
The end result is a tender and juicy pork chop that’s crispy on the outside.
Serve it with your favorite sides for a hearty and satisfying meal.
What do you serve with pork schnitzel?
What do you eat with schnitzel anyway?
There are so many delicious side dishes to that grow great with schnitzel.
Here are some of my favorite side dishes:
Serve schnitzel with sauerkraut
Naturally, one of the best is to serve schnitzel with sauerkraut.
The tartness from the sauerkraut really works well with the crispiness from the schnitzel.
When you’re making homemade sauerkraut, feel free to make it with your favorite type of cabbage.
You can use red, white, or purple cabbage to make it.
Serve schnitzel with potatoes
And of course, potatoes! Schnitzel is delicious served with fried potato pancakes, or kartoffelpuffer pancakes as they say in German.
This is my favorite way to enjoy the two together.
Naturally, you can’t forget to try some yummy German potato salad.
And if you want to go overboard on yum, even if it’s not quite as authentic, you can try some Bacon Lovers German Potato Salad.
I mean, it’s right there in the name. Ummmm…. bacon!
And you also can’t go wrong with boiled, mashed, or roasted potatoes too!
Serve it with a salad
Serving a green salad alongside a freshly fried schnitzel is a great way to add some healthy greens to your meal.
And if you want to serve an authentic German salad, try some tomatensalat.
Tomatensalat literally means tomato salad.
If you love tomatoes, onions, and herbs with a light vinaigrette, you’re in for a treat.
And of course a yummy cucumber salad is nice and refreshing too!
In German, you call it gurkensalat.
Serving schnitzel with noodles
A traditional dish to serve with German egg noodles, or spaetzle.
Spaetzle is a homemade egg noodle that resembles a dumpling.
It’s not pasta, but it is yummy, delicious, and I like to call them a “stick to the ribs” type of dish.
What sauce do you serve with schnitzel?
Schnitzel is delicious enough on its own, but if you want to kick it up a notch or two, why not serve it with a sauce or gravy?
There are some different types of schnitzel sauces and gravies that go great.
Mushroom gravy
A delicious brown gravy, mushroom gravy is the perfect accompaniament. It’s my favorite, in fact.
And the great thing is that mushroom gravy is really versatile too.
For instance, if you’re serving schnitzel with mashed potatoes, I’d be remiss if I didn’t suggest adding a pour of the gravy on the potatoes. Yum!
I really like this mushroom gravy recipe, but feel free to experiment with others too!
Additionally, if you enjoy a red wine and mushroom sauce, that’s an absolutely delicious choice too!
Creamy Dill Sauce
A creamy dill sauce with a touch of acid, like from lemon, is a great sauce for schnitzel.
This creamy sauce is refreshing, and it goes so well with the pork and other sides.
I really like this recipe for creamy dill sauce. It’s versatile, and you can serve it with other dishes too!
Ingredients
- 2 cups bread crumbs
- 1 cup flour
- 2 eggs
- 5 pork chops; no bone thinly cut
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- vegetable oil for frying
Kitchen tools
You will need these kitchen tools to make pork schnitzel at home:
- 3 bowls
- Whisk
- Kitchen Mallet
- Cutting Board
- Plates
- Cast Iron Skillet, or other frying pan
- Spatula
A cast iron skillet really makes cooking this dish nice and easy.
The oil comes to a nice, even temperature.
I use this cast iron skillet from Le Creuset as I really like how the ceramic coating on the outside seems to protect the skillet (and they are just so pretty!).
Using a cast iron skillet really makes learning how to cook pork schnitzel in a frying pan easy.
But the traditional skillets from Lodge cook beautifully too!
This recipe is great for seasoning a skillet if your skillet is relatively new or if it requires re-seasoning.
But it’s important to note that you’ll get a great result with other types of frying pans too. The cast iron is just my preference.
Schnitzel variations
Schnitzel is a German dish that is made from meat that has been pounded thin and then fried.
There are many different types of Schnitzel, but the most common are pork, veal, chicken, and beef.
Each type of Schnitzel has its own unique flavor and texture.
Schweineschnitzel (pork schnitzel)
Pork Schnitzel is the most popular type of Schnitzel.
It has a crispy outer crust and a juicy interior.
It’s incredibly popular in Bavaria
Wiener Schnitzel (veal schnitzel)
So there’s more to wiener schnitzel than what the popular corndog restaurant would have you believe.
It’s very popular in Austria.
In fact, wiener schnitzel translates to “Viennese cutlet” in German and is a very traditional dish.
It has a delicate flavor and a slightly chewy texture.
Hanchen Schnitzel (chicken schnitzel)
Chicken Schnitzel is lighter than pork or veal Schnitzel, and it is perfect for those who don’t want a heavy meal.
You make chicken schnitzel with boneless chicken breasts.
Beef Schnitzel
Beef can also be used to make schnitzel, and this variation is often called “Bier schnitzel.”
Beef Schnitzel is the heartiest of the four types of schnitzel, and it is perfect for those who are looking for a filling meal.
If you’re familiar with chicken fried steak, it’s a similar dish and is delicious served with mushroom gravy.
Schnitzel FAQs
These are some of the most commonly asked questions about how to make our pork schnitzel recipe.
What part of the pig is used for pork schnitzel?
Typically, one uses a boneless pork chop.
I prefer to use a center-cut pork chop.
But the important thing is that when making schnitzel, you always want to use a cut of meat that is boneless.
Then it will be sliced thin and pounded even thinner.
Do you season the flour or the breadcrumbs?
There’s no reason why you can’t season both the flour and the breadcrumbs.
What can you substitute for breadcrumbs?
If you don’t have breadcrumbs on hand, you can use a substitution.
Depending on your dietary needs, you can crunch up everything from crackers to croutons.
Here are some ideas:
- Finely chopped almonds
- Dried onion soup mix
- Potato chips or tortilla chips
- Crumbled Saltine or Ritz crackers
- Crunched up cereal like Cornflakes or plain Cheerios
- Your favorite stuffing mix – you may not need to use as much seasoning with stuffing mix.
Do I dip the schnitzel in the egg or flour first?
In our recipe, we dip it into the egg, then the flour, and then the breadcrumbs.
There are others who prefer to dip it in the flour first, and then the egg.
You can always try it both ways and see which way you prefer.
What’s the best oil to use to fry schnitzel?
We use vegetable oil.
There are two things to think about when choosing your oil.
- Smoke point
- Taste
You want the oil you’re using to have a high smoke point.
Vegetable oil has a smoke point above 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and that’s ideal.
But if you don’t have vegetable oil on hand, use whatever oil you have with a smoke point above 350 degrees.
When it comes to taste, you want to use an oil that doesn’t add any flavor to the meat.
I like to avoid using olive oil, for instance, in this recipe because there’s too much flavor from the oil in the final result.
How hot should the oil be to fry schnitzel?
You want the oil to be hot, around 350 is ideal.
The important thing is that you want the oil hot enough but not so hot that it’s splattering everywhere and could burn you.
How do you cook schnitzel without burning it?
I find that this is where the cast iron skillet comes in handy.
You get a nice, even distribution of heat and that helps to keep it from burning.
If you’re not using cast iron, I recommend watching it really carefully.
Since the schnitzel is sliced and pounded thing, it won’t take long for each side to cook. It only needs a few minutes on each side.
When I’m cooking schnitzel, I don’t leave it unattended so I can watch for when to turn it.
How long does it take to fry schnitzel?
It’s really quick since the meat is so thin.
You only need a few minutes per side depending on how thin you sliced the pork chops and pounded them. If they are on the thicker side, you’ll need a bit longer.
Depending on how many servings you’re cooking at once, you can easily get a fresh batch of schnitzel on the table in about 20 minutes from start to finish.
How do you store pork schnitzel?
If you made enough to have leftovers, put the schnitzel in an airtight container. and then refrigerate it.
Schnitzel should keep for 3 or 4 days in the fridge.
When it’s time to serve it again – do not reheat it in the microwave unless you enjoy soggy, breaded meat. Ick!
What you want to do is heat it back up in the oven on a baking sheet for about 10 to 15 minutes at 400 degrees. Give it a flip when you hit the halfway point.
Here’s an extra tip – before you reheat it, treat it like you do a lot of meats and let it come to room temperature before putting it in the oven.
You can also reheat it in a skillet or even an air fryer!
Directions
Cook’s notes: These instructions work for how to prepare most types of schnitzel. Feel free to experiment making schnitzel with chicken, veal, and beef too!
Let’s get started.
Set out three bowls.
In the first bowl, place flour and mix in salt and pepper.
In the second bowl,whisk together two eggs.
For the third bowl, add the bread crumbs.
On a cutting board, use a kitchen mallet beat both sides of each pork chop.
The pork chops should look nice and thin after using the mallet.
Dip the pork into flour, and shake off the excess.
Then dip it into the egg followed by the bread crumbs.
Making sure to cover each chop well. Place on a plate.
Heat oil to a medium low heat (setting 4 on the dial) in a cast iron skillet is best.
Once the oil has come to temperature (about 350 degrees F) place two pork schnitzels into the pan.
Fry for a few minutes on each side.
Once the cutlets turn golden brown, flip them.
Once it is golden on both sides remove to a plate.
Notes:
If your making a large batch of these keep the schnitzel warm by placing them in a casserole dish in the oven.
Set the oven to the lowest temperature it will go to keep warm.
This also helps dry up a bit of excess oil.
In conclusion, pork schnitzel is a delicious and easy German dish to make.
It is perfect for a quick weeknight meal or for entertaining guests.
All you need is some pork chops, breadcrumbs, flour, eggs, and a little bit of oil.
So next time you are in the mood for some good old-fashioned comfort food, give pork schnitzel a try!
More delicious pork recipes to try:
Pork Chops with Rosemary and Pecan Crust
More mouthwatering pork chop recie
German recipes for Oktoberfest
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Easy German Pork Schnitzel
Equipment
- 3 Bowls
- Whisk
- Kitchen Mallet
- Plates
- Cast Iron Skillet
- Spatula
Ingredients
- 2 cups Bread Crumbs
- 1 cup Flour
- 2 Eggs
- 5 Boneless Pork Chops thinly cut
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Pepper
- Vegetable Oil For Frying
Instructions
- Set out three bowls. Put flour, salt, and pepper in the first bowl. Mix well. Whisk together two eggs in the second bowl. Place bread crumbs in the third bowl.1 cup Flour, 2 Eggs, 1 teaspoon Salt, 1 teaspoon Pepper, 2 cups Bread Crumbs
- Using a kitchen mallet, pound both sides of each pork chop.5 Boneless Pork Chops
- Dip the pork into flour, followed by the whisked egg, and last, dip chop into bread crumbs, making sure to cover each chop well. Place chops on a plate.
- Heat oil to a medium-low heat in a cast iron skillet, if possible. (If using an electric skillet, turn the dial to 4.)Vegetable Oil
- Once the oil is hot, place two pork schnitzels into the pan. Fry for a few minutes, flipping occasionally – until each steak is golden brown on both sides. Once golden brown and cooked through, remove to a plate.
Notes
If you’re making a large batch of Pork Schnitzels, keep them warm by placing them in a casserole dish in the oven on the lowest temperature. This will not only keep them warm, it will also help dry up a bit of the excess oil.
We like to serve schnitzel with sauerkraut and potatoes.
Nutrition
Hi, I’m Jennifer. I love to cook and entertain. I have a lot of fun sharing traditional food and drink recipes as well as putting a new spin on the classics. I strive to provide easy to make recipes that are perfect for the home cook, bartender and entertainer.