Pork Schnitzel An Easy German Dish
Pork Schnitzel is a traditional German dish made with thin slices of pork that are lightly fried in a flour, egg, and breadcrumb coating.
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Pork Schnitzel Recipe
Today I get to share one of my favorite pork schnitzel recipes from Germany!
Out of the 28 years Alan served in the Navy, our family was lucky to experience a two year tour in Stuttgart, Germany.
That adventure was one of the best times of our lives! We lived on the economy renting a house in a little town called Möttlingen.
We shopped and ate locally, and quickly became known as “the American family!”
What does schnitzel mean in German?
Schnitzel originated in Austria, which is a thin small piece of meat or cutlet breaded and lightly fried.
Already sounds delicious right?
Pork schnitzel is one of the meals that I ordered nine times out of ten when we went out to eat while in Germany. It’s so darn good!
I’m not sure if the simplicity of the dish that my palate likes or the fact that the schnitzel is fried, which is something I don’t normally order.
My taste buds are happy for the change!
What cut of meat to use for schnitzel
There are a variety of meats that can be used for schnitzel; pork, chicken, beef, veal, lamb, and turkey, but there is a common denominator.
All schnitzel is boneless and thinly sliced or tenderized by pounding to about 1/4 inch thickness.
In my opinion, the best cut of meat for schnitzel is Schweine (pork) -Schnitzel.
Use the following cuts:
- Pork loin chops pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
- Center cut pork, pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
- Thin cut pork chops
Prepare Pork Schnitzel For Cooking
To make, pound the meat to thin slices, season with salt and pepper, and then dipped into flour followed by beaten eggs and bread crumbs or panko.
That’s IT!
It only takes a couple of minutes to fry golden brown so this meal can be on your table in under 30 minutes!
What to serve with a German Schnitzel meal
This is a recipe that both kids and adults love, and you don’t have to travel to get a taste of an authentic German meal!
Make this at home serving it with a crisp green salad, homemade German spätzle or this authentic German potato salad with bacon.
Of course, I wouldn’t forget the beer (bier)!
The Pilsner Urquell is my favorite German specialty beer, which is actually czech as a reader pointed out, but available though out Europe.
It’s light pale lager that is simply delicious!
Can you freeze schnitzel?
Yes, you may freeze the schnitzel either before frying of after cooking and cooling the cutlets.
The following steps are for schnitzel that has been cooked:
- Cool the cooked cutlets, and then place on a baking sheet lined with parchment or freezer paper in a single layer.
- Place baking sheet in the freezer and flash freeze for 20-60 minutes.
- Put the frozen cutlets in vacuum sealed bags.
- You may also layer two slices of schnitzel between freezer paper before vacuum sealing.
How To re-heat frozen schnitzel
- Place frozen schnitzel in the refrigerator and defrost.
- Heat it in the oven (300 degrees) on a cookie sheet, with a layer of foil loosely on top.
- TIP: Don’t wrap it tight, or the schnitzel crust will get soggy
The following steps are for schnitzel that has NOT been fried:
- After coating the meat with flour, egg and bread crumbs Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment or freezer paper.
- Place in the freezer and let the meat harden completely – 2-3 hours.
- Follow the same step for freezing cooked schnitzel, item #3 and #4.
Easy German Pork Schnitzel
Ingredients
- [1 1/2 pounds Pork Loin New York Chops]
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup bread crumbs plain
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 cups canola or vegetable oil
- Lemon slices
Instructions
- Add eggs, flour and bread crumbs to three separate shallow dishes and set aside.
- Add oil to a large skillet and heat oil to 340-350 degrees (I used a candy thermometer to check temperature).
- Pound pork with a flat side of the mallet until the meat is 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle both sides of pork with salt and pepper.
- Lightly dip into flour, then egg and finally the bread crumbs.
- When all pieces are coated fry without crowding the schnitzel. Fry until golden brown. A total of three minutes is all that is required.
- Remove from skillet and place on a baking sheet with a cooling rack placed on top to let any excess oil drip off the schnitzel.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Please note that the nutritional information provided are guidelines and may vary based on the brand of products used. For your specific nutritional goals use My Fitness Pal or Verywell Fit recipe calculators. All content within this site is not intended as medical diagnosis or treatment and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical expertise.
Thank you National Pork Board for sponsoring this post. The opinions expressed are mine alone.
Love this recipe? You also might like to try
Asian inspired Pork Rice Balls recipe, Albondigas Mexican Meatball Soup or my Chicken and Butternut Squash with Coconut Cream Sauce.
Hi,
Having an Octoberfest party and don’t want to be cooking while the guests are having fun without me! Can I make the day before and reheat prior to the party? Suggestions? Thanks
Absolutely! Just warm back up in the oven. I would put the pieces on a baking sheet that has a cooling rack right in the oven so the heat is distributed easily. 400°F for 10 minutes should do it! Have a wonderful party!
Made this last night and my partner and son couldn´t stop raving about it, was easy to make, I prepped the pork an hour before cooking it and let it sit in the fridge, read somewhere that the breadcrumbs sit better after being cooled down for a bit, don´t know if that´s true or not but it gave me time to prep the side dishes in the meantime, will make this again for sure, thank you so much for sharing 🙂
So glad you stopped by and even happier that this schnitzel is a hit!
I have had pork schnitzel this evening , with leek and mayonnaise mashed potatoes, green beans and carrots. It was awesome.
Thanks for the review, Stephen! Your meal sounds delicious!
My family calls them “Wham Chops” only because when my 3 boys were little they couldn’t say Schnitzel and because the meat had to be pounded that is where the wham came into it. To this day they still call them this even though they are now 50 & 47.
That is super cute! Thanks for sharing your memories with me 🙂
This was delicious. Hubs is a gravy man so I made a cream gravy for his pork & our mashies. Since we moved out of State we can no longer frequent our favorite German restaurant in TX. One of their best dishes was the pork schnitzel. Now I can finally make it at home. To save time & cleaning I breaded the chops in the afternoon & put them in the fridge for few hours. Dinner was on he table in 30 min.
Oh, yes! I think the addition of gravy is a fantastic idea. I’m so glad to hear you gave this a try and thank you for the tips!
Did I miss the potato salad recipe?
That sounded great as well!
Thank you
It doesn’t need any kind of sauce or condiment over it?
Hi Marilyn, we always enjoy it has it is, but if I know there is a variation (not breaded) that uses a gravy sauce over it like this one https://www.enjoyyourcooking.com/sauces-dips/jager-sauce-mushroom-hunter-sauce.html
I have made these before except I buy a pork loin and cut it into 1 inch chops and then pound them until they are about 1/4 inch thick. I then do pretty much what this recipe calls for to finish them. If you really don’t want to do all this our local Aldi has a really good pork schnitzel about twice a year in the frozen section. You have to watch for them though because they go really fast.
Pork schnitzel is literally the greatest thing ever! I’ve been wanting to try making it for so long!
Yes, please! Pork Schnitzel is a favorite of mine (I fell in love with it while on a trip to Germany, too!). As much as I love it, I’ve never made it at home, but that’s about to change now that I have this recipe! 🙂
WOW!!! This looks amazing!!! I could dive into this right now!! Time to get my German on!
I love crispy pork! When we lived in Indiana I would eat the fried pork tenderloin all the time! This is so much more elegant!
I have never eaten schnitzel, I think I need to change that pronto!! Looks delicious!
It sounds like time spent in Germany was just wonderful and to come away with a meal like this? Simple, delicious and perfect this looks absolutely amazing!
We have gone out for schnitzel before, but never made it at home. This looks great. Now I can make it at home!
I hope you give schnitzel a try. It’s one of our favorite dishes!
I was in Germany last fall and I was able to try schnitzel there and it’s SO good! Your recipe looks and sounds absolutely delicious and so easy to make!
Can the schnitzel be frozen for later after cooking? If so, how would I thaw and reheat?
Hi Melissa! You can freeze the schnitzel, but be sure to put parchment or wax paper between each piece. Leave in in the refrigerator to thaw (best overnight), and then put on a baking sheet and reheat at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes.
I love German food, being 1/2 German I have had some fantastic German recipes and your recipe looks wonderful!
Oh, I bet your family has made every variety of schnitzel and more! I would love to be at your family reunion!
We love pork. I’m always looking or new ways to prepare it! This snitchzel recipe is perfect!! A great new idea in my kitchen thanks!
You will love this easy and tasty recipe, Diane! Thanks for swinging by 🙂
I guess you can tell by my name what my bloodline is,,, My grandparents re from the motherland as they still call it to this day….At age 13 my grandfather was taken from his home in Austria and forced into the military ( HITLER YOUTH CAMP ) is what he said they called it….
Anyway I am going to make this for him this next week-end served with ICE COLD STINE OF BEER AND his favorite POTATOE DISH… I can’t wait to see thew LOOK in his eyes…. LOL
I love that you are going to make this for your grandfather with all the fixings too! Wonderful 🙂 Cheers to you both!
This recipe is totally calling my name! Such a great comfort food!
It’s sooo good, Sheena 🙂
Schnitzel looks so easy when you do it. I’m going to try it. I’ve got some pork in my freezer that will work great for this. Mashed potatoes and applesauce would make this to die for!!
The flavors in your dish are jumping off the page. Now, if I could only figure of way of making the actual food do the same!
Schnitzel is SO good!! It is like the perfect German comfort food. Your’s looks amazing! 🙂
I love a good schnitzel recipe. I buy the pork tenderized and pounded flat from the market in my city and it is soooo good!! I need to make it soon!
Yes, you should make this soon, Renee! I found that this reheats super well too!
We went to Germany when I was a kid and I ate schnitzel every night. I still adore it. Love this recipe to make at home.
What fun memories for you! This is definitely a kid-friendly recipe. Both my kids liked schnitzel too!
We always enjoy a perfectly cooked schnitzel as this one in my family!
Isn’t it nice that everyone in the family love this dish! So easy to make too!
My husband is German and schnitzel is a favorite of his – I will have to try this recipe for him!
Your husband will be so happy I’m sure! Pour an extra cold beer to go along with it 🙂
I love schnitzel, this looks wonderful, perfect fall comfort food!
Thank you, Joy! Schnitzel is pure comfort food for me too!
My sister and I had a great salad with pork schnitzel, artichoke hearts and sun dried tomatoes. It was served with a bright lemon vinaigrette. It was a nice meal. Thanks for reminding me.
That meal sounds delicious as well, Lydia!
Love this great recipe for schnitzel!
Thank you, Mary Ellen!
I’d assumed that Schnitzel at home would’ve been much more complicated than this, now I’m really excited to try it!
Yay! Glad that you are going to give this recipe a try!