This is the best recipe for Pork Schnitzel! Made with pork cutlets and a handful of simple ingredients, you’ll be set with a super easy and delicious dinner perfect for any night of the week.
We finally come across to a dish that I probably make the most at my house, since it’s my husband’s favorite. Pork schnitzel or chicken schnitzel is such a classic and if you’ve never had one before, I promise you will love it.
This is an easy recipe that the whole family will enjoy! Crispy breaded pork cutlets, fried to a crisp perfection, you can’t go wrong!
Easy Pork Schnitzel
- Easy To Make
- Simple Ingredient List
- Delicious Comfort Food
Although pork schnitzel is a popular German dish, it is also a dish that was often on our dinner table growing up. This was a common dinner on a weeknight, or sometimes they were perfect for a Sunday night family dinner. This recipe has been a favorite to this day!
Ingredient Notes
- Pork cutlets – You’re going to be pounding your pork out to be nice and thin so it’ll be a lot easier if you start out with some cutlets that are already thin.
- Vegetable oil – You need an oil with a high smoke point to fry the schnitzel. Peanut, safflower, sunflower, or canola oil will work as well.
- Eggs – I used large eggs for this recipe. Since we’re using them to dredge the pork, you can use any size or type that you have handy.
- All-purpose flour – Flour is a must for this recipe. With the egg, it will bind those breadcrumbs to your pork for a nice crispy schnitzel. You can use gluten-free flour if you want.
- Breadcrumbs – Traditionally these are done with regular breadcrumbs which is my favorite, but I have made these with Panko as well, so use what you have on hand.
- Salt and pepper – You can season to your own preference.
How To Make Pork Schnitzel
- Tenderize the pork: Using the flat end of a meat tenderizer, pound the pork working from the center out until the cutlets are 1/4″ thick. Season each pork cutlet with salt and pepper.
- Bread the pork: Prepare 3 shallow dishes. One will have the flour, one will have the eggs (beaten), and the last one will have the breadcrumbs. Season each dish with salt and pepper. Dredge each cutlet through flour on both sides, next through the beaten egg and finally through the breadcrumbs. Place them on a large plate and repeat with remaining cutlets.
- Fry the pork: Fill a large skillet with about 1/2″ of oil over medium-high heat. Fry the cutlets for about 2-3 minutes on each side or until they’re a nice deep golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and repeat with remaining schnitzel. You might have to change the oil halfway through if it gets too dirty.
FAQs & Expert Tips
FAQs
Schnitzel is meat that has been tenderized and pounded to a thin piece, then fried in oil. We usually see schnitzel breaded, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be! I’ve tried some fantastic schnitzel without breading. My recipe here is for a classic pork schnitzel with a super easy breadcrumb coating.
Pretty much anything can be schnitzel-fied. Check out my recipe for Chicken Schnitzel to switch it up! You can also try this with thin tenderized steaks, but keep in mind that beef when it’s that thin can only be cooked well done and may turn out tough as a result. At most German restaurants schnitzel is usually always made from veal, because it’s nice and tender.
My favorite way to serve pork schnitzel is with fresh lemon wedges and mustard! Add a big heap of creamy mashed potatoes, and you’ve got the perfect meal.
Absolutely! You can prepare your schnitzel and freeze them for later meals! Scroll down to “Freezing” section for full instructions.
Tips
- I used pork cutlets because they are boneless and I find they are easier to work with and pound, but pork chops work as well, though I would remove the bones first.
- Work slow and deliberately when tenderizing the pork so you don’t tear holes in the cutlets. Get them nice and thin!
- Test your oil by placing a small piece of bread to make sure it’s hot enough to add your pork. If it’s too cold, it’ll absorb too much oil and become greasy.
- Keep a close eye on your cutlets as they’re frying. Adjust the heat as needed to make sure you get the perfect color.
Leftovers
Store your schnitzel in an airtight container in the fridge, and it will last 3-4 days. To reheat, place it on a baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 10-15 minutes, and turn halfway through. This isn’t a great one to reheat in the microwave because the breading will get soggy.
Freezing
You can also freeze your schnitzel if you’d like! They will store well in either a large freezer bag, or an airtight container. Lay them all flat on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze for an hour before putting them in a container. This will prevent them from sticking and freezing into a lump.
To reheat, bake the frozen pieces at 400°F for 25 minutes, turning halfway through.
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Pork Schnitzel
Equipment
Ingredients
- 10 pork cutlets
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- 1 tsp pepper or to taste
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs or more if needed
- 2 cups breadcrumbs regular or Panko
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Tenderize the pork: Using the flat end of a meat tenderizer, pound the pork working from the center out until the cutlets are ¼" thick. Season each pork cutlet with salt and pepper.
- Bread the pork: Prepare 3 shallow dishes. One will have the flour, one will have the eggs (beaten), and the last one will have the breadcrumbs. Season each dish with salt and pepper. Dredge each cutlet through flour on both sides, next through the beaten egg and finally through the breadcrumbs. Place them on a large plate and repeat with remaining cutlets.
- Fry the pork: Fill a large skillet with about ½" of oil over medium-high heat and heat it until it's 350°F. Fry the cutlets for about 2-3 minutes on each side or until they're a nice deep golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and repeat with remaining schnitzel. You might have to change the oil halfway through if it gets too dirty.
- Serve: Serve with lemon wedges and mustard over mashed potatoes.
Recipe Notes
- I used pork cutlets because they are boneless and I find they are easier to work with and pound, but pork chops work as well, though I would remove the bones first.
- Work slow and deliberately when tenderizing the pork so you don’t tear holes in the cutlets. Get them nice and thin!
- Test your oil by placing a small piece of bread to make sure it’s hot enough to add your pork. If it’s too cold, it’ll absorb too much oil and become greasy.
- Keep a close eye on your cutlets as they’re frying. Adjust the heat as needed to make sure you get the perfect color.
- Leftovers: Store your schnitzel in an airtight container in the fridge, and it will last 3-4 days. To reheat, place it on a baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 10-15 minutes, and turn halfway through. This isn’t a great one to reheat in the microwave because the breading will get soggy.
- Freezing: You can also freeze your schnitzel if you’d like! They will store well in either a large freezer bag, or an airtight container. Lay them all flat on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze for an hour before putting them in a container. This will prevent them from sticking and freezing into a lump.
- Reheating: To reheat, bake the frozen pieces at 400°F for 25 minutes, turning halfway through.
This was very nice, thank you! I cut 3 slices off a pork loin and pounded it – I didn’t use the flat side of the mallet, but didn’t break it! It was much better than the wiener schnitzel we had in Germany (we were the only customers in a bar at noon – it was very dry). I know that was an exception – I lived there as a child and I remember my parents always ordering it, which is why I did when we were there. Glad to finally make it myself, using this recipe.
My pleasure, glad you liked it. 🙂
I just got a new stove with an air fryer mode. Have you ever made schnitzel in an air fryer, and how would you recommend doing it?
You absolutely could make these in the air fryer, not too sure about the time, but I’d say at 400F for about 8 to 10 minutes.
We don’t have a specific air fryer recipe, however I would say to refer to your airfryer manual (all of them can vary so it’s best to make sure) I found this Air Fryer Schnitzel recipe you can check out for more info!
Salut, Jo.
Am realizat ca desi iti folosesc rețetele de-o buna vreme si nu m-am induplecat inca sa-ti multumesc. Nu m-ar banui nimeni de vreun talent culinar, dar dintr-un motiv sau altul ale tale imi ies — in special supa de perisoare si snițele de mai sus. Deci, multumesc, glorie si numai bine!
Cu placere! Ma bucur ca-ti plac retetele mele!
Made this recipe a couple of weeks ago found this meal so yummy that’s it a keeper. Will be making this tonight with mash potatoes and corn
My husband made this recipe it was delicious we love it.
Make extra, you’ll be happy you have leftovers!
Hi, I always love to make the new recipe for my family members. I am So happy to find this recipe! I will try it for sure. Hope so my family members also love it. Thank you so much for sharing this yummy recipe.
I was in the army in Germany I had many as sandwiches served on rye bread with German mustard they was delicious
So happy to find this recipe! I just had pork schnitzel a couple of nights ago at an awesome German restaurant, but it’s always served with a wonderful kraut and the best fried potatoes (cut in chunks and dried with green onions and pieces of bacon..the best!) Can’t wait to try this!!
Das Schnitzel ist kein Deutsches Gericht, sondern ein Österreichisches
Hallo Fiala! Österreichisches schnitzel is traditionally made with veal, and Deutsches schnitzel is traditionally made with pork. Danke schön und guten tag 🙂
ummmm, what?
As always, the history is not that clear when it comes to where specific dishes come from, “Schnitzel” included 🙂 Yes, “Wiener Schnitzel” is a dish type protected by law in Austria today, it has to be made from veal etc…
But, there is something called “cotoletta alla milanese” which one field marshal named “Radecky” had the chance to taste around 1856 in Italy and since he loved it a lot, he sent the recipe to his Caesar in Wien. Cotoletta alla milanese is basically a veal schnitzel with added parmegiano, which the Wiener cooks dropped since they didnt have it and that’s how the Wiener Schnitzel came to be.
And guess what, there is one popular cookbook from 1826, compiled by Magdaléna Dobromila Rettigova and there is a recipe for a fried veal cut, which is basically a schnitzel too.
Other sources say that the process of coating and frying meat was known even way earlier, like middle age.
People used to migrate in Europe for centuries, hence the cooking styles kinda mixed over the years and it’s virtually impossible to say where some dish comes from, with certainty.
I’d say, let’s just enjoy good food and stop worrying about where it was cooked for the first time 🙂
I made this using pork tenderloin for a tenderer piece of meat. For the mashed I added in roasted garlic for more flavour. I also made a gravy with mushrooms. This really elevated the dish.