German Schnitzel (Schweineschnitzel)
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This traditional German Schnitzel recipe, known as Schweineschnitzel, is just the way you know and love it from your favorite German restaurants! Made the way I learned it from my Mutti and Oma, this tutorial includes all the tips and tricks are included for making the absolute PERFECT Schnitzel!
Being from Germany and as much as I love to cook, it would be unforgivably inexcusable, a total outrage, if I didn’t know how to make Schnitzel! After all, it’s one of the most quintessential German dishes. Practically every tourist to Germany has had Schnitzel and most fall in love with it.
Schnitzel vs. Wienerschnitzel: What’s the Difference?
Many people associate Schnitzel with Wienerschnitzel. However, “Wienerschnitzel” is actually a geographically protected term in Germany and Austria and can only be made with veal. German Schnitzel is prepared the same way as Austrian Wienerschnitzel, but the difference is that German Schnitzel, known as Schweineschnitzel, is made with pork instead of veal. As for where the Schnitzel originally came from…the technique of breading and frying thin cuts of meat is attributed to the Romans from around 1 BC. Another factual tidbit: Austrians will be the first to admit that Wienerschnitzel doesn’t come from Wien (Vienna).
But whether it’s Schweineschnitzel or Wienerschnitzel, when it’s perfectly breaded, perfectly fried, and perfectly crispy, practically everyone loves a good Schnitzel! And now you can make it – perfectly – in your own kitchen!
Variations
The most popular variations of Schnitzel are Jägerschnitzel (“hunter schnitzel”) which is served with mushroom gravy, Zigeunerschnitzel (“gypsy schnitzel”), served with a zesty bell pepper sauce, and Rahmschnitzel (“cream schnitzel”) served with a delicious creamy Rahm Sauce. All three are commonly found in German restaurants and are all positively delicious. If you love Schnitzel you have to try them all!
What to Serve with Schnitzel
In Germany, Schnitzel is most commonly served with any of the following:
- French fries
- Spaetzle and gravy
- German Potato Salad
- Creamy German Cucumber Salad
- A leafy green salad
Additional serving options include mashed or roasted potatoes, Sauerkraut, Rotkohl, and roasted or steamed veggies. And if you want to pair it with some non-German sides you can serve it with classics like Creamy Coleslaw, Macaroni Salad, Classic Potato Salad, Baked Potato Wedges, Baked Beans, or Broccoli Salad.
Whichever sides you serve it with, it is commonly garnished with a slice or two of lemon and a sprig of parsley.
Schnitzel Recipe
Let’s get started!
Throughout the pictured recipe steps below, I’m going to share some tips and tricks with you that are important for achieving perfect results – just like the kind you get at a German restaurant.
Pro Tip 1: Pound the meat very thin, no more than 1/4 inch thick. The reason this is important is because you’ll need to fry it at high heat for a short period of time to get that perfect crispy crust without leaving the middle of the meat raw.
The easiest way to pound the pork is to lay it between two pieces of plastic wrap. Be sure to pound them using the flat side of a meat mallet. Lightly sprinkle each side with salt and pepper. Dip the pork into the flour, coating all sides.
Next dip the pork into the egg mixture, coating all sides.
Then coat the pork with the breadcrumbs.
Pro Tip 2: Don’t press the breadcrumbs into the meat. Just softly coat the pork on both sides and all edges, and then gently shake off any excess.
Pro Tip 3: Fry the Schnitzel immediately. Don’t let them sit in coating or the end result won’t be as crispy. You don’t need a ton of oil, but you need enough so that the Schnitzel can “swim”.
Pro Tip 4: Make sure the oil is hot enough – but not too hot. It should be around 330ºF – test it with a candy thermometer. If it’s too hot, the crust will burn before the meat is done. If it isn’t hot enough, you’ll end up with a soggy coating. When the oil is hot enough it will actually penetrate the coating less and you’ll end up with a crispy “dry” coating instead of an overly oily one. The result will be a beautifully crispy coating with a tender and juicy interior, and that’s exactly what we want.
Remove the Schnitzel from the fry pan and place them briefly on a plate lined with paper towels. Transfer them to serving plates and garnish with slices of lemon and fresh parsley sprigs.
Serve immediately with French fries, Spätzle, or German potato salad and a fresh leafy green salad. See blog post above for more serving recommendations.
Enjoy!
For more authentic German recipes be sure to try my:
- Sauerbraten
- Rouladen
- Schweinshaxe
- Königsberger Klopse
- Currywurst
- Käsespätzle
- Kartoffelpuffer
- Senfbraten
- Jägerschnitzel
- Maultaschen
- German Potato Soup
- Frikadellen
- German Sauerkraut Soup
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Traditional German Schnitzel (Schweineschnitzel)
Ingredients
- 4 boneless pork steaks or chops, (to make Austrian Wienerschnitzel use thin veal cutlets)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour combined with 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 3/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
- Oil for frying (use a neutral-tasting oil with a high smoke point)
Instructions
- Place the pork chops between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound them until just 1/4 inch thick with the flat side of a meat tenderizer. Lightly season both sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Place the flour mixture, egg, and breadcrumbs in 3 separate shallow bowls. Dip the chops in the flour, the egg, and the breadcrumbs, coating both sides and all edges at each stage. Be careful not to press the breadcrumbs into the meat. Gently shake off the excess crumbs. Don't let the schnitzel sit in the coating or they will not be as crispy once fried – fry immediately.Make sure the cooking oil is hot enough at this point (about 330 degrees F) as you don't want the Schnitzel to sit around in the coating before frying. Use enough oil so that the Schnitzels "swim" in it.Fry the Schnitzel for about 2-3 minutes on both sides until a deep golden brown. Transfer briefly to a plate lined with paper towels.
- Serve immediately with slices of fresh lemon and parsley sprigs. Serve with French fries, Spätzle or German potato salad, and a fresh leafy green salad.
Video
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet March 12, 2014
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
Question: can these be
1. Deep fried?
2. After cooking could they be frozen for a future meal?
This is MUCH better when using panko. It’s also great to experiment and add things like different curry powders, ground fennel, ground cumin, etc., to the panko for some extra flavor. Otherwise way too tasteless.
Yes, you can do this with chicken, then it would not be ‘Schnitzel”. In Italy it would be Milanese.
If you make it with panko, you’re not making schnitzel, but rather katsu.
And then it’s not an authentic German Schnitzel.
Will this work with chicken?
Hi Lydia, absolutely!
Such a great entree. What do you suggest for sides?
Hi Duffy, a typical side is noodles (to go with the sauce) – in Swabia that would be in the form of Spätzle and elsewhere egg noodles. Alternatives include French fries or Bratkartoffeln (German cottage potatoes). Also typical is a leafy green salad.
Serving ours with potato and caramelized-onion pierogies tonight, but I also love them cut up after cooked and served on a biscuit for breakfast. Sooooooo good.
I grew up in The South. Never knew this was schnitzel FOR 50 YEARS !!! We just called it “chicken-fried pork steaks”. Beef done the same way are “Country Fried Steak” or “Minute Steak”.
I also like to eat schnitzel on a toasted bun. Would probably be good with sauerkraut on it too, but I am allergic. 😢
My German heritage always has me searching for good German recipes and this site is definitely one of my favorites. Thanks so much for sharing all of your recipes!
Thank you so much, Stephen, I really appreciate that! <3
I don’t know if I qualify to help my granddaughter with this recipe or not because after over five years in stuttgart and loving schnitzel I thought it was made from unborn calf. She is eleven and has chosen this as her school project ln competition. She has heard me talk about it as well as jager schnitzel since we have had custody of her since she was 4 months old. I am 77 and was in Germany in the middle 60s. This looks like the best authentic recipe I can find. Thanks so much.
Interestingly……I also was in Germany in the late 50’s, 1957 and 1958, and learned to eat the delicious schnitzel dishes in the Gasthaus in the town where I lived. The town name was Langendiebach, near Hanau. Also interesting was my married name at that time was Whittington! Small world.
I use Italian bread crumbs and that is tasty too.
Made this a few days ago and it was amazing! Had it for dinner with a classic potato salad (not German, oops!) and I loved it. Very easy for a weeknight dinner and ingredients are very accessible. Saved to my archives! Thanks.
So awesome, Debbie, I’m happy you enjoyed it, thank you!
I’m wondering if pork tenderloin sliced snd pounded would work?
Hi Karen, yes it will. It’s very lean of course so won’t be as moist, but I’ve used tenderloin before when that’s all I had on hand and didn’t want to run to the store.
Hi there – What is the typical cut of pork that you use? Are those boneless center loin chops in the photos that you pound thin? Thank you.
Hi Mike, I personally prefer a lean cut but pork steaks are probably the most common because they have some fat marbling which helps keep the meat more moist. But it’s really a matter of personal preference.
This looks amazing! Is it much different from a breaded pork chop? This is the usual way I make breaded pork chops, chicken cutlet, etc. :)
Kate, Unless you are also pounding your pork chops with a tenderizing hammer, you will find a big difference between schnitzel and pork chops. The schnitzel is much more tender than a typical pork chop. 😊
We just processed our pork that we raised this summer. I have a lovely little cut I kept aside and was looking for something fun to do with it, so I am going to make your Brown Mushroom Gravy to go with it. But just lovely buttered potatoes and fried cabbage as a veg
That’s wonderful, Patricia, please let us know how it goes!
When we travelled to Europe, my husband loved the Schnitzel in Germany. I followed your recipe in full and he raved about it! Loved it! I will be making it again. I also cooked my chicken this way but seasoned it. Fantastic! Thanks for sharing this recipe! 🤗
I’m so glad, Cindy, thank you!
Hello! Thank you for great recipes! I will make schnitzels for dinner this weekend and would like to have it as authentic to a german dish as possible. The thing is that I would like to have some kind of sauce to the schnitzels and potatoes. I live in Sweden and here we use to serve the schnitzels with red wine sauce but since I want it like it is served in Germany I wonder what sauce would you would recommend? Is there some kind of sauce that is more common to schnitzels in the German cuisine? Regards Alexandra
Hi Alexandra, there are a few varieties of Schnitzel in Germany that are served with different sauces. The most popular one is a mushroom gravy and the dish is known as Jägerschnitzel. Here is the recipe link: https://www.daringgourmet.com/authentic-german-jagerschnitzel-hunter-schnitzel-with-mushroom-gravy/ Happy cooking! :)
I have had it in a German restaurant in Chicago with a light lemon sauce and capers, similar to chicken piccata, which was also good.
I tried this schnitzel recipe tonight and my husband loved it. He said I could have pounded the pork a little thinner, so I said next time he can pound it.
Served it with warm German sweet and sour potatoes and red cabbage.
They look so yummy! I am so going to try this
Make perfect Schnitzel!