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!
hi, can you freeze the breaded schnitzel and cook them at a later time?
Hi Lucie, I always recommend frying the Schnitzel immediately rather then let them sit breaded because the coating won’t be as crispy. While I haven’t tried freezing them breaded and uncooked and frying them later, my hunch is it’s going to be the same issue.
Schnitzel was always my favorite meal to order when I lived in Germany in the late 90’s. Thanks to you I was able to relive those fabulous meals. I made this Schnitzel along with your German potato salad when our kids and their spouses came over for Sunday dinner and everyone raved about it.
Oh I’m so glad, Tracy, thank you very much!
Really appreciate the clear and detailed instructions. The schnitzel came out perfect and so delicious!
I’m so glad, Lucie, thank you so much!
I agree with the other comments, this recipe is exactly what I was looking for and produced the same results as the Schnitzel I had when I visited Germany. Nice and crispy coating and tender interior. I made this exactly as it is written and it’s perfect. Thank you!
I’m so glad, Regina, thank you very much!
I come back to this website everytime I want to cook for my German husband. We just had another fantastic meal with this shnitzel recipe, fonplete with our version of red cabbage, spaetzle and hunters gravy. We love your currywurst ketchup and gravy. Your recipes make me look good! 😆 Now when we go to look up new recipes, I first see if they are on your website before checking others. Thank you for the yummy meals and sharing your knowledge so we can pass on some German food experiences to our kids.
What a terrific compliment, Mel, thank you so much! <3 And if there are any recipes in particular you are looking for please let me know so I can add them to my "to do" list :)
We just had a great German meal of schnitzel and German potato salad thanks to your recipes. We thoroughly enjoyed both of them.
I’m so glad, Ron, thank you very much!
this is an oh so skibidi dish, will fanum tax again in ohio, dattebayo
Easy, quick, and delicious! Served it with fries and mayo (yes, German mayo!) and it brought in high praise from around the table!
Wonderful, thank you so much Patty!
My husband and I made this for dinner tonight and the schnitzels turned out perfect. Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and the flavor is just like we’ve had them in Germany. Thank you for giving us a delicious German meal!
Yay, I’m so glad you both enjoyed them, thank you Courtney and Will!
Thank you for posting this recipe! Excited to try it out for dinner sometime. I might use beef tallow instead of oil though…
Fantastic, Steve, I hope you enjoy it and look forward to the feedback! Tallow and lard are both regulars in my kitchen. I have a tutorial on both of them in case you’re interested:
How to Make Beef Tallow: https://www.daringgourmet.com/how-to-make-beef-tallow/
How to Make Lard: https://www.daringgourmet.com/how-to-render-lard-and-why-you-should-use-it/
We’ve had schnitzel in Germany and used to get them at our local German restaurant for years before it sadly closed down. I’m not sure why it took me so long to just buckle down and try to make them myself, but I did and they were PERFECT! Seriously, it took me all these years to to realize how easy they are to make, lol! And they are as good as the best we’ve had. Thank you!
Lol, better late than never, Miriam! I’m so happy you enjoyed the Schnitzel, thank you!
These schnitzels were delicious! So nice and crispy and the meat on the inside was moist and tender. Exactly as I remember them in Germany.
I’m so happy to hear that, Valerie, thank you!
We enjoyed schnitzel perfection for dinner tonight thanks to you! Just like we had them in Wiesbaden. My wife sends her thanks as well.
Oh I’m so glad you both enjoyed the Schnitzel, Dan, thank you to you both! :)
I made these for a German-themed game night this past weekend and everyone raved about them. Thank you for making our meal such a success!
I’m so glad they were a hit, Cathy, thank you!
Greetings from Australia! I was raised here but my parents immigrated from Germany. I grew up eating my Mutti’s wonderful German cooking and Schnitzel was something we always looked forward to. I wanted to recreate the Schnitzel that she made and finally my search for the most authentic recipe is over. Your tips and instructions were spot on and the Schnitzels were every bit as good as those my Mutti made. My family loved these and are already requesting them again. Thank you!
Hi Connie and friendly greetings to Australia! This brought a big smile to face, I’m so thrilled that you and your family enjoyed this recipe, thank you!