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!
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 below for more serving recommendations.
What to Serve with Schnitzel
In Germany, Schnitzel is commonly served with any of the following:
- Pommes (French fries); see my Oven Baked French Fries or Baked Potato Wedges.
- Spaetzle and gravy
- German Potato Salad
- Creamy German Cucumber Salad
- Krautsalat
- 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.
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!
This is our “go-to” recipe in our house when we make Schnitzel. Most of my German ancestry is from Swabia, near, around and in Stuttgart. (I have some ancestry from the Ruhr area in Westfalen and from Bayern and Posen as well.) It brings a smile to my face that you shared the recipe for all of these dishes and especially the Schwäbisch potato salad, and this Schnitzel. I do all the cooking in our house, because I love to cook, and my wife does the laundry, because she loves that. I think I got the better end of the deal. She hates standard American potato salad, but loves the Schwäbisch version, and loves this Schnitzel. She especially loves it when I make a Jägerschnitzel out of it. I constantly look for the best ways to cook the food that our family loves, and I am so happy that I have found this perfect recipe! Vielen Dank!
Bitte Schön, Ian! I’m so glad your family enjoyed this and appreciate the feedback. I agree, you definitely got the better end of the deal! :) I hope you come back and are just as happy with the other recipes you try. Guten Appetit! Kind regards, Kimberly
Great recipe~ we loved it!
Hint: I always save a few bread bags to use when pounding meat thin. They work better than plastic wrap and are a lot neater too.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Mary Beth, and thanks for the tip!
Great recipe !
Just found your site. Love the way it is arranged and the content.
In 1970, I was stationed at Katterbach Kaserne outside of Ansbach. While there I fell in love with schnitzel. When I returned to the states I found it impossible to find restaurants that made authentic schnitzel. When I was at an extremely good “authentic” German restaurant in Milwaukee I asked the staff about the lack of authentic schnitzel. Their answer was that American customers would not buy authentic (thin) schnitzel, so the restaurant had to make a very thick version to please their customers. It was not an improvement. With this recipe I look forward to recapturing some pleasant memories of Germany.
Thanks for sharing, Craig. I too have yet to find a good German restaurant in the States. It sure is convenient when you can just make the dishes you love yourself – not only cheaper but they taste better anyway! :)
I tried the schnitzel, it turned out great!!! I did have to change how I cooked it. My wife has a medical condition that prevents her from eating fried foods. My work around this for this is to use an air fryer/ convection oven. I cooked it with the oven set as close to 330 degrees as I could set it for 6 minutes. The piece came out with a very crisp crust and great flavor, but not a good colored crust. The second piece I sprayed with Pam cooking spray after I breaded it and it turned out beautifully. Great recipe.
That’s terrific, Craig, thanks for sharing your technique!
Thank you for this informative tutorial, the Schnitzels turned out great and everyone loved them!
I got so many compliments on this and have already been asked to make it again, thank you for making me a star! :)
Perfection! Thank you so much for this awesome tutorial and I’m looking forward to trying more of your recipes!
Thanks so much, Karen!
Fabulous tutorial and the tips were all spot on. Perfect Schnitzel, thank you!