German Schnitzel (Schweineschnitzel)
This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
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
Save This Recipe
Enter your email address and we’ll send it straight to your inbox!
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!
I unsubscribed months ago but still receiving email.
Hi Laura, I just looked up your email and it is not in my subscriber list so you wouldn’t be getting any emails to the address you provided here. Are you subscribed under a different email? If so, if you open up one of the newsletters you received, at the very bottom right of it you’ll see a button that says “unsubscribe.” Just click it and you’ll no longer receive any emails.
Really nice recipe covering all of the most important steps. One thing I (as a german) would add to this is a little trick I learned from my grandma. While the Schnitzels are frying, use a spoon to drizzle some of the oil on the upper side. This will make the crust a lot more airy and make it stick less to the meat. This also means you won’t need as much oil (for example if you want to cut fat from your diet). Other than that, you explained everything perfectly!
Thank you, Sebastian, and thanks also for that tip!
Love this post and process/recipe. Very informative and interesting as well. I plan to make this over the coming week. Can you offer more a specific recommendation for the cut of pork that works well here? Would the center loin cut into chops and then pounded thin work here? Or is that too lean and to much the “white meat” for this dish? Thank you.
German Schnitzel I had it at German Festival
It was delicious. I know they are fried. Can you bake them.
I’ve been making it this way for years, and I’ve never baked them, but as with any other recipe that calls for bread crumbs surrounding meat in an oven expecting to brown, a spray can of oil or melted butter dripped on the coating does not work! A workaround for this to get that evenly toasted bread crumb flavor you’re looking for from an oil fry is to toast/browned the breadcrumbs before using them. Maybe you can use just a teaspoon of oil or so or less, or none, and lightly toast them in a large Teflon pan stirring constantly until they are slightly fragrant and not burnt. They will continue to brown just a little in the oven but not much. After cooling them off, use them that day in the recipe (I’d rather not store them) and proceed with the recipe as usual, placing the chops in the oven instead of in the oil in a frying pan. I also do this with Panko breadcrumbs Because they never get brown in an oven bake, but when I toast them and flip them constantly with a spatula until their lightly toasted, I am been able to use them in recipes to bake fish etc. where they will be done in 20 minutes but the panko never is. They are so deliciously toasted that way, you can even bake fish and put a 50-50 mix of mayo/Parmesan grated and pack these crumbs on the top toasted and have a delicious meal that way to without having to coat the entire meat/fish.
I haven’t had a schnitzel that good since I lived in Frankfurt!
We have a new favorite in our house.
Fantastic, David, I’m so happy to hear that, thank you!
This is a wonderful recipe. I made this once in the past, from your recipe. I grew up in Bayern, and ended my time in Heidelberg, specifically. Of all the recipes out there, this was the one that actually took me back to my jugend. Making this one again tomorrow for my daughter who is home on vacation. Vielen danke.
I’m very happy to hear that, Chad, thanks so much for taking the time to leave feedback, I appreciate it!
This was fantastic, thank you for posting it! I don’t usually cook fried foods but my boyfriend requested it and since my mom is from Germany, I felt I just HAD to try my hand at it. I admit, I was terrified, it seemed like something I could seriously mess up but your post made it SO easy!
I will definitely make it again.
That’s awesome, Cee Cee, I’m so happy it was a success, thanks for the feedback!
Tried this recipe tonight and it was delicious! Happy to have a yummy German option for dinner! Thanks
Fantastic, Natalie, I’m so glad, thank you!