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!
Be sure to also try our Jägerschnitzel smothered in mushroom gravy!
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” served with mushroom gravy), Zigeunerschnitzel (“gypsy schnitzel”, served with a zesty bell pepper sauce), and Rahmschnitzel (“cream schnitzel” served with a rich cream sauce). All three are commonly found in German restaurants and are all positively delicious.
What to Serve with Schnitzel
In Germany, Schnitzel is most commonly served with any of the following:
- French fries
- Spätzle and gravy
- German Potato Salad
- A leafy green salad
Additional serving options include mashed or roasted potatoes, Sauerkraut, German Red Cabbage, and roasted or steamed veggies.
Non-German sides that pair well with Schnitzel include:
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.
Expert 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.
Expert 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.
Expert 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”.
Expert 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 our:
- Sauerbraten
- Rouladen
- Spaetzle
- Currywurst
- Käsespätzle
- German Potato Salad
- Kartoffelpuffer
- Senfbraten
- Jägerschnitzel
- Maultaschen
- German Potato Soup
- Frikadellen
- Creamy German Cucumber Salad
- German Sauerkraut Soup
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
Theodore Jackson says
I was stationed in Karlsruhe,Germany when I was in the US Army, and I fell in love with schnitzel, and I’ve been craving schnitzel ever since. I will be following this recipe tonight,and I will let you all know how things turn out.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Theodore! Happy cooking and we look forward to your feedback!
J L Meadowlark says
My German Oma said to use the Italian breadcrumbs for a shortcut if you don’t make your own breadcrumbs. It’s easier and seasoned better.
Cam says
I am using this recipe for a school project about Germany, so thank you.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Cam, good luck and have fun!
Donna says
I’m making this for a group of 10. What are your recommendations on how early we can make this without having people wait for all the schnitzel to be done. Thank you
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Donna, keeping the crust crispy will the challenge, and nothing will be as crispy as straight from the frying pan. Your only option is to just keep the Schnitzel in a warm oven until ready to serve.
Joe says
Hi Kimberly,I lived on Kelly Barracks for three years and got spoiled eating the food there as well. I’m looking forward to trying your recipe. Wish we had a good Doner stand here. The canteen on Panzer Kasarne has a really good snitzel if you are over that way.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks for the recommendation, Joe, I’m familiar with Kelly Barracks and would never pass up any opportunity to try a good Schnitzel! And goodness, you are so right – I haven’t been able to find anything that comes even close to the Turkish Döner joints in Germany. MAN, I miss those!
C Schwarzbauer says
I just made this for my Bavarian husband and his expatriate friends. Everyone went for seconds! I bought a large loin and cut my own filets which I pounded. 1/3 the cost and more delicious. I used canola oil and just made sure the oil was never too hot by checking the crust. If you pound the meat thin enough it cooks quickly. Served with kase spaetzle, green salad and weissbier
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad this was a hit, thank you! Yes, the key is pounding it thinly so that it cooks through the center before the crust starts to burn.
Evelyn Ramirez says
Kimberly,
I was stationed at the military kaserne in Neckarsulm, Germany from 1980-82 and the food right outside of the base was wonderful!! The local people were very kind, happy..just wonderful!! I loved the country, the people, the food and finally, this coming year my husband and I hope to visit Neckarsulm again.
The beautiful countryside outside of the base…we used to walk for hours!
In particular I wanted to ask, we always ordered schwein schnitzel sandwich with pomme frites or the schnitzel platter with an orange colored gravy and the pomp frits. I cannot remember what the name of the gravy was..but it was so good..and there was also a salad. To date, I have not been able to get the recipe for the gravy. Also, we used to get sausage links with pomme frits, oh my goodness they were so good. We live in Ocala, Florida now and there are no German Restaurants here..so I would like for you to recommend a good German cookbook…Thank You so much and I certainly will try your recipe!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Evelyn, what wonderful memories those are. The gravy your describing is most likely called Rahmsoße (cream sauce). It’s orange in color, creamy and wonderfully rich in flavor. The color comes from making a “roux” with butter and flour and letting it caramelize to a golden brown color and often adding a bit of sweet paprika. My recipe for Geschnetzeltes outlines the procedure for making it from scratch and it’s basically a Rahmsosse with mushrooms added. Knorr also makes a packaged Rahmsosse gravy powder mix that’s a quick alternative when you aren’t frying pork in order to get that good base flavor of the pork drippings for the gravy. German cookbooks: Sadly, there just aren’t any cookbooks in English that I would recommend as “terrific.” I was actually contacted by a NY publisher with an offer to publish a German cookbook. I told them I had to delay it for a while until my kids are a little older to study more independently (I homeschool them) but that is something I will be tackling in the future :) They’re almost old enough to where I can get some work done!
Veeks says
Just made it this week with pork and it was perfect. My wife’s spätzle my favorite so this was a great addition. Had German potato salad, spätzle, bratwurst, rot kohl, and a nice German mustard with a good beer to wash it all down. Absolute heaven. I agree that 330 degrees is the right temp. I can’t wait to make this again.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Veeks, thanks so much!
Jacques Francoeur says
Don’t bother I found my answer reading all the comment Thank you again!
Jacques Francoeur says
Can you pound the pork chop in advance and then put salt and pepper and do the flour and eggs and bread crumb when ready.
Thank you look forward to do this
Doug says
In the early 60’s, I lived in the Baden-Soellingen area of Germany and was able to have both Schweiner and Weiner schnitzel at the local gasthauses. They were normally served with homefried potatoes and garden salad and of course beer. Both were very delicious
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Great memories, Doug, thanks for sharing! If I’m thinking of the right one, we used to go to the Canadian base there to load up on salt & vinegar chips :)
lori kidd says
I spent time in Buedingen in 1981…We would go to a local restaurant and get Jagerschnitzel. I loved it! I have made it many times over but did not fried the cutlet ..I bake it and had good results after I breaded it.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Lori! Jägerschnitzel has always been a family favorite. Glad to hear you’ve had success with baking it, thanks for stopping by!
Meagan says
I tried this recipe the other day unfortunately I didn’t have a mallet so my 6 year old gave me some odd looks flatting the meat with a pan lol. Huge hit both my child and husband loved it! My little one even said we ARE making this when his Grandma who grew up in Germany comes to visit this month! Thank you so much for this advice and recipe!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
LOL, Meagan, that’s terrific! So glad it was a hit and hope you have a wonderful visit with Grandma! :)
Diane says
I see this is an old lead but if you have any suggestions as to how to make schnitzel ahead & keep,warm & somewhat crisp I would appreciate it! Doing a large Oktoberfest part & have made schnitzel with mt Mom, Ingeborgs recipe which is identical to yours 9be t have never made in bulk, which I obviously have to do beforehand (I am talking at least 50, maybe more pieces!)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Diane, keeping it crisp is what will be the challenge. If it’s for a large crowd you’re probably going to be making it far enough in advance that the Schnitzel will have to be refrigerated (as opposed to being kept warm in the oven for an hour or two after frying it), which means the coating will become moist and limp from the cold temperature and humidity in the refrigerator. The only thing I can suggest is placing the Schnitzel in the oven under high temp for a few minutes to simultaneously warm it up, dry the coating out a tad and crisp it up a bit. I’d also recommend giving that method a test run with one or two Schnitzels. Good luck and let us know how it goes!
Judy Williams says
Hi Kimberly, SOOOO glad I got attached to your pinterest sight. I have been making Schnitzel pretty much like you do for
many years (both of my parents were of German descent) but it was good to get a lesson on degree of the oil and to know
exactly the correct way. I have often made gravy by removing most of the oil and adding flour, browning it a bit and then
finishing with beef broth. I am excited to be following your recipes as all that I read sounded delicious. Thank you
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Judy, I’m equally glad you found us! :) Welcome! Yes, that’s how I make my gravy as well. And if I’m making a Jägersoße for the Schnitzel I’ll add mushrooms. Looking forward to “seeing” you around!