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    Home » Main Courses

    The BEST Pork Schnitzel You Will Ever Eat

    Published: Jun 30, 2022 · Modified: Mar 30, 2025 by dirndlkitchen · This post may contain affiliate links · 9 Comments

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    This pork Schnitzel recipe is the German meal of my dreams! It's super easy to make, perfectly crispy, and the kind of Schnitzel that is traditionally served in Germany. That's because Schnitzel in Vienna is usually made from veal, while Schnitzel in Germany is usually made from pork. This really is the BEST German Schnitzel I've ever had! Let's chat about why.

    German pork schnitzel on a platter with fries and lemon

    I grew up in Germany and ate SO MANY Schnitzels there. Now that I live in the United States, the Schnitzels I can find at German restaurants in America typically fall short. Even German restaurants in Germany often disappoint because maybe the breading is not perfectly crisp and bubbly or the meat is too thick (I like mine very thin).

    By the way, in Vienna, Schnitzel is traditionally made from veal and called a Wiener Schnitzel. You could easily switch out the meat in this recipe if you're looking for a veal Schnitzel.

    What is schnitzel?

    Schnitzel is a thinly pounded piece of meat (I used boneless pork chops), breaded and pan-fried to golden perfection. Served simply with fresh lemon slices to squeeze over the meat, it is great the way it is!

    In Germany, Schnitzel is usually served with fries (you have to try my Pommesgewürz recipe for a German french fry seasoning).

    Bratkartoffeln (pan-fried potatoes) is another popular side. In Austria, Schnitzel is often served with Spätzle, which are German homemade egg noodles.

    Ingredients

    The list for making German pork schnitzel is short, so make sure you're using great-tasting ingredients to end up with the best possible Schnitzel.

    • Pork chops. I use boneless, animal welfare-verified pork chops for my Schnitzel and trim off any excess fat. If they're thick, I cut them in half lengthwise.
    • Flour. I use all-purpose flour. This is for the first layer of pork breading and helps create that bubbly breading.
    • Eggs. The whole egg. About 1 per person. This is the second layer of breading.
    • Bread crumbs. Just regular old breadcrumbs. No pun intended. I have even chopped old, dry bread in a food processor to make my own before. This is the last layer of breading.
    German pork schnitzel on a plate with fries and lemon
    • Oil for frying. I use avocado oil or canola oil. You can use any high-heat oil you would like. You'll want your Schnitzel swimming in it and will heat to around 330 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius) for the optimal frying temperature.
    • Parsley. For garnish. I grow it in my garden in the summer or have it on the windowsill in the winter.
    • Lemon. Fresh lemon to squeeze over the schnitzel. Optional if you're also making a sauce, but I still like it either way for that refreshing note.

    Tools

    Here are some essential tools for making the perfect German Schnitzel that you may not already have at home.

    • Meat Hammer. To pound those pork chops extra thin. And when I say thin, I mean THIN! Make sure you're using the flat side and not the spiky side of your mallet.
    • Large Frying Pan. And by that, I mean extra-large. I love this one!
    • Tongs. Don't have kitchen tongs yet? Time to get some. I also use them to help me with bread, which is a lot less messy.
    breading schnitzel
    • Frying Thermometer (Optional). Have trouble with burning your Schnitzel? The ideal frying temperature is 330 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius). Because you're frying in a shallow pan, I would recommend using the instant-read thermometer below and periodically checking with it. It's the best!
    • Instant Read Thermometer. Unsure about whether your Schnitzel has reached an internal temp of 145 degrees Fahrenheit (63 degrees Celsius), use an instant-read thermometer. I have used this one for quite a while now and LOVE it. The best one on the market.

    Wiener Schnitzel or Schnitzel Wiener Art?

    I prefer a Schnitzel made from pork as most Germans eat it. You will also find many German restaurants serving Wiener Schnitzel (said to be from Vienna). That is a term designated only for Schnitzel made from veal.

    schnitzel on a platter with fries and lemon slices

    Schnitzel made from pork is called Schnitzel Wiener Art, meaning 'in the Vienna way' or just Schweineschnitzel (pork Schnitzel). A chicken schnitzel is called a Hühnerschnitzel (chicken Schnitzel).

    More Schnitzel Recipes

    Here some more Schnitzel recipes you should try!

    • Jägerschnitzel may be MY FAVORITE of them all. I still bread my Schnitzel for it, then add the creamy mushroom sauce called Jägersosse on top! This simple mushroom sauce is so incredibly creamy and good!
    • Zigeunerschnitzel means gypsy schnitzel in German and is an unbreaded Schnitzel in a bell pepper sauce. It's so good! 
    • I also had to include this Schnitzel sandwich inspired by the one our local Austrian restaurant Grünauer makes! Addictive!
    • Last but not least, Chicken Schnitzel Hawaii is my supper cheesy invention with ham and cheese, and believe me, it's amazing!

    Looking for a wine pairing with Schnitzel? Check out this wine pairings with German food blog post.

    German pork schnitzel on a platter with fries and lemon

    The BEST German Pork Schnitzel Recipe

    Author: Sophie Sadler
    This German Schnitzel recipe (made from pork) is super easy to make and is how Schnitzel is traditionally served in Germany. And it's THE BEST German Schnitzel I've ever had!
    I grew up in Germany and ate SO MANY Schnitzels there. Now that I live in the United States, the Schnitzels I can find at German restaurants in America typically fall short. Even German restaurants in Germany often disappoint because maybe the breading is not perfectly crisp and bubbly or the meat is not pounded thin enough.
    By the way, in Vienna, Schnitzel is traditionally made from veal and called a Wiener Schnitzel. You could easily switch out the meat in this recipe.
    Pour some Jägerschnitzel sauce over the top for my favorite Schnitzel experience EVER.
    4.78 from 9 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 40 minutes mins
    Course Dinner
    Cuisine Austrian, German
    Servings 2 people
    Calories 208 kcal

    Equipment

    • Food Hammer
    • Large Frying Pan
    • Tongs
    • instant-read thermometer
    • Freezer Bag

    Ingredients
     
     

    Schnitzel

    • 2 boneless pork chops
    • 60 grams all-purpose flour
    • 2 eggs whisked and seasoned with salt and pepper
    • 60 grams breadcrumbs I use plain breadcrumbs
    • salt and pepper
    • 2 Tablespoons frying oil I use avocado oil
    • 2 Tablespoon butter I use half butter and half oil when frying the Schnitzel to get that butter flavor without burning the Schnitzel
    • 1 lemon fresh lemon slices for garnish
    • 1 handful parsley for garnish
    Shop Ingredients on Jupiter

    Instructions
     

    • Depending on thickness of your pork chop, you may butterfly or cut in half lengthwise to start with.
      2 boneless pork chops
    • I like to add my pork to a gallon size freezer bag, then pound it with the flat side of a meat hammer. If you don't have a plastic bag, you can use a bottom and top piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Now flatten out the piece of meat until it reaches about quarter inch thickness (I like mine ultra thin). Season meat on both sides with salt and pepper.
      salt and pepper
    • Cover a large frying pan in a ½ inch layer of frying oil and butter (I use half and half) and heat to medium high heat. If using a thermometer, you want your temperature to reach 330℉ or 165℃).
      2 Tablespoons frying oil, 2 Tablespoon butter
    • In the meantime, cover your thinned out meat in flour and shake off any excess flour. I like using a pair of kitchen tongs for this process, making it a lot less messy.
      60 grams all-purpose flour
    • Then cover in egg and let drip off any excess egg.
      2 eggs
    • Lastly, cover in bread crumbs. You can prep the meat by breading it ahead of time and then refrigerating it until ready to fry.
      60 grams breadcrumbs
    • Add meat to your frying pan and cook on both sides until golden crisp. The internal temperature should read at least 145℉ or 63℃).
      Dry off on paper towels and immediately serve garnished with fresh lemon slices and fresh parsley. You can also keep your Schnitzel warm in the oven at 150℉ (65℃) until ready to serve.
      1 lemon, 1 handful parsley
    • Serve with fries, Bratkartoffeln (German pan-fried potatoes) or Spätzle (German egg noodles) and a green salad or cucumber salad.

    Video

    Notes

    Make Wiener Schnitzel instead. You could use veal for a traditional Wiener schnitzel, but I prefer making mine with pork (making this a Schnitzel Wiener Art). Especially after getting a crooked look from a Whole Food employee the last time I requested veal meat and they told me they don't sell it because it's baby cow. Way to make me feel yucky about it.
    Here some more Schnitzel recipes you should try!
    • Zigeunerschnitzel means gypsy schnitzel in German and is an unbreaded Schnitzel in a bell pepper sauce. It's so good! 
    • I also had to include this Schnitzel sandwich inspired by the one our local Austrian restaurant Grünauer makes! Addictive!
    • Last but not least, Chicken Schnitzel Hawaii is my supper cheesy invention with ham and cheese, and believe me, it's amazing!
    Looking for a wine pairing with Schnitzel? Check out this wine pairings with German food blog post.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 208kcalProtein: 29gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 90mgSodium: 64mgPotassium: 500mgVitamin A: 5IUCalcium: 9mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      4.78 from 9 votes (7 ratings without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Amy

      February 20, 2017 at 5:21 pm

      Yum, I love schnitzel! Can't wait to try this recipe!

      Reply
    2. Kristin

      October 20, 2022 at 7:35 am

      5 stars
      We visited a little German town this summer and my kids have been asking me to make Schnitzel ever since. Finally made this last night and everyone was a MAJOR fan. My daughter even ate two. A couple of the cuts I was able to get super thin and those were definite the favorites. Can't wait to try more of your recipes!

      Reply
      • dirndlkitchen

        November 14, 2022 at 10:13 am

        I am so so happy you and your family loved my Schnitzel recipe! It's one of my very favorite recipes and I make it all the time. I am excited for you to try more of my recipes soon!!

        Reply
        • Frederick Freitag

          January 12, 2024 at 3:10 pm

          3 stars
          I must visit the wrong parts of Germany. I have never once seen pork or chicken schnitzel on a menu. Also, every recipe I have ever seen in my German cookbooks uses butter for frying, not avocado or other oils.

          Reply
          • dirndlkitchen

            January 25, 2024 at 2:45 pm

            Pork Schnitzel is 'Schnitzel Wiener Art' and Veal Schnitzel is 'Wiener Schnitzel.' I use a combination of butter and avocado oil (a high heat oil) to bring up the smoke point and ditch the need to buy ghee or clarified butter. Plus I love the taste better. Hope that helps!

            Reply
    3. Mark Beck

      October 28, 2023 at 3:10 am

      Pork Schnitzel
      Yes, Pork, not veal; and quite thin. OMG this speaks to my heart, I can't tell you; it almost hurts.

      Reply
      • Sophie Sadler

        February 11, 2025 at 2:40 pm

        Mark, I am so happy to hear that. I am very proud of my German pork Schnitzel. Thank you so much for your kind comment!

        Reply
    4. Greg

      January 13, 2025 at 7:49 pm

      Your recipes look wonderful. I live in the Cincinnati area of Ohio and as you likely know, There is a strong German influence here. A little over 50 years ago while in the U S Navy, I experienced some German influenced food. I first became acquainted with sauerbraten and could not get enough of it. The best I've had near here was in Newport, Kentucky at the Höfbrauhaus. I have searched for a recipe to make it as authentically traditional as possible. Meanwhile, I will be making your pork schnitzel. I only found your site moments ago but will view it often.

      Reply
      • Sophie Sadler

        February 10, 2025 at 4:28 pm

        Greg, thank you so much for your thoughtful comment. I hope that you love my German pork schnitzel recipe. Let us know how you like it!

        Reply

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    Sophie Sadler dirndl kitchen headshot

    Hallo! I'm Sophie Sadler, cookbook author of 'The German Home Kitchen', coming this September, and German food blogger at dirndl kitchen since 2015. I am so happy you’re here! 🥨

    I moved from Trier, Germany to the U.S. in 2009 and soon terribly missed the flavors of home. Crusty German bread, flaky pastries, afternoon Kaffee & Kuchen, and, of course, Döner Kebab and pretzels! So, I started sharing my love for German food and traditions with fun, easy-to-follow recipes. Stay a while, bookmark some recipes, and let’s cook together!

    🥐 Join Plunderteig 101, which is my German Pastry School!
    🇩🇪 Become a Member to get exclusive recipes & behind-the-scenes content.
    📩 Subscribe to My Free Newsletter to get German food inspiration straight to your inbox!
    📚 Pre-Order My Cookbook The German Home Kitchen (Coming Sept 2025!)

    Mit viel Liebe,
    Sophie 💛

    More about me →

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