The BEST Pork Schnitzel You Will Ever Eat

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. This really is the BEST schnitzel I've ever had - and of course the recipe made it into my cookbook! Let's chat about why.

I grew up in Germany and ate SO MANY schnitzels there. It's a true staple you can find at every single German restaurant.

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 pounded very thinly).

Jump to:

• Top tips for making perfect schnitzel every time
• What is schnitzel?
• How to make it
• Ingredients
• Tools
• Wiener Schnitzel or Schnitzel Wiener Art?
• Authentic Pork Schnitzel

Top tips for making perfect schnitzel every time

Is your schnitzel soggy, too thick, burns easily or not seasoned perfectly? Let's do some troubleshooting!

• Thinly pound your schnitzel to get it extra thin! This is my secret to getting the best schnitzel! It's great for a few reasons: the schnitzel cooks all the way through without burning and it's always perfectly seasoned.
• Season your schnitzel before breading. I don't actually season the breading at all, but instead prefer seasoning the pounded pork before breading it.
• Cook your schnitzel in a mix of oil and butter. I always cook my schnitzel in a mixture of oil and butter to bring up the smoke point of the butter, meaning it otherwise will burn easily. Using only oil is a bit boring, and butter adds the best taste!

You're now perfectly equipped to make the BEST schnitzel next time.

What is schnitzel?

Schnitzel, meaning 'thinly slice' in German, 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!

Schnitzel in Vienna is usually made from veal (called a Wiener Schnitzel or Vienna schnitzel), while schnitzel in Germany is usually made from pork (called a Schnitzel Wiener Art or Vienna-style schnitzel).

You could easily switch out the meat in this recipe if you're looking for a veal Schnitzel.

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

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

Germans also love to serve their schnitzel with sauce, like this creamy mushroom sauce called Jägersoße. Zigeunerschnitzel, which is schnitzel with a smoky paprika sauce is also extremely delicious.

How to make it

Making schnitzel at home is actually easy and a powerful skill to master and actually so easy! Plus, it may have you never ordering it at German restaurants ever again because you can make it better at home! Let's chat about the simple steps or skip ahead to the detailed step-by-step instructions.

1. Pick up thin pork chops from your butcher. If they are thicker than ½ an inch (1 cm), you may want to carefully cut them in half to create 2 thinner pork chops per chop.
2. Trim your pork chops, then place them individually in a gallon-size freezer bag and pound them until they are about ¼ inch to ⅛ of an inch (½ to ¼ cm) thin.
3. Salt and pepper each piece of meat, then dust with flour, cover in beaten eggs, and finally coat in breadcrumbs.
4. In a large skillet, heat butter and oil and cook the schnitzel over medium high heat and cook schnitzel until golden on all sides.
5. Serve with wedges of lemon (I think not optional) and an optional garnish of fresh parsley (the curled leaf parsley is so pretty).
6. Eat immediately or keep warm in the oven at 150 degrees Fahrenheit (65 degrees Celsius) until ready to eat.

Ingredients

The list of ingredients for making German pork schnitzel is short, so make sure you're using great-tasting ingredients to end up with the best possible Schnitzel. For a detailed ingredient list with measurements, skip to the recipe card.

• 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.

• Butter for frying. I like to add extra flavor to my schnitzel by frying it in butter. However frying it only in butter can lead to a burned schnitzel. That's why I mix my butter with oil to bring down the smoke point.
• 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.

• Mallet. 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? Unless you're into breading your fingers, a set of tongs will be your best friend.

• 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! You can also insert a toothpick into the frying butter-oil mixture. If there are bubbles around the toothpick where inserted, the schnitzel is ready to go in!
• 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 made from pork is called Schnitzel Wiener Art, meaning 'Vienna-style' or just Schweineschnitzel (pork schnitzel). A schnitzel made from chicken is called a Hühnerschnitzel.

Not sure which wine goes well with schnitzel? I grew up in Germany's wine country and made some recommendations here.