Pork Schnitzel Recipe

This classic Pork Schnitzel recipe is coated in breadcrumbs and pan-fried until golden brown and served with lemon for the perfect weeknight meal. You will love how easy this dish is to make.

There is nothing better than tender, juicy, delicious, cooked pork, and the best part is that it’s still decently affordable. If you feel the same way, please try my Southern Fried Pork Chops or Breaded Pork Chops.

Schnitzel

Schnitzel is a German word meaning cutlet. While it originated in Austria, it is also wildly popular in Germany and surrounding countries. It is commonly referred to as a thin piece of meat that is coated using a standard breading procedure and fried until golden brown. It can refer to any piece of meat if it’s thinly cut or pounded, breaded, and fried. This recipe uses pork while a classic wiener schnitzel uses veal.

This is a very simple to prepare classic German recipe that is like the style of Italian Milanese. It can have some variation with the ingredients used while breading it. Schnitzel can be served with a myriad of things such as a cucumber salad, spaetzle, a side of red cabbage, or with a creamy mushroom sauce, making it the classic JägerSchnitzel.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Pork – You will need boneless pork chops or steaks.
• Eggs – Large eggs that are chilled or room temperature is what you need for this schnitzel.
• Flour – All-purpose flour works great. You can also use bread flour if that’s all you have.
• Breadcrumbs – Plain breadcrumbs work best. Panko also works, but it does change the recipe to make it less traditional.
• Nutmeg – This is optional, but a little fresh nutmeg adds some nice flavors to the breading.
• Lemon – Some citrus will help brighten up the dish.
• Cream – I used heavy whipping cream in the breading procedures. However, you can substitute with half and half, whole, 1%, 2%, or skim milk.
• Fat – Traditionally, ghee or clarified butter is used. I used a combination of oil and ghee. However, you can use all oil and replace half the amount of ghee with unsalted butter.

How to Make Pork Schnitzel

Place the pork between two pieces of plastic wrap and gently pound it using a mallet or saucepot until it is ¼” thick.

In a shallow, wide bowl, mix the flour with the salt and pepper.

Using a separate shallow wide bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, nutmeg, lemon zest, salt, and pepper until combined.

In another shallow, wide bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs with the salt and pepper.

Dredge 1 pounded-out pork chop or steak in the flour, ensuring it is completely covered.

Remove any excess flour and then add it to the egg wash bowl, and move it around until it is coated in the mixture.

Shake off any excess egg wash and place it next to the breadcrumbs, and going back to your other hand, shake the pan to cover the pork completely while pressing the crumbs in to coat it.

Place it on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and repeat the process until all the pork is breaded.

Heat the oil and ghee over medium to low heat in a large non-stick frying pan until it reaches 350°.

Add 1 to 2 breaded pork cutlets to the hot oil. Make sure they are not overlapping and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until browned.

Flip the pork over and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. You can baste the pork with the hot oil once you’ve flipped it to help further brown it.

Remove the pork and set it on a rack over a sheet tray to drain any excess oil.

Repeat the process until all the pork has been cooked and then serve with lemon wedges and optional minced parsley. Try serving it with a creamy mushroom sauce to make it JägerSchnitzel and with a side of classic German Red Cabbage.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead – This is meant to be eaten as soon as it’s done cooking. However, you can keep them warm on a rack over a sheet tray in the oven at low temperatures (180° to 200°) for up to 30 minutes before serving.

How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can freeze the pork covered for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating. Freezing the schnitzel may cause some of the breading to come off.

How to Reheat: Add the pork schnitzel to a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and cook it in the oven at 375° for 10 to 12 minutes or until hot. 

Chef Notes + Tips

• You can also purchase bone-in pork chops or steaks, but ensure it’s removed before pounding.
• Try serving it with a simple pomodoro sauce to turn this schnitzel into Zigeunerschnitzel.
• I think pork steaks offer more flavor in this recipe. However, if you can get pork chops that are closer to the shoulder blade, they will have more flavor than regular center-cut chops.
• After pounding it out, the pork should be no thicker than ½” thick.
• I like to use cake or pie tins for the breading steps.
• The combination of flour, egg wash, and breadcrumbs is known as the “standard breading procedure.”
• You will have up to 30 minutes to fry the schnitzel once they’ve been breaded.
• Any material pan will work for this.
• Remember, the pork is thin, and it will cook much quicker than you think. If you cook too long, you can burn the breadcrumbs and overcook the pork. 
• I roughly added 2 teaspoons of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper to each breading stage.

More Pork Recipes

• Glazed Pork Chops
• Roast Pork Loin
• 321 Ribs
• Pork Milanese
• Grilled Pork Chops

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Pork Schnitzel Recipe

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5 from 14 votes

This Pork Schnitzel recipe is coated in breadcrumbs and pan-fried until golden brown and served with lemon for the perfect weeknight meal.

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

• 4 4-6 ounce boneless pork chops or steaks
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs
• 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• zest of ½ lemon
• 2 cups breadcrumbs
• oil and ghee for frying
• coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Instructions

• Place a pork chop or steak in between two pieces of plastic wrap or in a plastic bag and gently pound it using a mallet or saucepot until it is ¼” thick. Repeat until all the pork has been pounded out.
• In a shallow, wide bowl, mix the flour with the salt and pepper and set it aside.
• Using a separate shallow wide bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, nutmeg, lemon zest, salt, and pepper until combined and set aside.
• In another shallow, wide bowl, mix the breadcrumbs with the salt and pepper and set it aside.
• Using your left hand, dredge 1 pounded-out pork chop or steak in the flour, ensuring it is completely covered.
• Remove any excess flour and then add it to the egg wash bowl, and using your other hand, move it around until it is coated in the mixture.
• Shake off any excess egg wash and place it next to the breadcrumbs, and going back to your other hand, shake the pan to cover the pork completely while pressing the crumbs in to ensure they are coating it.
• Place it on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and repeat the process until all the pork is breaded.
• Heat the oil and ghee over medium to low heat in a large non-stick frying pan until it reaches 350°.
• Add 1 to 2 breaded pork cutlets to the hot oil. Make sure they are not overlapping and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until browned.
• Flip the pork over and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. You can baste the pork with the hot oil once you’ve flipped it to help further brown it.
• Remove the pork and set it on a rack over a sheet tray to drain any excess oil.
• Repeat the process until all the pork has been cooked, and then serve with lemon wedges and optional minced parsley. Try serving it with a creamy mushroom sauce to make it JägerSchnitzel and with a side of classic German Red Cabbage.

Notes

Make-Ahead – This is meant to be eaten as soon as it’s done cooking. However, you can keep them warm on a rack over a sheet tray in the oven at low temperatures (180° to 200°) for up to 30 minutes before serving.

How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can freeze the pork covered for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating. Freezing the schnitzel may cause some of the breading to come off.

How to Reheat: Add the pork schnitzel to a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and cook it in the oven at 375° for 10 to 12 minutes or until hot. 

You can also purchase bone-in pork chops or steaks, but ensure it’s removed before pounding.

Try serving it with a simple pomodoro sauce to turn this schnitzel into Zigeunerschnitzel.

I think pork steaks offer more flavor in this recipe. However, if you can get pork chops that are closer to the shoulder blade, they will have more flavor than regular center-cut chops.

After pounding it out, the pork should be no thicker than ½” thick.

I like to use cake or pie tins for the breading steps.

The combination of flour, egg wash, and breadcrumbs is known as the “standard breading procedure.”

You will have up to 30 minutes to fry the schnitzel once they’ve been breaded.

Any material pan will work for this.

Remember, the pork is thin, and it will cook much quicker than you think. If you cook too long, you can burn the breadcrumbs and overcook the pork.

I roughly added 2 teaspoons of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper to each breading stage.

Nutrition

Calories: 431kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 24gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.04gCholesterol: 133mgSodium: 457mgPotassium: 376mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 296IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 126mgIron: 4mg

Course: Main

Cuisine: german

Author: Chef Billy Parisi