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Home » Pork

Pork Schnitzel Recipe

Published: December 10, 2021 Last Modified: December 11, 2021 This post may contain affiliate links.

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German Pork Schnitzel recipe are pounded thin pork cutlets, lightly breaded and fried to perfection. Pork Schnitzel are moist, juicy and tender on the inside with brown and crispy breading on the outside.

It is delicious, simple pork recipe that you can whip up quickly and feed your hungry family in no time.

This is definitely the equivalent of what is known to us as breaded fried pork chop. My mom used to make breaded pork using the same ingredients and the only difference was the way she cuts the pork.

Fried pork cutlets on a plate garnish with parsley and lemon wedges on the side. This pork schnitzel recipe is easy and simple.
Jump to:
  • What cut of pork to use
  • How to make pork schnitzel
  • Frequently asked questions
  • Recipe

What cut of pork to use

Use pork tenderloin or thin cut boneless loin or rib pork chops. Tenderloin is the most tender but pork chops can be used as well.

Pork is tenderize by pounding with a meat mallet.

Pork tenderloin sliced into ½ inch thick in a cutting board.

How to make pork schnitzel

Use pork tenderloin or boneless pork loin chops sliced less than ½ inch thick. Lay pork cutlets on a cutting board covered with plastic wrap, then pound with a meat mallet to tenderize.

Sliced cutlets of pork tenderloin on cutting board covered with saran wrap and pounded with a meat mallet to thin the pork.

Prepare 3 bowls with flour, beaten egg and panko breadcrumbs. Before breading the pork, heat oil in pan over medium or medium-high heat.

When oil is almost hot, dredge both sides of pork cutlets in flour, then dip in beaten egg and coat with breadcrumbs. Fry in hot oil.

Seasoned pork loin cutlets are breaded in flour egg and panko breadcrumbs.

Before frying, make sure your oil has reach the optimal temperature of about 340 -350 degrees F. Pork will be crispier and less oily. When making Pork Schnitzel or any breaded pork, you definitely want a crispier breading than a soggy one.

Three breaded pork schnitzel are fried in oil on a non-stick pan.
When frying, oil should reach half the thickness of pork.

Before frying, check how many pork slices your frying pan can accommodate. If your pan can only fry 2 or 3 slices of pork without overcrowding, prepare only those amount for frying.

Three pork cutlets fried in a pan.
Oil is hot enough to crispy the breading and cook the meat without burning it.

Letting the breading sit for a long time makes it soggy. So do it in batches.

Pour just enough panko breadcrumbs per batch. Panko can end up sticking with each other due to the excess egg wash. You’ll end up with a ball of panko in the bowl.

While frying, after you flip the pork to fry the other side, start making the next batch. Follow the same procedure until all pork schnitzels are fried.

Three fried breaded pork chops in a pan are done and removed from frying pan.
There are less bubbles in the oil once pork is done.

Pork Schnitzel can be paired with your favorite sides. Serve it with lemon wedges or if you are like me, I love it with ketchup, a side of sauerkraut and rice.

Pan fried breaded pork loin cutlets on a platter with a side of sauerkraut and lemon wedges.

Frequently asked questions

What are schnitzels

Schnitzels are thin boneless cuts of meat usually less than ½ inch thick that are pounded and breaded before frying. Aside from pork, veal, beef, chicken or turkey is used to make this dish.

What “not to do” when pan-frying pork schnitzel

Don’t overcrowd pork when pan-frying to maintain the optimal oil temperature. Overcrowding the pan will lower the oil temperature and breading will not brown and turn crispy fast enough.

Instead of breading turning crispy, it will absorb oil and breading can fall apart or you will end up with an oily piece of meat instead of having a perfect crispy crust.

Heat temperature when frying

Depending on your stove, set temperature to medium or medium-high heat. I set mine to medium, using a big skillet or frying pan with 3 pieces of breaded cut tenderloin pork cooking for 3-4 minutes.

Oil temperature is between 340 – 350 degrees F. Make sure it has reached the optimal oil temperature before frying.

Do it in batches and give the oil time to get hot again between frying.

Note: If oil temperature is too low, breading will absorb oil and will not be crispy instead become soggy or fall apart. On the other hand, if oil temperature is too high, breading will brown and crispy quickly and the meat is not cooked through. If you continue cooking, breading will burn.

It is very important to maintain the heat at a constant medium or medium-high temperature. If the breading is browning quickly, it is fine to lower the heat a smidge.

Crispy fried breaded pork cutlets on a platter with lemon wedges and sauerkraut on the side.

How to keep cooked schnitzels warm

If you are frying batches of pork cutlets, keep it warm in the oven until you are ready to serve.

After removing schnitzels from pan, place it on a platter lined with paper towel to absorb excess oil, then flip to the other side. Transfer cooked pork cutlets on a cooling rack over a baking sheet and place in the oven set at 200 degrees F.

Sides to serve with this fried pork recipe

Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Dill Potato Salad
Roasted Potatoes
Rice
Salad

Plate of fried pork loin on plate with a slice in a fork.

Recipe

Pieces of pork schnitzel on a platter garnished with parsley and a side of lemon wedges and sauerkraut.

Pork Schnitzel Recipe

Pork Schnitzel is a German dish made of pork cutlets that are lightly breaded and fried.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: German
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 10
Calories: 447kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 pound pork tenderloin slice thinly to ¼ inch and pounded
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 large eggs lightly beaten
  • 1 ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
  • oil for frying
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Slice pork tenderloin about ¼ inch thick.
  • On a flat surface, lay a saran wrap enough to cover the sliced pork.
  • Lay all the pork cutlets next to each other on top of the saran wrap. Cover the pork loin cutlets with another saran wrap.
  • Using a meat mallet, pound the pork tenderloin to flatten and tenderize the pork.
  • Remove the saran wrap.
  • Season both sides of pork with salt, ground black pepper and garlic powder.
  • Heat oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Let oil reach the optimal temperature between 340-350 degrees F before frying.
  • Prepare 3 medium bowls for flour, beaten eggs and panko breadcrumbs.
  • Once oil is hot, take a slice of pork loin cutlet, dredge both sides in flour then shake it off to remove excess flour. Dip in egg wash letting excess egg drip before coating with panko breadcrumbs. Again, shake it off to remove excess breading.
  • Fry cutlets for 3-4 minutes until cooked through. If your pan can hold only 2 or 3 pork cutlets, bread only this amount for the first batch. Once almost done, start breading the next batch. Note: For a crispier pork, do not overcrowd the frying pan. Fry in batches.
  • Flip pork to fry the other side and start breading the next batch.
  • Continue with the process until all pork cutlets are fried.
  • When removing fried pork, transfer to a plate lined with paper towel to absorb excess oil. Remove paper towel before serving.
  • Serve with lemon wedges and your favorite side. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

  1. You can also use thin cut boneless loin pork chops or rib pork chops.
  2. If you like the pork thicker than ¼, you can slice it to ½ inch thick but adjust cooking time accordingly.
  3. Make sure it has reached the optimal oil temperature before frying.
  4. If oil temperature is too low, breading will absorb oil and will not be crispy instead become soggy or fall apart. On the other hand, if oil temperature is too high, breading will brown and crispy quickly and the meat is not cooked through. If you continue cooking, breading will burn.
  5. If you are frying batches of pork cutlets, keep it warm in the oven until you are ready to serve. After removing schnitzels from pan, place it on a platter lined with paper towel to absorb excess oil, then flip to the other side. Transfer cooked pork cutlets on a cooling rack over a baking sheet and place in the oven set at 200 degrees F.

Nutrition

Calories: 447kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 22g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 451mg | Potassium: 231mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 50IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 2mg

Originally posted on September 5, 2018.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lauren West

    December 14, 2021 at 6:27 pm

    5 stars
    Nom and easy. For a change, I’ll serve this during the holidays.

    Reply
    • Fortune

      December 15, 2021 at 8:38 pm

      You're right, it's great for the holidays and it pairs well with many easy side dishes.

      Reply

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