Pork Schnitzel, or Schweineschnitzel, is a classic German dish made with thin, breaded pork tenderloin cutlets fried until golden brown and crispy. This easy recipe delivers restaurant-quality flavor in under an hour and pairs perfectly with potatoes, spaetzle, or fresh vegetables.
I've been making Schweineschnitzel with pork tenderloin for years. It's consistently perfectly breaded, perfectly fried, perfectly crispy, and perfectly delicious. It makes not only an incredible meal, but also one that's quick and easy to prepare, and perfect for Oktoberfest.
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Why You Should Make this Recipe
- Crispy Perfection: Golden, crunchy breading that seals in tender, juicy pork.
- Quick & Easy: Minimal preparation and only 5-6 minutes per side to cook.
- Budget-Friendly: Pork tenderloin, always tender, is more affordable than beef or veal.
- Make Ahead Option: Bread the cutlets earlier in the day, then fry just before serving.
- Versatile Pairings: Serve with spaetzle, roasted potatoes, or a fresh salad for an authentic German meal.
Ingredients - What You'll Need
This recipe uses simple ingredients to produce an awesome dish.
- The Pork: I like to use pork tenderloin because it's both tender and easy to pound to the perfect thickness.
- The Breading: The breading is a simple two-stage flour and plain breadcrumbs with egg and milk serving as the "glue" to hold the flour and breadcrumbs to the pork.
- The Seasonings: For the seasonings, I used nothing more than Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- The Oil: I like to use peanut oil to cook the pork schnitzel because of it's high heating point.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prepare the Pork: Trim the pork tenderloin and butterfly it by slicing it horizontally with a sharp knife. Be careful not to cut the tenderloin all the way through.
- Pound Thin: Place the pork between pieces of plastic wrap. Pound the pork to a thickness of about ¼-inch, and cut it into serving-size pieces.
- Prepare the Breading: Place the flour, salt, and pepper in a Ziploc bag. Then, whisk together the egg and milk in a dish and place the breadcrumbs in a separate dish.
- Coat the Pork in Flour: Place the pieces of pork in the Ziploc bag and shake to coat.
- Dip in Egg Mixture: Dip the flour-coated pork in the egg/milk mixture.
- Repeat Coating and Dipping: After dipping the pork in the egg/milk mixture, coat it again in the flour and dip it for the second time in the egg/milk mixture.
- Coat in Breadcrumbs: Finally, coat the pork in breadcrumbs, ensuring they adhere to the pork.
- Refrigerate: After each of the pieces of pork had been breaded, I placed it in a single layer on a wax paper lined plate. I refrigerated the breaded pork for at least an hour to allow the breading to set.
Cooking the Breaded Pork
When it was time to cook the Pork Schnitzel, I heated some peanut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. I cooked several pieces at a time, first on one side until golden brown and then on the other side until golden brown. This took 5 to 6 minutes per side.
When the pork was done, I transferred it to a plate lined with paper towels and allowed it drain while I cooked the rest of the pork.
I garnished the Pork Schnitzel with lemon slices and minced fresh parsley, and served it with Pommes Fondants and steamed fresh broccoli.
The Pork Schnitzel was perfectly breaded, perfectly fried, perfectly crispy, and perfectly delicious. Yum!
Frequently Asked Questions
I really like using the pork tenderloin in this recipe. However, I've also used pork loin in the past. It's not quite as tender, but works well.
Once the pork has been breaded and put into the refrigerator, it can sit for several hours before cooking. The breaded pork can also be stored for a day or two in a Ziploc bag.
If there are leftovers of the cooked pork schnitzel, you can store them, covered in the refrigerator for a day or two. My preference is to reheat the schnitzel in a 350°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until warmed through.
Panko breadcrumbs work well in this recipe when substituted for the plain breadcrumbs.
Pork schnitzel is quite versatile in terms of side dishes. I like to serve steamed vegetables along with some type of starch. For the starch, Betsy's Potatoes, Roasted Potatoes with Onions, Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto, Southern-Style Scalloped Potatoes, Easy Stove Top Roasted Potatoes, and Grated Potatoes Galettes all go well.
I first posted this awesome recipe on February 23, 2016. Since then, I've made it a number of times. You should make it as well!
Recipe
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Pork Schnitzel (Schweineschnitzel)
Equipment
- Sharp knife
- Meat pounder
- Frying pan
Ingredients
- 1 pound (16-ounces) pork tenderloin, trimmed of silver skin and fat (See Tip 1)
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup milk
- 1 egg
- 1 Tablespoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ cup dried plain breadcrumbs
- ½ cup peanut oil (See Tip 2)
- Lemon slices for garnish (optional)
- Minced fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Butterfly the pork tenderloin, making sure that you don't cut all the way through. Place between two pieces of plastic wrap; pound to a thickness of ¼-inch. Cut into serving size pieces.
- Combine flour, salt, and pepper in Ziploc bag. Whisk together milk and egg in a flat dish. Add breadcrumbs to another flat dish. Bread the pork as follows: (1) coat pork in flour; (2) dip in milk/egg mixture; (3) coat again in flour; (4) dip again in milk/egg mixture; and (5) coat in breadcrumbs. Place in single layers on wax paper lined plate. Refrigerate for at least an hour. (See Tip 3)
- Heat about ½-cup of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add single layer of pork; cook until golden brown on both sides, about 5 to 6 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining pork. Yield: 4 servings.
Tips/Notes
- May also use pork loin in this recipe. However, it won't be quite as tender as the pork tenderloin.
- I like to use peanut oil in this recipe, but vegetable oil or canola oil will also work. I wouldn't however use olive oil.
- This recipe can be prepared in advance for several hours up to the point of breading the pork and placing it in the refrigerator.
Bert Propp says
Made this today served with homemade spaetzle, souerkraut, bacon wrapped asparagus, and Jaeger sauce. Absolutely delicious!
Chula King says
Yum!
Kathleen Kirkman says
Why not use olive oil?
Chula King says
I like to use a higher temperature oil like peanut oil for cooking the pork schnitzel. However, you could use olive oil.
Sharon Rigsby says
Made this delicious pork for dinner tonight along with your Pommes Fondants and some roasted broccoli. It was everything you said it was and we really enjoyed it.
Thank you for an amazing recipe!
Chula King says
Thanks so much. I'm glad that you enjoyed the Pork Schnitzel!
Anonymous says
Amazing!
Thank you.
Anonymous says
Fasntadtic tasting and simple.