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German Pork Schnitzel - crispy and juicy schnitzel made with thin pork loin cutlets, lightly breaded and fried to golden perfection. Pure comfort food at it's best!

Serve it with Potato Salad, perfectly creamy Mashed Potatoes, or Coleslaw.

Pork schnitzel with mashed potatoes and green beans on white plate.

Pork schnitzel is one of those dishes I keep for Sunday specials. It's breaded and fried meat after all, not your every day food. But it is pure comfort food and a classic in many European countries. My Hubby and I had a chance to try it there and it is one of those dishes that you remember being absolutely delicious and want to be able to make at home when the craving or nostalgia hits. Pork schnitzel is a golden crispy cutlet that's perfectly juicy inside. It's served with mashed potatoes and often even with the mushroom sauce.

What is German Schnitzel?

Breaded Wiener Schnitzel ( a thin cut of meat, breaded and fried ) originated in Austria and was made with veal. The German version is made with pork and it is also a much more affordable option. It became popular as such in many countries. The word "schnitzel" means meat in crust. Typically, it is served with mashed potatoes or warm potato salad and fried cabbage. If you are traveling through Germany and you will order a schnitzel, most likely it will be served with potato salad or fried potatoes.

Ingredients:

pork loin, cut into cutlets
salt and pepper
large egg
milk or half and half
flour
breadcrumbs

Instructions:

To make a perfect pork schnitzel, cut pork loin into thin cutlets. Using meat tenderizer, pound each cutlet thin.
Next, prepare your breading station: a shallow dish with flour, a shallow dish with beaten egg with a splash of milk or half and half and a shallow dish with breadcrumbs. You can add seasoning of your choice to the flour or the breadcrumbs. Also, adding grated Parmesan cheese to breadcrumbs makes for even more crispy schnitzel with a taste of toasted cheese. That is not the classic way of making schnitzel but definitely one worth trying.
After breading each cutlet, fry it in a skillet with enough oil to cover the bottom. Because the cut of meat is thin, the schnitzel does not take long to cook, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Close up shot of a small cut piece of pork schnitzel on fork.

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What is the best cut for this dish?

To make a pork schnitzel, you need a boneless and thin cut of meat. I always use and recommend pork loin, cut into thin cutlets. Regular pork cutlets you can buy in the meat department are too thick and there is a chance the meat won't cook properly inside before the crust is golden crisp.

The most affordable option is to buy a pork loin, cut it in half. The part with more fat veins is perfect for pulled pork or smoking in the BBQ. The leaner part can be sliced thinly into cutlets. It will most likely make a lot of cutlets, so I recommend dividing them into portions and freezing that way.

Variations:

chicken: use chicken breast, cut it lengthwise into two cutlets and use meat tenderizer to pound them thin.
low-carb: use crushed pork rinds for a keto friendly version without breadcrumbs.
with sauce: use mushroom sauce or creamy lemon butter sauce to pour over each schnitzel.

Sides:

Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes ( slow cooker version ) - a classic that everyone loves! You can also make my Instant Pot pressure cooker version.
Fried Cabbage
Dill Pickle Potato Salad
Garlic Lemon Roasted Potatoes
German Potato Salad
Braised Red Cabbage

More recipes with pork:

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