Air Fryer Pork Schnitzel (Luftfritteuse Schweineschnitzel)

by: Lydia Fulson  /  Writer, Artist, Traveler, Granddaughter & Ever-Learning German Cook

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This wunderbar schnitzel is just like what your Oma used to make, but made quick and deliciously in the handy air fryer!

Making an air fryer pork schnitzel, aka luftfritteuse schweineschnitzel, is one of the easiest German recipes to prepare. Fast, easy, and absolutely delicious. What’s not to love about this modern twist on authentic German food?

Drizzle it with a little lemon on top, and you'll have a mouthwatering traditional treat. Schnitzel recipes like this one never disappoint. It quickly became a favorite in our house. They're just like breaded pork chops, and you can use pork chops to make this as well.

Believe it or not, this was my very first time making a pork schnitzel recipe. I had enjoyed it at Oma's growing up and would often find myself searching for authentic German schnitzel on restaurant menus. But I never thought of making it myself until my Dad requested it. I glanced over at my air fryer and thought, 'with this, I’m sure I can do that.'

While taking Oma's recipe for schnitzel and adding some of my own little flares, I came out with these amazing tender pork chops, breaded to perfection, leaving a crispy crust overtop... can you taste it already?

This recipe couldn't have been easier than it was to make it in the air fryer. I don't think I've ever had a meat dish cooked and ready so quickly. Thanks to the powerful fan inside the fryer, this recipe is made the best way, fast.

I made these air fryer breaded schnitzel using pork cutlets, which are just thin cut pork chops that are boneless. Regular pork chops could be used as well and I'll explain how to do so a little further down by the recipe.

What Do You Serve With Air Fryer Schnitzel?

The best part about German meats is that they can go with just about anything.

It wasn't a difficult decision while choosing our sides. For us, we always love some authentic red cabbage. Even though we like to take the easy way out and buy the jarred kind, it works just as well! But nothing compares to Oma's true recipe. Check it out below, as well as some other yummy sides you can try with your air fryer schnitzel.

• Red Cabbage - My personal favorite.
• Creamed Brussels Sprouts - Fun fact : I was scared to try these as a kid but now, I love them! I think I just needed to try Oma's ;)
• Easy Potato Salad Recipe - This is the perfect summery side for schnitzel.
• Cucumber Salad - Another summery treat that is oh-so refreshing. Check it out.
• Air-fried Asparagus - This one's another one of my air fryer recipes. I love this one sprinkled with parmesan cheese.
  
• Check out these Top 10 Side dishes to serve with Schnitzel.
  

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What's the Difference Between Schnitzel and Milanese?

These two dishes could easily be confused for each other but, when you dig a little deeper you can see that there are some differences.

Let's start with where they originate from and are most popular. Milanese is from, you guessed it, Milan, Italy. This is a very popular dish served in Italian cuisine and is typically made using veal, while German schnitzel is made commonly with pork.

Milanese is often made with some kind of parmesan in one of the breading mixtures as well. But schnitzel is focused more on incorporating our most cherished German spices into our breadings. Such as paprika, nutmeg, caraway, and mustard! Yum! You can also throw some onion powder or garlic powder to add a punch of flavor into your breading mixture.

Both Milanese and schnitzel are simply thin cuts of meat, breaded and fried. But both dishes are especially delicious in their own authentic and tasty way.

What If I Can't Find Pork Cutlets?

It can sometimes be tricky to find the meat you need in the grocery store, so what if you can't find pork cutlets? No worries.

While pork cutlets are usually the best to use because they have more meat, there is a wunderbar substitute.

I've made this using pork sirloin chops, and there was hardly any difference. If you can find boneless sirloin chops, this is more convenient. They may be smaller in size, but that just means you get to have more!

By using these as a substitute, you also don't need to pound them as thin, seeing as these come quite thin already.

Making schnitzel by dipping pork sirloin cutlets in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs.

As you can see in the picture above, the sirloin cutlets I used were quite small, which saved on breading ingredients as well. On the left-hand side of the picture, you can see the rest of the cutlets and just how thin they already are. While you can get bigger sirloin cutlets, I purposely went for smaller ones width-wise so that they could all fit nicely on one tray in the fryer. 

Do keep in mind that this was only for my Mom, Dad, and myself, so I didn't need to make an enormous portion. But if you're cooking for more, you could always choose bigger sirloin cutlets and use more than one tray.

If using regular pork chops be sure to get boneless chops and to pound the thickest part of the meat to a thin size. You can buy thick boneless pork chops and pound them down to ¼" thick, just as you would if using a pork cutlet. Or, find thin pork chops.

For the best results, I found that using boneless sirloin cutlets made the process go by much faster. Finding the easiest way to make a recipe, then sticking to it can make cooking so much more enjoyable if you're not a kitchen person.

I always love those easy dinners that take less time, and if you're using the air fryer to make this pork recipe, you will not be disappointed with the total time it takes to make!

Ready To Air Fry These German Pork Schnitzel?

Print Recipe

Air Fryer Pork Schnitzel – Luftfritteuse Schweineschnitzel

Making an Instant Pot Vortex Plus Air Fryer Oven pork schnitzel, aka luftfritteuse schweineschnitzel, is one of the easiest German meals to prepare. Fast, easy and delicious, is there anything better? 

Prep Time:

10 minutes

Cook Time:

10 minutes

Total Time:

20 minutes

Servings:

6 servings

Ingredients:

• 6 pork cutlets
• 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) lemon juice
• ¼ cup (30 grams) all-purpose flour
  
• 2 teaspoons (13 grams) seasoned salt
• ½ teaspoon (0.5 grams) garlic salt
  
• 1 teaspoon (2 grams) pepper
• 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) milk
• 1 egg
• 1 cup (100 grams) dry breadcrumbs
• 2 teaspoons (5 grams) paprika

Instructions:

1. Preheat air fryer to 375°F on air fry and set aside three bowls.
2. Prepare sirloin cutlets by using a meat mallet to pound them to about ¼" thick.
3. Brush a few drops of lemon juice onto the tops of your cutlets and then set aside.
4. In one of the bowls, mix flour, seasoned salt, garlic salt, and pepper. In the second bowl, add egg and milk, and then whisk until mixed thoroughly. In the third bowl, mix dry breadcrumbs and paprika. 
5. Dip each cutlet into flour mixture until both sides are evenly coated, then dip into egg mixture, and then into breadcrumb mixture.
6. Repeat for each cutlet and place each laying flat in a single layer on the air fryer cooking tray.
7. Set on middle rack in the air fryer and cook for 5 minutes. Flip and cook for another 5 minutes.
8. Serve with lemon slice on top or drizzle with any remaining lemon juice.

Notes/Hints:

• When coating cutlets in egg mixture, be sure to let the excess drip off. It can be harder to coat with breadcrumbs next if egg is dripping all over.
• As well as when dredging in breadcrumbs, shake off excess to avoid loose crumbs in your fryer afterward.
• If you like pickle flavor as I do, you could add fresh dill into your mixture for a punch of flavor. The taste of deep-fried pickles but as a schnitzel ... YUM!
• If you want a crispier coating, lightly spray with a cooking spray/ olive oil spray, before cooking. 
• Use your choice of regular or panko breadcrumbs. Both work wunderbar!
• If you're using a different air fryer, adjust your times and temperature settings according to the manufacturer's guidelines. 

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Unless otherwise noted recipe, images and content © Just like Oma | www.quick-german-recipes.com

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Hi, I'm Oma Gerhild! As a food writer and cookbook author, I'm always looking to find ways to pass on my German heritage using local ingredients. Quick and easy. That's my goal. Wunderbar food. That's the result.