Oma's German Pork Schnitzel (Schweineschnitzel)

by: Gerhild Fulson  / Oma Gerhild shares German recipes rooted in family tradition.

Updated: February 15, 2025

Schnitzel is easier than you might think. My German schnitzel recipe turns thick, boneless pork chops into crispy, golden schweineschnitzel (pork schnitzel) in under 30 minutes.

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German schnitzel recipe served with roasted asparagus and fried potatoes

Pork is the schnitzel you’ll find most often in Germany. I pound it thin and bread it in flour, egg and crumbs. Then it fries in butter and oil. Splash a little of that hot fat over the top while it fries, and the crust puffs right up. Mega lecker!

Schnitzel is really just thin cutlets and can be made with just about any kind of meat. You can have veal schnitzel (also known as wiener schnitzel), pork schnitzel (which is most common in Germany), chicken schnitzel, and turkey schnitzel, among many others. The meat is pounded thin with a meat tenderizer, then breaded and fried.

Top Tips For Best Results

1. Pound Evenly: Pound the meat evenly to about ¼ inch (0.6 cm) thick for uniform cooking.
2. Oil Temperature: Heat oil to 330-350°F (165-175°C). Too hot, and the crust burns; too cool, and it becomes greasy.
3. Don't Overcrowd: Fry one or two pieces at a time to maintain oil temperature and ensure even frying.
4. Draining: Place cooked schnitzels on a wire rack to keep the crust crisp.
5. Gluten-Free Hack: Use gluten-free breadcrumbs and flour.

One of the most popular traditional recipes is the German recipe for jägerschnitzel (Hunter's schnitzel). This is schnitzel served with a wonderful mushroom sauce.

Jägerschnitzel is sometimes made with unbreaded meat, making it a quicker and easier version than the breaded one.

For a cheesy twist, top it like my Hawaiian chicken schnitzel.

You choose your fave. My favorite German recipe? Definitely the breaded version. It's German food at its best!

Top 10 Schnitzel Variations In Germany

1. Jägerschnitzel (Hunter’s) is topped with a rich mushroom gravy
2. Käseschnitzel has cheese melted on top
3. Münchner schnitzel is covered with horseradish and/or mustard before coating in flour, egg, and bread crumbs
4. Naturschnitzel is unbreaded, served plain or with a simple pan sauce
5. Paprikaschnitzel has a tomato sauce with paprika and red peppers
6. Rahmschnitzel is topped with a cream sauce, often containing some mushrooms
7. Schnitzel Holstein is served with onions, capers, and a fried egg on top
8. Vegetarisches schnitzel is meatless and made from soy or tofu
9. Weiner schnitzel or kalbsschnitzel is the traditional breaded veal schnitzel
10. Balkanschnitzel (originally called zigeunerschnitzel) has a sauce containing tomato, bell peppers, and onion slices

What Is Schnitzel?

The definition of schnitzel: a thin slice of meat cutlet, usually tenderized by pounding, coated in flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs, and then pan-fried until perfectly crispy with a deep golden brown crispy breading that covers the tender, juicy meat.

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The history of schnitzel spans over 2,000 years and involves the Romans, the Italians, the Austrians, and the Germans. 

What Is The Difference Between Schnitzel And Wiener Schnitzel?

The original Wiener schnitzel is thought to have come from Vienna, Austria, in the 1600s. It has to be made from veal and is controlled by Austrian law. It is often considered the national dish of Austria!

In Germany, if it's not made with veal cutlet, it must be labelled as coming from pork or chicken, etc. That means, you'll have schweineschnitzel (pork cutlet) or putenschnitzel (turkey cutlet) on the menu in restaurants. 

Go to Jägerschnitzel recipe >

Above, I've topped the breaded pork schnitzel with mushrooms that I've fried with bacon and onions. A delicious dish!

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Turn Boneless Pork Chops Into Schnitzel

(Find the printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.)

I use thick, boneless pork chops and turn them into schnitzel. This method also works well with chicken breast. First, I trim off the fat that's usually around the outer edge. Make sure you take off any silver skin that may also be along the edge. 

If this fat isn't removed, it will cause the schnitzel to curl when it is frying.

First things first, trim the fat off the pork chops

Butterfly the pork chop: Use a very sharp knife and cut the pork chop in half, almost all the way through.

If you cut starting on the rounded side edge, you'll have the longer straight edge as the butterfly back. 

This step shows how to carefully butterfly the pork chop. An important step in making pork schnitzel.

When you are almost all the way through, open the pork chop (like a book). You should be able to lie it flat. The middle part should be as thick as the rest of the pork chop.

If the middle is much thicker, cut it just a bit more. Flatten the meat.

Here is an example of what your finished butterflied pork chop should resemble

Cover the meat with some plastic wrap, and using the flat side of a meat mallet, pound the pork chop sort of gently. You do not want the meat to tear.

You want the schnitzel to be no more than ¼-inch thick.

Pound the pork chop so that it is nice and thin

Set up three shallow dishes. The first has about half a cup of flour, the second an egg/water mix, and the third has about 1 cup (approx. 108 grams) of bread crumbs.

Season the schnitzel with salt and lemon juice, then dredge it in the flour, then the egg, and lastly in the bread crumbs. Repeat this whole process with all the schnitzel.

Dredging the schnitzel pork in flour, then egg, then bread crumbs

In a large frying pan, fry the tender cutlets in 3 tablespoons (42 grams) of butter and 3 tablespoons (approx. 44.3 milliliters) of cooking oil. Each side only takes a few minutes. Remove to a wire rack on a baking sheet and then keep warm in the oven until the rest have been fried.

Be careful not to crowd them in the pan. You may only be able to fry one at a time, depending on how big your schnitzels are. Mine below is quite big!

Frying the schnitzel pork in clarified butter or butter/oil mixture

Even though schnitzels aren't deep-fried, they pretty well swim in the fat.

The trick to getting a puffy batter is to baste some of the hot fat onto the sides and top of the schnitzel as it's frying.

Served! With fried potatoes and roasted asparagus on the side, so delicious!

What To Serve With Schnitzel

There are SO many ways to serve schnitzel! If you want a traditional German dinner, there are several side dishes that are a MUST! Here are some faves:

• Spätzle: German egg noodles that soak up any gravy.
• Rotkohl (red cabbage) and kartoffelsalat (southern German potato salad) on the side.
• Rahmwirsing (creamed cabbage) is a perfect comfort side dish
• Gurkensalat (cucumber salad) is a refreshing side.
• Bratkartoffeln (fried potatoes) or pomme frites (French fries) with lingonberry jam! Wunderbar!
• Serve in a brötchen (bun). 
• Check out these Top 10 side dishes to serve with schnitzel.

Schnitzel, served any which way, is just plain WUNDERBAR!

A quick and easy meal: a breaded schnitzel served on a German Brötchen with all the dressings

Print Recipe

German Schnitzel Recipe: Oma's Classic Schweineschnitzel

Oma’s simple German schnitzel recipe is a family favorite! Pair it with rich jägersoße for a truly traditional meal. Use veal for Wiener Schnitzel or pork for an easy, delicious alternative!

Prep Time:

15 minutes

Cook Time:

12 minutes

Total Time:

27 minutes

Servings:

4 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 large pork cutlets, about ¼-inch thick or less
• 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon (3 grams) salt
• about ½ cup (65 grams) all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) water
• 1 large egg
• about 1 cup (about 150 grams) breadcrumbs
• 3 tablespoons (42 grams) butter
• 3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) peanut or vegetable oil
• 1 lemon, sliced

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 160°F (70°C). Place a wire rack on a large baking sheet. Put a double layer of paper towels on a large plate. Set these aside.
2. Place cutlets between plastic wrap and pound gently to achieve uniform thickness if they are thicker than ¼-inch. Sprinkle both sides with lemon juice and salt.
3. Place 3 shallow bowls onto the counter. In the first one, put flour. In the second one, mix the egg and milk. In the third one, put the breadcrumbs.
4. Dredge a cutlet in flour, shaking off excess. Dip into the egg mixture, ensuring full coverage. Press into breadcrumbs, coating evenly. Place onto a large plate and repeat with the remaining cutlets.
5. In a large skillet, melt butter and oil over medium heat until shimmering
6. Place cutlets in the pan without overcrowding. Fry until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. Depending on the size, you may only be able to fry 1 or 2 at a time.
7. Remove the cooked schnitzel very briefly to the paper towel-lined plate to drain any fat, and then place it on the wire rack on the baking sheet in the oven to keep warm.
8. Fry the remaining cutlets.
9. Serve immediately, garnished with lemon slices or lemon wedges. 

Notes/Hints:

• If you are serving this as jagerschnitzel, you'll want to make the mushroom sauce first and then fry the schnitzel.
• When breading meat, make sure you first pat the meat dry with paper towels so that the flour will stick properly.
• If you want to make this non-breaded, then just dredge in the flour and omit the egg/milk and breadcrumbs. 

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Unless otherwise noted recipe, images and content © Just like Oma | justlikeoma.com 

Recipe Update: February 15, 2025

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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.