Schnitzel

If you’re after a traditional German schnitzel, use pork. Or for Austrian, use veal!

Schnitzel

I love all things fried and my bottom hates me for it. And of all deep fried things, Schnitzel is very high up on the list. I certainly had more than my fair share during my travels in Austria!! Despite my love of all things deep fried, doing it at home is rare, mainly because I have a thing about “wasting” oil. Usually if I deep fry something, I end up using the same oil to make something else just so I’m not “wasting” it. Not so good for Da Diet. But quite simply, there are some things in this world that are worth deep frying, and a seriously crunchy, perfectly golden schnitzel is one of them.

What kind of meat is used for schnitzel?

Schnitzel is most commonly made with pork, chicken or veal. But it’s also made with beef and mutton. There are loads of different varieties, especially across Europe. But the two most well known ones are:

German – made with pork Austrian (Wiener Schnitzel)- veal

My favourites are pork and veal – for flavour, texture and fond memories of my travels!

How to make Schnitzel

There’s nothing tricky about making schnitzel.

Pound meat of choice (pork, veal, chicken, turkey, beef) Sprinkle with salt and pepper; Coat in flour, dredge in egg, coat in panko breadcrumbs (SUPER extra crunch!) Fry until golden

I like to use a rolling pin to pound the meat because there’s less risk of tearing the meat, but you can use a meat mallet if you have one. The meat shown in the step photos below is pork. The photo at the top of the page is chicken.

Shallow Fry. Not Deep Fry!

Actually, you don’t need to deep DEEP fry schnitzel. I shallow fry in about 1.5cm / 3/5″ oil. That’s enough to ensure the crumb cooks evenly. Using more oil doesn’t really make any difference.

How to serve Schnitzel

Straight up with just a squeeze of lemon. It’s certainly juicy enough such that you don’t need a sauce! Schnitzel sauce – my favourite is mushroom gravy. On the side – mashed potato, fries or crispy Potato Rosti are common options. Fresh side – I also like to serve it with a side of something fresh, like this Everyday Cabbage Salad or Cabbage and Fennel Slaw

To re-use the oil, cool in pot, line mesh colander with a single layer of paper towel, strain oil. Store until required – personally would stick to savoury rather than sweet. Try Stay-Crispy Honey Chicken, Arancini Balls, Japanese Karaage, Mongolian Beef, Sweet and Sour Pork or Southern Fried Chicken! This whole food blogging business – editing photos, making videos, and writing about all this deliciousness that is schnitzel – really can be painful. As in – torture. It’s Monday and I swore I was going to be good this week (yeah, yeah, I know you’ve heard it before). I have Healthy Spanish Veggie Soup waiting to be reheated. Now all I can think about is schnitzel. 😩 Freshly made, golden brown, extra crunchy, super juicy inside. This is a must!!! – Nagi x

More crunchy crumbed chicken

Golden Baked Chicken Cordon Bleu Crunchy Baked Chicken Tenders – also the Parmesan version Crispy Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breast – LOW CARB marvel! Shortcut Healthy Crunchy Chicken Schnitzel Oven Fried “KFC” Chicken Tenders (11 secret herbs & spices!)

And more things worth deep frying

There’s not many! I’m very selective about what I deep fry – I have to really love it!!

Churros Arancini Balls Falafel Spring Rolls Coconut Shrimp

WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT

Schnitzel recipe video! This is made with pork. I only cooked 1 in the skillet because I used a smallish skillet for safety reasons (I use a gas stove for videos, skillet is quite high off the work surface).

Originally published August 2017. Updated for housekeeping matters March 2019, no change to recipe.