German Schnitzel Cutlet (Printable)

Thin pork or chicken slices breaded and fried to golden crispiness, served with lemon and fresh parsley.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Meat

01 - 4 boneless pork chops or chicken breasts (approximately 5.3 oz each), pounded to 1/4-inch thickness

→ Breading

02 - 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
03 - 2 large eggs
04 - 2 tablespoons milk
05 - 1 1/4 cups fine dry breadcrumbs

→ For Frying

06 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil or clarified butter (Butterschmalz)
07 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ To Serve

08 - Lemon wedges
09 - Fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

# How To Make:

01 - Place pork chops or chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound to 1/4 inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin.
02 - Season both sides of the meat evenly with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
03 - Arrange three shallow plates with flour, beaten eggs mixed with milk, and breadcrumbs respectively.
04 - Dredge each cutlet in flour, shake off excess, dip into the egg mixture, then coat with breadcrumbs, pressing gently to adhere without compacting.
05 - Heat oil or clarified butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry cutlets 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden and cooked through, working in batches as needed.
06 - Transfer fried cutlets to paper towels to absorb excess oil briefly.
07 - Present immediately with lemon wedges and optional sprinkle of fresh parsley.

# Top Suggestions:

01 -
  • The entire meal comes together in under 40 minutes, making weeknight dinners feel restaurant-worthy.
  • You get that satisfying crunch with every bite without any of the fussiness of traditional cooking.
  • It's the kind of dish that makes people think you've spent hours in the kitchen when you've barely broken a sweat.
02 -
  • Over-pressing the breadcrumbs creates a dense shell that traps steam and becomes chewy rather than crisp—learn this the hard way once, and you never forget it.
  • The meat must be pounded thin enough that it cooks through in those 2–3 minutes; thicker cutlets won't cook evenly and stay tough in the center.
03 -
  • If your schnitzel browns too quickly before cooking through, lower the heat slightly and cover the pan loosely with foil for the last minute of cooking—the steam finishes the meat gently.
  • Make extra breadcrumb mixture; schnitzel is one of those dishes where you always end up wanting just one more, and the coating is easy to keep on hand for impromptu dinners.
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