Super Easy Pork Schnitzel Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is it better to cook schnitzel in butter or oil? ›

The best way to cook chicken schnitzel is to fry it. I like to use a combination of oil and butter for the best flavor/crispiness combination. When cooking chicken schnitzel, you need to heat the oil and butter in a frying pan until it is bubbling hot, then add the schnitzel. It should sizzle as it hits the pan.

To make German-style pork schnitzel, pork loin chops are pounded thin, breaded, and quickly pan fried until crisp and delicious. Adam Dolge is a recipe developer and test cook for many leading national food and lifestyle magazines and digital platforms.

One rule of schnitzel is the meat must be pounded thin — about a 1/4-inch thick— otherwise it is not schnitzel. Pounding the meat also tenderizes it, making a juicier piece of meat that also cooks faster. Meat tenderizers and pounders abound, but I find my French rolling pin the most effective tool for the job.

The pork should be golden brown and cooked completely through. Remove the cooked schnitzel from the oil and place them on a paper towel lined plate to allow any excess oil to drain off.

Up to this point the process of making schnitzel has been pretty foolproof. But the art of the dish is in the frying. And it really comes down to just one factor: having the oil at the right temperature. You want the oil to be hot enough that the breading will crisp and brown before the meat in the middle dries out.

Ingredients You'll Need

You could use boneless skinless chicken thighs as well, if you choose. Flour – Flour is a must for this recipe. With the egg, it will bind those breadcrumbs to your chicken for a nice crispy schnitzel.

schnitzel, a thin meat cutlet, pounded until tender and then breaded and fried, that is a culinary staple in German-speaking countries and communities. The Americanized version of the dish is chicken-fried steak.

If the oil is not hot enough, the chicken will absorb too much oil and give you soggy, oily schnitzel. I use quality extra virgin olive oil, which has a high enough smoke point to fry the schnitzel. You can use another healthy frying oil of your choice.

A variation of the word word describes the type of schnitzel you're eating. Wiener schnitzel is made with veal. Hähnchenschnitzel is made with chicken. Schweineschnitzel is made with pork.

Place the breaded chicken on a cooling rack (or a platter) and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. This cooling time will help the layers of breading ingredients solidify and adhere better after the chicken cooks. Once you start cooking the chicken, be patient and don't flip it over too early.

Why put schnitzel in fridge before frying? ›

Cooling the breaded schnitzel in the fridge for an hour or so before frying will help keep the breading on while cooking. Placing the cooked schnitzel on a wire rack while the rest of the batch cooks will help it keep crispy. To keep it warm, place in a lightly warmed oven.

Schnitzel is not typically highly seasoned, relying instead on bold toppings such as fresh lemon wedges, mushroom sauce, or cream sauce to add a boost of flavor.

Cook all raw ground pork to an internal temperature of 160°F (71.1 °C) as measured with a food thermometer. If fresh pork has reached 145°F (62.8 °C) throughout, even though it may still be pink in the center, it should be safe.

I typically prefer to use olive oil over canola oil because it's healthier (see this article), but I hardly ever use it and it's fine in moderation! Plus it's worth it for me for this one because it really helps give this schnitzel that perfect crispy crunchy outer coating!

The short answer to this common question is yes! Due to the ingredients and natural preservatives found in many pork products, it's entirely possible that your meat may still be slightly pink even when it's fully cooked. In fact, pork can even be enjoyed medium-rare.

Go for oil, it has a higher smoke point. You need a hot skillet to properly sear a steak, hot enough that a pat of butter will begin to burn before it melts completely. You don't want to sear your steak in burnt butter. So reach for some oil when searing steaks.

Butter can't withstand higher temperatures the way oil can, due to the milk solids in the spread. If you still want a buttery taste but need to cook something on a high heat, Fiona recommends using oil to fry on a high temperature and adding butter later, at a lower temperature.

WHICH IS BEST FOR COOKING STEAK: BUTTER OR OIL? Unlike butter, many oils have higher smoke points, making them the better option for cooking steak. Furthermore, there are some oils e.g. olive oil or grape seed oil that are healthier alternatives to butter. However, don't expect oil to taste better than butter.

If the oil is not hot enough, the chicken will absorb too much oil and give you soggy, oily schnitzel. I use quality extra virgin olive oil, which has a high enough smoke point to fry the schnitzel. You can use another healthy frying oil of your choice.