German Schnitzel Cutlet (Printer-friendly)

Tender breaded pork or chicken cutlets fried golden, served with lemon and fresh parsley for a classic German touch.

# What You 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 tbsp milk
05 - 1 1/3 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)

# Steps:

01 - Place pork chops or chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound evenly with a meat mallet or rolling pin until 1/4 inch thick.
02 - Season both sides of the meat with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
03 - Set up three shallow plates: one with flour, one with beaten eggs combined with milk, and one with breadcrumbs.
04 - Dredge each cutlet in flour, shaking off excess, then dip into the egg mixture, and coat evenly 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 brown and cooked through, working in batches if necessary.
06 - Place cooked cutlets on paper towels to drain briefly. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and optional parsley garnish.

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • It's ready in 35 minutes but tastes like you spent all afternoon cooking.
  • The crust stays crispy hours later, even at room temperature, which my kids discovered by accident.
  • One pan, three plates, and you've got a dish fancy enough for guests but honest enough for weeknight dinner.
02 -
  • If you press the breadcrumbs too hard onto the meat, they'll become a dense, heavy crust instead of a delicate shell—learn this from my mistakes, not yours.
  • The meat will finish cooking slightly after you pull it from the pan, so don't overcook it in the skillet or it'll dry out.
  • Cold schnitzel with mustard and bread is a whole different meal, and breakfast the next day with a fried egg on top is not a waste of leftovers.
03 -
  • Buy meat that's already thin or ask your butcher to pound it—saves ten minutes and your arm gets a break.
  • Clarified butter (Butterschmalz) is the traditional choice and tastes noticeably better, but vegetable oil works if that's what you have.
  • A meat mallet with a flat side is worth having in your kitchen; it's faster and more even than pounding with a rolling pin.
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