Pork Schnitzel with Creamy Dill Sauce

Last Updated on June 29, 2022 by Rebecca Huff

You may have enjoyed delicious Pork Schnitzel if you’ve been to a German restaurant, although it originated in Austria. To make your own tasty pork schnitzel at home, you don't need to visit a restaurant or even be a professional chef!

Anyone with the most basic cooking skills can prepare juicy on the inside, crispy on the outside, pork schnitzel. In fact, it's so easy, you can even add it to your weeknight recipe rotation!

Yup, in no time, you'll be serving up a plate of schnitzel and basking in the praise of your admirers. So let's get started.

What exactly is schnitzel?

Schnitzel is simply a thin cut of meat which can be pork, chicken, beef, or turkey. Traditionally it is pan-fried, but don’t worry, you can bake it if you prefer.

When I lived in Germany, Jägerschnitzel was popular in restaurants. The thinly sliced pork cutlet was breaded and fried, then covered with delicious mushroom gravy. While I lived in Zweibrücken, I ordered it often because I love mushrooms.

In the recipe instructions I list boneless pork chops, but I want to mention that you can use bone-in pork chops as well. To get them thin you’ll have to cut them off the bone, but you can use those for bone broth.

When I make Pork Schnitzel, I like to use meat from one of my subscription boxes. I use both Butcher Box and Farm Foods Market Heritage Pork Chops. If I have bone-in I cook them the same way. A good pair of kitchen shears for spatchcocking chicken will assist you in removing the bone. Or skip the hassle and just buy boneless.

Various Kinds of Schnitzel

You may have seen other types of schnitzel. One comes with a white sauce and is called Rahmschnitzel. I mentioned Jägerschnitzel above as topped with mushroom gravy. All total there are 4-5 types of schnitzel.

If you’re traveling, know which one you want before you order. You wouldn't want to order Jägerschnitzel if you hate mushrooms.

Austrians take their schnitzel very seriously. On a side note, Wienerschnitzel is a protected term in both Austria and Germany. If you see “Wienerschnitzel” on a menu, you can be assured the dish is made with veal.

Easy Recipe for Weeknight Main Course Meals

The trick to the tastiest schnitzel is to have very thin meat. You can usually find pork cutlets around 1/2 inch thick and then use a meat mallet to pound them to 1/4 inch thickness. Having them thin also means you can use the leftovers on a tasty sandwich, well, if you have leftovers! I recommend making extra.

Tenderize the Meat

Pork can be tough if it's not cooked just right, but that's not a problem. No need for seasoning meat tenderizers; just hand your kids the meat mallet and let them do the job. My children always ask to do this part and I happily let them.

It helps if the meat is fairly dry when you start pounding it thin. Still, you'll need to protect yourself from splatters.

If you don't like to use plastic wrap, I've found that parchment paper works just fine. When I need to work with meat, I sandwich it between two sheets of parchment paper. As you can see in the photo below it didn't tear. Use the flat side of your meat mallet and gently pound and slide. This results in tender, thin meat, perfect for crispy, pan-fried deliciousness.

Once you have the meat pounded to 1/4 inch thickness, you’re ready to use the ingredients you’ve added to the plates.

Breading the schnitzel

Starting with the flour, then the eggs, and last the panko. Look for panko without other junky ingredients. The one I buy comes in a box.

Stir and flatten the flour and panko, and whisk the egg mixture with a small dash of salt.

Line them up near your stove and you'll have an efficient assembly line, ready to roll. You'll be done in no time.

The tasty part of pork schnitzel is the crispy breading on the meat. Any kind of breading adds a few carbohydrates, but don’t let that stop you from enjoying your meal! If you follow a Ketogenic diet, you can use pork rind panko. Recently, I found some in the supermarket. It tastes pretty good and looks like this:

Don’t be intimidated or overwhelmed by the idea of cooking panko-coated things. It’s not that time-consuming or difficult.

For coating the pork schnitzel you’ll need three shallow bowls for the breading process. If you have extra-large plates, you can do what I do in the photo below.

Remember, your three plates will contain:

1. All-Purpose Flour mixed with half teaspoon salt and black pepper to taste.
2. Eggs, whisked – Mix large eggs in a shallow dish, I do this on a plate, although it's extra large and the sides are slanted upward.
3. Panko bread crumbs for the final coating – Plain panko is all you need for this recipe, don’t bother with Italian breadcrumbs or other flavored varieties. Once you have the meat pounded to 1/4 inch thickness, you’re ready to use the ingredients you’ve added to the plates. Starting with the flour, then the eggs, and last the panko.

Again, you’ll start by coating first with the flour, then the eggs, and last the panko.

After you’ve prepared the breading on the pork cutlets you’re ready to cook them. Cook schnitzel in batches if you only have one iron skillet.

Cooking the Schnitzel

Heat oil over medium-high heat or skip the oil and use your air fryer. Breaded pork cutlets can also be cooked in the oven, you can use a baking sheet if you’re making 6-8 but if you’re just making 1-2, go ahead and bake them in your cast iron skillet. Keep in mind the golden brown color of the breading usually comes from frying.

Also, you don't want to pile these up and let them sit for a bit before you serve them as sweating can make the breading go soggy. We like it crisp!

The sauce is simple. Mix sour cream and diced dill pickles or dill pickle relish if you prefer along with a good sprinkle of fresh or dry dill. You may or may not want a dash of salt. I always do!

If you prefer, you can swap the sour cream for yogurt. Siggi's is my favorite yogurt, just look for the plain full fat variety.

Ideas for side dishes to go with Pork Schnitzel

• potato salad
• salt and vinegar potatoes
• mashed potatoes
• green beans
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts
• any variety of salad

Refrigerate leftovers can be kept in for 3-4 days. Leftover pork schnitzel can be used in sandwiches or even rolled up in gimbap. That’s my fusion idea for combining German and Korean foods and my family loves it.

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Pork Schnitzel Recipe

• 1 and 1/2 cups Panko Breadcrumbs (not Italian flavored, just plain panko)
• 6 boneless pork chops (I like to use Farm Foods Market Heritage Pork Chops and you can )
• 3 tablespoons flour of your choice (wheat, gluten-free, almond)
• salt and pepper
• dash of paprika, optional
• garlic powder, optional
• 2 whole eggs
• oil for frying

Creamy Dill Sauce

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup dill pickles chopped (or dill relish)
• 1 teaspoon dried dill

1. Sprinkle pork cutlets with a small amount of salt and pepper, then cover them with plastic wrap and then a paper towel.
2. Using a meat mallet, lightly pound each pork chop, depending on how thin you like them, thinner chops cook faster.
3. Add flour to a shallow dish (pie pans work great for this)
4. Beat eggs and add them to a second shallow dish
5. Add panko crumbs to the third dish with a bit of salt and pepper.
6. Starting with the flour, dredge the pork and shake off excess.
7. Follow up with the egg mixture
8. Lastly, dredge the pork chop in the panko crumbs. You may need to press down a little to get them to stick.
9. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet (iron skillets are perfect for this job) over medium heat.
10. Carefully add the triple-coated pork chops to the hot oil in a single layer and cook until the bottom is golden brown and crispy. Flip, then cook until the second side is golden brown. You can use a meat thermometer to check the temperature. It should be 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
11. Mix sour cream, dill pickle, and dried dill in a small bowl.
12. Serve the pork schnitzel with creamy dill sauce and freshly cracked black pepper. Garnish with a lemon wedge which can then be squeezed over the top before eating.