Wiener Schnitzel Recipe: How to Make This Classic Dish

Have you ever wanted to try the classic Austrian dish, Wiener Schnitzel? If so, this post is for you!

This delicious Wiener Schnitzel recipe has been passed down through generations. You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to make; you only need a few simple ingredients and an appetite for flavor.

Wiener schnitzel goes incredibly well with a whole host of side dishes, so it’s a brilliant staple centerpiece to various delicious meals. Ready to give this Austrian icon a try? Let’s get started.

Authentic Wiener Schnitzel Recipe: How to Make This Traditional Dish

Taking a cooking class in the homeland of the wiener schnitzel is a brilliant experience for any foodie. But you can easily find all the ingredients you need in your local supermarket back home if you can’t make it to Austria anytime soon.

There aren’t too many steps in preparation, so while it might be a daunting dish to try making for some, it’s actually a quick and easy meal for even the most amateur chef.

Ingredients

Servings: 4

4 veal cutlets pounded thin
1 cup of all-purpose flour
4 eggs, beaten
salt and pepper for seasoning
1 cup bread crumbsTop tip – Go for panko bread crumbs if you want a lighter and crunchier wiener schnitzel because panko bread crumbs absorb less oil when frying. But if you’re in a pinch, you could also use cornstarch for a crispy finish
1 stick worth of clarified butter
Fresh parsley and lemon wedges to garnish

Directions

Meat Cutlet in Meat Malllet — qwartm / Adobe Stock

Cover cutlets with plastic wrap then beat them into very thin pieces with a meat mallet. Even if you buy meat that is already thin enough before getting the meat mallet involved, you will still want to take this step to tenderize your cutlets for better flavor.

Woman adding and mixing flour on a bowl — New Africa / Adobe Stock

Put a generous helping of flour into a shallow bowl and dredge your cutlets in the flour until the surface of each cutlet is dry. This step helps lock moisture in the meat for a juicy finale under the crunchy coating of your wiener schnitzel.

Cracked eggs on a bowl — kondr2014 / Adobe Stock

Beat four large eggs well and place them into a separate shallow bowl from your flour. Dip each floured cutlet into the egg until completely covered. Make sure to hold up your cutlets for a few seconds after dipping in the egg mixture to allow any excess mixture to drip off.

Breaded Cutlets — Artur Golbert / Adobe Stock

Dredge your now egg-covered cutlets in the salt/pepper seasoned breadcrumbs until covered. A top tip is to ensure you don’t press the breadcrumbs too hard into the meat. Instead, just roll the meat lightly. Pressing the breadcrumbs will moisten them too much, producing a less crispy coating once fried.

Frying a set of Wiener Schnitzels — Mediteraneo / Adobe Stock

Fry the breaded cutlets in hot melted butter or hot oil (butter will taste better) in a large skillet on medium heat, until golden brown. Cooking time to completion should only take two to four minutes, so keep an eye on cutlets while cooking, as it won’t take long for them to be ready.

Homemade breaded German Wiener Schnitzel with potatoes — Brent Hofacker / Shutterstock

To remove any excess oil, dab your wiener schnitzels with paper towels. You could also place them on a wire rack briefly to drain while preparing any side dishes you wish to complete your meal. Garnish with a slice of lemon and some parsley.

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Follow this simple and easy-to-follow Wiener Schnitzel recipe, a mouthwatering and delicious pork or chicken cutlet German dish.

Type: Dinner

Cuisine: German

Keywords: wienerschnitzel, schnitzel, wienerschnitzel recipe, dinner, austrian dinner, austrian, german

Recipe Yield: 4 servings

Preparation Time: PT1H30M

Cooking Time: PT30M

Total Time: PT2H

Recipe Ingredients:

4 veal cutlets/pork chops, pounded thin
1 cup of flour
4 eggs, beaten
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup bread crumbs
1 stick of butter
Fresh parsley to garnish
Lemon wedges or lemon slices to garnish/to taste

Recipe Instructions: Pound cutlets into very thin. Dredge them in the flour. Then dip the cutlets into well-beaten eggs until they are covered with eggs. And then dredge the cutlets in the salt/pepper seasoned breadcrumbs until covered. Fry the breaded cutlets in hot melted butter or hot oil on both sides until golden brown using medium heat. Garnish them with a slice of lemon and some parsley.

Editor's Rating:
5

Is Traditional Wiener Schnitzel Healthy?

Homemade German Wiener Schnitzel with potatoes — Brent Hofacker / Shutterstock

A traditional wiener schnitzel can be unhealthy or healthy; it depends on how it is prepared. Traditional Wiener Schnitzel is made with a breaded veal cutlet, which is unhealthy because of its high fat and calorie content.

However, it can be healthier if prepared using lean meat and baked instead of fried. It’s always a good idea to balance your diet with a variety of healthy foods and to limit your intake of fried and high-fat foods.

The Wiener Schnitzel is a simple Austrian food that is also commonly served throughout Germany. It’s easy to prepare and enjoyable to eat, so go ahead and try it. Enjoy this delicious dinner with your family and friends at home, and dream of heading to some of the best Austrian restaurants one day to see how your efforts measure up!

The best part is that you don’t need any special equipment to cook the above Wienerschnitzel recipe; you only need your hands, some basic ingredients, and as little as ten minutes to spare for preparation. Enjoy!

FAQs

What is the difference between schnitzel and Wiener Schnitzel?

Any good schnitzel is basically fried breaded meat, but wiener schnitzels are strictly made with veal only. You can, of course, change our recipe and use ingredients like pork cutlets (Schweineschnitzel) or chicken breast (Hänchenschnitzel) instead, but you would be making other schnitzels, not wiener schnitzels!

The preparation is exactly the same for preparing schnitzels of other kinds of meat as it is for preparing the iconic Austrian veal wiener schnitzel. You will still need to pound meat cutlets with a meat mallet, cover them in egg mixture and bread, and then fry them till golden brown; you’re just not using veal.

Is Wiener Schnitzel German or Austrian?

The ‘wiener schnitzel’ is protected by Austrian law, so it is very much a traditional Austrian dish! Austrian law strictly dictates that the wiener schnitzel be made with veal only, and it’s an iconic national dish of the country. In fact, ‘wiener schnitzel’ actually means ‘Viennese cutlet’ in German, so there you go!

What do you eat with Wiener Schnitzel?

Many people enjoy an authentic wiener schnitzel served with lemon slices and a bit of parsley for garnish. It’s traditionally served with foods such as roasted potatoes, cucumber salad, German spaetzle, sautéed green beans, or some beet salad.

But the wiener schnitzel is a versatile dish, so you have endless options on what you might want to pair it with. Make it a breakfast schnitzel and pop on a fried egg or two, or pour on some delicious mushroom sauce for a more diverse flavor.

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