Crispy Pork Schnitzel with Lemony Caper Sauce
Pork cutlets are lightly breaded and pan fried until golden and crispy in this fast and easy Pork Schnitzel recipe. I always serve my homemade schnitzel with plenty of lemon on the side and a drizzle of caper sauce over top, plus my easy homemade spaetzle. If you love German schnitzel and want to try making it yourself, this recipe is simple to follow and SO much better than anything you’ll get at a restaurant!
“I just made it and it is delicious. My mother-in-law is German and said it was authentic.” – Gaye, So Much Food reader
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Making Schnitzel at Home Is Actually So Easy!
Schnitzel is one of my favorite German dishes! It’s essentially a breaded and fried meat cutlet. In Germany, you’ll typically see schnitzel made with pork and this recipe is my take on the Schweineschnitzel that I enjoyed on my travels.
Although German pork schnitzel is traditionally served plain with lots of lemon on the side, I couldn’t resist making a caper sauce based on one I love at a restaurant here in San Antonio called Maverick. Perfectly crispy with a tart lemon caper sauce, their schnitzel was almost the size of the plate! It was incredible and so I set out to recreate it.
There’s really no bad time to make homemade schnitzel, but it’s especially perfect for Valentine’s Day or in the fall when Oktoberfest is going on. It’s comforting home cooking at its finest and is bound to impress whoever has the pleasure of dining with you!
The 7 Main Ingredients
You can find the full list of ingredients, quantities & method in the recipe card at the end of the page.
- Pork. I’m using a pork ribeye here because it has a little more fat and flavor. I highly recommend this cut if you haven’t tried it before! You can also swap in boneless pork chops or pork loin but it will be leaner.
- Breadcrumbs. Panko breadcrumbs are really the best here for crunch and texture. You can use regular unseasoned breadcrumbs if that’s what you have.
- Flour and eggs. Instead of dipping the cutlets into flour, egg, and then panko, I like to whisk together the eggs and flour. The breadcrumbs stick better and it’s one less dish I have to dirty.
- Lemon. I’m using lemon in the caper sauce as well as serving with lemon to squeeze on the pork. It’s traditional and the acid complements the meat so well!
- Dijon. Dijon is also a traditional ingredient in pork schnitzel and I’m using it in the batter for the pork before breading it.
- Oil. I almost always use canola oil when pan frying savory dishes. It’s got a high smoke point and neutral flavor (plus it’s cheap!).
- Lemon caper sauce. The sauce is technically optional, but it’s a must in our household! It’s a rich and creamy beurre blanc sauce made with butter, lemon, cream, capers, fresh dill, minced shallot, and white wine.
Jenny’s Tip: In the summertime, I prefer making this Crispy Chicken Schnitzel instead. It’s a little lighter and pairs nicely with a fresh side salad or mashed potatoes.
How to Make German-Style Pork Schnitzel at Home
- Butterly the pork. Butterflying pork is so easy and makes less mess than trying to pound it out. Put your pork ribeye on a clean cutting board and — with your hand flat on top of it — use a sharp knife to slice into one side of the meat. Be careful not to cut all the way through to the other side! Open the ribeye like a butterfly, you should now have one larger piece of pork that is much thinner than it was before.
Jenny’s Tip: If you find that one side of your butterflied pork is thicker than the other, you can gently pound it out to the same thickness.
- Batter and bread the pork. Traditional schnitzel recipes have you dredge the pork in a seasoned flour mixture before dunking in egg and breadcrumbs, but I prefer whisking together the flour and egg with some dijon and Worcestershire to make a thick batter before coating in panko. This reduces the amount of dishes and gets the schnitzel super crispy!
- Pan fry in 360ºF oil. Since the pork is only about 1 inch thick, it only needs to fry for 3 to 4 minutes per side.
- Make the sauce. If you’ve ever made a beurre blanc sauce, this is just like that! You’ll start by gently sautéing shallots in some butter and then you’ll add white wine and lemon and simmer that mixture until the wine is almost completely evaporated. Then, you’ll whisk in the butter a bit at a time until you have a smooth sauce. All that’s left to do is stir in the dill, capers, and some salt and pepper!
- Garnish and serve. I always top my crispy schnitzel with my favorite lemony caper sauce, but a squeeze of fresh lemon juice is delicious too!
Make-Ahead Instructions
If you plan on serving your schnitzel with noodles (might I suggest my homemade spaetzle?), it’s sometimes helpful to prep the pork in advance to minimize your dinner prep day-of. You have a few make-ahead options when it comes to prepping the pork:
- Option 1: Prep the pork. Butterfly the pork up to 3 days in advance.
- Option 2: Batter and freeze. Batter and bread the butterflied pork, then freeze on a parchment-lined baking sheet for up to 1 month. You can fry your pork from frozen, just crank the heat up to 400ºF and cook for a few extra minutes.
- Option 3: Pan fry and keep warm in the oven. After cooking, transfer the crispy pork to a wire rack set over a baking sheet and place in a 200ºF oven. The schnitzel will stay crispy for up to 1 hour and won’t dry out!
Side Dishes to Serve With This
If you want a full-blown German meal, schnitzel and spaetzle is a classic combination! Otherwise I also enjoy it with:
If you do give it a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about & seeing your SMF creations!
More Comforting Pork Dinners to Make
- Apple Cider Pork Chops
- Grilled Beer Brats
- Roast Pork Tenderloin and Potatoes
- Sheet Pan Italian Sausage Sandwiches
- Pork Chops Florentine
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Pork Schnitzel with Spaetzle
Ingredients
Pork Schnitzel
- 4 boneless pork ribeye steaks, about 1 inch thick, butterflied (see above notes)
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups panko bread crumbs
- canola oil, for frying
- lemon halves, for serving
Caper-Dill Sauce
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 4 oz (1 stick) unsalted butter, diced and divided
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon chopped capers
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
For serving
- 1 recipe buttermilk spaetzle
Instructions
- Prep the pork:Â Pat the pork steaks very dry with paper towels. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, eggs, water, Dijon, and salt until very smooth. The batter should be the texture of pancake batter. Pour the panko crumbs into a shallow pan. Season the pork steaks with salt and pepper. Dip the pork into the batter, shaking off any excess, and then coat it well in the panko crumbs. Repeat with the other three steaks.
- Fry the pork. Heat one inch of canola oil in a wide-bottomed, high-sided skillet to 360 degrees F. Fry the steaks, one or two at a time, for 3-4 minutes per side until deeply golden brown. Transfer the fried steaks to a wire rack set over a baking sheet and into a 200-degree F oven to keep them crispy and warm (they'll stay crispy for well over an hour).
- Make the sauce: In a small saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the chopped shallot and cook until soft. Add the wine and lemon juice and bring to a simmer. Simmer until most of the liquid is evaporated. Reduce the heat to very low and whisk in the remaining butter, a few cubes at a time, until smooth and emulsified. Remove from heat and whisk in the heavy cream, lemon zest, dill, and capers. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve over the pork.
Storage Instructions
- Any leftover pork schnitzel cutlets can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat the pork in the air fryer for best results.
Rate & Review This Recipe
Hey Jenny!Just wanted to say thanks for this recipe. My husband and I were facing a pretty dire first anniversary spent in lockdown, but this dish really saved the night. It tasted amazing and is honestly the best food we’ve had in a long time. I’m so glad I came across your website. Keep up the good work!Best wishes from London.Claire
[…] the meat is nice and thin! If you are looking for a pork schnitzel version, check out my recipe here served with buttermilk […]
I just made it and it is delicious. My mother-in-law is German and said it was authentic. I made two batches of the spaetzle as the first batch was too thick and made huge clumps that I had to cut into pieces. The second batch I made much more runny, by adding milk and it was perfect. I did not have buttermilk so I used sour cream instead. Came out great. I used pork cutlets and after breading them, left them in the refrigerator for an hour uncovered. The breading stayed on as was very crisp when cooked.
Thank you so much for your comment! Since sour cream is much thicker than buttermilk, I would say that’s why your first batch was too thick. Substituting milk was very smart! So happy you enjoyed the recipe.
Reading the recipes made me hungry.
I will have to make one each week.
Thank you.
Hope you enjoy the recipe!
The pork chops were incredibly good! My husband coincidentally had a pork chop entree at a restaurant we visited the night before. He said these were 10x better! And the sauce, oh so good.
Yay! Love to hear it!