Juicy & Crispy Pork Tenderloin Schnitzel Recipe – Traditional German Food 🇩🇪

Juicy and crispy pork tenderloin schnitzel recipe that will make you want to discover more traditional German food.

If 4 years of living in Germany taught me anything, it’s that the Germans do know how to cook a mean pork schnitzel. A Schnitzel can be made in many ways but here’s not the most authentic German version but the recipe which I personally liked the most as it’s incredibly crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside and packed with flavor.

If you are looking for a great side dish for pork schnitzel then try out our tasty oven baked roasted red potatoes recipe.

What is Schnitzel Made Of?

• Pork tenderloin – Pork tenderloin is the prime cut of the pork and has the least amount of fat and the most amount of protein, making it a healthier and a better option to follow your fitness goals. It’s incredibly tender and in my opinion the best cut of pork for this recipe even though going with pork chops can be a bit faster and cheaper option. One regular size pork tenderloin weighing a bit over 1 pound(~500g) will be enough for 3 schnitzels.
  • Pork tenderloin can be replaced with pork chops if you can’t find a tenderloin and also with a chicken breast if you’re not a fan of pork.
• Panko bread crumbs – Panko breadcrumbs absorb less oil and make the end result crispier than regular bread crumbs. Still, it can be easily replaced with regular bread crumbs for a similarly great result. If you’re looking for the healthiest option, you can go with whole grain breadcrumbs.
• Eggs – You’ll only need a few eggs for the breading of the pork as it will be just dipped into it for the breading.
• Flour – basically any regular flour or gluten free flour works and you just need a bit of it to cover the pork before dipping it into the rest of the ingredients.
• Cooking oil – Best to use a neutral tasting cooking oil such as olive oil, vegetable oil or sunflower oil. For this recipe I use the pan fry method instead of deep frying as it doesn’t need as much oil and is just a bit more comfortable to clean up afterwards.
• Seasoning – salt, pepper and dried thyme is all you need.

How to Make a Pork Schnitzel?

1. Prepare the pork
   • Cut the pork tenderloin into 3 even pieces.
   • Place the pork tenderloin piece one by one under a plastic wrap and use a meat tenderizer/mallet or the bottom of a cooking pot to pound the pork pieces into an even thickness.
   • Season the tenderized pork with salt and pepper on both sides and place into the fridge for ~15-20 minutes.
2. Prepare the pork breading.
   • Firstly crack the eggs into a plate with higher edges or a smaller bowl and whisk them with a fork or a whisk until the egg white and yellow are mixed together evenly.
   • Secondly if you have a food processor or a blender, blend the panko bread crumbs into more even and smaller crumbs. In case if you don’t have a blender, you can just crush them with a meat tenderizer or your hands. Once that’s done, place the crumbs in a plate or bowl and add a tablespoon of dried thyme and a pinch of salt & pepper for seasoning into the bread crumbs and mix.
   • Thirdly pour the flour into a separate plate or bowl.
3. Breading the pork
   • Take the pork tenderloin pieces out of the fridge.
   • Do the breading one by one in the following order: 1) Cover both sides of the pork in flour 2) Dip the pork into the whisked eggs 3) Cover the pork with the bread crumbs.
   • Make sure that the pork tenderloin is entirely coated with a thin layer of flour on both sides. Then fully dip the pork tenderloin into the whisked egg and let the excess egg mixture drip off the pork before placing it into the panko breading. Lastly place the pork tenderloin into the seasoned panko breading and make sure the pork is fully coated with the breadcrumbs so it keeps all the juices from the pork inside while frying.
4. Frying the pork
   • Add the cooking oil to the pan and get the pan to medium/medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, place one schnitzel in the pan and fry on both sides for ~ 2-3 minutes until the crust is golden brown. NB! Be careful and check it in the first minute to make sure that the heat is not too high as the bread crust can easily start to burn. If you notice that the bread crust is getting dark too fast, turn down the heat for the rest of the frying. Make sure you fry the schnitzels one by one and if necessary add some more oil between adding the next schnitzel for frying.
   • Once the schnitzel is done, let it rest for a minute or two before cutting into it.
   • Serve by itself or with your favorite side-dish and enjoy!

Optional:
Put some fresh cut parsley for garnish and serve with a slice of fresh lemon which can be squeezed onto the schnitzel before digging in to it.

Pork Tenderloin Schnitzel Recipe

Pork tenderloin schnitzel recipe that will blow your mind. It is quite easy to make and the result is so juicy and crispy you will definitely want more.

Ingredients (3 Servings)

• 1 pork tenderloin
• 2 cups(120g) of panko breading
• 2-3 eggs for breading
• ⅓ cup of flour for breading
• Olive oil for pan frying (~2 tbsp per schnitzel)
• Salt & Pepper for seasoning
• Dried Thyme for seasoning