German Schnitzel with Traditional Sides 🥩

Name: German Schnitzel with Traditional Sides 🥩
Prep time: 35 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 4 pieces (about 600g) of Pork loin (or shoulder loin); Salt, to taste; Black pepper, to taste; Flour, about 4–5 tablespoons; 2 Eggs; Fine breadcrumbs, about 1 to 1.5 cups; Butter or vegetable oil, enough to cover the pan about 1 cm deep; Lemon, to taste

35 min prepAbout 35 minutes (excluding the time to marinate the meat)

Updated 7 May 2026

Living in Germany, it’s not unusual to find yourself in a restaurant where everyone at the neighboring tables is eating Schnitzel 😅 That’s how popular this dish is—it’s a true classic, both in restaurants and home kitchens. German Schnitzel reminds me of Japanese tonkatsu, with its crispy breading and shallow-frying style. It’s familiar, comforting, and something we enjoy regularly at home 😋. In this post, I’m sharing our version of German-style pork Schnitzel with tips for making it extra tender and flavorful, served with classic sides like white asparagus and buttery green peas.

Ingredients

For 4 People

4 pieces (about 600g) of Pork loin (or shoulder loin)
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Flour, about 4–5 tablespoons
2 Eggs
Fine breadcrumbs, about 1 to 1.5 cups
Butter or vegetable oil, enough to cover the pan about 1 cm deep
Lemon, to taste

[caption id="attachment_6440" align="aligncenter" width="300"]

** Fine breadcrumbs[/caption]

German Schnitzel with Traditional Sides 🥩 ingredients

How to make it

1/ Place the pork between two sheets of parchment paper, and use a frying pan or meat mallet to pound it evenly to about 5 mm thick.
💡 This is a key step for a tender and well-cooked Schnitzel.

2/ Lightly season both sides of the meat with salt and pepper.

3/ Coat the pork in this order: first in flour, then in beaten egg, and finally in fine breadcrumbs.

4/ Heat oil in a frying pan over medium to medium-high heat. Shallow-fry the pork for 2–3 minutes on each side until golden and crispy. You can add a bit of butter during cooking for extra flavor.

5/ Drain off any excess oil and plate the Schnitzel. Serve with a wedge of lemon.

Schnitzel lemon green peas asparagus yogourt sauce

🌟Side Dishes (Best prepared before frying the Schnitzel)🌟

🫛 Butter-Sautéed Green Peas
1/ Boil 300–400g of frozen green peas in salted water for 1–2 minutes (2–3 minutes if using fresh peas).
2/ Drain well using a colander.
3/ In a frying pan, melt some butter over low to medium heat.
4/ Add the peas and sauté for 2–3 minutes.
5/ Season with a little salt and sugar, and add black pepper to taste if you like.

🌱 White Asparagus
For instructions on how to cook white asparagus, please refer to the recipe below. 👉White Asparagus with Ham and Hollandaise from Germany🇩🇪

🥄 Herb Yogurt Sauce
1/ Peel and finely chop a hard-boiled egg.
2/ Mix it with chopped herbs (such as parsley, dill, etc.), 100g of sour cream, 150g of yogurt, 1 teaspoon of mustard, salt, and pepper.
3/ Optional: finely chopped garlic can also be added for extra flavor.

Good to know

🌟Our Family’s Tips for the Perfect Schnitzel🌟

⭐️ Make the meat extra tender: The day before cooking—or at least two hours in advance—soak the pork in a mixture of 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and 4 tablespoons of water. Let it rest in the fridge. It takes a bit of planning, but the result is incredibly tender pork. Highly recommended! 👍

⭐️ Pound it thin!: In German households, it’s standard practice to pound the meat until it’s nice and thin—about 5 mm.
Many people even use the bottom of a pot to do this 😅
A thin, even cut helps the meat cook quickly and evenly, and gives you a beautifully crisp coating.

⭐️ Use fine breadcrumbs: In Germany, finely ground breadcrumbs are commonly used for Schnitzel.
They create a light, crispy texture that doesn’t overpower the meat.

⭐️ Finish with a flavor boost: After frying, try sprinkling a little extra salt and giving it a good squeeze of lemon. This simple touch really brings the whole dish to life.

⭐️ Side dish inspiration: Along with white asparagus and buttery peas, other traditional sides include sauerkraut, German-style potato dumplings - Kartofelknödel, Kartoffelsalat – Classic German Cold Potato Salad, and German Red Cabbage with Apples – Traditional Rotkohl. You can find our favorite side dish ideas here:

🥔German-style potato dumplings - Kartofelknödel