Schnitzel: 14 Golden Crispy Cutlet Dinners Oma, Nonna and Every Midwest Diner Swear By

Schnitzel is proof that a few cheap ingredients and one good technique can make a dinner everyone remembers. Pound the meat thin, dredge it in flour, egg and crumbs, and fry it until golden and crisp at the edges. That same simple method shows up in kitchens all over the world: the Austrian cutlet with lemon, German pork with mushroom gravy, Polish kotlet, Japanese tonkatsu, Argentine milanesa and the giant pork tenderloin sandwich of the Midwest. A Tasting History video about the Viennese classic has passed 2.5 million views, and home cooks are clearly hungry for it. The dish even has a long and debated family tree, which you can read about in the history of schnitzel. This gallery gathers 14 cutlet dinners built on affordable pork and chicken, with tips for the crispiest crust. Grab a meat mallet and a big skillet..

Wiener Schnitzel With Lemon and Parsley Potatoes

The Viennese original schnitzel is a thin veal cutlet fried in butter and oil until the crust puffs up in golden waves. It comes to the table with a wedge of lemon and a bowl of buttery parsley potatoes, and nothing else is needed. The tip: gently shake the pan as the cutlet fries, so the hot fat washes over the top and the breading puffs away from the meat. Pork works beautifully if veal is hard to find or too pricey. Love German comfort food? See German dinners. Lemon squeezed on top..

You will need: 4 veal or pork cutlets (pounded 1/4 inch), salt, 1/2 cup flour, 2 eggs (beaten), 1 1/2 cups fine dry breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup oil, 4 tbsp butter, lemon wedges. Potatoes: 1 1/2 lb small potatoes, 3 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp chopped parsley

How to make it: 1. Boil the potatoes until tender and toss with butter and parsley. 2. Season the cutlets and dredge in flour, egg, then crumbs without pressing. 3. Heat oil and butter in a large skillet to 340°F. 4. Fry 2 to 3 minutes per side, shaking the pan, until golden and cooked through. 5. Drain briefly and serve with lemon and potatoes.

Hunter’s Schnitzel With Mushroom Gravy

In Germany, a crispy pork schnitzel smothered in creamy mushroom gravy is called hunter’s style, and it is pure cold-night comfort. The gravy softens the crust a little at the edges, which is exactly the point. Diners often pile crispy fried onions on the side with a crunchy cabbage salad. The tip: brown the mushrooms in the same pan after frying the cutlets, so the browned bits stuck to the bottom flavor the gravy. Serve with spaetzle, fries or mashed potatoes. Love a good pan sauce? See old-fashioned gravy recipes. Spaetzle or potatoes?

You will need: 4 pork cutlets (pounded thin), salt, pepper, flour, 2 eggs, breadcrumbs, oil for frying. Gravy: 2 tbsp butter, 8 oz sliced mushrooms, 1 small onion (diced), 2 tbsp flour, 1 1/2 cups beef broth, 1/2 cup cream

How to make it: 1. Bread and fry the cutlets 3 minutes per side until 145°F and keep warm. 2. In the same pan, melt butter and brown the mushrooms and onion. 3. Stir in flour and cook 1 minute. 4. Whisk in broth and cream and simmer until thick. 5. Spoon the gravy over the cutlets.

Creamy Mushroom and Bacon Schnitzel

This version leans even richer: a pale, silky cream sauce studded with mushrooms and little cubes of smoky bacon, poured over a golden pork schnitzel. Roasted baby potatoes and a few steamed vegetables round out the plate and soak up every drop. The tip: crisp the bacon first and cook the mushrooms in its fat, then add the cream and let it bubble for a few minutes until it coats a spoon. A pinch of nutmeg makes the sauce taste like a German inn. Love creamy dinners? See beef stroganoff recipes. Extra sauce on the side?

You will need: 4 pork cutlets (breaded and fried), 4 slices bacon (diced), 8 oz mushrooms (sliced), 1 small onion (diced), 1 cup heavy cream, 1/2 cup chicken broth, pinch of nutmeg, salt, pepper, chopped chives. Sides: roasted baby potatoes, broccoli and carrots

How to make it: 1. Cook the bacon until crisp and lift out. 2. Brown the mushrooms and onion in the bacon fat. 3. Add broth and cream and simmer 4 to 5 minutes until thick. 4. Stir in the bacon, nutmeg, salt and pepper. 5. Pour over the hot cutlets and finish with chives.

Holstein Schnitzel With a Fried Egg

Topped with a sunny fried egg, this cutlet is a hearty German and Austrian classic that feels like breakfast for dinner. The runny yolk turns into a rich sauce for the crisp crust, and a scoop of potato salad and a pile of greens keep the plate balanced. The tip: fry the egg in butter over medium-low heat and cover the pan for a minute, so the white sets while the yolk stays soft. Old-school cooks add capers and a few anchovies for the traditional touch. Love eggs for dinner? See steak and eggs. Runny or firm yolk?

You will need: 4 veal or pork cutlets (breaded and fried), 4 eggs, 2 tbsp butter, salt, pepper, 1 tbsp capers, lemon wedges, potato salad, mixed green salad

How to make it: 1. Fry the breaded cutlets and keep them warm. 2. Melt butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. 3. Add the eggs, season and cover 1 to 2 minutes. 4. Slide an egg onto each cutlet. 5. Scatter capers and serve with potato salad, greens and lemon.

Chicken Schnitzel With Cucumber Salad

Chicken breast pounded thin makes a quick, juicy cutlet that is perfect for busy weeknights. A cool, creamy cucumber salad keeps it fresh and light, and sliced tomatoes and a spoon of potato salad turn it into a full plate. The tip: butterfly thick breasts first, then pound them between plastic wrap to an even 1/4 inch, so they cook through to 165°F before the crust gets too dark. Love crispy chicken? See fried chicken recipes from around the world. Dill or chives in the salad?

You will need: 2 large chicken breasts (butterflied and pounded), salt, flour, 2 eggs, 1 1/2 cups panko, oil for frying, lemon. Salad: 2 cucumbers (thinly sliced), 1/2 cup sour cream, 1 tbsp vinegar, 1 tsp sugar, 2 tbsp chopped dill

How to make it: 1. Toss the cucumbers with a pinch of salt, drain 10 minutes and mix with sour cream, vinegar, sugar and dill. 2. Season and bread the chicken. 3. Fry in 1/4 inch of 350°F oil 3 minutes per side until 165°F. 4. Drain on a rack. 5. Serve with the salad and lemon.

Polish Kotlet Schabowy With Potatoes and Cabbage

Kotlet schabowy is the Sunday dinner of Poland and its own proud take on schnitzel, a breaded pork loin cutlet served with boiled dill potatoes and a heap of soft braised cabbage. Many families still make it every single week, and the smell of it frying means the full house will be at the table on time. The tip: fry in lard or a mix of oil and butter, which gives the crust a rich flavor and a deep golden color. Braise the cabbage low and slow with a little onion until sweet. Love Polish cooking? See cabbage rolls. Is this a Sunday tradition at your house?

You will need: 4 boneless pork loin chops (pounded thin), salt, pepper, 1/2 cup flour, 2 eggs, 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs, lard or oil and butter for frying. Sides: 1 1/2 lb small potatoes, fresh dill, 1 lb sauerkraut or shredded cabbage, 1 onion, 1 tbsp butter

How to make it: 1. Simmer the cabbage with sliced onion and butter for 30 minutes until soft. 2. Boil the potatoes and toss with butter and dill. 3. Pound, season and bread the pork in flour, egg and crumbs. 4. Fry at 340°F for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden and 145°F. 5. Serve with the potatoes and cabbage.

Japanese Tonkatsu With Shredded Cabbage

Tonkatsu is Japan’s answer to schnitzel: a thick slice of pork in shaggy, airy panko, served with a mound of finely shredded cabbage, rice and a sweet-tangy sauce. It is thicker than a Viennese cutlet but just as crunchy, and slicing it into strips before serving shows off the juicy center. The tip: make shallow cuts along the fatty edge so the pork does not curl, and double fry it briefly for an extra crisp crust. Love crunchy Japanese fried food? See egg katsu. Extra sauce?

You will need: 4 boneless pork loin chops (3/4 inch thick), salt, pepper, flour, 2 eggs, 2 cups panko, oil for frying, 3 cups finely shredded cabbage, steamed rice. Sauce: 1/4 cup ketchup, 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar

How to make it: 1. Score the edges, season and bread in flour, egg and panko. 2. Fry at 340°F for 4 minutes per side. 3. Rest 2 minutes, then fry 1 minute at 360°F until 145°F inside. 4. Stir the sauce together. 5. Slice and serve with cabbage, rice and sauce.

Pork Katsu Curry Over Rice

Katsu curry is a beloved Japanese comfort meal: a sliced panko pork cutlet laid over rice beside a pool of thick, mild curry sauce. It is warming, filling and kid friendly, and the gravy-like curry is nothing like a fiery Indian one. The tip: pour the curry beside the cutlet instead of over it, so the crust stays crunchy until the last bite. A grated apple simmered into the sauce adds natural sweetness. Chicken works just as well as pork. Love cozy curry nights? See Japanese curry. Mild or spicy?

You will need: 2 pork loin chops (pounded to 1/2 inch), panko, flour, 2 eggs, oil for frying, steamed rice. Curry: 1 onion, 2 carrots, 1 potato (diced), 2 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp flour, 2 tbsp mild curry powder, 2 cups chicken broth, 1 grated apple, 1 tbsp soy sauce

How to make it: 1. Cook the onion, carrots and potato in butter for 5 minutes. 2. Stir in flour and curry powder, then broth, apple and soy sauce. 3. Simmer 20 minutes until thick. 4. Bread and fry the pork to 145°F. 5. Slice and serve with rice and curry.

Katsudon, the Cutlet Rice Bowl

Katsudon turns a crispy pork cutlet into the coziest rice bowl in Japan. The sliced cutlet simmers for a minute with onions in a sweet soy broth, then softly set egg is poured over the top and everything slides onto a bowl of hot rice. It is a favorite way to use up a leftover tonkatsu, and the crust soaks up the broth like a sponge. The tip: drizzle the beaten egg in two stages, so part of it stays silky and barely set. Packing leftovers for lunch? See bento box lunches. Runny egg or set?

You will need: 1 fried pork cutlet (sliced), 1/2 onion (thinly sliced), 1/2 cup dashi or chicken broth, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sugar, 2 eggs (lightly beaten), 1 green onion, 1 1/2 cups hot steamed rice

How to make it: 1. Simmer the onion in broth, soy sauce and sugar in a small skillet for 3 minutes. 2. Lay the sliced cutlet on top. 3. Pour in two-thirds of the egg, cover and cook 1 minute. 4. Add the rest of the egg and cook 30 seconds more. 5. Slide over the rice and top with green onion.

Korean Donkatsu With Brown Sauce

In Korea, the breaded pork cutlet became donkatsu, a giant flattened cutlet blanketed in a glossy brown sauce and served with rice, a crunchy slaw and a pickle. It is a school-holiday treat and a family restaurant classic, and the sauce is sweeter and tangier than the Japanese one. The tip: pound the pork thinner than you would for tonkatsu, then cook the sauce with a little butter and flour so it clings to the crust. Love Korean snacks? See Korean corn dogs. Sauce on top or on the side?

You will need: 4 boneless pork chops (pounded thin), salt, pepper, flour, 2 eggs, 2 cups panko, oil for frying, steamed rice, cabbage slaw. Sauce: 1 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp flour, 1 cup beef broth, 3 tbsp ketchup, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp soy sauce

How to make it: 1. Bread the pork in flour, egg and panko. 2. Fry at 350°F for 3 minutes per side until 145°F. 3. Melt butter, stir in flour and cook 1 minute. 4. Whisk in broth, ketchup, Worcestershire, sugar and soy sauce and simmer until glossy. 5. Spoon over the cutlets and serve with rice and slaw.

Argentine Milanesa a la Napolitana

In Argentina, milanesa a la napolitana is a crispy cutlet topped with ham, a little tomato sauce and melted cheese, like a pizza and a cutlet in one. It is a favorite family dinner, usually served with a mountain of fries, and some homes add a side of buttered spaghetti too. The tip: whisk minced garlic and parsley right into the egg wash, as Argentine cooks do, which seasons the crust from the inside. Broil just until the cheese bubbles. Love Argentine flavors? See savory empanadas. Fries or mashed potatoes?

You will need: 4 thin beef or chicken cutlets, 2 eggs, 2 garlic cloves (minced), 2 tbsp chopped parsley, salt, breadcrumbs, oil for frying, 1/2 cup tomato sauce, 4 slices ham, 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella, fries to serve

How to make it: 1. Whisk the eggs with garlic, parsley and salt. 2. Dip the cutlets in egg, then in crumbs. 3. Fry 2 to 3 minutes per side until cooked through. 4. Top with a thin layer of sauce, ham and mozzarella. 5. Broil until bubbly and serve with fries.

Italian Cotoletta alla Milanese

Milan’s cotoletta is a veal cutlet pounded thin and fried in butter until deep golden, a close cousin of Wiener schnitzel, and Italians will happily argue about which came first. Nonna serves it with peppery arugula, ripe tomato and plenty of lemon, and some cooks add a spoon of tart berry jam on the side. The tip: fry in clarified butter, which gives a rich flavor without burning at frying heat. Pork chops make a budget-friendly swap. Love Italian classics? See Italian-American chicken dinners. Arugula or potatoes on the side?

You will need: 4 veal or pork cutlets (pounded thin), salt, 2 eggs (beaten), 1 1/2 cups fine breadcrumbs, 6 tbsp clarified butter, 2 cups arugula, 2 tomatoes (sliced), lemon slices, olive oil

How to make it: 1. Pound the meat thin and season it. 2. Dip in egg, then press into the crumbs. 3. Heat the clarified butter in a large skillet. 4. Fry 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. 5. Serve with arugula and tomato dressed with olive oil, plus lemon.

Indiana Pork Tenderloin Sandwich

The breaded pork tenderloin sandwich is a Midwest diner legend, with a cutlet so big it hangs far past the edges of the bun on every side. It is the Indiana and Iowa answer to schnitzel, usually served in a paper-lined basket with crinkle fries. The tip: cut the tenderloin into 4-ounce pieces and pound them very thin, about 1/4 inch, to get that famous oversize cutlet. Crushed saltines in the breading give the classic diner crunch. Top with pickles, onion and mustard. Love legendary sandwiches? See famous sandwiches. Mustard or mayo?

You will need: 1 1/2 lb pork tenderloin (cut into 4 pieces), salt, pepper, flour, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup milk, 2 cups crushed saltine crackers, oil for frying, 4 hamburger buns, pickles, sliced onion, mustard

How to make it: 1. Pound each piece to 1/4 inch. 2. Season and dredge in flour, then egg mixed with milk, then cracker crumbs. 3. Fry in 350°F oil 2 to 3 minutes per side until 145°F. 4. Drain on a rack. 5. Serve on buns with pickles, onion and mustard.

Cordon Bleu Schnitzel With Ham and Swiss

Cordon bleu tucks ham and melty Swiss cheese between two thin cutlets before breading and frying. It is a Swiss and Austrian restaurant favorite that feels special at home, and cutting it open at the table to show the layers never gets old. Boiled parsley potatoes, a lemon slice and a little dish of cranberry sauce finish the plate. The tip: press the edges together firmly and chill for 15 minutes before breading, so the cheese stays sealed inside as it melts. Love dinners with ham? See holiday ham recipes. Will you cut it open at the table?

You will need: 8 thin pork or chicken cutlets, 4 slices ham, 4 slices Swiss cheese, salt, flour, 2 eggs, 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs, oil for frying, boiled parsley potatoes, lemon, cranberry sauce

How to make it: 1. Lay ham and cheese on 4 cutlets, leaving a border. 2. Top with the other cutlets and press the edges firmly. 3. Chill 15 minutes, then bread in flour, egg and crumbs. 4. Fry at 330°F for 4 to 5 minutes per side until 165°F inside. 5. Drain and serve with potatoes, lemon and cranberry sauce.