Wiener schnitzel

June 19, 2016 by Caroline's Cooking

This Wiener schnitzel recipe takes me back to childhood visits to Austria. It's a classic Austrian dish, loved by children and adults alike. And for good reason: it's simple, comforting and delicious. Plus it's quick and easy to make at home.

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Wiener schnitzel on plate with potatoes and beans

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This time of year, we often head to Europe, in part to visit family and friends, but timing it with my husband's work trips. Three years ago, instead of visiting my parents in Edinburgh, we met them in Austria. It was a real trip down memory lane.

Austria holds a lot of memories for me as I used to go there with my parents most years for vacation/holiday in the summer, so it was great to re-live some of them with my husband and son.

plate with Wiener schnitzel, green beans and potatoes viewed from overhead

I was never much of a 'kids menu' kid - I was brought up eating the same as my parents and that didn't include many of the things typically on kids menus like chicken fingers or burgers.

In Austria, however, kids menus pretty much always include Wiener schnitzel. It's practically the national dish and also very child-friendly. It became something I looked forward to on our visits (along with Kaiserschmarrn, spaetzle, German pancake soup, and much more).

When we were visiting three years ago, we stayed at a bed and breakfast that had become somewhere we always went as part of our visits when I was a child.

The owner is such a character. She is so warm and welcoming, and I know my parents now certainly consider her a friend. When we all visited, she made Wiener schnitzel for us one night and it reminded me how tasty it can be.

plate of Wiener schnitzel, beans and potatoes

Is Wiener schnitzel made with pork or veal?

Traditionally, Wiener schnitzel is always veal. And in fact, to be called "Wiener schnitzel" it has to be made with veal, in Austria at least.

These days it's common to have a variation using pork or chicken since veal is more expensive. In Austria if it's not veal, it must always be labelled as the meat it is made from, eg 'vom schwein' (literally 'from pig') for pork.

The classic Wiener schnitzel recipe is a very simple dish, really, as you just bread and fry veal escalopes. You dip them in flour, then egg then breadcrumbs before frying them in butter (sometimes mixed with a little oil).

slices of veal, plate with flour, dish with egg and plate of breadcrumbs

Tips for making Wiener schnitzel

Make sure you handle the veal carefully and gently shake off excess at each step in dipping so you don't get clumps of flour/breadcrumbs.
Don't press on the breadcrumbs so the breading stays light and can ripple up a bit (mine didn't hugely here partly as I had less fine breadcrumbs).
Make sure you have enough butter/oil in your pan so that it doesn't go dry and toast. I know it can be tempting to cut back, as I often do, but the meat won't cook as well and the crumbs can burn as you try to get the meat cooked.

There is nothing more to it than that, except maybe a squeeze of lemon on top, which I always liked. Serve it with potato salad, fries, or potatoes with parsley. You might also get a side salad or vegetables like green beans or broccoli but nothing too complicated.

This Wiener schnitzel recipe takes me back to childhood and holds many memories for me. But even without the memories, it's one that anyone can enjoy. It is a simple but tasty and comforting dish, perfect for young and old alike.

Wiener schnitzel topped with slice of lemon with sides of beans and potatoes to side

Want to try more German and Austrian dishes? Try these!

Kaiserschmarrn (Austrian torn pancakes)
German pancake soup
Obatzda (German beer cheese dip)
Speckbohnen (German green beans)
Plus get even more ideas in the German recipes archives.

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