Wiener Schnitzel
Also known as Viennese schnitzel
Veal cutlet pounded thin, breaded and fried golden.
About Wiener Schnitzel
The Wiener Schnitzel is Vienna’s culinary calling card: a veal cutlet pounded wafer-thin, dredged in flour, egg and fine breadcrumbs, then fried in plenty of hot fat until the coating puffs into a crisp, blistered golden shell that lifts away from the meat. That airy, wrinkled crust — achieved by basting the cutlet as it fries so the crumb “soufflés” — is the mark of the real thing. It arrives with nothing more than a wedge of lemon, and is traditionally partnered with parsley potatoes, a cool potato salad, or a spoonful of lingonberry jam.
Authenticity is taken seriously: under the Austrian food code, only a cutlet made from veal may legally be sold as “Wiener Schnitzel.” The popular pork version must be labelled Wiener Schnitzel vom Schwein or Schnitzel Wiener Art (“Viennese style”). Round out a Viennese meal with Tafelspitz or a slice of Sachertorte, and plan the trip with our 3 days in Vienna itinerary.
🏛️ History & Culture
History & Culture
A charming story claims that Field Marshal Radetzky brought the recipe back from Milan in the 1850s, and that the Wiener Schnitzel is simply a Viennese cousin of the breaded cotoletta alla milanese. It is a lovely tale — and almost certainly a myth. Food historians and linguists, notably Heinz-Dieter Pohl, have found no documentary evidence for the Radetzky legend, which only surfaced in the 20th century. Breaded, fried cutlets appear in cookbooks across Europe well before then, and the Milanese and Viennese versions most likely developed in parallel rather than one begetting the other.
What is certain is that the dish became a defining symbol of Viennese bürgerlich (middle-class) cooking and of the coffee-house-and-Beisl culture of the old Habsburg capital. Today it is served everywhere from humble neighbourhood taverns to grand institutions, and Austrians debate the correct frying fat (clarified butter versus lard), the ideal thinness, and whether the crust should be allowed to blister freely. For many travellers, a properly made Wiener Schnitzel in a wood-panelled Viennese Beisl is the single most memorable bite of a trip to Austria.
🍳 How to make Wiener Schnitzel
AI-assisted, not kitchen-testedWiener Schnitzel
A true Viennese classic: pounded veal cutlets coated in a crackling, blistered breadcrumb crust, fried until golden and served with lemon.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
Recipe ingredients
- 4 pieces (4 (about 5 oz each)) veal cutlets, from the top round or leg, each about 150 g; alternatively, pork cutlets may be used but must be labeled 'Viennese style'
- 100 g (¾ cup + 1 tbsp) all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs, beaten with a pinch of salt
- 150 g (1½ cups) fine breadcrumbs, ideally from stale white bread, finely ground
- 250 ml (1 cup) clarified butter or neutral oil, for frying; enough to float the schnitzel, about 1 cm deep
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
- 1 whole lemon, cut into wedges for serving
Steps
- 1 Place a veal cutlet between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound gently with a meat mallet or rolling pin to a thickness of about 3–4 mm (⅛ in). Repeat with remaining cutlets. Season both sides with salt.
- 2 Set up three shallow dishes: flour in one, beaten eggs in a second, and breadcrumbs in a third.
- 3 Dredge a cutlet in flour, shaking off excess. Dip into the egg, letting any excess drip off. Press into the breadcrumbs, turning to coat evenly, then gently pat so the crumbs adhere. Do not press hard; the coating should remain light. Place on a plate and repeat with the remaining cutlets.
- 4 In a large skillet or sauté pan, heat the clarified butter or oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers and reaches about 170°C (340°F). The fat should be at least 1 cm (½ in) deep.
- 5 Carefully slide one cutlet into the hot fat. Tilt the pan slightly and continuously spoon hot fat over the top of the cutlet while it fries — this basting makes the coating puff and blister. Fry until the underside is deep golden brown, about 2–3 minutes.
- 6 Flip the cutlet and continue frying, basting again, until the other side is equally golden and the meat is cooked through (internal temperature reaches 63°C/145°F), about 2–3 minutes more.
- 7 Transfer the schnitzel to a paper towel–lined plate to drain briefly. Do not cover it, as steam will soften the crust. Repeat with the remaining cutlets, ensuring the fat returns to temperature between batches.
- 8 Serve immediately, each schnitzel topped with a lemon wedge. Traditional sides include parsley potatoes, potato salad, or lingonberry jam.
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✅ Before you go to Austria
Round out your trip — most travellers book these alongside their trip.
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