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Meat, European

Wiener Schnitzel with warm potato salad

Wiener Schnitzel is a thin veal cutlet coated in flour, egg and breadcrumbs, then fried golden in butter, serving 4 people in 45 minutes. It's a medium difficulty recipe, at €4.60 per serving. Success comes down to a light, never pressed breading that puffs up in the hot pan, and a skillet that stays properly hot.

Tonight I'm making you a real Wiener Schnitzel, a thin breaded veal cutlet fried golden in butter, with warm potato salad on the side.

Wiener Schnitzel with warm potato salad
Total time
45 min
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€4.60
Calories per person
660 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Spring, Fall, Summer
The kids
They generally like it

Under the golden, crisp coating, the veal stays thin and tender, almost melting. The trick is in the handling, breadcrumbs placed on but never pressed down, so they ripple and puff as they fry, forming the little waves that mark a real Wiener Schnitzel. A squeeze of lemon right before eating brightens everything without softening the crust.

This is a dish that works just as well for a relaxed Sunday as for a slightly dressier weeknight dinner. Kids love the crunchy coating, and the warm potato salad turns it into a full meal with nothing else to cook. Give yourself a bit of extra time to pound the cutlets properly, that step makes all the difference.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • thin veal cutlets 4

Pantry

  • flouroften in the pantry 4 tbsp
  • breadcrumbsoften in the pantry 150 g
  • clarified butter or oiloften in the pantry 10 cl
  • beef brothoften in the pantry 10 cl
  • vinegaroften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Dairy

  • eggs 2

Fruits and vegetables

  • lemon 2
  • waxy potatoes 1 kg
  • onion 1
  • parsley 4 sprigs

Allergens Gluten, Eggs, Lactose, Celery

The step by step recipe

  1. Cook the potatoes, peel them and slice them. Mix hot broth, vinegar, oil and chopped onion, pour over the potatoes. 25 min

    The dressing should be fully absorbed, let the potatoes sit for 15 minutes.

  2. Pound the cutlets between two sheets of parchment paper until about 4mm thick, season with salt and pepper.

    Tap gently with the flat side of the mallet so you don't tear the meat.

  3. Coat them in flour, then in beaten eggs, then in breadcrumbs without pressing down.

    Keep one hand for the dry ingredients and one for the wet, you'll avoid breaded fingers.

  4. Fry them in a large skillet of hot fat until golden, shaking the pan so the coating puffs up. 8 min

    About 2 minutes per side, the coating should ripple.

  5. Drain on paper towels, serve with lemon wedges, parsley and the potato salad.

    Squeeze the lemon right before eating, not earlier, or the coating softens.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick veal cutlets that are genuinely thin, under 4mm, otherwise the meat won't cook through before the coating browns too much.
  • Use clarified butter rather than regular butter, it handles higher heat without burning and gives a deeper golden crust.
  • Never pierce the meat while it cooks, flip the cutlet with tongs or by sliding a spatula under it to keep the coating intact.

The variations

  • Swap the veal for chicken or turkey cutlets for a cheaper version, the cooking time stays almost the same.
  • For a vegetarian version, bread and fry slices of steamed celeriac, the tender texture comes surprisingly close to veal.
  • For kids in a hurry, cut the veal into small breaded strips instead of whole cutlets, they cook faster and are easy to eat with fingers.

What to serve it with

  • A glass of dry white wine
  • A lemony green salad
  • Cranberry or lingonberry compote

Storage

The potato salad keeps for 2 days in the fridge in a sealed container. The breaded schnitzel also keeps for 2 days but loses its crunch, reheat it in a skillet or oven rather than the microwave. Raw breaded cutlets don't freeze well, it's better to fry them first if you want to freeze leftovers.

Questions about this dish

Can you bread the cutlets ahead of time?

You can bread the cutlets up to an hour ahead and keep them on a rack in the fridge. Don't bread them too far in advance, the crumbs turn damp and lose their crunch.

Why shake the pan while frying?

Shaking the pan pushes hot fat under the breading and makes it lift slightly away from the meat. That's what creates the signature ripples of a real Wiener Schnitzel.

Can you use a different meat instead of veal?

Yes, chicken or turkey work well and give a similar result. That version is usually called Schnitzel Wiener style rather than true Wiener Schnitzel, which traditionally means veal.

Why does the potato salad need to be warm?

Warm potatoes soak up the vinegar and broth dressing much better than cold ones. That's why the dressing goes on right after cooking, while the potatoes are still hot.

How long does it take to make a Wiener Schnitzel, breaded veal cutlet, with a warm vinegar potato salad and lemon?

Count 45 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a Wiener Schnitzel, breaded veal cutlet, with a warm vinegar potato salad and lemon?

About 660 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a Wiener Schnitzel, breaded veal cutlet, with a warm vinegar potato salad and lemon cost?

About €4.60 per serving, or €18.40 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, eggs, lactose, celery. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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