Jägerschnitzel or Hunter’s Schnitzel is a German dish made with breaded pork cutlets and delicious mushroom gravy. Everyone knows how delicious breaded Schnitzel is, but combined with this bacon mushroom gravy – it takes it to another level. I truly believe it’s one of the best dishes of all time and a must-try if you haven’t already!
What is Jägerschnitzel?
Jägerschnitzel is a pork cutlet served with mushroom gravy. People often argue if the Schnitzel should be breaded or not breaded but in restaurants in Germany you can see both versions. For me, breaded version is so much better, and don’t worry – it won’t get soggy from the sauce (at least not instantly!).
What is the difference between Wienerschnitzel and Jagerschnitzel?
The first thing you need to know is that German Schnitzel is NOT the same as Wiener Schnitzel (Viennese Schnitzel), which is a national dish of Austria. Most people will tell you that the difference is just the choice of meat, pork for German Schnitzel and veal for Wiener Schnitzel, but it’s so much more.
Jägerschnitzel is simply breaded (or not) pork Schnitzel (cutlet) served with mushroom gravy.
If you’d like to read more about Schnitzel, here is an article about what is Schnitzel and about the different kinds of Schnitzel.
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make Jäger sauce/gravy:
- you can use any mushrooms here but regular button mushrooms work great, alternatively, you can use cremini (baby bella) mushrooms, when chanterelle mushrooms (Pfifferlinge) are in season the Jägerschnitzel is often served with chanterelle mushroom sauce
- instead of sour cream, you can use creme fraiche
- tomato paste deepens the flavor of the sauce but it won’t taste like tomatoes
Here’s what you need to make breaded Schnitzel:
- boneless pork chops – you can also use chicken breast or turkey breast, bone-in pork chops can also be used
- fine breadcrumbs – you could also use Panko breadcrumbs for more crunch but if you’re going for an authentic flavor, you have to use fine, unseasoned breadcrumbs
- for frying the cutlets: clarified butter called Butterschmalz in German is absolutely the best cooking fat for Schnitzel. The richness and flavor are just unbeatable. You can buy it or make homemade clarified butter (make sure to strain it really well if using it for this recipe). You can’t use regular butter – it would burn very quickly. You can also use any high smoke point vegetable oil such as canola oil, sunflower oil, or peanut oil. You can also use lard
- eggs, flour, salt, and pepper
How to make Jägerschnitzel step by step
It’s important to make the sauce first and the Schnitzel just before serving. Freshly cooked Schnitzel tastes best and you can always reheat the sauce!
Make the mushroom gravy
STEP 1: Prepare the ingredients: Chop the mushrooms into thick slices (about 1/4 inch or 6mm), dice the onion and bacon.
STEP 2: Cook the mushrooms: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan over medium-high or high heat (depending on how powerful your stovetop is). Add the mushrooms in an even layer and don’t stir for the first 1-2 minutes letting the mushrooms at the bottom brown. Start stirring the mushrooms – they will start to release water. Cook them, stirring from time to time, for 2-3 minutes or until all the water is evaporated. When all the water is gone, spread the mushrooms in an even layer and don’t stir for a minute letting them brown again. Then cook just briefly over high heat to brown the mushrooms a bit more. The mushrooms should be browned and still a bit crunchy. Transfer the mushrooms to a plate.
STEP 3: Add butter and bacon to the pan. Cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until bacon is just lightly browned. Add onions and cook for a couple of minutes or until onions are softened and bacon golden brown.
STEP 4: Add thyme, paprika, and tomato paste. Cook for a minute.
Add flour and cook for a minute.
STEP 5: Add beef broth and Worcestershire sauce.
STEP 6: Cook until the sauce is thickened, about 3-4 minutes.
STEP 7: Temper sour cream: add it to a small bowl with 2-3 teaspoons of sauce and stir until combined. Add tempered sour cream to the sauce and whisk until combined.
Note: tempering sour cream is necessary. If added directly to a hot sauce it will curdle – the sauce will taste the same but it will have small white specks of cream in it. If this has happened to you, you can always strain the sauce through a sieve, mix the liquid with a blender and add the mushrooms/onion/bacon back to it.
Add the mushrooms back to the pan and stir to combine.
STEP 8: Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Make pork Schnitzel
STEP 9: Pound the meat into thinner cutlets
Place a thick plastic bag over pork chops and pound them with a meat mallet into a thickness of about 1/4 inch (6mm). Season on both sides with salt and pepper.
Pound the meat gently and make sure to not make holes. I like to use the ridged side of the meat mallet to tenderize the meat but I’m being careful. You can also use the flat side that won’t make any holes.
STEP 10: Bread the cutlets
Prepare your breading station: Prepare two shallow bowls or plates – add flour to one plate and the breadcrumbs to the other. Prepare one deeper plate for the eggs – beat the eggs with a fork.
Dredge one cutlet in flour on both sides, shake off excess flour.
Dip the cutlet in beaten eggs.
Coat in breadcrumbs (don’t press the breadcrumbs into the cutlet). Place on a clean tray and repeat with the remaining cutlets.
STEP 3: Fry the Schnitzel
Heat clarified butter or frying oil in a large frying pan over medium heat – at least 3/4 of the thickness of the Schnitzel.
When the oil is hot (you can throw a pinch of breadcrumbs into the oil – if they’re foaming intensely, the oil is ready) – place one or two Schnitzel in the pan (depending on how big is your pan) and cook on both sides until golden brown and cooked through in the middle.
Transfer to a plate or a wire rack and repeat with the remaining cutlets.
Serve right away with lemon wedges/slices and enjoy!
Serve
Serve the Schnitzel with the sauce – pour just a small amount of sauce over the Schnitzel (so it stays crispy) and the rest on the side.
Enjoy!
What to serve it with
- potato-based side dishes: boiled potatoes, mashed potatoes, pan-fried potatoes (Bratkartoffeln), fries, German potato dumplings, or potato salad
- cucumber salad: German cucumber salad (vinegar-based) or creamy cucumber salad
- German braised red cabbage
- Spätzle
- Green beans almondine
Storage
Mushroom sauce: store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. It can be easily reheated. I can not be frozen (the sauce will split).
Schnitzel:
Freshly cooked Schnitzel tastes best and there is no way around it. If you want to store it or freeze it here’s how:
How to store breaded cutlets: Breaded Schnitzel should be cooked right away or the breading will get soggy and won’t be crispy. If you have breaded the cutlets but can’t cook them right away, here’s what you should do: lay the breaded cutlets on a tray, cover with plastic foil, and put in the fridge. You can cook them a couple of hours later or the next day. Take the cutlets out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you plan on cooking them. After this time, coat the cutlets again in breadcrumbs and pan-fry.
How to store breaded and cooked cutlets: Leave the cutlets to cool then put in a tightly closed container or wrap in plastic foil. Reheat the next day in a dry non-stick pan (or use a small amount of oil) and warm up over medium heat on both sides until warm. You can also reheat them in a 320°F (160°C) oven or air fryer.
How to freeze Schnitzel: cook the Schnitzel making sure to not brown them too much, let cool. Place on a baking sheet and put in the freezer. When the cutlets are frozen you can transfer them to bags/containers. When ready to eat, thaw the cutlets in the fridge then warm them up in a small amount of oil in a frying pan. Cook the cutlets over medium heat for about 20 seconds on one side, then about 20 seconds on the other side, just until warm.
Top tips for cooking perfect Schnitzel
- if using pork meat it needs to be pounded thinly – don’t leave it too thick or it won’t have enough time to be cooked through
- the oil and pan should be really hot before adding Schnitzel (or the Schnitzel will stick to the pan/breading won’t be crispy)
- season the meat well with salt and pepper
- for an authentic flavor use fine breadcrumbs (not panko)
- if you want a light breading – don’t press the breadcrumbs into the meat, on the other hand – if you want thick breading, you can press the breadcrumbs and additionally, bread the cutlets a second time (just the eggs and breadcrumbs, without the flour)
- use enough oil for the Schnitzel to ‘swim’, this is about 1/2 to 3/4 of the thickness of the Schnitzel
- adjust the heat (it may vary depending on how powerful your stovetop is) – the heat should be high in order to get crispy and browned coating that is not soggy and oily but it can’t be too high or your Schnitzel will be browned on the outside but not cooked through in the middle
- don’t let the Schnitzel sit on the counter – fry it as quickly as possible
- Pound the meat gently and make sure to not make holes. I like to use the ridged side of the meat mallet to tenderize the meat but I’m being careful. You can also use the flat side that won’t make any holes.
Did you make this recipe? RATE THE RECIPE or tell me in the COMMENTS how you liked it! You can also add a photo of your dish. It would make me very happy and will help other readers. Thank you!!
Jägerschnitzel (Hunter’s Schnitzel)
Ingredients
for the breaded Schnitzel:
- 4 boneless pork chops
- 1/3 cup (40g) flour
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup (120g) fine breadcrumbs
- salt and pepper to taste
- clarified butter or oil for frying
for the mushroom bacon gravy:
- 2 tablespoons frying oil
- 1 lb (450g) button mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 4 slices (60g) bacon
- 1 medium onion
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- pinch of paprika
- 2 teaspoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 1/2 cups beef broth
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tablespoons sour cream or creme fraiche
- salt and pepper to taste
- chopped parsley to serve
Instructions
Make the sauce:
- Chop the mushrooms into thick slices (about 1/4 inch or 6mm), dice the onion and bacon.
- Cook the mushrooms: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan over medium-high or high heat (depending on how powerful your stovetop is). Add the mushrooms in an even layer and don’t stir for the first 1-2 minutes letting the mushrooms at the bottom brown. Start stirring the mushrooms – they will start to release water. Cook them, stirring from time to time, for 2-3 minutes or until all the water is evaporated. When all the water is gone, spread the mushrooms in an even layer and don’t stir for a minute letting them brown again. Then cook just briefly over high heat to brown the mushrooms a bit more. The mushrooms should be browned and still a bit crunchy. Transfer the mushrooms to a plate.
- Add butter and bacon to the pan. Cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until bacon is just lightly browned. Add onions and cook for a couple of minutes or until onions are softened and bacon golden brown.
- Add thyme, paprika, and tomato paste. Cook for a minute.
- Add flour and cook for a minute.
- Add beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Cook until the sauce is thickened, about 3-4 minutes.
- Temper sour cream: add it to a small bowl with 2-3 teaspoons of sauce and stir until combined. Add tempered sour cream to the sauce and whisk until combined.
- Add the mushrooms back to the pan and stir to combine.
- Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Prepare the Schnitzel:
- Place a thick plastic bag over pork chops and pound them with a meat mallet into a thickness of about 1/4 inch (6mm). Pound the meat gently and make sure to not make holes. I like to use the ridged side of the meat mallet to tenderize the meat but I’m being careful. You can also use the flat side that won’t make any holes.
- Season the cutlets on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Prepare two shallow bowls or plates – add flour to one plate and the breadcrumbs to the other. Prepare one deeper plate for the eggs – beat the eggs with a fork.
- Bread the Schnitzel: dredge one cutlet in flour on both sides, shake off excess flour. Dip in the beaten egg then coat in breadcrumbs (don’t press the breadcrumbs into the cutlet). Place on a clean tray and repeat with the remaining cutlets.
- Fry the cutlets: heat clarified butter or frying oil in a large frying pan over medium heat – at least 3/4 of the thickness of the Schnitzel. When the oil is hot (you can throw a pinch of breadcrumbs into the oil – if they’re foaming intensely, the oil is ready) – place one or two Schnitzel in the pan (depending on how big is your pan) and cook on both sides until golden brown and cooked through in the middle.
- Transfer to a plate or a wire rack and repeat with the remaining cutlets.
Serve:
- Serve the Schnitzel with the sauce – pour just a small amount of sauce over the Schnitzel (so it stays crispy) and the rest on the side.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- It’s important to make the sauce and any other sides first and the Schnitzel just before serving. Freshly cooked Schnitzel tastes best and you can always reheat the sauce!
- Calories = 1 serving (1/4 of the recipe). This is only an estimate!
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