Sheet-Pan Crispy Pork Schnitzel  Recipe (2024)

I've been making pork and chicken cutlets/schnitzel for years in the oven using non-stick foil. It turns your baking pan into a skillet and allows you to throw away the mess. I've gotten excellent browning with this product and highly recommend it for use with a recipe like this.

I've preheated a pan in the oven with a cooling rack in it. When the pieces are coated and ready to go into the oven, quickly lightly grease or spray the cooking rack then put the pork on the cooling rack. Then half way through the cooking process quickly open the oven and flip the pork. This method has always resulted in crispy cooked pork.

Using a perforated pizza pan will help ensure that you get a crispy breadcrumb coat on the bottom of the schnitzel.

I used non-stick foil until I learned that it has a coating on it that transfers to the food!

Really? I agree that it's certainly not the same as traditional schnitzel, but do we need to be such purists when it comes to food and cooking? The recipe is called "Sheet-Pan Crispy Pork Schnitzel" not just schnitzel...so it's fairly obvious from the title that it's not a regular fried or "true" schnitzel. The point seems clear - to have an easy weeknight version that might also be a bit lighter than the traditional. No one is saying it's the same as Melissa Clark's version...except you.

Google pasture raised pork in your area and you'll find high quality meat from farmers who take good care of their stock. You'll have to pay a premium but it's worth it.

Why use foil to protect your pan when you could use parchment paper which can be composted (commercial composting process)? Foil can be recycled if it is completely cleaned before rolling into a ball to be recycled. Thus less work and less trash to go to the landfill.

No. No. No. There is no way oven-baked “schnitzel” can come close to the crispiness of Melissa Clark’s perfect method for chicken schnitzel, which one can easily use for pork, and produces a delightfully light and crispy crust. This is baked breaded pork. It is not schnitzel.

Super delicious. Make sure to salt and pepper the pork chops liberally because that’s the only time you salt it. The salad though adds a nice bit of acid to the dish. I omitted celery because I feel like celery always overwhelms dishes and added thinly sliced red onions. Will make it again!

I made this tonight pretty much as directed, with the slight modification of placing a lightly oiled baking rack inside the sheet pan, so heat could circulate under the breaded pork, and then cooking with the air fry function in my oven for 20 minutes at 400°. What emerged from the oven was crispy and nicely browned both top and bottom, tender, and juicy schnitzel. It's not quite the same as the schnitzel I've always made on the stovetop frying in oil, but boy is it close! And no mess, either.

I bake mine on a rack on a baking sheet.

Parchment works well…..

Like some others, I struggled with getting the coating to brown. Ultimately, I broiled it, and that worked well. Next time, I will bake for a shorter amount of time and finish up under the broiler. I only needed 1.5 cups of breadcrumbs.

Two words. Smoked paprika

You can also pretoast your breadcrumbs with a tablespoon of oil to give them a bit more flavour prior to breading. Using a wire rack in your sheet pan also allows for some air circulation so your bottom stays crispy instead of needing to oil the sheet pan, particularly if you have access to a convection oven.

Read the comments, and worked with what I had. Had frozen thin-cut pork, which I still pounded thinner. Used 1c panko, 1c breadcrumbs. Didn't have tomatoes or hearts of palm so just made do with celery, capers and brine. The major factor here was use of a cooling rack over the sheet pan. Cooked for 20 minutes, turned halfway. Came out PERFECT. Put the celery mixture on top when done, it still had a lot of crunch. Served with mushroom stroganoff and asparagus and it was a total hit!

Trust the process! I followed the instructions exactly and baked these on a rack. They crisped up and browned in 25 minutes and were delicious , juicy, crispy. Use the lemon for acid. I used nearly all the crumbs too.

Saved some cleanup by skipping flour + egg, coating the pork with mayo then into breadcrumbs (paprika + garlic powder). Agree with flipping halfway. I did bump up the temp a little. Nicely browned, meat did not dry out.

whisk the eggs, flour, garlic, oil, mayo all together. then put meat into that bowl and stir to coat. use tongs to pick up each piece of meat and plop into bowl of toasted breadcrumb, then put each piece on sheet pan. voila- clean hands!

Overall pretty good, but did not get the pork as thin as it should have been and ended up overcooking it but still was fairly tender. Spread some dijon on the cutlets before salt and pepper per someone's suggestion which I would do again. Elevated the pork on a cooking rack over a pan per advice but don't think I would do that again, would go for the parchment paper to get some oily crispiness on the pork. Served with brussel sprouts and twice baked sweet potatoes which were good compliments.

This is an easy-to-follow and quick to prepare recipe. I thought it turned out well and I'll make this recipe again. I've had schnitzel in a sidewalk cafe in Austria. Is this like that? No. Is it as good as Melissa Clark's recipe? Don't know; I've not made her recipe, although I have it in my NYT recipe box. But, this is a tasty and easy-to-make dish - thanks to the numerous tips from others down below - thank you all for sharing them.

really liked this one. Crisp outer layer, tender flavorsome inside. "Schnitzel with noodles..."

Cooked as described, served over a mushroom stroganoff-style sauce and noodles, family loved it. Of course it doesn't taste like a pan-fried schnitzel -- that's the point! I need something lighter without the calories from fat -- as well as the mess. Because my son is allergic to eggs I've had to find an alternative to egg dip for breading. A slurry of flour and water works perfectly (start with 2 parts water, 1 part flour but I generally need it to be thinner).

I don’t quite understand. The final coating is a mixture of panko and mayo? Doesn’t the mayo make the panko soggy? How can that make a crisp outer coat?

I’ve found that an easier pork schnitzel can be had by buying a pork tenderloin, cutting into 1-2 inch slices and pounding it down. Easier than dealing with rib bones, etc in my opinion and it makes a perfect schnitzel.

Delish made just like the recipe! Just a basic foil-lined baking sheet for 25 minutes and you're ready. A side of lightly fried spaetzle and it's 3 Michelin stars!!!

I found it a bit dry. Needs something.

I've made this several times now with the changes that I noted earlier, I have added dijon mustard to the eggs and a couple of tablespoons of water. I forgot the cornstarch one time and I definitely saw a difference in the crispyness. I also stopped pounding them, longer time in the oven allowed them to get browner.Now my favorite way to make schnitzel!

Excellent alternative to fried schnitzel (which is still the most flavorful), and most worthy of regular rotation in our board of fare! Yum!!!

Very good even though I forgot to pound the pork. Cooked it for 25 minutes and it was very tender and tasty.Added basil to the salad as I had some on hand which would go bad otherwise figuring it couldn't not work, and it was delish. Highly recommend and also pork is a cheaper meat which isn't too bad on the budget.