Jägerschnitzel is a German dish of pounded and fried pork cutlets finished with a silky mushroom gravy. The contrast between the crispy breadcrumb crust and tender meat, topped with earthy mushroom sauce, makes this a classic comfort dish.
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Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic and mushrooms and cook until mushrooms have completely softened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Season with dried thyme and salt and pepper.
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the flour and stir to coat the mushrooms, cooking for about 30 to 60 seconds. Then stir in the tomato paste. Slowly pour in the white wine, stirring constantly to evenly dissolve the flour and tomato paste, and scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. It will still be quite thick.
Add the beef broth, a little at a time, stirring well until smooth. Raise heat to bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until the gravy has thickened. Stir in the cream to finish, if using. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Cover and keep the gravy warm until ready to serve. You can also gently reheat it if needed. If it thickens too much when reheating, add a splash of water or broth to thin it back out.
Trim the fat cap off the pork chops and discard. Place the pork chops one at a time between two sheets of plastic wrap on a large cutting board. Pound with the flat side of a meat tenderizer until about ¼-to-½-inch thick. Repeat with the remaining pork chops. Season pounded pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper.
Place the flour, beaten egg, and breadcrumbs in three separate shallow bowls or containers. Dredge the seasoned pounded pork chops first in the flour (gently shaking off excess), then the egg (let extra egg drip off), and finally the breadcrumbs (very gently shaking off excess). Make sure both sides are evenly coated during each step. Set aside on a sheet pan or tray.
Place a rack over a foil-lined sheet pan (for easy cleanup) and set it next to your stove. Add about ⅛-to-¼-inch oil to a deep heavy skillet and heat over medium-high heat (the depth will rise once you add the schnitzel to the pan). If you have a deep-fry thermometer, check the temperature–it should be 350°F (177°C). Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to cook the schnitzel in batches.
Fry the schnitzels for about 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until golden brown on both sides and cooked through. Transfer the fried schnitzels to the rack so excess oil can drip off. This will help keep the schnitzels crispy. You may keep the cooked schnitzels warm in a 200°F (95°C) oven while you finish cooking the rest of the pork cutlets.
Serve schnitzel with mushroom gravy spooned over the top, but don’t completely cover the schnitzel so it still remains crispy. You can also pour a small amount on top and serve the rest on the side. Finish with a garnish of chopped parsley.
Store cooled schnitzel and gravy separately in airtight containers for up to 3 days. Reheat schnitzel in a 350°F oven for 5–10 minutes to restore crispness; gently reheat gravy on the stovetop over medium-low heat.
meat tenderizer or mallet · deep-fry thermometer · deep heavy skillet
Schnitzel is a breaded, fried cutlet. Jägerschnitzel specifically means it's topped with jägersoße (hunter's sauce), a mushroom gravy made with mushrooms, onion, wine, and broth.
Yes. Pound and season them up to 2 hours ahead, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Dredge and fry just before serving for maximum crispness.
Fry for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden brown. The internal temperature should reach 145°F (63°C). Since pounded chops are thin, they cook quickly and evenly.
Yes. Prepare it up to 2 days ahead and store in the refrigerator. Reheat gently over medium-low heat; if it thickens too much, thin it with a splash of water or broth.
Heat the oil to 350°F (177°C). Use a deep-fry thermometer to check. The oil depth should be ⅛-to-¼-inch and will rise once you add the schnitzel.
