People say adding “French” to something doesn’t mean it’s better. But my passport would like to disagree! These schnitzels get a French flair with Herbes de Provence in the breadcrumbs. Now they’re French Pork Schnitzels – escalope de porc panées. Let’s go!
Nagi's Notes
You wouldn’t think that adding a few dried herbs into the breadcrumb would make such a difference to a schnitzel – but it does!! You can really smell and taste the herbiness, and it just makes the schnitty feel a little bit fancy. I got a bit obsessed with this one……and may or may not have been busted trying to sneak the last schnitzel home!
French Pork Schnitzel
Hi everyone, today we are making Pork Schnitzel the French way. Schnitzel is not classically French, but when I make it, I like to add French flavour to it. Sp instead of the usual plain breadcrumb coating, I add Herbes de Provence into it which gives the crust a beautiful unmistakably French aroma.
Herbes de Provence is probably the most used dry herb blend in France. It’s a mix of South of France herbs such as thyme, rosemary, oregano, savory or marjoram and is commonly used to season roast dishes. It can be surprisingly difficult to find outside of France but it’s very easy to make your own – here is my recipe.
Before being crumbed, the pork is pounded thin, so it cooks quickly but stays juicy inside, thanks to the crumb coating that traps the moisture. It’s shallow-fried in oil until the outside becomes crisp and golden, then finished the best way possible with a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of salt flakes.
Ingredients
Here is what you need to give regular Schnitzel a citizenship upgrade.
1. PORK
Pork schnitzel can be made from pretty much any pork chops or steaks suitable for quick cooking, such as:
sirloin steaks – This is my favourite cut because it’s lean and tender and it doesn’t have too much fat.
loin chops
loin medallions
loin steaks
sizzle steaks – Just make sure they are not pre-pounded less than 0.5cm / 2″, as that is too thin and it will overcook too quickly and dry out. Controlling the thickness yourself is a key to a juicy result!
If your pork has bone in it, just remove it and also trim off any excess fat. You could also cut pork tenderloin into medallions and make more smaller schnitzels. Pork scotch fillet (neck) would work too.
Slow cooking cuts such as shoulder are not suitable and pork belly is too fatty so I don’t recommend using these.
2. CRUMBING AND COOKING
Herbes de Provence – This is the key ingredient here, a classic French herb blend usually made from thyme, rosemary, oregano and either savoury or marjoram. It adds a lovely herbal aroma to the crust while it cooks. In Australia it’s only sold at specialty stores, so if you can’t find it, make your own. It’s really easy!
Plain flour (all-purpose flour) – The first step of the crumbing process. It helps the egg stick to the pork.
Eggs – Helps the breadcrumbs stick to the pork and creates the base of the crispy coating.
Panko breadcrumbs – Japanese-style breadcrumbs that are lighter and crispier than regular breadcrumbs. They create the extra crunchy crust we want for schnitzel. Like a lot of us, I moved on to Panko a long time ago! Just don’t tell Nagi, she has proud Japanese roots and will definitely find a way to use this against me! ☺️
Cooking salt / Kosher salt – Used to season the pork before crumbing. If you’ve only got table salt, halve the amount. For salt flakes, increase by 50%. (We also use some salt flakes at the end as a nice touch to enhance the dish.)
Black pepper – Just cracked black pepper, the one we always use.
Vegetable oil (or any other neutral flavoured oil) – Neutral oils are best for deep-frying. It won’t take over the flavour of the pork and herbs, and it will give a beautiful golden crust.
3. LEMON
A squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the end cut through the richness and really lifts the whole dish. It might seem small, but it plays a very important role. Don’t skip it! I know, often schnitzels are associated with gravy but you can trust me here. Lemon is the sauce and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
How To Make French Pork Schnitzel
Pound the pork thin, coat it in flour, egg and “French” breadcrumbs, fry until golden and crisp, then squeeze some fresh lemon juice over it! That’s it!
1. PREPARE THE PORK
Pound the pork – First remove any excess fat from around the pork if necessary, then place a pork steak between two sheets of baking paper or freezer bags (or, as I do, use “Go Between” freezer film). Make sure it sits neat and flat.
Now pound the pork using a meat mallet (a rolling pin or the back of a small frying pan work too!) until it is 0.5cm / 0.2″ thick. Be careful not to tear the pork. But if you do, it’s not the end of the world, you’ll just have a little hole in your schnitty!
Season – Sprinkle both sides with cooking salt and black pepper.
2. COATING
Prepare the crumbing station – Place the flour, eggs and panko breadcrumbs mixed with the herbes de Provence in three separate bowls. Make sure the bowls are large enough so you have enough room to easily coat the pork without struggling or making a mess. Chef tip, it is much easier to crumb the cutlets one by one so you can coat them evenly.
Flour – Use a tong to coat a pork cutlet in flour and shake off the excess.
Egg – Then dip it into the lightly whisked eggs. Allow the excess to drip off.
Breadcrumbs – Place the cutlet in the panko breadcrumbs mix then use your hand to sprinkle with panko. Press firmly to adhere so the crumbs stick well. Flip it and repeat with the other side.
Set aside – Place the crumbed pork on a tray and repeat with the remaining cutlets.
3. COOKING
Cook Schnitzels – Heat the oil in a frying pan (I use a 28cm / 11” one) over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, cook two schnitzels at a time for about 2 minutes per side until golden and crisp.
Transfer to a rack set over a tray and place in a pre-heated oven. This will keep them warm while you cook the rest.
Cook the remaining schnitzels.
Rest – Place the last two schnitzels on the rack and let rest 2 minutes. Squeeze over some fresh lemon juice, sprinkle with a pinch of salt flakes and enjoy!
How To Serve French Pork Schnitzel
Serve while hot and crisp. It doesn’t need a fancy sauce in my opinion, just lemon juice because otherwise it could easily take over the subtlety of the Herbes de Provence so the simpler the better. IF you are a big sauce lover and determined to not have it without one, I’d recommend gravy or honey mustard.
It’s pictured with my French bistro style Baby Gem Lettuce Salad. It works beautifully with mash potato (a classic!), roast potatoes, sautéed green beans with garlic or a simple rocket salad.
This French pork schnitzel is my little adaptation of a classic. The idea stays the same but with a small French twist thanks to the Herbes de Provence. Perfect for a midweek dinner cook with a slightly fancy touch. I really hope you get to try it! Add a glass of chilled Riesling on top of that and it will feel like the weekend just started. Bon appétit! – JB
FAQ – French Pork Schnitzel
Yes. Chicken breast or boneless thigh work very well and cook in about the same time.
You can, but panko breadcrumbs are best. They are lighter and create a much crispier crust.
Yes. You can crumb the pork up to 1–2 hours ahead and keep it in the fridge in a single layer ideally on a rack. This will help the coating to stay dry and prevent the breadcrumbs from absorbing too much moisture from the meat
Yes. Once crumbed, place the schnitzels in a single layer on a tray and freeze until firm. Then transfer to a freezer bag or airtight container. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw the schnitzel in the fridge on a rack before cooking. The rack allows air to circulate around the schnitzel, so the crumb stays drier and doesn’t become soggy as it defrosts.
Watch How To Make It
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JB’s French Pork Schnitzel
Ingredients
- 4 pork steaks or chops (125g to 150g / 4.4oz to 5.3oz each) (Note 1)
- 3/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
CRUMBING AND COOKING:
- 1/3 cup plain flour / all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs, lightly whisked , from large eggs (55g / 2oz each in shell)
- 1 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (Note 2)
- 3 tbsp herbes de Provence (Note 3)
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil , or any other neutral flavoured oil
TO FINISH:
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
- sea salt flakes
HERBES DE PROVENCE:
- 4 tsp dried thyme
- 3 tsp dried rosemary (Note 4)
- 1 1/4 tsp dried marjoram or savory , sub with more thyme or rosemary
- 3/4 tsp dried oregano
Instructions
ABBREVIATED RECIPE
- Pound pork to 0.5cm / 0.2″, season with salt and pepper. Coat in flour, egg, then panko mixed with herbes de Provence. Fry over medium-high heat 2 minutes per side until golden.
FULL RECIPE
PREPARATION
- Preheat the oven to 70°C / 160°F (all ovens).
- Pound the pork – Place the pork between two sheets of baking paper / parchment paper or freezer bags. (Note 5) Pound with a meat mallet until evenly 0.5 cm / 0.2 inch thick. (Note 6)
- Season – Season both sides with salt and pepper. Set aside.
CRUMBING AND COOKING
- Prepare the crumbing station – Place flour, eggs, and panko mixed with herbes de Provence in three separate bowls. (Note 7)
- Crumb – Coat pork in flour and shake off excess. Dip in egg and let excess drip off. Press into the breadcrumb mixture so it sticks well. Transfer on a tray and repeat with remaining pork.
- Cook the schnitzels – Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat, it should be 0.4cm / 0.15" deep. When hot, add 2 schnitzels. Cook 2 minutes until golden. Flip and cook the other side 2 minutes. Transfer to a rack over a tray and place in the warm oven. Repeat with the remaining two schnitzels. (Note 8)
- Rest and Serve – Let the schnitzels rest on the rack outside of the oven for 2 minutes before serving with a wedge of lemon and a sprinkle of salt flakes.
Recipe Notes:
- sirloin steaks – This is my favourite cut because it’s lean and tender and it doesn’t have too much fat.
- loin chops
- loin medallions
- loin steaks
- sizzle steaks – Just make sure they are not pre-pounded less than 0.5cm / 2″, as that is too thin and it will overcook too quickly and dry out. Controlling the thickness yourself is a key to a juicy result!
Nutrition Information:
Remembering Dozer
When the kitchen wasn’t dog-friendly, usually during deep-frying, we use to put tape on the floor. The “Dozer line”. That was his boundary. He’d (most of the time) sit just behind it, watching, smelling, waiting patiently, doing his best not to cross. Sometimes a paw crept forward. Then he’d look up at us, checking if it was ok. Of course it was. ♥️
Thank you for the Dozer memory. I laughed and smiled in between the tears!!
Thanks Marca ♥️♥️♥️
When I was younger, so much younger than today (thank you Beatles) I learned to make Pork Schnitzel Cordon Bleau. Absolutely loved it back then (early 80s). We paid money for it at restaurants. Had forgotten all about it till now. No cheese in yours ☹️ I loved the Swiss cheese. I’m definitely going to try your recipe because it is completely different. Thick chops, not skinny Schnitzel steaks. I already have the meat. 😁😁
Hi Colleen, shame on me that I haven’t put cordon bleu on my list yet. It is on now!Thank you for leaving a comment 🙂
Another great recipe! I made as written and served with roasted cauliflower (New York Times recipe). Quick and tasty! I used savoury in my Herbes de Provence. Mt. Scio Savoury from St. John’s Newfoundland, Canada is either the same as or very close to the French savory you mention. I always have it on hand and it’s a staple in Atlantic Canada cooking.
Hi Joyce, I so wish savory was easier to find here in Australia. But marjoram is a really good substitute. I’m happy you loved it!
Thank you JB and Nagi, tonight’s dinner sorted with a slightly different flair.
Thanks Ange! I hope you enjoyed! 🙂
Thanks for the recipe. Why is the recipe for Herbs de Provence listed here different to one you have a link to?
Hi Elizabeth, the quantities are different. The one here will make just enough for the schnitzels. The other one will make you extra.
Hey JB: Thanks much for your reply.
I thought there was lavender in Herbes de Provence?
Hi Sandy, traditionally no. Only dried herbs 🙂
When measuring ingredients I often confuse tbsp and tsp. Both seem to be arbitrary (spoon sizes vary) and more difficult to scale up or down … (a 1/4 tsp is too small to bother about and preparing for 30 servings requires some maths). A more “scientific” measure eg grams or millilitres makes more sense to me). Reading a recipe (with my aged eyes) it’s easy to mistake the difference the tiny “b” makes ( 30 tbsp is different from 30 tsp!).
I’m thinking of organising a protest group and marching to Parliament House demanding a rationalisation of this recipe standard. Anyone with me?
I used to teach typing, yes it was a thing people did, and when metrics were introduced to NZ we used ‘T’ for tablespoon and ‘t’ for teaspoon. I still use those abbreviations and it’s so clear. I sometimes see it on the web but not often.
Hi Peter, thank you for your message 🙂 For metric measurements, you can click on the “metric” button located next to “cups” under the ingredients title in the recipe card. Still in the recipe card, hover your mouse over the servings number and you’ll be able to scale the quantities up or down. Also regarding the size of the measuring spoons, they are usually always the same everywhere, the only exception to my knowledge is for tablespoon (20ml in the US and 15ml in Australia). Let me know if you have any questions!
We loved this! I bought herbes de Provence for a recipe a while back and haven’t used it again until today. The seasoning was perfect! This will definitely be a regular at our house. I love that you included Dozer!
Thank you Janet! I’m glad you put your Herbes de Provence to good use!!
Hello JB: Which oregano goes into the Herbes de Provence? Italian, Mediterranean, Greek? There’s also a Mexican. I want to purchase the right one for your recipe. Thanks! Karyn
Hi Karyn, we use Mediterranean oregano and Italian as a second choice.
Dear Nagi,
It’s nice to see you are finding comfort and smiles in looking back at Dozer’s special moments caught on camera.
I still can’t read your posts without tears so I can only imagine how hard it is for you.
Hang in there, we are all here with you.
Love to you all.
Thank you for leaving such a lovely message Antonietta ♥️ Dozer was really special to us.
Under 1. Pork I think you mean .2” not 2” cheers!
Thank you JB, I do love a pork schnitzel, and thanks for adding Dozer at the end as we all miss him so much.
You are very welcome Lucy 🙂
Argentina enters the room. Yes to the herbs, but no to the flour. They use fine dried breadcrumbs for the flouring stage, then egg and proceed as normal. Result is a crisper coated “Milanesa’. Variations on the herbs are chopped parsley and garlic in the egg dip, and finely grated Parmesan in the final crumbing.
What a treat! Just made this and it was SO delicious. First time using herbs de Provence and loved it — savory and slightly floral. Will definitely use this recipe again and again. Thanks, Chef!
Thank you Claire! I love that you loved it!!
Hi Maggie, what you’ve just described sounds super delicious! If I understood well, there is another breadcrumbs stage after the egg dip? breadcrumb – flour – breadcrumb?
Correct! I use fine dried crumbs for the first coat, and press them in firmly. This performs the same job as flour, but absorbs the juice from the meat better, without it becoming at all soggy, so when you dip the meat in the egg mixture it clings very well, and has the added benefit of being a little less messy. I usually use Panko crumbs for the second coat.
Aww… what a beautiful Dozer. Every time I get the Recipetineats newsletter, I look forward to seeing your photos. I know it’s supposed to be about recipes, but you’re truly special. You are greatly missed and always loved. ♥♥♥
Thanks for the pork schnitzel recipe—it looks delicious! I’m definitely going to make it!
Hi Emily, thank you for your kind comment about Dozer. He is missed by so many ♥️ I hope the you love the Schnitzels 🙂
I’m German so I’ve eaten my fair share of Schntizel over the course of my life but I’ve somehow never thought of adding herbes de provence to the breading – I’ll definitely try that out next time I make them!
Btw, has anyone else been having problems with the embedded recipe video? For the last couple of weeks, it’s only been showing me a white space where the video should be. I’ve been following this site since before Nagi even posted videos with her recipes and that’s literally never happened before! I didn’t change anything which could’ve prompted this change but when the problem persisted, I tried fiddling with my settings but nothing helped. Does anyone have any ideas?
Try using the Chrome Browser on the computer rather than firefox or other browser
Hi Myrin, thank you for your comment, coming from a German, it means a lot! Regarding. your video issue, it might be coming from your browser. Have you tried opening the page with another one?
And of course I managed to mistype “Schnitzel” in my comment, how embarrassing!
Anyway, for some reason, I had not even thought of trying another browser even though that’s an obvious solution, and indeed it worked! Thanks all for the tip!
It might require clearing cache on your browser.
Replacing the flour and egg step, I now use a slurry of cornstarch and chicken stock, then the panko step. Less messy and works well.
Hi Michael, I shall give this a go. Might be a game changer!
Thank you Nagi for all your wonderful recipes i get excited everytime i see an email from you. Please never stop showing pictures and stories of sweet Dozer he was also so very much a delight to read about and see him after your recipes.
Thank you for your lovely message Darlene 🙂
This was delicious!!
Thank you for trying it Fiona!
Aww, sweet Dozer. He knew he would always get a treat so he could be patient and wait behind the line.
I will try this schnitzel tomorrow. It looks delicious and perfect for our cold end-of-winter days.
He was really patient! But sometimes reminding us with a bark that patience has its limit 🙂 Please report back about the schnitzels!