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    Home » Main Dishes

    Czech Style Wiener Schnitzel (Weinersnitchel) – Vídeňský řízek

    Published: Apr 2, 2020 · Modified: Jan 26, 2022 by Petra Kupská

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    Schnitzel (řízek in Czech) is a dish that exists in almost all Central European countries, including the Czech Republic. Germans, our neighbors to the west, are proud of their German-style Schnitzel. Austrians, our neighbors to the south, are fond of their authentic Wiener Schnitzel.

    wiener schnitzel vídeňský řízek Weinersnitchel

    We, Czechs, know and love both of these variations. In this article, you’ll find the recipe named after the capital city of Austria: Wiener Schnitzel.

    MY TIP: Try also this chicken schnitzel (it tastes delicious!)

    Table of Contents hide
    What Is Wiener Schnitzel?
    Origin
    Pronunciation
    Ingredients
    Instructions
    Side Dishes
    FAQs
    Vídeňský řízek – Czech Wiener Schnitzel (Weinersnitchel)

    What Is Wiener Schnitzel?

    Wiener Schnitzel is a slice of veal leg, lightly pounded, ¼ inch thick at most. It is dredged in flour, then dipped in beaten eggs, and finally coated in breadcrumbs.

    Breaded Wiener Schnitzel is normally fried in a thick layer of fat. However, clarified butter is recommended for the best taste.

    Origin

    Wiener Schnitzel got its name after Vienna, the capital city of Austria.

    Austria is a small country in Europe, a southern neighbor of the Czech Republic. Czechs were a part of the Austria-Hungarian Empire for four centuries until 1918, so the Czech cuisine is partly based on the Austrian one.

    Although Wiener Schnitzel belongs among Austrian national meals, it’s well known in the Czech Republic too. In Czech, we call it vídeňský řízek (a literal translation).

    Sometimes, the origin of the Wiener Schnitzel is attributed to Germany, but that’s not correct. Germans have their own German style Schnitzel, which is made out of pork.

    Tip: Learn how to make řízek, Czech breaded pork

    Pronunciation

    The pronunciation of the word Wiener Schnitzel can be tricky. In Austria, where the Wiener Schnitzer originates, they speak German. You have to pronounce it like this: /ˈviːnər ˈʃnɪtsəl

    The English incorrect distortion of the word, Weinersnitchel (apparently a transliteration), is also common.

    In the Czech Republic, Wiener Schnitzel is translated as vídeňský řízek, and pronounced viːdɛɲski r̝iːzɛk.

    Ingredients

    • Veal; I prefer cutlets
    • Breadcrumbs
    • All-purpose flour
    • Eggs; cracked in a bowl, lightly beaten with a fork
    • Vegetable oil; for frying – some famous cooks recommend clarified butter or pork lard to fry Wiener Schnitzel

    Instructions

    1. Pound the veal cutlet to a slice about ¼ inch thick.
    2. Salt the slices from both sides.
    3. Coat the meat in flour, then in beaten eggs, and lastly in breadcrumbs.
    4. Fry it in a pan in a thick layer of fat (clarified butter is ideal) on both sides.
    5. Put the finished Wiener Schnitzel on paper towels in order to drain off the excess fat.
    6. Eggs should be only lightly beaten with a fork, and never blended or mixed.
    7. Don’t press the meat when coating it in breadcrumbs, just dust it a little.
    8. Fry the Schnitzel in a pan.
    pounding wiener schnitzel

    Side Dishes

    A typical side dish are potatoes prepared in various ways. In Vienna, they usually serve it with a light potato salad without mayonnaise - the Viennese salad.

    Wiener Schnitzel tastes great with boiled potatoes or mashed potato puree. It also goes well with crushed potatoes (Czech šťouchané brambory) or parsley potatoes.

    FAQs

    Can I Make Wiener Schnitzel From Pork?

    If you wanted to use pork for the Wiener Schnitzel, it wouldn’t be a Wiener Schnitzel, but a German Schnitzel. It is prepared very similarly; the main difference is the meat used: Wiener Schnitzel can be made only from veal.

    How Thick Should Veal Slices Be for Wiener Schnitzel?

    After pounding, veal slices should be ¼ inch thick at most. If you have a thicker slice of meat, you can cut it carefully (but don’t finish it!) and then open it up as a book. Professional cooks commonly prepare the Schnitzel this way, and then it’s so large that it will cover a large chunk of your plate.

    wiener schnitzel weinersnitchel recipe

    Vídeňský řízek – Czech Wiener Schnitzel (Weinersnitchel)

    The Austrian national dish, traditionally made from veal cutlets.
    5 from 1 vote
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    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes
    Servings: 2
    Author: Petra Kupská
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Czech
    Keyword: Vídeňský řízek, Weinersnitchel, Wiener Schnitzel

    Ingredients

    • 2 veal cutlets each about 6 oz
    • 2 eggs
    • ⅓ cup (45 g) all-purpose flour
    • ¾ cup (90 g) breadcrumbs
    • vegetable oil for frying, or clarified butter / pork lard

    Instructions

    • Cover the slice of veal with a plastic wrap and pound it until it’s thin. Thanks to the plastic wrap, you won’t damage the surface of the meat, and cleaning up the kitchen worktop later will be a lot easier.
    • Prepare the ingredients for coating. When coating it in flour and breadcrumbs, a sheet of aluminum foil has proved the best for me. Whip the eggs with a fork in a large shallow bowl (the pounded slices of meat get larger).
    • Coat the meat in the flour first, then put it in the whipped eggs and lastly, coat it lightly in the breadcrumbs. Don´t press the breadcrumbs into the meat slices.
    • Heat a large amount of fat in a pan.
    • Fry the Wiener Schnitzel in a thick layer of fat on both sides (it shouldn’t stick to the bottom of the pan) until it turns golden brown.
    • After taking it out of the pan, place the Wiener Schnitzel on a paper towel to drain off the excess fat.

    Notes

    Serve with your choice of a potato side dish and garnish the Wiener Schnitzel with slices or edges of lemon.

    DISCLAIMER: Because I come from Central Europe, my recipes are based on metric units such as grams or milliliters. Check out how I convert metric units to the U.S. system:

    Conversion chart
    Do you like the recipe?I would be happy for your feedback! Please, rate the recipe and share your opinion or questions in comments bellow. Thank you very much.

    Don´t miss these Czech delicious dishes:

    • Vepřový řízek – breaded and fried pork Schnitzel
    • Smažený sýr – fried cheese, Czech favorite "smažák"
    • Holandský řízek – Holland or Dutch Schnitzel with grated cheese
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    More Czech Main Dishes

    • French Potato Gratin (Czech Francouzske brambory)
    • Pork Liver with Gravy (Onion and Bacon Included)
    • Mushroom Bread Pudding (Czech Hubník)
    • Ham, Sauerkraut and Potato Dumplings (Czech Strapacky)

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Suzanne

      January 28, 2022 at 8:24 am

      5 stars
      I have made this recipe. I did press down on the breadcrumbs though. I also mixed the eggs well. Saw no
      difference in the appearance or taste. It was crisp and the coating rose very well like your picture. Delicious with lemon. I made parsley potato balls with Yukon Gold small potatoes.
      I fried the veal in oil. It swam in it and I used wooden paddle sticks to turn it gently. The lemon was very nice on it. Thank you kindly

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská

        January 30, 2022 at 2:27 am

        Thank you, Suzanne, for your nice feedback!

        Reply
        • Lynn

          December 25, 2022 at 6:00 pm

          This was my 1st time making schnitzel. We love eating this at our favorite German restaurant and i was excited to make this for our Christmas dinner. I must say it was quite good.
          I followed the recipe exactly. I used crisco for my frying oil. I will add seasoning to the flour next time I make this tho... ( garlic powder, onion powder, parsley salt, pepper )
          A bit bland. I served this with twice baked potatoes, beets and creamed spinach. This will definitely be in our menu rotation. TFS !!
          Merry Christmas!!

          Reply
          • Petra Kupská

            December 29, 2022 at 8:10 am

            Thank you for your insightful comment, Lynn!

            Reply

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    Hi there, I’m Petra, a self-taught home cook and a Czech mom of two teen boys with more than 20 years of cooking experience. I am here to share traditional recipes from the Czech Republic, a small country in the very heart of Europe.

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    Hi there, I’m Petra, a self-taught home cook and a Czech mom of two teen boys with more than 20 years of cooking experience. I am here to share traditional recipes from the Czech Republic, a small country in the very heart of Europe.

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