Schnitzel is just plain fun to say–kind of sounds like a sneeze doesn’t it? Guaranteed to make your child giggle; guaranteed to make everyone at the table who eats it smile. And at twenty minutes from stove to table, this pork schnitzel for kids couldn’t be easier–or faster–to make. The perfect weeknight family dinner doesn’t … nope, you just need to scroll down.
Just a breaded cutlet, you say–what could possibly make it so special? You do. It’s true that it’s pretty elemental, so much so that it barely needs a recipe: just pound, dip, fry. But the little tweaks you’ll find in the recipe below both bring out flavors fathers love and make it easier your child to love: mustard and soy added to the batter to amp up flavors; a simple apple and celery salad on the side or on top provides a sweet and tangy kick, while also serving as the serving of fruit and vegetables for the meal. Small tweaks, big payoff: bold flavor for you, gentle edges for them. The kind of dinner that disappears fast and makes you wonder why you don’t make schnitzel more often.”
This pork schnitzel for kids keeps things intentionally simple: thin pounded pork tenderloin, a quick three-part dredge, and a hot pan. Mixing soy sauce and mustard directly into the egg adds a savory tang that helps the crust brown deeply — the same trick used in many of the quick weeknight proteins on this site. Panko brings the light, ultra-crisp texture toddlers love, similar to the crunch in my Hide-Vegetables Cutlet and Broccoli Falafel. And with the apple-celery salad on top, you get built-in brightness and the fruit/vegetable component taken care of with almost no extra prep.
Can I use chicken instead of pork?
Yes — chicken cutlets or thinly sliced chicken breast work almost identically. Just pound them thin and follow the same dredge and fry steps.
What if I don’t have panko?
Regular breadcrumbs, crushed crackers, crushed cornflakes, or even very fine pretzel crumbs all work. Anything dry and crunchy will give you that crispy outer layer.
How do I keep the crust from falling off?
Two things help: (1) rest the breaded cutlets for 5–10 minutes before frying so the coating hydrates and sticks, and (2) don’t move the schnitzel once it hits the pan until it’s ready to flip.
How thin should I pound the meat?
As thin as possible — transparency around the edges is ideal. Thinner cutlets equal faster cooking and a more kid-friendly texture.
Can I make this ahead?
You can bread the schnitzel up to 12 hours in advance and refrigerate it. Fry right before serving for the crispiest results.
Does the apple-and-celery salad keep?
It does, but the apples will soften slightly. For best crunch, prep the salad right before serving or store the dressing separately.
This crispy pork schnitzel for kids cooks in minutes and gets a sweet, tangy lift from a simple apple-and-celery salad. Thin cutlets, quick pan-frying, and familiar flavors make it an easy weeknight win for the whole family.
If you pounded down the meat to super-thinness, your child will have no problem pounding down long strips of meat (a la katsu); if your meat is a bit thicker–and you’ll know because the center will be rosy–the meat will be chewier, and thus you’ll want more like small square pieces for them to eat. We love to eat the salad on top of the schnitzel–see photo–but your child will likely balk; any favorite condiment–ketchup, mustard, ranch–will do just fine here, though it’s plenty delicious with just lemon.
Schnitzel is typically made from crushed breadcrumbs, which you can easily do by throwing some old pieces of bread into a blender and buzzsawing until grainy enough to coat the pork; we also like to blitz the crumbs at the bottom of a Goldfisher container–and the big industrial-sized cartons will have enough shards down there to bread at least 2-3 tenderloin pieces–and use that as our breading. You can sub in turkey, chicken, or veal in place of the pork; the process and cooking time does not change.
Servings 8
Serving Size 1/2 schnitzel piece
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Brad (the Dad) is the founder and Chief Recipe Officer of New Dad's Kitchen. His own cooking/feeding journey started humbly during his son's infancy, preparing and managing his son's bottle intake in order to support his wife; it has since blossomed into a full-on passion to feed his child and family delicious and healthy meals that can satisfy both a toddler and his very tired parents.
