Easy Low Carb Pork Schnitzel
Low carb pork schnitzel is an easy recipe and it’s perfect for the whole family.
These schnitzels are breaded with crushed pork rinds, and pan fried to perfection leaving a crispy crust and juicy center. Served with a creamy rosemary horseradish sauce this is full on keto comfort food!
Just 1.2g net carbs each of these schnitzels are a cozi keto friendly semi-carnivore feast!
Crispy low carb schnitzel sounds harder to make than it is, but this recipe is well worth it and makes great leftovers. The creamy rosemary horseradish sauce is ready in minutes and really brings this dish up a level.
What You’ll Love
- The pork is pounded into thin, tender cutlets that melt in your mouth
- Each schnitzel has less than 2g net carbs and can easily be carnivore friendly
- The crispy crust and juicy center is made even better by a simple rosemary horseradish sauce
Recipe TL;DR
- Crush pork rinds and mix with seasonings
- Pound steaks of pork loin until very thin and tender
- Dredge in beaten egg and pork rinds
- Fry 1-2 minutes per side until cooked through
- Enjoy!
What You Need to Know
Below is a deeper dive along with tips and tricks for each part of this recipe. If you want to make this recipe now use the button below to jump to the recipe card
Preparing the cutlets
While many cuts of pork work for this recipe, I prefer to use large cuts of pork loin or pork steaks for this recipe.
You can buy them already cut into steaks or save some money and buy a large pork loin and cut them yourself into 1″ [2.5 cm] thick slices.
Use the pointed side of a mallet meat tenderizer and pound the steaks on both sides until they are very thin. If you hold them up to the light you should be able to see some of the light glow through.
Tip: Wear an apron as the meat will splatter on you while you are pounding.
Some people will cover the meat in plastic wrap to avoid splash back, however when using the pointed end of the mallet small pieces of plastic can break off in the meat.
Crushing the pork rind breading
In order to make this recipe low carb, the crispy coating or “breading” used is finely crushed pork rinds.
As an added bonus this breading is also gluten free!
Tip: Fresh pork rinds are much easier to crush than stale ones which tend to be chewier.
There are 2 very simple methods for creating homemade pork rind panko (Crushed pork rinds for breading).
1. Food Processor
The simplest and fastest method is a food processor. This creates very fine crumbs similar to regular breadcrumb perfect for a crispy breading.
Simply add pork rinds to your food processor and blitz until they are the consistency of breadcrumbs.
Add any seasonings and blitz again to combine.
2. Rolling Pin and Freezer Bag
If you don’t have a food processor you can crush pork rinds using just a freezer bag and a rolling pin. This method creates a coarser but crunchier breading similar to panko.
Simply add pork rinds to a freezer bag and seal leaving a small opening for air to escape.
Begin to crush the pork rinds with your hands, and once they start to break down into smaller sizes, use a rolling pin, a wine bottle, or some type of cylindrical object to further crush the pork rinds into dust.
Empty crushed pork rinds onto a plate with your seasonings and combine well.
Tip: If you buy pork rinds in small bags, then you can crush them right in that bag. Just cut a little hole to let the air out so it doesn’t burst the bag.
Instead of Crushing Your Own Pork Rinds..
There is a store-bought option, you can buy pre-crushed pork rinds to save some time and mess.
This is usually called pork panko.
Seasoning the Breading
You can season the breading with whatever spices you prefer.
Carnivore option: If you are looking to make this recipe fully carnivore, or perhaps you feel unseasoned breading is closer to the authentic recipe, then you can omit them and it will still be delicious!
For this version I prefer a mix of:
- Onion flakes
- Garlic powder
- Thyme
- Basil
- Celery Salt
- Parsley
- Chili Flakes
- Salt
- Black pepper
Coating the cutlets
The seasoned pork rind breading is adhered to the tender cutlets with an egg dredge .
Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until beaten.
Dip the pork cutlets in the egg and allow any excess to drip away.
Firmly press the egg covered pork into the crushed pork rinds and shake gently to remove any excess breading
Set aside for frying
Tip: In place of beaten egg, you can brush the pork cutlets with mayonnaise just like my keto chicken finger recipe or keto chicken parmesan recipe.
Frying the Schnitzel
These schnitzels are shallow fried in a hot pan until crispy and cooked through.
Use a neutral oil for frying such as avocado oil. Ghee or butter can work as well.
Let the oil get nice and hot and carefully lay the schnitzel into the pan.
For the first side, fry for approximately 2 minutes and flip. The second side may only need 1 to 1 ½ minutes to cook.
The cutlets are so thin then cook through in no time.
Remove the cooked cutlets to a paper towel lined plate to drain and cool while you cook the rest.
Making the Creamy Horseradish Sauce
This part is optional and while not traditional this sauce goes really well with crispy pork schnitzel.
After chopping the rosemary and any other fresh herbs add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix together.
Preparing the sauce ahead of time and allowing it to sit will improve the flavour of the sauce.
Low Carb Pork Schnitzel with Rosemary Horseradish Sauce
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Equipment
- Knife and Cutting Board
- Food Processor optional
- freezer bag
- Meat Tenderizer
- Rolling Pin
- Frying Pan
Ingredients
Pork Rind Crusted Pork Schnitzel
- 6 oz pork rinds crushed
- 1 tablespoon onion flakes
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon thyme ground
- 1 teaspoon black pepper ground
- 1 teaspoon basil dried
- ½ teaspoon celery salt
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes optional
- 2 pounds pork loin
- 2 large eggs beaten
- salt and pepper to taste
- avocado oil/ghee/butter for frying
Rosemary Horseradish Sauce
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons horseradish prepared
- 3 tablespoon fresh rosemary chopped (or 1 tablespoon dried)
- 2 tablespoons fresh sage or basil optional
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pound the pork into thin cutlets. Using the pointed end of a meat tenderizer, pound the pork on both sides until they are very thin. ¼ inch [7mm] or thinner. If you can see light glowing through them they are thin enough. Set aside.2 pounds pork loin
- Crush the pork rinds into breading. To crush the pork rinds, use either a food processor or add the pork rind to a a freezer bag and crush with a rolling pin until they are the consistency of breadcrumbs. Don't seal the bag fully, leave a small gap for air to escape.6 oz pork rinds
- Season the breading (optional). If you choose to flavour your breading, add the onion flakes, garlic powder, thyme, basil, celery salt, salt, chili flake, and black pepper to the crushed pork rinds and combine well.1 tablespoon onion flakes, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon thyme, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon basil, ½ teaspoon celery salt, 1 teaspoon parsley, ½ teaspoon chili flakes
- Coat the pork cutlets. Add the eggs to a large bowl and whisk until beaten. Dip the pork cutlets in the beaten egg and allow the excess to drip away. Press the egg coated pork into the crushed pork rinds and press down firmly on each side to make sure they stick well. Shake gently to dislodge any excess and set aside for frying.2 large eggs
- Fry the Schnitzel until golden brown. Add some oil to a large pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot carefully lay the breaded pork into the oil and fry for approximately 2 minutes on the first side and 1 to 1 ½ minutes on the second side until the breading is golden brown and the pork is cooked through. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain, and sprinkle with salt.avocado oil/ghee/butter, salt and pepper
- Serve with a fresh lemon wedge and creamy rosemary horseradish sauce.
Creamy Rosemary Horseradish Sauce
- Chop the rosemary and any other fresh herbs until fine.3 tablespoon fresh rosemary, 2 tablespoons fresh sage or basil
- Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, horseradish, and chopped herbs to a bowl and combine well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Allow to sit at least 5 minutes before serving to improve the flavour.1 cup mayonnaise, ⅓ cup sour cream, 2 tablespoons horseradish, salt and pepper
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated using the recipe calculator and verified database available from Cronometer. Although every reasonable effort is made to provide accurate information this estimate is provided as courteously and convenience only. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
Try the free recipe calculator at Cronometer
What to Serve With Pork Schnitzel
Pork schnitzel really becomes a meal when paired with an excellent side dish.
Try:
Roasted Mashed Cauliflower (in place of mashed potatoes)
Coleslaw or salad:
Roasted or Steamed Vegetables:
- Crispy sheet pan broccoli
- Steamed green beans
- Grilled Zucchini
- Steamed Asparagus
- Roasted Brussels sprouts
4 Quick Tips to Master This Recipe
- Pound the pork very thin on both sides until you can just barely see light shine through
- Crush the pork rinds very fine for a crispy more even coating
- Season the pork rinds before breading for some extra flavour
- Let the oil get nice and hot before adding the schnitzel to keep them crispy
Enjoy!
