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One of the best-known dishes of Austrian cuisine, the Wiener schnitzel is a thinned, breaded, and pan-fried veal cutlet that is traditionally served with a dollop of lingonberry jam, lemon wedges, and either buttered parsley potatoes, a simple potato salad, or french fries.
The dish is protected under Austrian law, and—if it is to be called Wiener schnitzel—it must be made with veal. However, pork is often used instead of veal because it's more available and cheaper.
MOST ICONIC Wiener Schnitzel
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Schnitzel Wiener Art is a take on the classic of Austrian cuisine, the Wiener schnitzel, a breaded and fried veal cutlet. But unlike the traditional Wiener schnitzel, the schnitzel Wiener Art is made with a pork cutlet, not a veal one. The reason behind this switch is the fact that pork is much cheaper and more available than veal.
Today, most restaurants in Austria and Germany serve the Wiener schnitzel made with pork and not the real Wiener schnitzel. Luckily, they are obliged by law to state so on their menu. Schnitzel Wiener Art is prepared the same way as the traditional Wiener schnitzel.
MOST ICONIC Schnitzel Wiener Art
View moreFrankfurter schnitzel is a traditional dish originating from Frankfurt. The dish is very similar to the famous Wiener schnitzel, which is always made with veal, but this version from Frankfurt can be prepared with other types of meat such as pork.
The meat is pounded thin, coated with flour, dipped in beaten eggs, and dredged in breadcrumbs before it's fried in clarified butter (or a mixture of oil and butter) on both sides until golden brown and crispy. Once done, frankfurter schnitzel is traditionally served with grüne soße (green sauce), and often boiled potatoes and chopped hard-boiled eggs on the side.
It's recommended to squeeze some lemon juice over the schnitzel before eating, while Apfelwein is the preferred accompanying beverage.
Cordon bleu is a very popular international dish with Swiss origins. In its most basic form, it consists of a meat cutlet that is filled with a thin slice of ham and cheese (usually Gruyère), breaded, and either deep-fried in hot oil, shallow fried in a pan, or baked in an oven.
The dish is usually prepared with two meat scallops, one on top of the other with the ham and cheese sandwiched in between. The first mention of cordon bleu is found in a cookbook from 1949. Today, there are numerous varieties of the dish such as veal cordon bleu, chicken cordon bleu, and cordon bleu served with mushroom sauce.
MOST ICONIC Cordon Bleu
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Řízek is the Czech version of the famous Austrian Wiener schnitzel, consisting of thin, tenderized pieces of meat that are coated in a combination of breadcrumbs, flour, and eggs. The meat is then gently fried in oil or butter. The Austrian version is exclusively made with veal, and it is one of their unique delicacies.
The Czech interpretation is only occasionally made with veal, and more commonly employs pork chops or pork cutlets. Chicken or turkey breasts are also frequent and represent a lighter version of this classic dish. Řízek is found in numerous restaurants in the Czech Republic and is often prepared as a family meal.
MOST ICONIC Řízek
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Considered to be a variation of the more famous Wiener schnitzel, the breaded pork cutlet known as kotlet Schabowy is one of the most popular Polish dishes. Even though it appeared in the 19th century under the influence of Austrian and German culinary tradition, it quickly became a mainstay in restaurants and households throughout the country.
It is typically prepared with a thin breaded pork chop or tenderloin, fried in lard, and served alongside cooked potatoes, sauerkraut, and various fresh and pickled salads.
MOST ICONIC Kotlet schabowy
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Rahmschnitzel is a German meat dish. It's usually prepared with a veal cutlet, but pork or chicken can be used instead, if preferred. Other ingredients include flour, butter, white wine, heavy cream, and herbs such as parsley and chives. The meat is tenderized and seasoned, then rolled in flour and fried in butter until golden brown.
White wine is added to the pan in order to form a sauce with heavy cream and a bit of sugar. When done, each cutlet is topped with the gravy and garnished with chopped chives or parsley. Traditionally, this dish is served with spaetzle, but pasta or potatoes are also welcome additions regarding side dishes.
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Kotlet z piersi kurczaka is a Polish fried chicken breast cutlet, crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. The secret lies in pounding the chicken breast until it becomes very thin, which allows the meat to cook faster and to retain the moisture.
The chicken cutlets are usually coated with flour, then dipped in beaten eggs, and finally covered with breadcrumbs. Fried breaded chicken cutlets are typically eaten for dinner, accompanied by potatoes, vegetables, or rice.
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Münchner schnitzel is an interesting variety on the world-famous Wiener schnitzel. This is a Munich-style variety, hence the name of the dish. The veal cutlets are brushed with a combination of sweet mustard and horseradish before they're coated in flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs, then fried in butter.
The dish is ready to be eaten when the meat becomes golden brown. It's traditionally served hot with lemon wedges on the side.
MOST ICONIC Münchner Schnitzel
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This German dish is a variation of the well-known Wiener schnitzel that originated sometime in the late 19th century. Though it appears in slightly different regional variations, Holstein schnitzel predominantly consists of a breaded and lightly fried veal cutlet that comes served with various additions.
A fried egg is always served on top of the schnitzel, while other additions traditionally include smoked salmon, caviar, sardines, capers, or anchovies. The dish is said to have been created at a Berlin restaurant Borchardt’s, and many believe it was named after a German statesman Friedrich von Holstein rather than the Holstein region.
TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 14 Central European Breaded Cutlets” list until February 14, 2025, 2,027 ratings were recorded, of which 1,705 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.