Name: Karađorđeva šnicla
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 24 min
Total time: 1 h 2 min
Yield: 4 stuffed schnitzels
Cuisine: Serbian
Ingredients: 680 g boneless pork loin cutlets, 4 cutlets of about 170 g each, trimmed and pounded to about 5 mm; 180 g kajmak, cold and divided into 4 portions; 6 g fine salt, divided across the pork; 100 g plain flour, for breading; 2 large eggs, beaten; 150 g fine dry breadcrumbs; 700 ml neutral frying oil, enough for a deep layer; most remains in the pan

Yield 4 stuffed schnitzels

Preparation time 35 minutes

Cooking time 24 minutes

Passive time 3 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Karađorđeva Šnicla with Pork, Kajmak and Crisp Breading

Karađorđeva šnicla is a Serbian stuffed schnitzel built around a very clear contrast: a thin meat wrapper, a soft kajmak centre and a crisp breadcrumb shell. Serbian tourism connects the dish with chef Milovan Mića Stojanović and Belgrade restaurant Golf in the 1950s, while the story has acquired the character of culinary legend over time. What matters for the cook is easier to define: the meat is pounded thin, filled with kajmak, rolled securely, breaded and fried.

Both veal and pork appear in Serbian descriptions of the dish. This recipe uses pork loin because it is readily portioned into broad cutlets and cooks predictably when pounded to about 5 mm. The filling is kajmak only. Ham, hard cheese and other additions found in some restaurant interpretations are excluded so the centre remains focused on the dairy richness that defines the dish.

The most delicate part happens before the oil is hot. A 170 g cutlet needs to be thin enough to roll around roughly 45 g of kajmak without creating a massive centre, but it must stay intact. Pounding from the centre outward is safer than hammering the edges. A small tear can become a route for melted kajmak to escape into the frying oil.

Cold kajmak is easier to control than warm kajmak. Place it in a compact line near one short side of the cutlet, fold the long edges inward, then roll the meat tightly. The finished cylinder should have no exposed filling at either end. Resting the rolls seam-side down while the breading station is prepared helps them hold their shape.

The three-stage coating has a practical sequence. Flour dries and lightly roughens the surface, beaten egg creates adhesion, and breadcrumbs form the outer shell. Each layer should be complete but not excessively thick. A patch of exposed wet meat can split the crust, while a heavy compressed breadcrumb layer takes longer to colour and can separate from the roll.

Frying temperature controls the balance between crust and centre. At about 170 °C, the breadcrumbs brown steadily without burning before the pork is cooked. Frying in batches prevents the oil from cooling sharply when the rolls are added. The pieces should be turned carefully until all sides are evenly golden. A thermometer inserted into the pork portion, not the molten kajmak pocket, must show at least 63 °C.

Whole-cut pork at 63 °C needs a minimum 3-minute rest. That rest is useful for texture as well: the kajmak is extremely fluid when the roll first leaves the oil, and a few minutes allow the filling to settle enough that the first cut does not empty the centre onto the plate. The finished schnitzel should still be served hot, when the breading is crisp and the kajmak remains soft.

Practical

Pound evenly without tearingA broad 5 mm cutlet wraps cleanly; thin holes leak filling and oil.
Keep kajmak cold until fillingA firm portion is much easier to seal inside the pork.
Hold the oil near 170 °CCooler oil makes the coating greasy, while hotter oil can darken the crumbs before the pork reaches 63 °C.

Ingredients

680 g boneless pork loin cutlets, 4 cutlets of about 170 g each, trimmed and pounded to about 5 mm
180 g kajmak, cold and divided into 4 portions
6 g fine salt, divided across the pork
100 g plain flour, for breading
2 large eggs, beaten
150 g fine dry breadcrumbs
700 ml neutral frying oil, enough for a deep layer; most remains in the pan

Directions

Fill and bread

Pound and season the porkWork for about 12 minutes. Pound each cutlet to an even thickness of about 5 mm without tearing it, then distribute the 6 g salt across all four pieces. Keep the pork refrigerated if the next step is delayed.
Enclose the kajmakPlace about 45 g cold kajmak along one short side of each cutlet. Fold the side edges inward and roll tightly into a closed cylinder, allowing about 8 minutes for all four rolls.
Apply the breadingUse about 10 minutes to coat every roll first in the 100 g flour, then the 2 beaten eggs, then the 150 g breadcrumbs. Cover the ends and seam completely without crushing the coating.

Fry and rest

Heat the oilPour the 700 ml neutral oil into a deep heavy pan and heat it to 170 °C, allowing about 8 minutes depending on the pan and burner.
Fry in batchesFry two rolls at a time at about 170 °C for 10–12 minutes, turning carefully so the coating browns on all sides. Check the pork portion of each roll and continue until it reaches at least 63 °C. Repeat with the remaining rolls while keeping the oil close to 170 °C.
Drain and restTransfer the schnitzels to a wire rack or paper-lined tray and rest them for at least 3 minutes before serving. The crust should stay crisp and the kajmak should remain enclosed until the roll is cut.

Practical

Serving

Serve one Karađorđeva šnicla per person while hot. Lemon, potatoes, salad and tartar sauce are familiar modern restaurant partners, but none is part of this recipe or its nutrition calculation.

Make-ahead

The pork rolls may be filled and breaded up to 4 hours ahead. Keep them covered at or below 4 °C until the oil is ready. Do not leave breaded raw pork beside the stove while waiting to fry.

Storage and reheating

Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and keep them at or below 4 °C for 3–4 days. Reheat in an oven or air fryer until the centre reaches 74 °C. Covered reheating traps steam and softens the crust, so use dry heat when crispness matters.

Control points

Kajmak leaks into the oilGuidance: The cutlet tore, the ends were not tucked or the seam opened.Adjustment: Use intact meat, close both ends and bread every exposed surface.
The crust browns before the pork is cookedGuidance: Oil is hotter than 170 °C or the roll is unusually thick.Adjustment: Lower the oil temperature and keep the cutlets evenly pounded.
The coating falls awayGuidance: Flour or egg coverage was incomplete, or the breaded roll sat in pooled moisture.Adjustment: Keep the surface dry before flouring and coat in the proper order.

Nutrition

Serving size1 stuffed schnitzel
Calories985 kcal
Carbohydrates48 g
Protein48 g
Fat64 g
Fibre3 g
Sodium1,250 mg

Values are approximate. The calculation includes the pork, kajmak, flour, egg and breadcrumbs plus an estimated 45 g of frying oil retained across the whole batch. Most of the 700 ml frying medium remains in the pan.

Allergens and food safety

Karađorđeva šnicla contains milk, egg and wheat/gluten. Keep raw pork and egg-coated rolls at or below 4 °C until frying. Discard leftover flour, egg and breadcrumbs that have been contaminated by raw pork.

Maintain the frying oil near 170 °C and verify that the pork meat reaches at least 63 °C, then rest the schnitzel for at least 3 minutes. Do not put cooked rolls back on a plate that held raw pork. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, keep at or below 4 °C for 3–4 days and reheat to 74 °C.

FAQ

Can veal be used instead of pork?

Veal is a recognised meat choice in Serbian descriptions of Karađorđeva šnicla, but this recipe is calculated and timed for pork. Changing the meat would require its own cooking and nutrition check.

Why is there no ham or hard cheese inside?

The filling here is kajmak only. That keeps the roll aligned with the core pork-or-veal and kajmak identity rather than combining later restaurant additions into one formula.

Result: A crisp golden schnitzel with a tender pork layer and a hot, rich kajmak centre.

Key: Intact thin cutlets, tightly sealed ends and steady 170 °C frying keep the filling inside while the pork cooks through.