Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon salt plus 1½ teaspoons — about 2 tablespoons total
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup saltine crackers crushed, about 3 individual packs
- 4 cutlets pork tenderloin
- 4 large eggs
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- avocado oil for frying, ¼ to ½ inch deep in pan
- 4 hamburger buns
- Toppings: lettuce, tomato, ranch dressing or your favorites
Don't Want to Plan? I Got You.Every Saturday I share a full week of dinners, sides, and a dessert — with the grocery list already done. Come grab this week's Weekly Meal Plans!Equipment
SENSARTE Saute Pan This is the exact pan I use in the video. It has quickly become one of my favorite pans!
9x13 Disposable Pans I used these for my breading station. But I also use them all the time when dropping off food for others.
Pyrex Measuring Cups Once I tried Pyrex, I never went back to plastic.
Method Start Cooking
- Set up your dredging station: combine flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne in a shallow dish. In a second dish, whisk eggs and buttermilk together. Place crushed saltine crackers in a third dish.
- Place each pork cutlet between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet until ¼-inch thick. The meat will spread significantly — that's the goal.
- Heat ¼ to ½ inch of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat until it reaches 350–375°F.
- Working one at a time, dredge each cutlet through the seasoned flour, coating well and shaking off excess. Dip in the egg wash, then press firmly into the saltine cracker crumbs, coating both sides completely.
- Fry 1–2 cutlets at a time for 2–3 minutes per side until deep golden brown and cooked through to an internal temperature of 145°F.
- Transfer to a wire rack set over a sheet pan lined with paper towels to drain. Repeat with remaining cutlets.
- Serve on hamburger buns with your favorite toppings — lettuce, tomato, ranch, mustard, or whatever you love.
Nutrition
Video
Notes
The meat is supposed to hang way over the edge of the bun. If it fits neatly inside the bun, you did not pound it thin enough.
Saltine crackers are the authentic Iowa choice — not Ritz, not panko. They give a crunchier, more delicate crust.
Oil temperature matters. Too cool and the coating gets greasy. Too hot and the outside burns before the pork cooks through. Aim for 350–375°F.
Do not crowd the pan — fry 1 to 2 cutlets at a time for consistent oil temperature.
Saltine crackers are the authentic Iowa choice — not Ritz, not panko. They give a crunchier, more delicate crust.
Oil temperature matters. Too cool and the coating gets greasy. Too hot and the outside burns before the pork cooks through. Aim for 350–375°F.
Do not crowd the pan — fry 1 to 2 cutlets at a time for consistent oil temperature.
A meat thermometer is your best friend here. Pull at 145°F and let rest 3 minutes — the USDA safe temperature for pork. A wire rack instead of paper towels alone keeps the bottom crust from getting soggy. Buttermilk in the egg wash helps the cracker coating stick better and adds a faint tang to the crust.
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