Chicken Schnitzel Recipe (2024)

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Chicken schnitzel has always been a favorite in my family. When my kids were younger, schnitzel was a giant chicken nugget, to be grabbed in hand and dunked in lots of ketchup. Back then I don't think any of us realized the wide global reach and popularity of schnitzel.

Chicken Schnitzel Recipe (1)

The world Loves Schnitzel

Not every country calls it "schnitzel," but they all use a similar recipe:boneless, skinless, beef, chicken, pork, turkey or veal is tenderized by pounding it into a thin cutlet. It's then breaded and baked, sautéed or deep fried. It's crisp on the outside and tender within - totally irresistible any way you serve it!

In Italy they it "Chicken Milanese." A big, thin crispy sheet of chicken schnitzel that practically covers the plate is topped with an arugula and cherry tomato salad with lemony dressing.

The Japanese version is "Katzu." After the chicken is fried to golden-brown perfection, it's sliced into strips and served with a big scoop of steamed rice and a green vegetable.

Chicken schnitzel in Israel has a good amount of sesame seeds in the breading and is sometimes offered as a filling forshawarma.

Wiener Schnitzel is the famed Viennese version, made from veal.

Chicken Schnitzel Recipe (2)

For the ultimate comfort food fix, serve your chicken schnitzel straight up with buttered noodles - just like in the famous song "My Favorite Things" from "The Sound of Music."

"Cream colored ponies and crisp apple strudels
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles
Wild Geese that fly with the moon on their wings
These are a few of my favorite things!"

Chicken Schnitzel Recipe (3)

HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN SCHNITZEL FROM SCRATCH

The first step of making good schnitzel is to pound the chicken until it's nice and thin. I don't have a mallet, but my rolling pin works really well. Putting the chicken into a large baggy for pounding, is a great way to keep chicken juices from spraying around your kitchen. Tip: don't zip the baggy or it might pop.

Chicken Schnitzel Recipe (4)

After the chicken cutlets are pounded to ⅓ - ¼ inch thickness, set up a dredging station with a plate of flour, a bowl of beaten eggs, and a plate of bread crumbs.

Chicken Schnitzel Recipe (5)

Coat each chicken cutlet lightly with flour.

Chicken Schnitzel Recipe (6)

Dunk into beaten eggs.

Then coat with crumbs. Your chicken schnitzel is now ready to cook.

Chicken Schnitzel Recipe (7)

You can bread all of your schnitzel ahead of time and keep it covered in the fridge for a few hours until you're ready to cook it.

Schnitzel is best served right after it's browned.

If you have leftovers, be sure to make a delicious "schnitzelwich" - schnitzel on a roll with lettuce and mayo or Russian dressing.

Chicken Schnitzel Recipe (8)

Cool mornings have started to mingle with the hot August afternoons here in New England. I can feel myself waffling between hanging on to the lazy days of summer and gearing up for a busy Fall. I've already started nagging my kids about getting ready for school. Soon our family will be in full swing of the new season - each of us diving head first into our various endeavors. Coming together around the family table for a good comforting dinner will feel better than ever!

Here's the chicken schnitzel recipe. If you try this recipe I hope you'll come back to leave a star rating and comment. I'd love to know what you think!

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Chicken Schnitzel Recipe (9)

Chicken Schnitzel Recipe

5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star

5 from 2 reviews

  • Author: Lisa
  • Total Time: 1 hour 20 mins
  • Yield: 6-8 1x
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Description

Thin scallops of chicken, breaded and sautéed until golden brown on the outside, tender inside. Serve with buttered noodles and salad.

Ingredients

Scale

  • 6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 2 ½ pounds)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2-3 cups panko bread crumbs
  • Vegetable oil, for frying
  • Optional Garnish
  • 1 lemon, cut into eights
  • Fresh grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Pound the Chicken Place a chicken breast half inside a large plastic ziplock bag. Lay it on a flat surface. Pound evenly with a meat mallet or rolling pin until you have an evenly thin scallop, ⅓ to ¼ inch thick. Transfer scallop to a plate and repeat with remaining chicken breasts.
  2. Bread the Chicken Cover a large baking tray with foil or wax paper. Pour the flour onto a large plate. Crack the eggs into a large wide bowl and whisk. Pour the breadcrumbs onto a large plate. Season the chicken with salt and several grinds of fresh flack pepper. Lay a piece of chicken onto the flour plate. Turn it over to coat. Shake off excess flour. Then dunk the chicken into the eggs to coat. Let the excess drip off. Then press the piece of chicken into the crumbs. Turn to coat the other side. Lay the breaded chicken on the prepared tray. Repeat with remaining chicken.
  3. Cook Chicken In a large cast iron or non-stick skillet, heat 4 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. (for speedier cooking, work with two skillets simultaneously). Add 1-2 pieces of breaded chicken to the skillet (or however many fit in a single layer.) Brown each piece for 2-3 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Repeat with remaining chicken, adding more oil when needed. You need a good layer of oil over the bottom of your skillet to get a crisp crust.
  4. Serve with noodles or topped with arugula salad. Sprinkle with lemon juice and freshly grated parmesan cheese, if you like. Enjoy!
  • Prep Time: 1 hour
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Category: Main Course
  • Method: Sauté
  • Cuisine: Global
Chicken Schnitzel Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between breaded chicken and schnitzel? ›

Chicken schnitzel is a breaded chicken filet, so if you get down to the nitty-gritty, they're the same thing. How you serve it, meaning garnishes and accompaniments, is what turns a breaded filet into a schnitzel.

What makes a schnitzel a schnitzel? ›

schnitzel, a thin meat cutlet, pounded until tender and then breaded and fried, that is a culinary staple in German-speaking countries and communities. The Americanized version of the dish is chicken-fried steak.

What is schnitzel made of chicken? ›

Schnitzel is typically a boneless meat cutlet (pork, veal, chicken), pounded thin, breaded, and lightly pan-fried, with a crispy coating sealing in the natural juices, creating the most tender meat under the crisp crust.

Why does the breading fall off my schnitzel? ›

Place the breaded chicken on a cooling rack (or a platter) and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. This cooling time will help the layers of breading ingredients solidify and adhere better after the chicken cooks. Once you start cooking the chicken, be patient and don't flip it over too early.

What can I use instead of breadcrumbs for schnitzel? ›

For ¼ cup fine, dry bread crumbs, substitute any of these items:
  • ¾ cup soft bread crumbs.
  • ¼ cup panko.
  • ¼ cup cracker or pretzel crumbs.
  • ¼ cup crushed cornflakes or other unsweetened cereals.
  • ⅔ cup regular rolled oats (Use this only as a substitute for bread crumbs in meat loaf and other meat mixtures, such as burgers.
May 24, 2023

Why do Jews eat schnitzel? ›

Originally brought from Europe to Israel by Ashkenazi Jews, schnitzel instantly became a hit. During the early years of the state of Israel, veal was not widely available, so chicken or turkey became a substitute. Nowadays, the meat used is generally chicken or turkey breast to keep it kosher.

What do you serve with schnitzel? ›

Pork and chicken schnitzel are traditionally served alongside potatoes and vegetables for a hearty meal or a zingy summer salad for a lighter one. Almost any type of potato works with pork schnitzel, but our favorites are red-skinned potato salad or buttery mashed potatoes.

Do Germans eat chicken schnitzel? ›

German Schnitzel translates to Slovene as zrezek thus Wiener Schnitzel is called dunajski zrezek (Vienna is Dunaj in Slovenian). As in Austria a real dunajski zrezek is made of veal. Restaurants serving the dish can be found throughout the country, though typically it is made of pork or chicken.

Why is my chicken schnitzel soggy? ›

I've found that seasoning the chicken directly first gives me more flavor. Heat the oil well. The oil needs to be hot enough (it should be shimmering but not smoking) so that the chicken will cook well and crisp up. If the oil is not hot enough, the chicken will absorb too much oil and give you soggy, oily schnitzel.

Why do people put lemon on schnitzel? ›

Schnitzel is not typically highly seasoned, relying instead on bold toppings such as fresh lemon wedges, mushroom sauce, or cream sauce to add a boost of flavor.

How do you keep chicken schnitzel from drying out? ›

Baking can result in the chicken drying out. If baking chicken schnitzel from frozen, cook the chicken for 8–10 minutes longer than the recipe or until cooked through.

What's the difference between chicken escalope and schnitzel? ›

Escalope is a French term and is a broader category of beaten, breaded meat of which Schnitzel is a type. While schnitzels are fried, escalopes need not be, even though it most commonly is. Lebanon likely adopted the French term during the French mandate period of Lebanon.

Is schnitzel always breaded? ›

Schnitzel is a dish that uses a very thin boneless cutlet from meat such as veal, pork, beef or chicken. The meat can be breaded and then deep fried or it can also be pan fried and then be used as breading or just be consumed without the bread.

What is another name for breaded chicken? ›

Breaded cutlet is known as schnitzel in German-speaking countries, cotoletta alla milanese in Italy, escalope in France, filete empanado or cachopo in Spain, filete empanizado in Cuba, milanesa in Latin America, katsu in Japan and Korea, kotlet in Poland, řízek in Czech Republic, rezeň in Slovakia and kotleta in post- ...

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