Chicken Schnitzel

Make tender, crispy yet moist chicken schnitzel in less than 30 minutes. A popular Austrian dish, schnitzel, is thinly sliced chicken breast dredged in flour and held together with an egg and breadcrumb breading then pan-fried in a skillet until lightly golden brown.

Table of Content

• Why make homemade schnitzel
• Ingredients and substitutes
• Pan-fried chicken schnitzel recipe
• What do you serve with chicken schnitzel?
• Variations
• More chicken breast recipes
• Frequently asked questions
• You may also like
• Printable Recipe
• Join the conversation

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Not everybody calls them chicken schnitzel. My mom made these all the time but we just called it breaded chicken breast. Did you know the word 'Schnitzel' is a German word for cutlet? So technically these are pan-fried cutlets. Today we use chicken breast but it can also be veal, pork, or chicken.

Why make homemade schnitzel

• Simple and easy - This recipe is simple and easy. You can pan fry them immediately or save them in the refrigerator or freezer for later. So, these are perfect for meal preps.
• Simple pantry staples - Chicken breast is all you need to make this dish because all the rest of the ingredients are pantry staples.
• The breadcrumb coating keeps the chicken tender and juicy. While the oil adds that nice crispness.
• Complete meal in 30 minutes - The chicken takes less than 30 minutes to make. Simultaneously, you can serve with side salads or serve with a side of mashed potatoes, roast potatoes or rice such as my turmeric rice or rice pilaf with fruit and nuts.
• Leftovers make perfect sandwiches, burritos, and wrap for light meals or kids' lunch box ideas.

Ingredients and substitutes

• Chicken breast - Thinly sliced chicken breast or chicken cutlets are the best candidate for Schnitzel.  Of course, you can use turkey breasts, veal cutlets, prok cutlets. Most supermarkets these days offer pre-prepared chicken breast slices for schnitzel or breading.
• Wet mixture - Beaten eggs is what helps keep the bread crumbs coating stick to the meat.
• Dry mixture - we use flour to dredge the chicken first then breadcrumbs with seasoning for the special coating.
• Optional ingredients - Traditionally only seasoning such as salt and pepper were used but you can also add other flavorings.
  • Onion, garlic - you can add a sprinkle of garlic powder and onion powder.
  • Parmesan cheese  - I love adding Parmesan to my breadcrumbs but I put it in the optional ingredients because here in Israel it's not commonly used.
  • Sour Cream - I love serving a little sour cream with my chicken schnitzel which makes adding a little in the egg mixture even more wonderful. You must try; it really does add a nice creaminess to the egg mixture. (again it's not commonly used here so I have put it as optional)
  • Mustard - Just a touch of mustard goes a long way with chicken in adding flavor.
  • Herbs - Personally I love chopping parsley really fine and adding it to my breadcrumb along with the Parmesan and some Paprika but I'll share that recipe another time.

Pan-fried chicken schnitzel recipe

• Chicken - Cut each chicken breast into two horizontally, so you have 4 slices.
  Lay the pieces between two plastics or paper hand towels on a baking sheet.
  Then using a meat mallet, meat tenderizer, or rolling pin gently flatten the pieces. Season with salt and pepper on both sides
  Pro tip - you can also find tenderized chicken schnitzel slices at some butcher shops ready to use

• Flour mixture - In a shallow plate, add the flour and season with salt and pepper. Set aside
• Egg mixture - In another shallow bowl - whisk the egg and season with salt and pepper.
• Bread crumb mixture - In another shallow plate add the breadcrumbs and season with salt and pepper.
• Coat the chicken - Coat each chicken breast piece.
  • First, dredge them in the flour mix and dust off any excess flour.
  • Then dip in the egg mixture making sure to drip off excess.
  • Finally, coat in the breadcrumb mixture. Pressing down to ensure proper coverage.

• Set aside - Continue with the rest of the pieces. These can be placed on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before panfrying.
  Pro tip - you can also place them between sheets of parchment paper in freezer-safe bags and freeze them for up to a month.
• Pan-frying - In a frying pan on medium-high heat, add one tablespoon of oil. Gently lay the pieces of chicken schnitzel in the oil. Cook for 2 minutes. Then, flip and cook on the other side for another 2 minutes.
  Pro tip - do this in batches making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Thin slices of chicken breast cook fast so the medium-high heat will give a nice golden brown color.
• Pan dry - Remove the chicken on a clean paper towel to absorb excess oil. Serve hot on its own with ketchup, mayonnaise, or serve alongside a side of rice or mashed potatoes.

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What do you serve with chicken schnitzel?

• Mashed Potatoes Recipe,
• Baked Potato Chips, Crispy Baked Potato Wedges
• The BEST Fried Rice, Rice Pilaf, Coconut Turmeric Rice
• Cherry Tomato Salad, Avocado Salad, Tomato Mozzarella Salad
• Garlic Sauteed Broccoli with Cranberries
• Sesame Green Beans - Just Three Ingredients
• Turmeric Cauliflower Rice Pilaf

Variations

• Parmesan crusted chicken breast - add grated parmesan cheese to the panko breadcrumb mixture.
• Herbed chicken breast - add fresh herbs such as chopped parsley to the bread crumbs mixture
• Sour cream chicken schnitzel - add sour cream and mustard to the egg mixture before coating and breading.

More chicken breast recipes

• Healthy and Crispy General Tso's Chicken
• One Pan Chicken Stir Fry
• Crispy Pan-Fried Breaded Chicken Breast
• Cheesy Chicken Breast Pasta
• Pesto Stuffed Chicken Breast
• Cheesy Chicken Breast Pasta
• Baked Chicken Legs or Baked Chicken Drumsticks
• Crispy Chicken, or Crispy Chicken Recipe Baked

Frequently asked questions

You may also like

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