Breaded Chicken Breast – Not Fried – Chicken Schnitzel
Breaded Chicken Breast – Best Chicken Schnitzel Recipe
Chicken Schnitzel or breaded chicken breast is an absolute classic that every body loves. This simple, easy and effortless recipe is dipped in flour and a creamy egg mixture for that soft interior; then coated with breadcrumb for that outside crisp. These are pan fried not deep fried making them a more healthier option.
Breaded Chicken Breast not fried aka Best Chicken Schnitzel Recipe
Who doesn’t love Chicken Schnitzel? Though, not every body calls them chicken Schnitzel. My mom made these all the time but didn’t call them chicken schnitzel; we just called it breaded chicken breast. Did you know the word ‘Schnitzel’ is a German word for cutlet? So technically these are Chicken Cutlets; chicken breast dipped in egg mixture then coated in dry breadcrumbs.
It’s amazing how simple these chicken schnitzel recipes can be and yet, it’s one of the most popular chicken dishes over generations. Aadi can eat these almost every day, every meal. My mother in law made these every single time we went for dinner because all the grand children loved it so much. The best thing is you can created so many different variations.
Traditionally these are fried! My mother in law would deep fry them until golden crisp which is why the kids loved it so much.
Well, by now you know me – I’m not a huge fan of deep frying in oil, mainly for health reasons but also because the whole house then smells of fried oil. I hate that!! So I pan fry them in just a little oil and I’ll share what I do in more detail below.
We often serve these with rice or mashed potatoes. Today I have served them with Lemon Rosemary Roast potatoes and salad.
Best Chicken Schnitzel not fried aka Breaded Chicken Breast Recipe
Let’s talk ingredients and substitutes for these breaded chicken breast (Save/Pin for later)
- Chicken breast – You want something that cooks quick and won’t burn the breadcrumbs which makes chicken breast the best candidate for Schnitzel. You can use Turkey breast as well but chicken is more traditional. Most supermarkets these days offer pre prepared chicken breast for schnitzel or breading. We love using those and they turn out perfect. Sometimes if you ask the butcher, he will prepare it for you as well.
- Parmesan – I love adding Parmesan to my bread crumbs 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 eggs 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.
Breaded Chicken Breast not fried aka Best Chicken Schnitzel Recipe
Breaded Chicken Breast make perfect Freezer Meals
I usually make more than what I need for one meal so I can put them in the freezer for my busy cake order days. And you have two options to freeze them.
- Cook them as we do below and when cold jut place them in a zip lock bag. These make amazing sandwiches and wraps. If you have teenagers (who are always hungry) these are great to have on hand. Just thaw as many as you need in the microwave.
- Freeze them uncooked as you see in the image below. All you do is place them uncooked in a zip lock bag, remove as much air and lay them flat in the freezer until frozen. Once they are frozen you can stack them up and store away in the corner of the freeze until you need them.
To re-use just thaw them in the fridge for a couple of hours and cook them as we do below. My kids love chicken schnitzel so I have these on hand for busy cake days and it’s such a blessing.
Breaded Chicken Breast Not Fried – Best Chicken Schnitzel Recipe
Why Pan Fried not Baked
Personally I’m not a big fan of putting chicken breast in the oven. If you don’t take them out at the right time they can be dry. I love cooking them with a little oil in the pan which not just cooks them thru nicely and evenly but also caramelizes them a bit on the outside giving it so much more flavor. If you follow the method I show you below you will never ever have dry chicken schnitzel. My Buttermilk Crispy Chicken are very similar and baked in the oven, but those are legs and baking works best for that.
Breaded Chicken Breast Not Fried, not baked aka Best Chicken Schnitzel Recipe
Recipe – Breaded Chicken Breast (Not Fried) – Best Chicken Schnitzel Recipe (Save/Pin)
Tools
Ingredients
- Chicken Breast – 2 large
- Egg – 1 large
- Bread crumbs – 2 cups
- All Purpose Flour – 1 cup
- Mustard – 1 tbsp
- Herbs – 2 tbsp
- Salt to taste
- Pepper – to taste
- Cooking oil – 2 to 4 tbsp
Optional Additions
- Parmesan – 1 tbsp
- Sour Cream – 1 tbsp
- Chopped Fresh herbs – 2 tbsp
Method:
Prepare Chicken Breast
- Clean chicken breast and wipe dry
- Use a sharp knife and split the breast in half horizontally (see image)
- Flatten each piece with the flat of the knife or a mallet
- Season with salt and pepper
Breaded Chicken Breast not fried aka Best Chicken Schnitzel Recipe
Prepare Egg Mixture
- In one bowl – whisk egg with one tablespoon water
- Add salt, pepper, mustard and any other optional ingredients you want to use.
- Set aside.
Prepare bread crumb mixture
- In a second bowl -add breadcrumbs
- Add salt pepper and herbs
- Mix well and set aside.
Prepare Flour mixture
- In a third bowl – Place flour
- Season with salt and pepper
- Set aside
Bread the chicken breast
- Dust each chicken piece in the flour mix. Dust off any excess.
- Drop the chicken piece into the egg mixture. Use a fork to ensure it’s well coated on all sides.
- Then coat it with the breadcrumb mixture. Use your hands to press lightly making sure it’s well coated.
- Remove from the breadcrumb mix and onto a clean plate.
- Do the same with all the pieces and set aside.
Breaded Chicken Breast not fried aka Best Chicken Schnitzel Recipe
Cooking the Chicken Schnitzel
- Heat a skillet on medium high.
- Once hot add a tbsp of canola oil – swirl the pan so you coat the whole pan well.
- Place the breaded chicken breast pieces evenly
- Cook on high for one minute (this will add color) then reduce the heat and cook on medium for two minutes.
- Lightly spray or drizzle another tablespoon oil – on the uncooked sides of the breaded chicken breast
- Then turn the heat up to high again and flip the chicken pieces.
- Cook on high for one minute then reduce heat and cook on low for another two minutes.
- These breaded chicken breast usually take not more than 8 to 10 minutes (depending on thickness)
- If you aren’t sure if the chicken is cooked – cut one open with a knife and check.
- Once done remove from the pan and place on a paper towel to absorb
- Enjoy!
Don’t forget to save this recipe on Pinterest for later.
You can find a collection of my tutorials and recipes here on Pinterest.
Breaded Chicken Breast Recipe – Not Fried – Best Chicken Schnitzel Recipe
Breaded Chicken Breast Not Fried aka Chicken Schnitzel Recipe
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 4 servings
Chicken Schnitzel or breaded chicken breast is an absolute classic that every body loves. This simple, easy and effortless recipe is dipped in flour and a creamy egg mixture for that soft interior; then coated with breadcrumb for that outside crisp. These are pan fried not deep fried making them a more healthier option.
Ingredients
- Chicken Breast - 2 large
- Egg - 1 large
- Bread crumbs - 2 cups
- All Purpose Flour - 1 cup
- Mustard - 1 tbsp
- Herbs - 2 tbsp
- Salt to taste
- Pepper - to taste
- Cooking Oil - 2 to 4 tbsp
Optional Additions
- Parmesan - 1 tbsp
- Sour Cream - 1 tbsp
- Chopped Fresh herbs - 2 tbsp
Instructions
Prepare Chicken Breast
- Clean chicken breast and wipe dry
- Use a sharp knife and split the breast in half horizontally (see image)
- Flatten each piece with the flat of the knife or a mallet
- Season with salt and pepper
Prepare Egg Mixture
- In one bowl - whisk egg with one tablespoon water
- Add salt, pepper, mustard and any other optional ingredients you want to use.
- Set aside.
Prepare bread crumb mixture
- In a second bowl -add breadcrumbs
- Add salt pepper and herbs
- Mix well and set aside.
Prepare Flour mixture
- In a third bowl - Place flour
- Season with salt and pepper
- Set aside
Bread the chicken breast
- Dust each chicken piece in the flour mix. Dust off any excess.
- Drop the chicken piece into the egg mixture. Use a fork to ensure it's well coated on all sides.
- Then coat it with the breadcrumb mixture. Use your hands to press lightly making sure it's well coated.
- Remove from the breadcrumb mix and onto a clean plate.
- Do the same with all the pieces and set aside.
Cooking the Chicken Schnitzel
- Heat a skillet on medium high.
- Once hot add a tbsp of canola oil - swirl the pan so you coat the whole pan well.
- Place the breaded chicken breast pieces evenly
- Cook on high for one minute (this will add color) then reduce the heat and cook on medium for two minutes.
- Lightly spray or drizzle another tablespoon oil - on the uncooked sides of the breaded chicken breast
- Then turn the heat up to high again and flip the chicken pieces.
- Cook on high for one minute then reduce heat and cook on low for another two minutes.
- These breaded chicken breast usually take not more than 8 to 10 minutes (depending on thickness)
- If you aren't sure if the chicken is cooked - cut one open with a knife and check.
- Once done remove from the pan and place on a paper towel to absorb
- Enjoy!
Courses Lunch, Dinner
Cuisine German
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 109 g
Amount Per Serving | ||
|---|---|---|
Calories 244 | ||
% Daily Value | ||
Total Fat 11 g | 17% | |
Saturated Fat 2 g | 10% | |
Unsaturated Fat 3 g | ||
Cholesterol 69 mg | 23% | |
Sodium 402 mg | 17% | |
Protein 17 g | 34% | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
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This sounds like the most delicious schnitzel EVER! I can’t wait to give this recipe a try.
Thank you Claire – Let me know what you think.
My toddler would love it! I’m certainly making this recipe for him soon! Thank you for sharing!
Absolutely Elena my kids loved these when they were toddlers.. Always a winner with kids.
Just imagining the crisp of this makes my mouth water. This is such a great dinner recipe!
Thank you Marissa – Definitely a great dinner recipe
I love that you got such a gorgeous golden color without frying! My whole family would LOVE this chicken.
Thank you Abby. I think a good color makes it more appetizing right?
As a German, I look forward to giving your family’s schnitzel recipe a shot – it sounds great!
Thanks Leslie. I think you have some amazing Schnitzel recipes in germany too!
I love chicken schnitzel and I think your recipe looks wonderful – straightforward and tasty!
Thank you Jenni. This is definitely a wonderful recipe.
I like making extra to freeze! I mean, as long as you have the setup, might as well… And I will add the optional dairy – sounds delicious!
Thank you Anne. yes, I love making extra so the kids can have snacks and I have a buffer for my busy days.
I love that this is breaded but NOT fried – and it looks so, so good. I bet this would be an amazing weeknight dinner for my family!
Thank you Monica. Yes I am not a huge fan of deep frying stuff so this is perfect for our family.
I think it’s interesting that almost every culture has a fried and breaded chicken cutlet that’s made by grandma. I love that you’ve added spices and seasonings to the egg mixture as well as the flour and breadcrumbs, and I really appreciate that these are pan fried instead of deep fried. I really need to save on calories. I can’t wait to try this.
SO true Patti. All cultures and all grandmoms have a few of these recipes that are always popular. I love adding as much flavor as I can. Thanks
Isn’t it interesting that every culture has a fried chicken cutlet recipe? I love how you added seasoning to the milk mixture as well as to the flour and bread crumbs. This looks delicious.
Absolutely Patti – all grandmoms definitely have one of those recipes in every culture. Thanks
Isn’t it amazing how every culture has a fried chicken patty recipe, and it’s a favorite with children from many cultures. I love how you have added seasonings to the eggs as well as to the flour and bread crumbs. These chicken cutlets are loaded with flavor, and I love that you’ve saved some calories by not deep frying them. This is a great recipe.
Thank you Patti. Absolutely every culture has one of those recipes that grandma whips and it’s always the best. These are definitely loaded with flavor.
oh this Breaded chinckesn breast looks so delicious… wish I had some right now!
Thank you Monica. It really is so easy to make.
oh this breaded chicken breast looks so delicious… wish I had some right now!
Thank you Monica. It’s really so easy to make too.
These look so tasty and easy too! Great for a weeknight dinner!
Absolutely Carrie. Great for busy days or lazy weekends.
I made these today.. Amazing, the kids loved it.. You make everything look so easy.
Thanks
Marissa
u want belive it at 2 in the morning i made it it was aawsome i tried it at night only bcs was getting board and all etccc itzz really niceee 😀