Chicken Schnitzel
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Learn how to make Chicken Schnitzel that’s crispy, juicy, extra crunchy and quick to prepare. A family favorite that’s impressive and delicious!
Schnitzel is something I grew up with, it was one of those dishes that was a staple at our house. The great thing about schnitzel is that it can be made with any kind of meat, I have made it with pork before, with veal and as seen here with chicken.
Chicken Schnitzel Highlights
- Super Crispy Chicken. If you love crispy chicken, then this schnitzel is for you. This schnitzel is first dredged through seasoned flour, eggs and finally panko breadcrumbs then fried to a crispy perfection.
- Juicy And Tender. While crispy on the outside, this chicken schnitzel is extremely juicy and tender on the inside.
- Quick And Easy. Once you prep the chicken and dredge it through flour, eggs and breadcrumbs, it fries super quick making this an incredibly easy and quick dish!
- Chicken – You’ll need boneless skinless chicken breasts with the tenders removed, this will make it easier to get nice flat pieces of chicken. You could use boneless skinless chicken thighs as well, if you choose.
- Flour – Flour is a must for this recipe. With the egg, it will bind those breadcrumbs to your chicken for a nice crispy schnitzel. You can use gluten-free flour if you want.
- Breadcrumbs – Traditionally these are done with regular breadcrumbs which is my favorite, but I prefer Panko because I find that give me a crispier schnitzel. Since regular Panko breadcrumbs are quite bigger crumbs, you can either pulse them in a food processor for a few seconds or place them in a ziploc bag. Use a rolling pin to roll over the bag to make the crumbs smaller and finer.
- Eggs – I used large eggs for this recipe. Since we’re using them to dredge the chicken, you can use any size or type that you have handy.
- Dijon Mustard – I like to add a little Dijon mustard to my eggs for a little tangy flavor.
- Salt And Pepper – You can season to your own preference.
- Vegetable Oil – You need an oil with a high smoke point to fry the schnitzel. Peanut, safflower, sunflower, or canola oil will work as well.
- Prep the chicken. Remove chicken tenders from breasts and save them for later use. Working with one piece of chicken breast at a time, place it in a ziploc plastic bag or between two sheets of plastic wrap. If using a plastic bag, partially close the bag, but not all the way to allow air to flow out. Use a meat mallet to pound out the meat using the flat side of the mallet, gently so you don’t tear the meat, until it’s about ¼-inch in thickness. Repeat with the rest of chicken breasts. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Prep the dredge. In one shallow plate whisk the flour with 1 tsp salt and pepper. In another shallow plate whisk the breadcrumbs with 1 tsp salt and pepper and in another plate, whisk the eggs with 1 tsp salt, pepper and the Dijon mustard.
- Dredge the chicken. Place a rack on a baking sheet. Place all plates next to each other like on an assembly line. Start by coating the chicken in the flour mixture first, shaking off any excess. Dip it into the egg mixture next, making sure it’s fully covered in egg, and lastly dredge it through the breadcrumb mixture. Place on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the rest of the chicken.
- Fry the chicken. Heat about ½-inch of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot enough (350F) place a schnitzel into the skillet and fry, the oil should sizzle. Usually I drop a breadcrumb to see if it sizzles. If your skillet is really big you may be able to fry two pieces of chicken at a time, otherwise don’t rush this process. I used a 10½-inch skillet, and was only able to fry one schnitzel at a time. Add more oil as necessary in between schnitzels. Fry for about 2 to 3 minutes per side or until the schnitzel is a deep golden brown. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels or another baking sheet with a rack on top. Repeat with remaining chicken.
- Serve. Serve schnitzels with lemon wedges, Dijon mustard and I like to serve mine with mashed potatoes.
Can You Make Schnitzel In An Air Fryer?
Yes, absolutely! As a matter of fact, I did myself and I have to say it comes out super crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.
All you need do is follow the instructions to prep the chicken as stated in the recipe. Next, preheat your air fryer to 380°F.
Place the schnitzel in the air fryer basket and air fry for 7 to 8 minutes, flipping over half way through. If your air fryer basket is big enough, you can probably place 2 pieces of chicken in there, otherwise just do one at a time. Do open your air fryer basket before the timer is up to check on the chicken, and make sure it’s done to your liking.
What is Schnitzel
Schnitzel is a popular German dish but I think it’s popular in pretty much all of Europe. It’s usually served with mashed potatoes or spaetzle but lemons and mustard are a must. Squeezing some lemon juice over the schnitzel is a must, it really does make all the difference in the world.
My favorite thing about making schnitzel is pounding the heck out of the meat. It’s a way to take out your frustrations, however try to do it in a gentle way, if that’s possible because you don’t want to tear the meat. But anyway, it’s a lot of fun, trust me.
What Kind Of Meat Is Used When Making Schnitzel
Traditionally schnitzel is made with thin pieces of veal chops. It’s not always easy to find veal in grocery stores, unless you go to a butcher.
However, I love using skinless boneless chicken breasts or pork tenderloin to make schnitzel.
Serve Schnitzel With
Mashed Potatoes
Homemade Spaetzle
The Ultimate Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
Avocado Salad
Expert Tips
- The plastic bag or wrap will help prevent splattering chicken juices over the counter or all over yourself.
- Work slow and deliberately when tenderizing the chicken so you don’t tear holes. Get them nice and thin but no thinner than¼-inch in thickness!
- Test your oil by dropping a breadcrumb or the end of a wooden spoon into the oil to see if it sizzles.
- Keep a close eye on your chicken as they fry. Adjust the heat as needed to make sure you get the perfect color.
Leftovers
Store leftover chicken schnitzel in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Freezing
You can actually freeze chicken schnitzel and it’s great for make ahead. Simply prepare the schnitzel as instructed and before you fry it you can actually place it on a baking sheet and flash freeze it for about a couple hours or until frozen solid. Remove the baking sheet from the freezer and place them in a freezer bag, then freeze for up to 3 months.
Defrost overnight in the fridge then fry as instructed.
You can even freeze the chicken schnitzel after being fried. Simply let it come to room temperature then wrap each chicken schnitzel in plastic wrap and place in an air tight container. Place in the freezer and freeze for up to 3 months.
More Great Recipes To Try
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Chicken Schnitzel
Video
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chicken breasts (boneless and skinless)
- 4 teaspoons salt (or to taste, divided)
- 4 teaspoons black pepper (or to taste, divided)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups breadcrumbs ((I used Panko))
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley (for garnish)
- vegetable oil (for frying)
Serve with
- lemon wedges
- Dijon mustard
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Prep the chicken. Remove chicken tenders from breasts and save them for later use. Working with one piece of chicken breast at a time, place it in a ziploc plastic bag or between two sheets of plastic wrap. If using a plastic bag, partially close the bag, but not all the way to allow air to flow out. Use a meat mallet to pound out the meat using the flat side of the mallet, gently so you don't tear the meat, until it's about ¼-inch in thickness. Repeat with the rest of chicken breasts. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Prep the dredge. In one shallow plate whisk the flour with 1 tsp salt and pepper. In another shallow plate whisk the breadcrumbs with 1 tsp salt and pepper and in another plate, whisk the eggs with 1 tsp salt, pepper and the Dijon mustard.
- Dredge the chicken. Place a rack on a baking sheet. Place all plates next to each other like on an assembly line. Start by coating the chicken in the flour mixture first, shaking off any excess. Dip it into the egg mixture next, making sure it's fully covered in egg, and lastly dredge it through the breadcrumb mixture. Place on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the rest of the chicken.
- Fry the chicken. Heat about ½-inch of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot enough (350F) place a schnitzel into the skillet and fry, the oil should sizzle. Usually I drop a breadcrumb to see if it sizzles. If your skillet is really big you may be able to fry two pieces of chicken at a time, otherwise don't rush this process. I used a 10½-inch skillet, and was only able to fry one schnitzel at a time. Add more oil as necessary in between schnitzels. Fry for about 2 to 3 minutes per side or until the schnitzel is a deep golden brown. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels or another baking sheet with a rack on top. Repeat with remaining chicken.
- Serve. Serve schnitzels with lemon wedges, Dijon mustard and I like to serve mine with mashed potatoes.
Notes
- The plastic bag or wrap will help prevent splattering chicken juices over the counter or all over yourself.
- Work slow and deliberately when tenderizing the chicken so you don’t tear holes. Get them nice and thin but no thinner than¼-inch in thickness!
- Test your oil by dropping a breadcrumb or the end of a wooden spoon into the oil to see if it sizzles.
- Keep a close eye on your chicken as they fry. Adjust the heat as needed to make sure you get the perfect color.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
Great recipe, success with the whole family!! Genius adding Dijon mustard to the egg!
I modified it slightly with dredging in flour then egg then panko then egg again and a final coating of panko. Super crispy and very juicy chicken!!
Adjusted for two. Added sesame seeds to the final dredge. Darn tasty.
I’m so glad you liked it!
My partner’s 2 teenage kids are very fussy. I mean, they are extremely fussy. This is the honestly the first recipe (of any dish) I’ve managed to find, that they both enjoyed – and actually finished! And it is genuinely delicious. It has now been added to a small list of about 9 or 10 meals which we can cook as a family. Excellent!
Easy peasy, and delicious! I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs which I prefer to breasts as they are juicier. I served with steamed broccoli with a cheese sauce.
I love that this recipe uses standard pantry items so I didn’t have to go shopping for any special ingredients. Good for a quick and easy dinner and you’re procrastinating on going grocery shopping. My husband and I both enjoyed it! Very easy to follow. I couldn’t get the chicken thin enough so I had to add a little cooking time, but everything else stayed the same. Thanks for this recipe!
My pleasure, glad you enjoyed it!
Tip: If you place the chicken in the freezer beforehand until they are hard but not completely frozen, you can slice the fillets as thin as you want.
This was my first time making schnitzel. I knew nothing about schnitzel except that it goes well with doorbells and sleigh bells and noodles! 🙂 My schnitzel turned out fabulous. Will definitely be making this again and again! Thanks for the great recipe, Jo!
My pleasure, glad you liked it!
My first time making schnitzel and it turned out great…so crispy! And I loved that hint of mustard. Thanks!
My pleasure, glad you enjoyed it!
Made this tonight. Fussy eater wants it again tomorrow night. I added 2 tablespoons baking powder to make it extra crispy. Had it with wedges and Sweet Chilli Sauce. Yummy
Simple and delicious! The DJION MUSTARD in the eggs is a game changer! I also used lemon pepper in the flour dredge as I knew I was out of lemons for the juice. Was a nice touch.
I’d never tried mustard in the egg before, very nice! Thx
So delicious! I am so glad I made two batches so I could enjoy for this for a second time in a row tomorrow! The crumb texture is amazing. This is not a particularly quick dish, especially when you are making alongside another dish but it is very worth it. I will definitely be saving this!
I made this easy to follow recipe last night. DELICIOUS!!! Thank you, Joanna!
My pleasure, so glad you like it!
This sounds amazing and I can’t wait to try it! Have you tried it in the air fryer yet? If so, what temp and for how long? I’ve been trying to avoid frying things in oil in my house but I might make an exception for this
Yes, the details are under “Can You Make Schnitzel In An Air Fryer?”
Completely missed that section! Can’t wait to try it!
Let me know how you like it!
Recipe worked really well for me. I needed much less flower than in the recipe itself and needed to redo the eggs as i mixed them improperly. Regardless the chicken turned out really well. With the use of a seperate recipe for homemade potato wedges and coleslaw the meal went really well. thank you.
This was a big hit – loved it! Now I have a question: since we had some left over, how would you recommend reheating it so that it’s still crispy? In the oven?
So glad you enjoyed it, Gina! I would reheat it in the oven, probably best option to keep it crispy. I’d do it at 350F for about 10 to 15 minutes or until heated through.
Thank you! It wasn’t quite as crispy as when freshly made – probably to be expected- but still very good! It’s a keeper recipe:)