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.
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 for shawarma.
Wiener Schnitzel is the famed Viennese version, made from veal.
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!”
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.
After the chicken cutlets are pounded to 1/3 – 1/4 inch thickness, set up a dredging station with a plate of flour, a bowl of beaten eggs, and a plate of bread crumbs.
Coat each chicken cutlet lightly with flour.
Dunk into beaten eggs.
Then coat with crumbs. Your chicken schnitzel is now ready to cook.
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.
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!
PrintChicken Schnitzel Recipe
Thin scallops of chicken, breaded and sautéed until golden brown on the outside, tender inside. Serve with buttered noodles and salad.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 mins
- Yield: 6-8 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Sauté
- Cuisine: Global
Ingredients
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 2 1/2 pounds)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 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
- 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, 1/3 to 1/4 inch thick. Transfer scallop to a plate and repeat with remaining chicken breasts.
- 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.
- 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.
- Serve with noodles or topped with arugula salad. Sprinkle with lemon juice and freshly grated parmesan cheese, if you like. Enjoy!
Can’t go wrong with schnitzel and these instructions make it even easier.
★★★★★
One of my favorite dish. I loved it and made it every Sunday.
Hi, The snitzel sounds delicious. I would like to try it, but first need to know the fat and salt content. I am on a somewhat restricted diet. Thanks
Hi Elaine, I can’t give you exact nutritional info but I can tell you how to cook this the healthiest possible way, with the least amount of fat and salt. Firstly, omit the salt from the recipe and add salt to the finished dish in whatever amount is acceptable for your diet. As for the fat, the main fat in this dish is the fat from the egg yolks and the oil that the schnitzel is fried in. If you’re concerned about too much fat, use egg whites only when you flour and bread the chicken. Then, for frying the schnitzel use the minimal amount of oil. Spray your skillet with a little cooking spray and get the outside of the chicken brown. Then transfer the browned chicken pieces to an oiled baking pan. Spray the tops of the chicken piece with a little oil. Bake in a 425ºF oven for 5 minutes. Flip pieces over and bake for another 5-6 minutes, until cooked through. I hope that helps!
Simple + Delicious = Perfection! Served this tonight with buttered noodles. It was a home run!
★★★★★
So glad!! Thanks Joycee!
We didn’t call them schnitzel, but these cutlets have been a favorite in my family for decades. My mom used to prepare them and she passed the simple process down to me. I’ve added a few steps (Like you I pound the cutlets), but when I eat them, they definitely take me back to my childhood.
Delicious with a capital D.
Your schnitzel is so absolutely perfect—-just the right color and even. I am envious, impressed and hungry. Lol
Lisa your chicken looks so moist and delicious!
Lovely post – Schnitzel is a family favorite, and adaptable for most cuisines as you pointed out. Great photos too –
Thanks Christy!
Your schnitzel really looks amazing. It’s perfectly crispy and browned!
I love your world perspective on food, Lisa =) And, yes, I love katsu-don…And your gorgeous schnitzel…Great comment about schnitzel is a giant chicken nugget! LOL =)
This is one of those recipes that proves that simple ingredients can create the most amazing meals! I love a good schnitzel! This looks delicious and definitely a kid-pleaser!
I had no idea schnitzel had such global reach! I love learning new things…and your schnitzel is so golden and perfect looking – YUM!
Oh I love this dish. I will need to give this recipe a try with our gluten free breading.
Oooh my kids love Chicken Nuggets or Katsu at our local Sushi place and this recipe looks just perfect!Always a hit with the kids and you know they’re going to finish it off!Cannot wait to try 🙂
This looks amazing! I bet my family would love this!
My mouth is watering looking at this recipe, I haven’t had chicken schnitzel forever!!
Okay now you know that I HAVE to make this recipe using my almond meal mixture. You are so right about all the other countries that make something similar.
I’ll have to try your almond meal mixture for a gluten-free version, Marlene!
In my family, we referred to it as milanese, and I never knew schnitzel was the same thing, basically. I love that you referred to this as a giant chicken nugget; that name wins in my book!
I was surprised to find out how many different countries feature schnitzel in their cuisine. I only mentioned a few but there are literally dozens. Chicken Milanese is one of my favorites!
Such delicious comfort food and this makes a delicious meal any night of the week! I look forward to giving this a try. It’s been a long time since we’ve had schnitzel – thanks for bringing it back for me 🙂
Thanks Marion!
I did not know that ‘schnitzel’ was part of the Sound of Music lyrics. Shows you how closely I paid attention to the little details of the song…like the words!
Thank you for sharing the styles of schnitzel and for posting such a user-friendly recipe. I can’t wait to give it a try…and I will be serving mine with buttered noodles, too!
I don’t always pay attention to lyrics either, but there’s no way I could have missed the lyrics to this one – I think I have seen The Sound of Music about 100 times – it’s one of my all-time favorite movies! 🙂
I think you might have meant sleigh bells, not slay bells. Unless you’re planning to murder Julie Andrews. 🙂
So funny! I made the correction. Thank you Liz!! I love Julie Andrews and would never want any harm to come to her. 🙂
Oh, my gosh, does your schnitzel look terrific! I’m adding this to our dinner menu ASAP! Maybe even tonight if the predicted storms prevent us from grilling 🙂
Thanks Liz!