There are a few things quite as satisfying as a Chicken Schnitzel. Golden-brown and crispy on the outside and juicy chicken on the inside.
And it's especially delicious if you serve it with a simple side dish like Oma's German cucumber salad (Gurkensalat).
Making Chicken Schnitzel is simple. And it just requires five simple ingredients to make this German classic.
What is Schnitzel Anyway?
Schnitzel is one of the quintessential foods we associate with German
(and Austrian) cooking. Most often, you'll find hear about two types of schnitzel:
- Schweineschnitzel - made with pork.
- Wiener (Viennese) Schnitzel - made with veal.'
- Jagerschnitzel - Schnitzel topped with a creamy mushroom and bacon sauce
The term 'Schnitzel' refers to thin, tenderized pieces of boneless meat that are breaded and fried.
For this recipe, we're using chicken instead of veal or pork. But the process of making chicken, pork, or veal Schnitzel is always the same.
What Do You Need To Make Chicken Schnitzel
- Chicken Breast
- Flour
- Eggs
- Bread Crumbs
- Salt and Pepper (recommended but optional)
- Vegetable Oil
How To Make Chicken Schnitzel
Making this Schnitzel recipe is simple.
Preparing the Chicken
- Slice each chicken cutlet in half.
- Cover the chicken cutlets with a piece of plastic wrap and use a meat tenderizer (or a rolling pin) to pound the sliced cutlets into thin slices.
This part is fun! Especially if you had a somewhat frustrating day. 😉 - Remove the plastic and season the cutlets with salt and pepper.
Making the Breading
- Set out three shallow bowls.
- Put flour in the first bowl.
- Crack 3 eggs into the second bowl and whisk them with a dash of oil.
- Blend breadcrumbs into a small food processor until they are very fine, and pour them into the third shallow bowl.
Preparing the Chicken
- Cover the chicken seasoned chicken cutlets with flour.
- Dip each piece of chicken into the egg mixture.
- Transfer the egg-washed cutlets into the third bowl and coat with the breadcrumbs.
Cooking The Chicken
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Cook the chicken breast over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes per side. Cook the chicken until golden brown on both sides.
How to pronounce Schnitzel?
As you know, I am a native German speaker but not a qualified teacher. 😉 But this is how I'd break down 'Schnitzel'. 'Sch-knit-sell'
Pretty simple, right? And while we're talking about German food. German Potato Salad (aka 'Kartoffelsalat') is another delicious side dish alternative for serving Schnitzel.
More Tips
Breadcrumbs. Unless you're in a rush, don't skip blending the breadcrumbs into a food processor. It will almost pulverize the breadcrumbs and give your breading that little bit of extra oompf.
My grandmother used a contraption like this and made all of her breadcrumbs from scratch with dried rolls (Brötchen). After feeding the (chopped) rolls through the 'machine', she'd put them through a sifter to make sure to have only superfine bread crumbs.
You could use panko breadcrumbs but I prefer plain unseasoned breadcrumbs.
Cooking Time. The chicken will cook pretty fast because the individual cutlets are thin. However, the cooking time will vary slightly depending on how thinly you've pounded the chicken.
What To Serve With Schnitzel
You'll often find Schnitzel served with a few slices of lemon wedges. If you want to go the most basic form of serving schnitzel, simply squeeze a bit of lemon juice over the meat and enjoy.
And Schnitzel pairs well with lots of side dishes. Here are some suggestions you might like:
Chicken Schnitzel
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breast
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups bread crumbs
- ½ cup olive oil vegetable or avocado oil work as well
Instructions
Chicken Prep
- Slice each chicken breast in half.
- Lay the pieces chicken breast flat onto a cutting board. Lightly cover the chicken with plastic wrap.
- Use a meat tenderizer (or rolling pin) to pound the chicken until flat. Season with salt and pepper (optional).
The Breading
- Prepare three medium-size shallow bowls. Add the flour into the first bowl.
- Add 3 eggs into the another bowl. Use a fork to combine the eggs.
- The third bowl is for the bread crumbs. If you have very coarse bread crumbs blend them for a few seconds in a small food processor.
- Take the chicken cutlet and dip it into the flour, flip around and coat the other side.
- Transfer the floured chicken into the bowl with the eggs. Cover the cutlets with the egg wash. Move the egg-washed chicken cutlets into the bowl of bread crumbs and coat well.
Cooking the Chicken
- Heat the oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot add the first chicken cutlet and sauté for 3-4 minutes until you see golden-brown crust.
- Flip the chicken cutlet over and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Transfer the fried chicken schnitzel from the skillet onto a plate. Repeat the process with all chicken cutlets. Add more oil as needed.
- TIP - Use your oven's warming function to keep the cutlets warm while you're still cooking the remaining cutlets.
Notes
Nutrition
Hi There, I’m Maike!
A German girl turned American sharing hundreds of easy, homemade comfort food recipes perfect for everyday cooking.
arthur burns
can you use gravy on the schnitzel also what kind
Maike
Schnitzel is generally served without gravy. Often just with a side of lemon. But there is a dish called Jägerschnitzel (Hunter's Schnitzel) which is smothered in a mushroom gravy. It's a recipe I'll be sharing in August. In the meantime, here's a good mushroom gravy recipe that would work nicely.