Crispy Chicken Schnitzel Sandwich
Crispy, golden, and tasty, these Chicken Schnitzel Sandwiches make a delicious and easy dinner option or picnic lunch! The secret to truly crispy chicken schnitzel starts with a simple dry brine. The result is a crispy crumb and juicy chicken inside.
In today’s post I’m excited to share one of my all-time favorite sandwiches: Crispy Chicken Schnitzel Sandwiches. I like using a crusty Ciabatta Roll for these, but you can use any of your fave rolls for this recipe. You can go even further and use your favorite sauce and crispy salad ingredients too. My Creamy Dill Sauce pairs perfectly with this sandwich and so does my Mayonnaise recipe.
If you’re looking for your next chicken recipe idea, check out my Healthy Baked Chicken Tenders which would also work with this recipe, my Grilled Chicken Burgers are an awesome quick easy dinner idea and my Crispy Chicken Parmigiana is a favorite in our house. You could also throw that into a crusty roll and make a parm sandwich!
What is a Chicken Schnitty Sando?
Yes, that translates to Chicken Schnitzel Sandwich in Australian 😂. Essentially this is a sandwich that has a crispy Chicken Schnitzel in it with simple ingredients like mayo, pickles, and lettuce. It’s like a burger, but I wouldn’t call it a sandwich. Here’s some other things you’ll love about this sando!
- Crispy juicy chicken! – dry brining your chicken for 20 minutes gives you an ultra-crispy crust with super juicy chicken.
- Easy to make – A little bit of prep ahead of time and you’re onto an easy dinner winner! You can even prep the chicken schnitzel a day in advance to make your dinner easier! I make mine in batches in freeze it.
- Perfect for lunch or dinner! – frankly, it’s great anytime. I love serving this for dinner and if there’s any left overs it goes to work for lunch as a cold sandwich the next day!
Ingredients You Need To Make Crispy Chicken Schnitzel Sandwiches
Chicken Schnitzel
- Chicken breast – chicken breast is best for this recipe. Buy your chicken from your local butcher, not a supermarket. Butchers sell chicken that is fresher, cheaper and isn’t packed full of water and additives.
- Sea salt flakes – you can also use fine salt or kosher salt. The salt helps draw out any moisture in the chicken that may prevent your crust from staying crispy. This is called dry brining. It also helps flavor you chicken. And don’t worry, your chicken stays nice and juicy after being cooked! Trust me, it’s worth the extra step!
- Garlic powder – I use this instead of minced garlic because it doesn’t burn when cooked which can taste bitter.
- Smokey paprika – can use regular paprika as well.
- All–purpose flour – also known as plain flour. This helps the egg stick to the chicken better.
- Eggs – I used large eggs each weighing 53g each.
- Breadcrumbs – you can use fine breadcrumbs or panko breadcrumbs or even a mixture of both.
- Parmesan cheese – optional, but ads so much flavor! If you can, buy from an Italian deli or cheese shop. It’s way fresher and tastier than what’s sold at supermarkets. ALWAYS grate your own cheese, don’t buy it grated, it doesn’t taste as good.
The Rest
- Ciabatta Rolls – I have an amazing recipe for making your own ciabatta rolls on the blog which pairs perfectly with this recipe. They’re chewy on the inside, so light and airy with big bubbles. It takes 2 days to make (low effort though). But let’s be honest, most people won’t be making their own bread, they’ll be buying it which is fine. And you don’t have to use ciabatta, use your fave rolls, Turkish, brioche, even sliced bread! As long as it’s fresh and it’s lightly toasted, you’re onto a winner!
- Mayonnaise – I used a whole egg mayo because of how creamy it is. If you want to try making your own mayo, I have a great recipe here!
- Lettuce – I used cos lettuce which I very thinly sliced. Make sure you clean your lettuce under cold running water and dry it.
- Sliced pickles – I used bread and butter pickles because they have a little bit of sweetness that I like.
- Red onion – thinly sliced for added sweetness!
Let’s Talk Golden, Crispy Chicken
The Crispy Chicken Schnitzel is the star of the show. I have a standalone recipe on the blog because it’s a great comfort food recipe. I use the dry brine method of seasoning and brining the chicken breast before I crumb it which helps keep the crust crispy but the chicken juicy. It’s cooked in oil until crispy and golden and then finished in the oven to cook it through. You can serve it with a Crispy Green Salad, or with a hearty German Salad.
But today we’re turning it into a glorious sandwich! Let’s run through how to make the chicken Schnitzel!
- Place chicken on top of plastic and place plastic on top. Use the flat side of a meat tenderizer/mallet to flatten the chicken using the mallet.
- Make sure it’s evenly thick all around. Alternatively, you can slice it in half using a knife.
- Lay the chicken out on a baking tray and sprinkle with salt.
- Place in the fridge for 20 minutes. Use paper towels to pat dry.
- Sprinkle with seasonings.
- Dip chicken in flour mixture.
- Then dip in egg mixture. Allow excess egg to drip off
- Before placing in breadcrumb mixture
- Fry off in oil on medium high heat until Golden, Finish in a hot oven for 10 minutes.
Make The Chicken Sandwich Your Own Flavor!
You can make this burger your own by using your favorite crispy salad ingredients and sauces. But I love using Egg Mayonnaise, sweet pickles and thinly sliced lettuce. But my Creamy Lemon Dill Sauce or my Special Burger Sauce would work great too!
Tips and Tricks For Recipe Success!
- Measure out using kitchen scales – measuring ingredients out by weight and not cups is the best way to get consistent results every time! I wrote more about it here!
- You can flatten the chicken using a mullet, or slice it in half using a sharp knife.
- Don’t skip the brining! It helps make the chicken crispy and juicy!
- You can brine and crumb the chicken up to two days in advance and place in the fridge or wrap in freezer bags and freeze for up to 2 months.
- Don’t cook on high heat or your chicken will burn on the inside and stay raw in the middle. A nice steady medium to medium high heat works best.
- Finish off in the oven for crispy goodness!
- The internal temperature of the chicken should reach 73C / 165F.
- Make this sandwich your own by using your fave sauces and crispy salad ingredients!
Frequently Asked Questions About This Glorious Crispy Chicken Schnitzel Sandwiches!
How To Store This Sandwich
If there are leftovers (awesome for lunch the next day!) wrap in plastic and place in the fridge for 1 day.
Can I make this in advance?
Yes! Brine and crumb your chicken and store in the fridge for 2 days or wrap in plastic and freeze for up to 2 months!
Why is my chicken soggy?
This can happen if the chicken wasn’t brined long enough or if the oil was cold when the chicken went in. To check if oil is ready, dip the end of a wooden spoon into the oil and if it bubbles, it’s ready. The chicken should take a couple minutes to go golden and bubble the entire time it’s in the oil. If it browns quickly, turn over and turn the heat down. Medium heat is best.
Gave this a go? Don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! Hungry for more? Join me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and TikTok for more great recipes!
Looking for more chicken recipes? Try these!
- Healthy Baked Chicken Tenders
- Crispy Chicken Parmigiana
- Crispy Chinese Lemon Chicken
- Grilled Chicken Burgers
- Crispy Chinese Lemon Chicken
- Crispy Chinese Lemon Chicken
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @thescranline on Facebook and Instagram!
Crispy Chicken Schnitzel Sandwich
Crispy, golden, and tasty, these Chicken Schnitzel Sandwiches make a delicious and easy dinner option or picnic lunch!
Serves 4
Ingredients
Chicken Schnitzel
- 2 / 400 g chicken breasts, boneless and skin off
- 3 tsp sea salt flakes
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp smokey paprika, or sweet
- 1 cup / 150 g all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs, whisked
- 1 cup / 60 g breadcrumbs, regular or panko
- 1/2 cup / 50 g parmesan cheese, finely grated (optional)
- 1/2 cup / 125 ml canola oil, or vegetable oil
The Rest
- 4 ciabatta rolls, or bread rolls of your choice
- Whole-Egg mayonnaise
- Lettuce, finely shredded
- Sliced pickles, I used bread and butter pickles
- Red onion, thinly sliced
Instructions
Chicken Schnitzel
- To prepare the chicken – Slice each chicken breast in half. Place each piece on top of a large piece of plastic wrap or freezer bag and fold over the chicken, leaving space on all sides of the breast. Use a rolling pin or meat tenderizer to pound on the thickest parts of the chicken. The aim here is to get all the chicken the same thickness.
- Lay on a large baking tray, sprinkle both sides with sea salt flakes and place in the fridge to rest for 20 minutes.
- Take out of the fridge and pat down with paper towels to dry. Sprinkle with garlic powder, onion powder and smokey paprika. I used garlic powder, onion powder and thyme in the step-by-step photos.
- To coat the chicken – Dip the cutlets into the flour, coating them well. Gently shake off excess flour before dipping into the whisked egg allowing excess to drip off, then dip into the bread crumb. Place on a plate and repeat with all the chicken until all the chicken is coated.
- To cook chicken schnitzel – Add enough oil in a deep sided frypan to fill 1/3 of the way. Heat on medium heat. To check if it’s ready, dip the end of a wooden spoon into the oil and if it bubbles, it’s ready. Add 2 chicken cutlets into the frypan at a time. Cook on each side for 3-4 minutes. The internal temperature of the chicken should reach 73C / 165F. Once cooked, transfer to a baking tray with a cooling rack on top and place in a hot oven (180C / 350F) for 10 minutes. Continue cooking the remaining chicken until it’s all cooked. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with lemon wedges.
To Assemble
- Cut each ciabatta roll in half, add mayonnaise on the bottom and spread around. Add pickles and red onion. Then add chicken schnitzel before topping with shredded lettuce and the other ciabatta half. Slice in half and serve.
Notes
Storage – Chicken Schnitzel Sandwiches can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days.
Nutrition – is an approximate and is based on per sandwich
A note on measurements – this recipe is offered in weight measurements. This is in an effort to offer the most accurate way to get the best results. Cup measurements simply aren’t accurate enough for a recipe that needs precision and cup sizes differ depending on where you are in the world. To learn more about how to measure ingredients using digital kitchen scales, click here!
Nutrition
Calories : 809kcal
Carbonhydrates: 71g
Protein: 43g
Fat: 38g
Saturated Fat: 6g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g
Monounsaturated Fat : 21g
Trans Fat : 0.1g
Cholesterol: 163mg
Sodium: 2580mg
Potassium : 561mg
Fiber: 3g
Sugar : 2g
Vitamin A: 373IU
Vitamin C: 1mg
Calcium: 222mg
Iron: 4mg
Nutrition Disclosure
Gave this recipe a go?Mention @thescranline or tag #thescranline!
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