Crispy Chicken Schnitzel
This golden and crispy Chicken Schnitzel is a crowd-pleasing family favorite. Coated in breadcrumbs, juicy, tender and cooked to perfection!
This recipe is inspired by a traditional German recipe. I won’t claim that this is the authentic recipe because I love adding my own twists to things. It’s a juicy, thinly pounded, and flavorful chicken steak that is coated in a simple bread coating and fried. You can serve it with so many things or even put it inside a chicken sandwich!
If you’re looking for things to serve with this chicken schnitzel, try my German Potato Salad, Garden Green Salad (for a lighter dinner option) or my Vietnamese Chicken Salad (minus the chicken).
Why this was my favorite childhood food!
Chicken Schnitzel is near and dear to my heart as a recipe because it was my favorite food that my mum made us as a kid. I’ve taken my mums recipe and added a few things to make it my own. Here’s why you’ll love it!
- Flavorful – because it’s flavored with spices before it’s breaded. The salt helps make the chicken juicy but also seasons it.
- Juicy – that’s because of the dry brine step which draws out unnecessary moisture and helps keep the bread coating crisp!
- Crispy – because of the dry brining! Don’t skip this step!
- Easy to make. This is also a great make ahead of time meal or even a freezer meal!
Ingredients You Need To Make Crispy Chicken Schnitzel
Note: the whole recipe, including the ingredient quantities, can be found at the bottom of this page – just scroll down to the bottom, or click the ‘Jump to Recipe’ button at the top of this post.
- Chicken – I used large chicken breasts. Once pounded out, they’re quite large so if you want smaller chicken schnitzel, opt in for medium sized chicken breasts. Can you use tenders or chicken thigh? Absolutely! No need to pound these out.
- Sea salt flakes – or fine salt. Just make sure you get as much of it off as you can once brining the chicken. The chicken at this point is seasoned with salt and there’s no need to season it again.
- Garlic powder
- Smokey paprika – or regular paprika. I used thyme in the step by step photos.
- Flour – I used all-purpose flour.
- Eggs – I used large eggs. Whisk them well!
- Breadcrumbs – I used traditional breadcrumbs, but you can use panko if you like.
- Parmesan – optional, but adds more flavor in the breading.
- Vegetable oil – I used vegetable oil to fry the chicken, but you can use canola oil. I wouldn’t recommend olive oil as it is very heavy.
My secret to crispy chicken!
Dry Bringing: This extra 20-minute low effort step gives you crispy, juicy chicken! I’ll go through this in the step by step below, but after you’ve pounded your chicken thin, you sprinkle it with sea salt flakes on both sides and let it rest in the fridge for 20 minutes. The salt draws out unnecessary moisture from the chicken which stops the chicken from making your bread coating soggy. This is my secret to crispy chicken!
How to make Crispy Chicken Schnitzel!
- Place plastic on your chopping board and on top of the chicken
- Use the flat part of your mallet or a (heavy bottomed pot)
- To pound the thickest part of the chicken breast flat
- So it’s all the same thickness.
- Place on a baking tray and sprinkle with salt. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes
- Pat dry once rested.
- Season
- Coat in flour
- Then whisked egg
- Mix breadcrumbs with grated parmesan
- Coat in breadcrumbs
- Until they’re all coated
- Fry
- Until golden on both sides
- Store in a warm oven until they’re all cooked.
Tips and Tricks For Recipe Success!
- Use plastic bags when pounding chicken flat to prevent chicken from flying all over your bench.
- Pound chicken on top of a chopping board to stop you hitting your kitchen bench with the mullet.
- You can pound the chicken using a heavy bottom pot if you don’t have a mullet.
- Make sure you don’t tear or pound holes into the chicken when pounding flat. Work slow.
- 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.
Frequently Asked Questions about Crispy Chicken Schnitzel
What does it taste like?
So flavorful! It’s flavored with spices before it’s breaded. The beauty is you can flavor it however you like. It’s juicy because
Can I freeze these?
Yes! This chicken schnitzel recipe is totally freezable!
Cooked: allow to cool, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, bake for 20 minutes on 180C / 320F. Serve.
Uncooked: once breaded, lay flat on a baking tray lined with baking paper until completely frozen. Individually wrap each steak in plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw completely in the fridge and then cook as normal. Make sure you don’t try frying these while they’re still frozen. They’ll burn on the outside and stay raw on the inside.
What’s a safe cooking temperature for chicken?
If you want to be absolutely sure that your chicken is cooked use a thermometer to make sure the inside has reached an internal temperature of 73C / 165F.
Can I make this using other types of meat?
Yep! Schnitzel is often made using veal as well. Follow the same steps as chicken.
Can I use panko breadcrumbs instead?
Yes! You absolutely can. They’re crisper! I just like the look of traditional breadcrumbs when I make chicken schnitzel.
Can I make chicken schnitzels in an air-fryer?
Yep. Follow the same prep and breading steps. Spray with oil spray and cook in a preheated air fryer on 200C / 380F (one schnitzel at a time) for 7-8 minutes. Flip over halfway through. Place in a warm oven to keep other schnitzels warm as you cook through your schnitzel. Just note: the schnitzels won’t taste the same as frying in oil, nothing ever does. But they still come out juicy because they’re dry brined!
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!
If you love chicken recipes, check these out!
German Potato Salad
Healthy Baked Chicken Tenders
Healthy Chicken Caesar Salad
Slow Cooker Crispy Chicken Carnitas
Greek Chicken Gyro
Baked Orange Chicken Recipe
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @thescranline on Facebook and Instagram!
Crispy Chicken Schnitzel Recipe
This golden and crispy Chicken Schnitzel is a crowd pleasing family favorite. Coated in bread crumbs, juicy, tender and cooked to perfection!
Serves 6
Ingredients
- Chicken Schnitzel
- 6 / 1 kg chicken breasts, boneless and skin off
- 3 tsp sea salt flakes
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp smokey paprika, or sweet
- 2 cups / 300 g all-purpose flour
- 3 eggs, whisked
- 2 cups / 120 g breadcrumbs, regular or panko
- 1/2 cup / 50 g parmesan cheese, finely grated, (optional)
- 1 cup / 250 ml canola oil, or vegetable oil
- fresh parsley or dill, freshly chopped to garnish
- Lemon slices to serve
Instructions
- 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, then dip 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 1 chicken cutlet 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 the oven to stay warm. Continue cooking the remaining chicken until it’s all cooked. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with lemon wedges.
Notes
Chicken – I used large chicken breasts for this recipe. To make sure your chicken is safe to eat, make sure it reaches an internal temperature of 73C / 165F.
Breadcrumbs – I used regular (traditional) breadcrumbs for this recipe because I like the look of them better for this recipe. However, you can use panko breadcrumbs if you like.
Storage – Chicken Schnitzel can be stored in an airtight container, in the fridge for up to three days.
To freeze – this recipe freezes so well! Place the raw and crumbed chicken on a baking tray lined with baking paper or plastic wrap and freeze flat until completely frozen. Once frozen transfer to a zip lock bag. Thaw on a flat tray or plate in the fridge until completely thawed and cook as normal. You can also freeze the cooked chicken schnitzel.
Nutrition – This recipe makes 6 pieces; each serving is 1 piece
A note on measurements – all ingredients in this recipe are offered in Australian cup measurements and weight measurements. Weight measurements are created by me, in my kitchen here in Melbourne Australia. The best way to get recipe success is to measure ingredients by weight, using kitchen scales.
Nutrition
Calories : 948kcal
Carbonhydrates: 59g
Protein: 63g
Fat: 50g
Saturated Fat: 7g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g
Monounsaturated Fat : 27g
Trans Fat : 0.2g
Cholesterol: 232mg
Sodium: 1854mg
Potassium : 999mg
Fiber: 3g
Sugar : 3g
Vitamin A: 334IU
Vitamin C: 3mg
Calcium: 196mg
Iron: 5mg
Nutrition Disclosure
Gave this recipe a go?Mention @thescranline or tag #thescranline!
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7 comments
This chicken schnitzel is so tasty and crispy! N x
Amazing schnitzel!! We loved it! Love the flavour of the garlic and onion powder on the chicken!
Thanks Tiana! N x
How would you reheat once it’s frozen? I wanted to leave instructions for someone but it just says to thaw. Would it be in the oven? If so, at what temp & for how long?
Hi TK! Thaw in the fridge and then reheat in the oven until heated through 🙂 N x
I reheated it in the air fryer. It was even crispier and better the 2nd time around.
That’s awesome, Mary Anne! The air fryer is such a great way to bring back that crispiness. Glad you loved it even more the second time around! N x