One of life’s greatest pleasures, this homemade chicken schnitzel recipe is a family favorite in my house. Breaded and fried, it’s golden on the outside and tender and moist in the center. Budget-friendly and quick to prepare, it’s one dish I’ve been making for years, and I’m sharing all my tips and tricks so you can have it on the table in just over 30 minutes!
Love schnitzel? Try my Italian schnitzel bites, portobello mushroom schnitzel, and corn & pepper panko schnitzel, too.
Table of contents
In case you’re unfamiliar with the history of chicken schnitzel, it is a dish made with crispy fried chicken breasts originally from Austria. Traditional schnitzel is made with veal (known as Weiner schnitzel) or pork. However, the dish quickly became popular in Germany as well and later found its way to Israel through European Jews.
Like many other foods, Jews adapted this regional dish to suit their dietary kosher laws, replacing pork (which is treif) and veal (which was expensive and difficult to obtain) with chicken and turkey. Now, chicken schnitzel is popular throughout the world and is a particular favorite in my household.
Ingredients and Notes
Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the complete details!
- Chicken – Boneless chicken breasts are best for schnitzel, because their mild flavor pairs with the breading nicely. However, boneless, skinless chicken thighs will also work. I like to butterfly the chicken breasts, then pound them between sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Consequently, this makes the chicken cook more evenly, resulting in a crispier result.
- Flour – I use all-purpose flour for the base of the breading. However, if needed, you can substitute a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour to keep this recipe gluten-free.
- Breadcrumbs – You can use a variety of ingredients for coating the schnitzel, including breadcrumbs, matzo meal, and Japanese panko. Overall, breadcrumbs are the most popular choice and my go-to for a classic schnitzel. Matzo meal is used during Passover, when Jewish cooks have a kosher restriction on leavened grains. Panko breadcrumbs produce a very light, crisp, and airy coating.
- Oil – Make sure to use an oil with a high smoke point for frying. I prefer avocado oil, but grapeseed oil also works well.
How to Make a Classic Chicken Schnitzel Recipe
- Butterfly the chicken. Trim the tenderloin off the chicken breast, if needed, along with any extra fat. Then, butterfly the chicken, and slice the breasts in half, creating four chicken fillets.
- Pound the chicken. Use a meat mallet or heavy-bottomed pot to pound the chicken until each piece reaches a uniform thickness.
- Bread. Create a breading station using three large, shallow bowls. Working one at a time, dredge the chicken with flour, followed by the beaten egg and breadcrumb mixture. Let any excess breading drip off.
- Fry. Working in batches, fry the breaded chicken breasts in hot oil in a large skillet until a golden brown crust forms on the first side. Then, flip, and continue to fry until the chicken cooks through. Transfer the cooked chicken schnitzel to a wire rack or a paper towel-lined plate to catch any of the excess drips of oil. Repeat as needed, cooking all the chicken pieces.
- Serve. Season with salt as needed, and enjoy warm.
Tori’s Tips for Making Crispy, Juicy Chicken Schnitzel
- Pound the chicken evenly. The key to achieving crispy, tender chicken schnitzel is to pound each chicken piece to an even thickness, roughly 1/8 inch thick.
- Add flavor to the breading. I like to season my breadcrumbs with paprika and salt. Then, I add white sesame seeds for a little extra crunch and a subtle nutty taste.
- Heat the oil slowly. Let your oil warm over medium heat, allowing it to become nice and hot without burning, which can create an unpleasant flavor and prevent the chicken from cooking properly.
- Avoid overcrowding. Work in batches, leaving space all around each piece of chicken. This promotes fast, even cooking and allows the breading to become golden and crisp on all sides.
- Use a meat thermometer. Eliminate any guesswork when cooking, and use a meat thermometer to ensure your chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C), meaning it’s fully cooked and safe to eat.
- Rest before serving. Let your chicken pieces rest for at least 5-10 minutes before serving. This allows the natural juices to redistribute, keeping it tender.
Serving Suggestions
This tasty, crispy chicken is often served as a main dish with a starchy side dish like French fries, olive oil mashed potatoes, or Middle Eastern roasted vegetable rice. For the most part, I prefer to serve it with a fresh Israeli salad to cut down on calories.
Lemon wedges and parsley are the traditional garnish for chicken schnitzel. While I do love my schnitzel with lemon, I also like to dip it in spicy mustard, hot sauce, or hummus. You can’t go wrong either way. Save extra chicken cutlets to make sandwiches, too!
Chicken Schnitzel
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts (2 large breasts)
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup breadcrumbs, matzo meal, or panko
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
- Oil with a high smoke point for frying – avocado oil preferred, grapeseed oil also works well
- Fresh lemon wedges for garnish
Instructions
- For each breast, check to see if there is a tenderloin (an extra flap of meat that sort of hangs off).
- If there is a tenderloin, slice it off of the breast. Trim any visible tendons or extra bits of fat from the breast and the tenderloin. Set tenderloin aside.
- Lay the breast on cutting board with smooth side facing upward. Identify the thickest round edge of the breast. Place your hand flat on the top of the breast. Slice carefully horizontally into the thickest round edge, slicing about three quarters of the way into the breast (divinding top half of breast from bottom). Do not slice all the way through.
- Unfold the breast to reveal two symmetrical halves (this is a "butterfly" of the breast). Slice down the middle to divide the breast into two equal pieces. When finished with the pound of chicken, you should have 4 breasts of relatively equal size, and perhaps a couple of tenderloins as well.
- Lay down a 2- to 3-foot long strip of plastic wrap on your kitchen countertop. Place chicken breasts and tenderloins on the plastic, leaving a 2-inch space between each piece of meat. Cover the breasts with another strip of plastic, so the meat is sandwiched between two layers of plastic.
- Use the flat side of a mallet to pound the breasts thin until they are of a uniform thickness, roughly 1/8 inch thin throughout.
- Place all the pounded breasts and tenderloins on a plate. Set up three wide, shallow bowls and a large empty plate on your countertop. In your first bowl, put the flour. In your second bowl, beat the eggs together with 2 tsp of water until well mixed. In your third bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs, paprika, 1/4 tsp salt and sesame seeds (optional) until well blended. Place empty plate nearby where you will put your coated schnitzels.
- Pour oil into a skillet or sauté pan until it’s deep enough for frying (about ½ inch). Heat the oil slowly over medium. While oil is heating, dip each breast one by one into your breading bowls—first dredge with flour.
- Next, dip the floured breast in the egg mixture until well coated.
- Finally, place the egg-covered breast into the bowl of breadcrumb mixture. Use a dry hand to coat the breast evenly with breadcrumbs. Repeat process for remaining breasts and tenderloins.
- You want your frying oil to be around 350 degreees F – hot, but not so hot that the oil smokes or splatters. You can test the oil temperature with a tenderloin first, if you have one. Fry the coated breasts in single-layer batches until they are golden brown on both sides. If your oil is at the right temperature, it should take about 2-3 minutes per side to cook the schnitzels.
- Don’t fry more than two breasts at a time in a regular sized skillet, or the oil temperature will drop and the schnitzels will become greasy. When the oil is at the right temperature, the schnitzels will absorb very little oil and cook up light and crisp.
- After frying, set the schnitzels on a wire rack (or on a paper towel-lined plate or baking sheet) to drain excess oil.
- Sprinkle the schnitzels with additional salt to taste, if desired. Serve hot garnished with lemon wedges or your favorite condiment. Mustard and hot sauce both pair well with schnitzel. If you have any tenderloins, take dibs on who gets to eat them – that meat is especially tender (hence the name "tenderloin"). Enjoy!
NOTES
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
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FAQs
The main difference is that schnitzel chicken is made by pounding chicken breasts until they’re very thin, whereas breaded chicken is often left thicker. In addition, schnitzel is most commonly pan-fried, whereas breaded chicken can be either pan-fried or deep-fried.
I haven’t tested this recipe in the oven, but it should work. Bread the chicken as usual. Then, arrange it in an even layer on a prepared baking sheet, and bake at 400°F (200°C) for about 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken cooks through. I recommend flipping the pieces over halfway through cooking to ensure they brown nicely on both sides!
This recipe is best served warm while the breading is still crisp. However, if needed, you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. You can also transfer the chicken to the freezer for up to 2-3 months.
To serve, thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then, reheat the chicken pieces in the oven at about 350°F (177°C) for 10-15 minutes or just until warmed through. You can also reheat chicken schnitzel in the microwave, but I find it causes the breading to become a bit soggy.
Hi Tori,
Just had to say I made this again and, as always, loved it. This time I tried panko (I found some GF panko! WOOT!) and, like all your suggestions, it was a hit. Big hug!
Your fan in Montana,
-N-
Tori,
Thank you for such an awesome schnitzel recipe! My husband was just recently reminiscing of all the schnitzel he would eat for breakfast at a kibbutz he worked at one summer in Israel and I just surprised him with this for dinner tonight. He loved it!!! Thanks for the clear instructions, delish recipe, and happy full husband (and family! )
Also, on a side note, I have tried many of your holiday craft ideas with my son and they have been a big hit. Our favorite was the edible sukkah! Thanks for the great ideas to make our feasts and festivals that much more fun. Blessings to you and your fam. Keep up the great work!
Thank you Rachel! Sending hugs 🙂
Perfect! Thank you :-))
Made these today. Unfortunately my local grocers don’t keep Panko so I smashed some corn flakes for extra crunch. Being a recently unemployed ex Target canada employee, I’m really enjoying the extra time I have in the kitchen. Thanks again Tori for another great recipe!
To die for recipe. My whole family loves it and continues to ask for it to be made (very picky eaters and are not open to trying new things). I do not use as much oil as the picture shows just to keep it light on the calories and still turns out very good
Great Angela! Happy to hear it.
What is the Israeli salad made of? I do like capers with it.
Bev here is my recipe: https://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/2010/01/israeli-salad-week/
Hi Tori, I had chicken schnitzel in Israel when I went there in 2012. It was fab! I don’t know why I haven’t tried making it before but I decided to today! I found your recipe and followed it, along with the Israeli Salad. Oh my goodness!! It was amazing! I will definitely be making it again! I also made it for my daughter and, although she’s really fussy about food, she said it was delicious! She also had some of the salad, which she NEVER usually eats!! Thank you SO much for sharing the recipe!! 🙂
So glad you enjoyed it Wendy 🙂
I used to live in South Carolina and made this for my shiksa wife who, of course, loves fried chicken. She fell in love with this version, I would serve it with brown rice and whatever sauce(dip) I wanted to throw together. However, living now in the Philippines I can’t always find a lot of ingredients so I become as versatile as possible. I love hot spices but my Pinoy wife(who is also a great cook) doesn’t so many times I will make two dips.
I am useless in the kitchen but tried your chicken schnitzel recipe. I surprised my husband by cooking for him for a change and everything turned out great. My 10 year old daughter even helped and we had fun. Thank you so much.
Great Venessa! So happy the recipe inspired you. 🙂
Cook yesterday this with mix veggies as a side dish my family enjoyed it I used honey mustard instead. Will definitely have this one of our favorite chicken meal.
Great Simon! I’m happy your family liked it.
Delicious! You’re photos are amazing! What kind of camera do you use?
Just made these for dinner. Really yummy and my 2 year old loved helping me make it, and then mixing all the bowls of coating together on his t shirt.
Hi Tori,
We love schnitzel! I hate pounding so a trick I do is to freeze the chicken breast for a half hour or so and then I can slice them in half. Works great.
I love your web site and recipes. Thank you for suggesting the panko as a substitute. It gives such a nice crispy texture. I am half Jewish and half Japanese and I just can’t get enough of THIS one!!! The best of both worlds for me! Shalom and Arigato!!! 🙂
Tori, you say this recipe is gluten free. How could it be when it’s drenched in flour and then matzah meal or panko crumbs. My grandaughter is gluten free so I check all recipes.
Hi Pearl, you’ve misunderstood. At the end of the blog, just before the recipe, it says, “Click the links for two other versions of this dish.” Underneath that, it says Gluten Free Chicken Schnitzel in red letters. Click that link, and it will take you to the gluten free version of this recipe. I hope your granddaughter enjoys the schnitzel!
When i was in medical school this was all I ate when it came to meat in Israel and it was delicious,i have been making it here in Arizona only in the last year after many years of its absence.
Meat was scarce in Israel in the 1980s we lived on yogurt which was delicious ,chummus,tehina,pita and on Friday we baked a chicken or made snitzel. And then one of y favorite salad turkit-turkish salad
alan
I live in Israel ( & am Israeli) We eat schnitzels with french fries at home.
In every restaurant in Israel you have the option of a side order of french fries or mashed potatoes or rice with schnitzel.
Thanks Tori for all your wonderful recipies.
This is a very delicious recipe. You should try ‘Putenschnitzel’ (made of turkey) sometimes – very common in Austria.
By the way, the plural of schnitzel is schnitzel (a quick german lesson from an austrian girl;-))
Looks gorgeous. Schnitzel is my husband’s favourite thing to eat, hands down. Your photos are Pinterest worthy, and in fact, have just been to my Cookery Board. YUM.
Just finished making it. Absolutely delicious. Crispy, crunchy and flavorful. Make sure you use the sesame seeds. They add another layer. I took the chicken breasts and butterflied them, then pounded them thin. It’s already going into the rotation!