You can’t go wrong with crispy chicken schnitzel on a weeknight! This is a family-favorite chicken dinner made with thinly pounded chicken breast that’s breaded and pan-fried. Make it ahead or freeze the leftovers for quick, last-minute meals.
I feel like my love affair with crispy chicken recipes started with classic chicken schnitzel! It’s led me down all sorts of delicious paths, from chicken Milanese and pecan-crusted chicken to cornflake chicken and more.
If there’s one chicken dinner that I know is sure to please everyone at the table, it’s chicken schnitzel. It’s a classic for a reason: juicy, tender chicken wrapped in buttery breadcrumbs and then pan-fried. It doesn’t get more simple and delicious than that!
The key is pounding the chicken ultra-thin so it cooks quickly and evenly in the pan, using the same method as French chicken paillard and Italian chicken piccata. The breading cooks up to a mouthwatering golden brown, and all you need is a side of greens or potato salad to make it a meal!
Reasons to Love This Chicken Schnitzel Recipe
- Quick and easy. Chicken schnitzel is one of my all-time favorite family meals because it’s super quick to make (just 15 minutes!), tasty, and you can freeze leftovers.
- Extra crispy. Shallow frying gets the crumbed chicken perfectly crispy and golden without having to waste a ton of oil. The chicken stays deliciously juicy underneath the crunchy, pan-fried breading.
- Make it ahead. I love to freeze cooked chicken schnitzel for easy last-minute dinners. Simply pop it into the oven, air fryer, or back into the pan to reheat it down the road.
What You’ll Need
Another wonderful thing about chicken schnitzel is that you really need only 5 ingredients to make it at home. I’ve included some notes here. You’ll find the printable recipe card after the post, followed by visual step-by-step instructions.
- Chicken – I recommend skinless, boneless chicken breasts or thighs since you’ll need to pound them thin. Afterward, you’ll give the chicken a quick seasoning with salt and pepper. You could also boost the flavors with chicken seasoning.
- Flour – All-purpose flour works perfectly. I haven’t tested this schnitzel recipe with other types of flour yet.
- Seasoning – I season the breading with paprika and garlic powder, along with salt and pepper.
- Eggs – Lightly beaten for an egg wash.
- Breadcrumbs – I like to use big, crunchy panko breadcrumbs, but any unseasoned or seasoned breadcrumbs will work.
Tips and Variations
- Pound, don’t slice. Pounding the chicken not only flattens it to an even thickness but also makes for a more tender and tastier chicken schnitzel. I don’t recommend slicing the chicken thin instead. It just isn’t the same.
- Get the chicken nice and thin. Make sure that you tenderize the chicken so that it’s equally thinned everywhere (¼” thick is a good rule of thumb). This way, it cooks evenly.
- Use smaller chicken breasts. The only reason I cut my flattened chicken in two is to make it easier to work with. So, if you’re already using smaller chicken breasts, you can skip this step.
- Check for doneness. Chicken schnitzel cooks quickly! To check that the chicken is done, use an instant-read meat thermometer to read the internal temperature. Chicken is cooked when it reaches 165ºF.
- Add extra crunch. An easy way to bring extra crunch to the schnitzel breading is to add a couple of tablespoons of sesame seeds to the breadcrumbs. Another option is to add grated parmesan for more flavor, like my parmesan chicken tenders.
- Swap chicken for pork. Instead of chicken breasts, make pork schnitzel with thinly pounded pork loin chops or pork shoulder.
Frequently Asked Questions
Traditional German wiener schnitzel recipes use pork, while Austrian Schnitzel Wiener Art, or “Viennese-style” schnitzel, is made with veal. However, schnitzel can refer to any thin pounded cutlet, including chicken or turkey (like my Italian turkey scallopini).
The main reasons chicken schnitzel turns out tough or chewy is overcooking, not using enough oil, and meat that isn’t fully tenderized. To avoid tough schnitzel, make sure to really flatten the chicken, and then shallow-fry in at least 1” of oil. The oil should be hot enough so that the meat cooks quickly, but not so hot that it burns the breading.
The best oil for frying has a high smoke point, like vegetable oil, canola oil, or sunflower oil. These oils produce an extra-crispy, golden, and even coating.
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Pound the chicken thin. Place the chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet (or rolling pin), pound the chicken to ¼-inch thickness. Cut the chicken breasts in half so that you have four pieces. Season the chicken to taste with salt and pepper.
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Prepare a breading station. Combine the flour, salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder in a shallow dish. Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the panko breadcrumbs to a third bowl.
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Coat the chicken. Coat the chicken with the flour. Then dip it into the eggs. Allow the excess eggs to drip off. Finally, coat the chicken with panko breadcrumbs. Place the chicken onto a wire rack while the oil heats up.
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Fry the chicken. Heat 1 inch of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown. Place the chicken schnitzel onto paper towels to drain.
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Serve. Serve the chicken warm with some lemon wedges on the side.
- If you are thinking about cutting the thin slices with a knife, I advise you not to. Pounding the chicken will make it more tender and your schnitzel even tastier.
- For extra crunch, combine panko breadcrumbs with 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds. For extra flavor, add parmesan to the panko breadcrumbs.
- Make sure your chicken is thinned equally on all parts so it can cook evenly.
- If you are using small chicken breasts, then there is no need to cut them in half. We are only cutting the chicken breasts so they are easier to work with.
Serving: 1schnitzel | Calories: 356kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 173mg | Sodium: 389mg | Potassium: 633mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 284IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How to Make the Best Chicken Schnitzel
You’re approximately 4 steps and 15 minutes away from the crispiest, most mouthwatering chicken schnitzel. Follow along here:
- Pound the chicken thin. Start by pounding the chicken flat using a meat mallet or rolling pin. I like to get it to an even ¼” thickness. Afterward, slice each flattened chicken breast in half, and season the pieces with salt and pepper.
- Set up a breading station. Next, combine the flour with the seasonings in a shallow dish, whisk the eggs in a bowl with salt and pepper, and fill a third bowl with panko crumbs.
- Coat the chicken. Coat each chicken piece first with flour, then with the egg, and finally, press the chicken into the breadcrumbs. Make sure the chicken is well-coated on all sides. Set the coated chicken aside on a wire rack.
- Fry. Meanwhile, heat about 1” of oil in a heavy skillet. Add the chicken to the oil and fry for 2-3 minutes per side until the breading is nice and golden and the chicken is cooked through. Let the extra oil drain off on a paper towel for a minute, then serve. I like my chicken schnitzel with a squeeze of fresh lemon!
Can I Bake Schnitzel Instead?
I won’t lie: Shallow-frying is the best way to get a perfectly crunchy, golden exterior. However, you can bake chicken schnitzel instead if you’d prefer a lighter option. I’d recommend baking the chicken on a wire rack set over a foil-lined baking sheet so it crisps up on all sides, similar to how I make my baked chicken parmesan. Afterward, bake at 400ºF for 20-25 minutes.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerate. Like most fried foods, chicken schnitzel is at its crispiest when served right away, but leftovers can be kept in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- Reheat. In my opinion, the best way to reheat crispy chicken is in the oven or air fryer. Pop the leftover chicken into a 400ºF oven for about 10 minutes. Air frying takes slightly less time.
- Freeze. Transfer the cooked (and cooled) chicken to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw the schnitzel in the fridge before reheating.
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