Chicken Schnitzel Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between breaded chicken and schnitzel? ›

Chicken schnitzel is a breaded chicken filet, so if you get down to the nitty-gritty, they're the same thing. How you serve it, meaning garnishes and accompaniments, is what turns a breaded filet into a schnitzel.

Baking can result in the chicken drying out. If baking chicken schnitzel from frozen, cook the chicken for 8–10 minutes longer than the recipe or until cooked through.

I've found that seasoning the chicken directly first gives me more flavor. Heat the oil well. The oil needs to be hot enough (it should be shimmering but not smoking) so that the chicken will cook well and crisp up. If the oil is not hot enough, the chicken will absorb too much oil and give you soggy, oily schnitzel.

Place the breaded chicken on a cooling rack (or a platter) and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. This cooling time will help the layers of breading ingredients solidify and adhere better after the chicken cooks. Once you start cooking the chicken, be patient and don't flip it over too early.

The white stuff coming out of chicken as it cooks is simply extra protein that dissolves in water and is forced out of the meat by heat. Food scientist Topher McNeil, PhD, explains, “The [chicken] muscles themselves actually contract and squeeze out the liquid that's in between muscle cells.”

Overcooking might play a role in your chicken's tire-like texture. Leaving chicken in a pan, oven, or grill for just a little too long can suck the moisture right out and leave you with a dry, rubbery bird. Without moisture, the protein fibers in the chicken become elastic.

I would also recommend using grapeseed oil for searing because it has a high smoke point and we want to make sure the breading doesn't burn. Once you flip the schnitzel, you can add a tablespoon of butter to finish and give it that extra flavor!

Remember, the key to a crispy coating is frying the schnitzel at the right temperature. Too low and it'll absorb too much oil, too high and it'll burn. Aim for medium-high heat and you'll get that golden, crispy finish every time – about 165°C if you have a kitchen thermometer.

How do you get the breading to stick on a schnitzel? ›

Combine breadcrumbs, cheese, lemon rind, parsley and garlic powder on a plate. Season with salt and pepper. Dip egg-coated chicken in breadcrumb mixture. Gently press on with fingertips to secure.

Schnitzel is not typically highly seasoned, relying instead on bold toppings such as fresh lemon wedges, mushroom sauce, or cream sauce to add a boost of flavor.

The secret to making the best schnitzel, in my opinion, is to quick-brine the chicken. By soaking the chicken fillets in a saltwater bath for just 30 minutes before breading, you ensure they come out flavorful and irresistibly juicy.

Tips for making the BEST Schnitzel

Use enough fat or oil in the pan! Clarified butter is best tastewise! Make sure the fat is hot before you put the schnitzel in the pan! Don't overcrowd the pan because the temperature of the fat will drop when you put the schnitzel in!

In Germany, the term Schnitzel means cutlets in general, not just breaded, fried ones. Schnitzel Wiener Art ('Viennese style schnitzel') is a pounded, breaded and fried cutlet, more often made of pork than of veal. Restaurants mostly serve it with a slice of lemon and french fries.

Breaded cutlet is known as schnitzel in German-speaking countries, cotoletta alla milanese in Italy, escalope in France, filete empanado or cachopo in Spain, filete empanizado in Cuba, milanesa in Latin America, katsu in Japan and Korea, kotlet in Poland, řízek in Czech Republic, rezeň in Slovakia and kotleta in post- ...

The breading is typically an easy coating of flour, egg wash, and breadcrumbs. Schnitzel is not typically highly seasoned, relying instead on bold toppings such as fresh lemon wedges, mushroom sauce, or cream sauce to add a boost of flavor.