Chicken Schnitzel Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best oil for cooking schnitzel? ›

Use a high-heat point oil.

I typically prefer to use olive oil over canola oil because it's healthier (see this article), but I hardly ever use it and it's fine in moderation! Plus it's worth it for me for this one because it really helps give this schnitzel that perfect crispy crunchy outer coating!

For the uninitiated, chicken schnitzel is merely a chicken breast pounded thin, breaded, and fried. It's one of those foods that you can't help but love, which is probably why it's so prolific—versions of the recipe can be found in cultures around the world.

Drizzle more olive oil over each piece. Bake in the preheated oven for 5 to 6 minutes. Flip chicken and continue baking until no longer pink in the center and the breading is lightly browned, 5 to 6 minutes more. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

The best way to keep fried foods crispy? Just place them on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet. If you're frying multiple batches, throw the whole setup into a low oven to keep everything warm as you keep frying and adding to the rack.

For the best flavor, that fat can be clarified butter (or better: browned, then clarified butter), but I am loath to clarify two pounds of butter for a single meal. Store-bought lard is a good option, but vegetable oils like peanut, canola or rice bran will also work.

Pour enough oil to come 2cm up the side of the frying pan and heat over medium-high heat. Getting the temperature right is an important step.

schnitzel, a thin meat cutlet, pounded until tender and then breaded and fried, that is a culinary staple in German-speaking countries and communities. The Americanized version of the dish is chicken-fried steak.

The schnitzel tradition was brought from Europe to Israel by Ashkenazi Jews. During the early years of the state of Israel, veal was not obtainable, and chicken or turkey proved to be inexpensive and tasty substitutes. Packaged schnitzels are widely available in the frozen food section of most supermarkets.

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.

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.”

Why is my chicken schnitzel rubbery? ›

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.

When pan-frying, the breading won't have enough time to achieve that desirable golden brown color before the chicken is fully cooked. This will result in undercooked breading or overcooked (tough) chicken.

You don't start dry

The first step to breading chicken is crucial: Make sure the chicken is completely dry before starting the dredging process. Using a paper towel, pat the meat dry on all sides. Excess moisture will cause the flour to get soggy, meaning it will not adhere properly to the chicken.

The true key to keeping our Chicken Schnitzel juicy is two things: 1) don't pound the chicken, and 2) don't overcook it! If you pound out your chicken super thin, the moisture in the meat will evaporate as it cooks.

Use a deep, straight-sided skillet or cast iron pan to fry, which will keep splatter to a minimum. Heat the oil until it shimmers or quivers in the skillet, and the schnitzel will only take a few minutes per side to reach golden crispy perfection.

Use oils that have a high smoke point such as peanut, canola, vegetable, sunflower, rice bran and extra-light olive oil. Shallow-fry in batches.

Heat 1/2 to 1 inch of vegetable oil in a heavy skillet to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). You can also use a deep fryer. Put chicken slices in the egg mixture and knead until fully coated. Press chicken in the bread crumbs until evenly coated.

You want to use an oil that is labeled “virgin” or simply “olive oil”. You do not want to be using extra virgin olive oil here. You can also use any other neutral flavored oil you like. Just make sure it is one that can take high heat since you're essentially frying in it.

If you're allergic to peanuts or just not a fan of the taste of peanut oil, Marcus likes canola oil. “Canola oil is the best all-around oil to use for frying chicken,” she says. “It has a high smoke point and will not impact the flavor of the chicken the way coconut, peanut or avocado oil will.”