Chicken schnitzel is a traditional German dish that is pounded thin with a meat tenderizer and is coated with breadcrumbs and then lightly fried. There isn’t much better or easier than this when it comes to chicken.
I thought today was about exploring my roots a little bit. My dad’s side of the family is German if the last name Beck didn’t give it away. No I’m not related to Beck’s Beer sadly. Who knows, maybe I’ll randomly start seeing some checks from them some day. And while my distant relatives hail from Germany, I have never actually been. But I feel most cities this days have an authentic German restaurant. For me it was Hollerbach’s in Sanford.My memories of Hollerbach’s consist of live music, lots of dancing, beer and schnitzel. Now I was too young for the beer and didn’t care for the dancing but I remember loving the schnitzel.
Schnitzel is usually either chicken, pork or veal that is pounded very thin. I either would order the pork or chicken and always loved it. In fact, I don’t think I ever ordered anything else besides schnitzel from Hollerbach’s. Since I don’t live close by anymore, I thought I’d make my own version of German chicken schnitzel.
Thankfully, it tasted exactly how I remembered. It really is a super simple dish. It also pairs great with potato latkes, which I just happened to share recently or if you really want to step you game up – cheddar pierogies. So if you’re like me and crave some German chicken schnitzel, this recipe is for you.
What Ingredients are in this Chicken Schnitzel Recipe?
- Chicken cutlets
- All-purpose flour
- Eggs
- Breadcrumbs
- Garlic powder
- Salt and black pepper
- Canola oil
- Produce – lemons, parsley
What is Chicken Schnitzel?
Chicken schnitzel is chicken that is pounded thin and tenderized and then is coated with breadcrumbs and lightly fried. You typically squeeze some fresh lemon over it as well.
How to Make Chicken Schnitzel:
- Place chicken between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound to 1/4″ thick. Season with salt and pepper.
- Make breadcrumb mixture by pulsing three slices of bread in food processor. You can also use plain breadcrumbs.
- Place flour, eggs and breadcrumbs in three separate bowls, adding some garlic powder to breadcrumbs.
- Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Dip chicken in flour, then eggs, then breadcrumbs.
- Cook chicken in skillet until golden brown, 3 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining chicken.
Do I Have to Use Chicken?
Nope! Traditional, you can make schnitzel with chicken, veal or pork. The recipe is the same except for the meat. While I’ve never made veal schnitzel, I’ve made pork from time-to-time and it’s outstanding as well.
How do You Reheat Schnitzels in the Oven?
Leftovers that tastes as great as the day it was made it important. Place the chicken on a baking sheet and cover with foil. Place in 400°F oven for 15 minutes and check if it’s crispy. If it isn’t yet, pop back in the oven for another 5 minutes.
Other Chicken Recipes:
Chicken Schnitzel
Ingredients
- 4 (6 oz) chicken cutlets
- salt and black pepper
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs (pulse 3 slices of bread)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- canola or vegetable oil for frying
- lemons and chopped parsley for serving
Instructions
- Place the chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound them until they are 1/4 inch thick. Lightly season both sides with salt and black pepper.
- To make breadcrumbs, pulse 3 slices of bread in food processor until you get crumb mixture. You can also use plain breadcrumbs if you don't have fresh bread.
- Place the flour, egg and breadcrumbs in 3 separate shallow bowls. Add garlic powder to breadcrumbs and mix to combine.
- Preheat oven to 350F. Place wiring cooling rack on baking sheet and set aside. Heat 1/4 inch oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. While skillet is heating up, dip the chicken in the flour, then the eggs, then the breadcrumbs, coating both sides and all edges at each side. Gently shake off excess bread crumbs.
- Cook 2 cutlets at a time until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to wire rack while cooking the remaining cutlets. Squeeze fresh lemon juice and top with chopped parsley and serve immediately.
I’ve only had pork but this looks good!