Description
Chicken Schnitzel is a classic crispy breaded chicken dish made by pounding boneless chicken breasts thin, then dredging them in flour, egg, and seasoned breadcrumbs before frying to a golden brown. Served with fresh lemon wedges and parsley, it’s a flavorful, crunchy, and satisfying meal perfect for dinner or lunch.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 to 2 pounds total)
Breading Station
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (for dredging)
- 2 large eggs (beaten)
- 1.5 cups breadcrumbs (fine or panko)
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 0.5 teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
- 1 teaspoon paprika (optional)
For Frying
- 0.5 cup vegetable oil or clarified butter
For Serving
- Fresh lemon wedges (to taste)
- Fresh parsley (finely chopped, for garnish)
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Place each chicken breast between two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper. Use a meat mallet to pound the chicken evenly to about 1/4 inch thickness to ensure uniform cooking.
- Set up a dredging station: Arrange three shallow dishes—put the flour in the first, beaten eggs in the second, and a mixture of breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, and any optional spices like garlic powder and paprika in the third.
- Dredge the chicken: Coat each pounded chicken breast first in flour, then dip into the beaten eggs, and finally press firmly into the breadcrumb mixture until fully and evenly coated.
- Heat the oil: In a large skillet, warm the vegetable oil or clarified butter over medium heat until hot but not smoking, which is ideal for frying.
- Fry the schnitzels: Carefully place the breaded chicken pieces into the hot oil. Fry each side for approximately 3 to 4 minutes until they achieve a deep golden brown and the chicken is cooked through.
- Drain excess oil: Remove the cooked schnitzels from the skillet and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any oil residue, keeping them crisp.
- Serve: Garnish the schnitzels with freshly chopped parsley and serve immediately with fresh lemon wedges on the side to squeeze over for brightness and flavor.
Notes
- For extra flavor, you can add herbs like thyme or oregano to the breadcrumb mixture.
- Using panko breadcrumbs results in a crunchier texture compared to fine breadcrumbs.
- Make sure oil is hot enough before frying to prevent the schnitzel from absorbing too much oil and becoming greasy.
- Serve immediately after frying for the best crispy texture.
