Chicken Schnitzel
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Golden and crispy outside, tender and juicy inside—chicken schnitzel is a weeknight favorite for kids and adults alike.
A few months back, my 20-year-old son, Zach, came home from his summer internship in Israel with a thoughtful gift: a collection of popular Israeli cookbooks. (He certainly knows his mama!) Each book had its own take on chicken schnitzel. While schnitzel originally hails from Austria, it’s popular in many parts of the world, especially Israel. This crispy, breaded chicken is a regular at family dinners and a fixture on restaurant menus. And thanks to its irresistible crunch, it’s a surefire hit with kids. Just as many American kids clamor for chicken fingers, Israeli children typically love schnitzel.
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. Borrowing a page from my Israeli cookbooks, I include sesame seeds in the breading for a delightful nutty touch and boost the overall flavor with garlic powder and paprika. As for sides? Schnitzel pairs beautifully with a vibrant, crisp salad—think Israeli salad or Greek salad.
Table of Contents
“Delicious. Husband and kids loved it, even my picky toddler. I made it with the Greek salad on this site, which is also so good!”
What You’ll Need To Make Schnitzel
Before you delve into the recipe, a piece of advice: take the time to pound the chicken yourself. It’s tempting to opt for store-bought thin-cut breasts, but they are too thin and a poor choice for schnitzel; I explain this further in the FAQs below.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally to form flat fillets.
Place a fillet in a resealable freezer bag and use a meat mallet or rolling pin to pound to an even thickness between ⅛ and ¼ inch thick. Remove the pounded cutlet and set aside. Repeat with the remaining pieces of chicken.
Make the brine: In a medium bowl, combine the water, kosher salt, and sugar. Stir until the salt and sugar are dissolved.
Add the pounded chicken to the brine and let sit for 30 to 45 minutes (no longer or the chicken may be too salty).
Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry with paper towels.
In a large shallow bowl, mix the panko, pepper, fine sea or table salt, garlic powder, paprika, and sesame seeds.
Place the flour in another shallow bowl. Beat the eggs in a third bowl. Set up a breading station in this order: flour, eggs, panko.
Dredge the chicken in the flour, coating evenly on both sides.
Dip in the eggs, letting any excess drip off.
Dredge in the panko mixture, turning and patting to adhere. Place the breaded chicken on a plate.
Repeat until all the chicken is breaded.
Line a 13 x 18-inch (33 x 46cm) baking sheet with paper towels. In a large nonstick skillet, heat about ⅛ inch of oil over medium heat until hot and shimmering. (You can test if the oil is ready by dropping a small cube of bread into it. If it sizzles upon contact and starts turning golden within a few seconds, the oil is ready.) Place two pieces of chicken in the pan, and cook until the first side is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
Carefully flip the chicken and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, until golden and cooked through. (If the chicken is browning too slowly, increase the heat to medium high.)
Place the cooked chicken on the prepared baking sheet. Cook the remaining chicken in the same manner (you shouldn’t need more oil).
Transfer the chicken to a serving platter or individual plates. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.
Frequently Asked Questions
Unfortunately, I don’t recommend it. Due to their thinness, these chicken breasts cook incredibly quickly. 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. Additionally, thinner cuts often result in an excessive amount of breading, which can overshadow the chicken itself. Finally, pounding the chicken not only tenderizes the meat by breaking down its fibers but also ensures a consistent thickness for uniform cooking.
For that classic crispy, golden exterior, pan-frying is the way to go. However, if you’re aiming for a lighter option, you can bake it. Place the breaded chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet lightly greased with olive oil. Bake at 400°F for 20 to 25 minutes, making sure to flip the chicken halfway through the baking process.
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Video Tutorial
Chicken Schnitzel
Golden and crispy outside, tender and juicy inside—chicken schnitzel is a weeknight favorite for kids and adults alike.
Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 to 1.25 lbs) (see note)
- 2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1⅓ cups panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt (or table salt)
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon paprika
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- Vegetable oil, for cooking
- Lemon wedges, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally to form flat fillets. Place a fillet in a resealable freezer bag and use a meat mallet or rolling pin to pound to an even thickness between ⅛ and ¼-inch thick. Remove the pounded cutlet and set aside. Repeat with the remaining pieces of chicken.
- Make the brine: In a medium bowl, combine the water, kosher salt, and sugar. Stir until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Add the pounded chicken to the brine and let sit for 30 to 45 minutes (no longer or the chicken may be too salty). Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry with paper towels.
- In a large shallow bowl, mix the panko, pepper, fine sea or table salt, garlic powder, paprika, and sesame seeds. Place the flour in another shallow bowl. Beat the eggs in a third bowl. Set up a breading station in this order: flour, eggs, panko.
- Dredge the chicken in the flour, coating evenly on both sides; dip in the eggs, letting any excess drip off; then dredge in the panko mixture, turning and patting to adhere. Place the breaded chicken on a plate and repeat until all the chicken is breaded.
- Line a 13 x 18-inch baking sheet with paper towels. In a large nonstick skillet, heat about ⅛ inch of oil over medium heat until hot and shimmering. Place two pieces of chicken in the pan, and cook until the first side is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully flip the chicken and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, until golden and cooked through. (If the chicken is browning too slowly, increase the heat to medium high.) Place the cooked chicken on the prepared baking sheet. Cook the remaining chicken in the same manner (you shouldn’t need more oil). Transfer the chicken to a serving platter or individual plates. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.
- Note: As tempting as it might be to use store-bought thin-cut chicken breasts for this recipe, pounding the chicken yourself offers numerous advantages. First, it both tenderizes the meat and ensures a consistent thickness for evenly cooked, juicy meat. Second, pounding achieves a more balanced breading-to-chicken ratio; with thin-cut breasts, you get the feeling of eating more breading than chicken. Finally, thin store-bought cuts cook too rapidly, risking undercooked breading or overcooked chicken.
- Pro Tip: When breading chicken, use one hand for the dry coatings and one hand for the wet. It’s much less messy this way.
- Note: Nutritional information was calculated assuming that approximately ¼ cup of the oil is absorbed into the chicken when frying.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 494
- Fat: 23 g
- Saturated fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Sugar: 3 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 40 g
- Sodium: 796 mg
- Cholesterol: 196 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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If I use kosher chicken, should I brine it since kosher chicken can be salty?
Hi Jes, I would still brine it but only for 20 minutes. Please LMK how it turns out!
Dear Jenn,
Your recipes never fail to be delicious. This schnitzel was no exception. The chicken sat in the brine for 30 minutes. It was perfectly crisp on the outside and moist inside. I think I may make this for Chanukah, since it is fried in oil. Since I will need to triple the recipe for the family, what are your thoughts about making it a couple of hours ahead and then reheating the chicken in the oven? I do not want to compromise the crispiness or the moistness. Thanks
So glad it turned out well, Sharon! Schnitzel is best enjoyed immediately after frying, as it’s at its crispiest. If you make it ahead of time and reheat it, it will lose some of its crunch, but it should still be good. For best results, I would let the cooked schnitzel cool on a wire rack and then store it in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to eat, reheat the schnitzel in 375°F-oven on a wire rack over a baking sheet. The high heat should help restore some of the crunch. You might want to give this method a test run before serving for Chanukah. Alternatively, you could brine and bread the chicken a few hours before dinner, and then get a few pans going when you’re ready to serve.
Cannot wait to try and make this recipe. Very similar to my own chicken cutlets but the brine sounds interesting.
Looking fwd to trying this. In Australia 🦘 schnitzel is big too! How funny! “Chicken schnitty” is what it’s called!
So very glad your son is home safe. (And I look forward to trying this recipe!)
❣️
Dear Jenn, There are no words to express the sorrow I feel concerning what has happened in Israel. I am so glad your son is safe. I definitely will try this recipe. I binge watched a subtitled Israeli TV series called Srugim a few months back. This chicken was mentioned more than once and I love trying recipes from other countries. I have said it before but will repeat…yours is the first and, many times, the only website that I go to when looking for a recipe. I have tried several over the years and have always been happy with the results. My friends have frequently “demanded” repeats on recipes I have made from this site.
❣️
As I read the introduction, my heart skipped a beat when you mentioned that your son was recently in Israel. For some of us, fate finds us sometimes on the edge of tragedy and for others in the middle of the conflict. I’m glad your son’s visit did not coincide with the horrible events that unfolded. I will definitely try the Schnitzel. My father was from Austria.
Thanks for your kind words – I feel incredibly fortunate that my son is home safe.
I second the last two comments about Israel. How conflicting to be happy that your son was not there, and sad at the same time about this barbarous event, and its effect on innocent people. Such a beautiful place in the world now overwhelmed with war.
I’m going to try your schnitzel with a salad…it looks delicious.
Overall a solid recipe. I did replace the suggested oil with peanut oil and increased the paprika by a 1\8 tsp and used Sweet Spanish Paprika. Definite winner with friends!
Would this work in an air fryer?
Hi Laura, It won’t be as golden and crispy, but it should work. Just be sure to spray the chicken with some sort of oil before baking (you could also add oil directly to the breading before coating).
Dear Jenn,
God bless you and yours. Very thankful your son is home and safe. Praying for all of Isreal .
Thank you
🇮🇱💙
Can you bake it in an air fryer ? I haven’t tried it but sounds delicious
Hi Christie, While I don’t think it would be as deliciously crispy, I think it would work. Just be sure to spray the chicken with some sort of oil before baking (you could also add oil directly to the breading before coating).