Main Course Recipes

Chicken Schnitzel

4 servings

Excerpt Don't be intimidated by the name of this meal; my Chicken Schnitzel is a very easy beginner meal that is popular in European countries. You can prepare it using deep fry, shallow fry, or air fry methods to achieve a beautiful golden color. Whether served as a plated dish with a side or as a sandwich, this recipe allows you to use chicken breasts, pork loins, or veal for a delicious result. Read More

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Tom the ChefPublished: 12.21.2025

Main Course Recipes

25 min.

1/5

349 calories Per Serving (of 4) Read More

Before You Start

Let’s talk about important parts of the recipe before you start…

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Welcome to My Chicken Schnitzel Kitchen

I am delighted to share my Chicken Schnitzel recipe with you. While the name might sound complex, I assure you it is a very easy beginner meal. In European countries, I often see this dish prepared from a chicken breast, pork loin, or veal. The best part about this meal is the flexibility; you can choose to deep fry it, shallow fry it, or even air fry it depending on your preference. I personally love that you can choose a side or make it into a sandwich, and you are ready to go!

Meat Preparation for Chicken Schnitzel

To start my Chicken Schnitzel, I always focus on proper meat preparation. I ensure that the chicken breasts are properly rinsed under cold water to remove surface bacteria and that any unwanted parts are removed. A crucial step I take is performing a butterfly cut. I cut each of the 2 chicken breasts in half to reach 4 regular portions. If you prefer larger portions, you have the option to use up to 1 chicken breast per person, but I find the butterfly cut works perfectly for this recipe.

Pounding with a Meat Mallet

Once the meat is cut, I move on to tenderizing. I pound the chicken over plastic wrap to exactly ¼” thickness using a meat mallet. This uniform thickness is vital for ensuring the Chicken Schnitzel cooks evenly, regardless of whether I deep fry or air fry it. After pounding, I season with salt and pepper from both sides to ensure the base flavor is locked in before breading.

Setting Up the Breading Station

My breading station is where the magic happens. I set up three distinct containers. First, I place ½ cup of all-purpose flour on a plate. Second, in a medium mixing bowl, I whisk together 2 eggs, ½ cup of milk, and 2 cloves of garlic (grated) for about 1 minute. Finally, I place 1 cup of breadcrumbs—preferably Panko or from light bread—into a second mixing bowl. This organization ensures a smooth process as I coat each piece of meat.

The Breading Process

I bread the meat one-by-one to ensure full coverage. I take a piece of chicken and coat it in the flour, then dip it into the egg-milk mixture, and finally coat it in the breadcrumbs. This specific order ensures the coating sticks properly to the Chicken Schnitzel. After breading, I put the pieces aside on a plate to get ready for the frying stage.

Option A: How to Deep Fry

If I choose to deep fry, I preheat the oil to 350°F. It is important to work in batches so the schnitzels do not touch. I carefully place them into the fryer one by one and fry immersed in oil until a nice golden color is reached and they are fully cooked, which takes about 2 minutes from each side. I always use a food thermometer to check for a safe internal temperature of 165°F. Afterwards, I remove them to a cooling rack to let excessive oil drip off.

Option B: How to Shallow Fry

For the shallow fry method, I preheat a pan on medium-high heat with a layer of frying oil between ¼ to ½ inch deep. I fry the Chicken Schnitzel until a nice golden color is reached and the meat is fully cooked. This usually takes about 3 minutes from each side. Just like deep frying, I verify the safety with a thermometer and let the oil drip off on a cooling rack.

Option C: How to Air Fry

To air fry this easy beginner meal, I preheat my air fryer to 350°F. I place the chicken in and drizzle the top with oil. I cook it until a nice golden color is achieved, which takes about 5 to 6 minutes from each side. I might drizzle with more oil during the process if needed. This is a great alternative if you want to avoid immersing the food in oil.

Plating and Serving

The final touch for my Chicken Schnitzel involves squeezing lemon sections on each piece and sprinkling them with salt and ideally freshly ground pepper. I suggest serving this with Czech Potato Salad, Creamy Mashed Potatoes, or simply as a sandwich in a bun with mayo, lettuce, and tomato. The citrus cuts through the richness of the breading perfectly.

Chicken Schnitzel

4 servingsTom the ChefPublished: 12.21.2025 ☆☆☆☆☆0x(write a review)👁327x

25 min.

1/5

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Ingredients:

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Chicken:

2 PCS of chicken breasts (*)

salt

pepper

Breading station:

½ cup of all-purpose flour (adjust if needed)

2 eggs (adjust if needed)

½ cup of milk (adjust if needed)

2 cloves of garlic - peeled and grated (or pressed) (adjust if needed)

1 cup of breadcrumbs (regular) (adjust if needed, preferably Panko preferably breadcrumbs from light bread)

Final touch:

1 lemon - cut to sections

salt

pepper - ideally freshly ground

*Each of the 2 chicken breasts will be cut into half, which will give us 4 regular portions. If you enjoy larger portions, you may want to consider using up to 1 chicken breast per person. All other ingredients can stay the same. You can also substitute chicken breasts for pork loins or chops without the bone, or a boneless veal loin.

Tools:

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1x Meat Mallet (tendorizer)

1x Plastic Wrap

2x Medium Mixing Bowl (3 – 4 QT)

1x Small Hand Grater or Garlic Press

1x French Whisk

2x Plate

1x Deep Fryer or Pot and Thermometer or Air Fryer

1x Tongs

1x Food Thermometer (probe)

1x Cooling Rack or Paper Towels

1x Lemon Squeezer

Nutrition per 1 Serving:(recipe split into 4 servings)

Estimated

Calories 349 Protein 26.8 g Fat 12.6 g Saturated fat 3.9 g Carbohydrate 30.5 g Sugars 3.8 g Fiber 1.3 g Sodium 257 mg Cholesterol 152 mg

Estimated. Worked out from the ingredients above using the United States Department of Agriculture’s FoodData Central reference data. An estimate, not a measurement — brands, sizes and how much of a marinade actually ends up on the plate all move it.

Directions:

1.Meat Preparation:

1.1.

Make sure that the chicken breasts are properly rinsed under cold water (to remove surface bacteria) and the unwanted parts are removed.

1.2.

Perform a butterfly cut and then cut each chicken breast in half to reach 4 portions.

1.3.

Pound over plastic wrap to ¼” thickness using a meat mallet.

1.4.

Salt and pepper from both sides.

2.Breading Station:

2.1.

Place ½ cup of all-purpose flour on a plate.

2.2.

Prepare the egg mixture– place into a medium mixing bowl:

2 eggs

½ cup of milk

2 cloves of garlic – grated

Whisk together until combined (about 1 minute).

2.3.

Place 1 cup of breadcrumbs into a second mixing bowl.

3.Bread the Meat:

3.1.

One-by-one, bread each chicken breast from both sides in this order:

Flour

Egg-milk mixture

Breadcrumbs

Put aside on a plate for the following frying.

Tip:

Combine all the leftover breading ingredients, add about ¼ TSP of baking powder, and pan-fry on both sides until golden brown. This creates a perfect, crispy addition to many soups and helps prevent food waste. These fried breading pieces can also be frozen after cooking for later use.