Hen Schnitzel | Diethood

You possibly can’t go unsuitable with crispy rooster schnitzel on a weeknight! It is a family-favorite rooster dinner made with thinly pounded rooster breast that’s breaded and pan-fried. Make it forward or freeze the leftovers for fast, last-minute meals.

I really feel like my love affair with crispy rooster recipes began with traditional rooster schnitzel! It’s led me down all kinds of scrumptious paths, from rooster Milanese and pecan-crusted rooster to cornflake rooster and extra.

Chicken schnitzel served on a plate with a side of green salad and lemon wedges.

If there’s one rooster dinner that I do know is certain to please everybody on the desk, it’s rooster schnitzel. It’s a traditional for a motive: juicy, tender rooster wrapped in buttery breadcrumbs after which pan-fried. It doesn’t get extra easy and scrumptious than that!

The secret’s pounding the rooster ultra-thin so it cooks shortly and evenly within the pan, utilizing the identical methodology as French rooster paillard and Italian rooster piccata. The breading cooks as much as a mouthwatering golden brown, and all you want is a aspect of greens or potato salad to make it a meal!

Causes to Love This Hen Schnitzel Recipe

Fast and straightforward. Hen schnitzel is one in every of my all-time favourite household meals as a result of it’s tremendous fast to make (simply quarter-hour!), tasty, and you’ll freeze leftovers.
Additional crispy. Shallow frying will get the crumbed rooster completely crispy and golden with out having to waste a ton of oil. The rooster stays deliciously juicy beneath the crunchy, pan-fried breading.
Make it forward. I like to freeze cooked rooster schnitzel for straightforward last-minute dinners. Merely pop it into the oven, air fryer, or again into the pan to reheat it down the highway.

Chicken schnitzel ingredients with text labels overlaying each ingredient.

What You’ll Want

One other great factor about rooster schnitzel is that you actually need solely 5 components to make it at dwelling. I’ve included some notes right here. You’ll discover the printable recipe card after the publish, adopted by visible step-by-step directions.

Hen – I like to recommend skinless, boneless rooster breasts or thighs because you’ll have to pound them skinny. Afterward, you’ll give the rooster a fast seasoning with salt and pepper. You possibly can additionally increase the flavors with rooster seasoning.
Flour – All-purpose flour works completely. I haven’t examined this schnitzel recipe with different forms of flour but.
Seasoning – I season the breading with paprika and garlic powder, together with salt and pepper.
Eggs – Evenly crushed for an egg wash.
Breadcrumbs – I like to make use of huge, crunchy panko breadcrumbs, however any unseasoned or seasoned breadcrumbs will work.

A fork picking up a piece from sliced chicken schnitzel on a plate. Photo by diethood.

Suggestions and Variations

Pound, don’t slice. Pounding the rooster not solely flattens it to a good thickness but additionally makes for a extra tender and tastier rooster schnitzel. I don’t suggest slicing the rooster skinny as a substitute. It simply isn’t the identical.
Get the rooster good and skinny. Just be sure you tenderize the rooster in order that it’s equally thinned in every single place (¼” thick is an efficient rule of thumb). This manner, it cooks evenly.
Use smaller rooster breasts. The one motive I minimize my flattened rooster in two is to make it simpler to work with. So, in case you’re already utilizing smaller rooster breasts, you may skip this step.
Examine for doneness. Hen schnitzel cooks shortly! To verify that the rooster is finished, use an instant-read meat thermometer to learn the interior temperature. Hen is cooked when it reaches 165ºF.
Add further crunch. A simple option to carry further crunch to the schnitzel breading is so as to add a few tablespoons of sesame seeds to the breadcrumbs. Another choice is so as to add grated parmesan for extra taste, like my parmesan rooster tenders.
Swap rooster for pork. As an alternative of rooster breasts, make pork schnitzel with thinly pounded pork loin chops or pork shoulder.

Often Requested Questions

What meat is the unique schnitzel?

Conventional German wiener schnitzel recipes use pork, whereas Austrian Schnitzel Wiener Artwork, or “Viennese-style” schnitzel, is made with veal. Nonetheless, schnitzel can check with any skinny pounded cutlet, together with rooster or turkey (like my Italian turkey scallopini).

Why is my schnitzel powerful?

The principle causes rooster schnitzel seems powerful or chewy is overcooking, not utilizing sufficient oil, and meat that isn’t totally tenderized. To keep away from powerful schnitzel, be sure to essentially flatten the rooster, after which shallow-fry in at the very least 1” of oil. The oil ought to be sizzling sufficient in order that the meat cooks shortly, however not so sizzling that it burns the breading.

What’s the greatest oil for frying schnitzel?

The very best oil for frying has a excessive smoke level, like vegetable oil, canola oil, or sunflower oil. These oils produce an extra-crispy, golden, and even coating.

Close-up photo of a sliced chicken schnitzel by diethood.

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Pound the rooster skinny. Place the rooster breasts between two items of plastic wrap. Utilizing a meat mallet (or rolling pin), pound the rooster to ¼-inch thickness. Lower the rooster breasts in half so that you’ve got 4 items. Season the rooster to style with salt and pepper.
Put together a breading station. Mix the flour, salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder in a shallow dish. Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the panko breadcrumbs to a 3rd bowl.
Coat the rooster. Coat the rooster with the flour. Then dip it into the eggs. Permit the surplus eggs to drip off. Lastly, coat the rooster with panko breadcrumbs. Place the rooster onto a wire rack whereas the oil heats up.
Fry the rooster. Warmth 1 inch of oil in a skillet over medium-high warmth. Add the rooster and cook dinner for 2-3 minutes per aspect or till golden brown. Place the rooster schnitzel onto paper towels to empty.
Serve. Serve the rooster heat with some lemon wedges on the aspect.

If you’re fascinated with reducing the skinny slices with a knife, I counsel you to not. Pounding the rooster will make it extra tender and your schnitzel even tastier.
For further crunch, mix panko breadcrumbs with 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds. For further taste, add parmesan to the panko breadcrumbs.
Be sure your rooster is thinned equally on all elements so it may well cook dinner evenly.
If you’re utilizing small rooster breasts, then there is no such thing as a want to chop them in half. We’re solely reducing the rooster breasts so they’re simpler to work with.

Dietary data is an estimate and supplied as courtesy. Values could fluctuate in accordance with the components and instruments used. Please use your most popular dietary calculator for extra detailed data.

How you can Make the Greatest Hen Schnitzel

You’re roughly 4 steps and quarter-hour away from the crispiest, most mouthwatering rooster schnitzel. Observe alongside right here:

Chicken breast pounded thin between pieces of plastic wrap on a wooden cutting board, next to a wooden rolling pin. — Pound the rooster.

Pound the rooster skinny. Begin by pounding the rooster flat utilizing a meat mallet or rolling pin. I wish to get it to a good ¼” thickness. Afterward, slice every flattened rooster breast in half, and season the items with salt and pepper.
Arrange a breading station. Subsequent, mix the flour with the seasonings in a shallow dish, whisk the eggs in a bowl with salt and pepper, and fill a 3rd bowl with panko crumbs.

Breaded chicken on a lined baking sheet. — Bread the rooster.

Coat the rooster. Coat every rooster piece first with flour, then with the egg, and at last, press the rooster into the breadcrumbs. Be sure the rooster is well-coated on all sides. Set the coated rooster apart on a wire rack.
Fry. In the meantime, warmth about 1” of oil in a heavy skillet. Add the rooster to the oil and fry for 2-3 minutes per aspect till the breading is sweet and golden and the rooster is cooked via. Let the additional oil drain off on a paper towel for a minute, then serve. I like my rooster schnitzel with a squeeze of contemporary lemon!

Can I Bake Schnitzel As an alternative?

I received’t lie: Shallow-frying is one of the best ways to get a wonderfully crunchy, golden exterior. Nonetheless, you may bake rooster schnitzel as a substitute in case you’d favor a lighter possibility. I’d suggest baking the rooster on a wire rack set over a foil-lined baking sheet so it crisps up on all sides, just like how I make my baked rooster parmesan. Afterward, bake at 400ºF for 20-25 minutes.

Sliced chicken schnitzel next to a whole schnitzel on a plate, with a side of green salad and lemon wedges.

Storage and Reheating

Refrigerate. Like most fried meals, rooster schnitzel is at its crispiest when served immediately, however leftovers may be saved within the fridge for 2-3 days.
Reheat. For my part, one of the best ways to reheat crispy rooster is within the oven or air fryer. Pop the leftover rooster right into a 400ºF oven for about 10 minutes. Air frying takes barely much less time.
Freeze. Switch the cooked (and cooled) rooster to a freezer bag and freeze for as much as 3 months. Thaw the schnitzel within the fridge earlier than reheating.