This easy Chicken Schnitzel recipe features thin, crispy breaded cutlets pan-fried to golden perfection. Learn my pro tips for mastering this family favorite in under 30 minutes!
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One of the first things my mom, Noni, ever taught me how to cook was chicken schnitzel. Chicken breasts pounded thin, dredged in flour, eggwash and breadcrumbs, and pan-fried to crispy, golden brown perfection. We grew up calling these “Little Guys” for no reason at all! The name has stuck and now my own kids request “Little Guys” every week for dinner. It’s like a secret code for “everyone’s favorite dinner.”
These crispy chicken cutlets were a weekly staple in our American-Hungarian home, inspired by my Hungarian grandmother’s traditional wienerschnitzel recipe. When I traveled to Budapest, I fell in love with schnitzel all over again, tasting it in its most authentic form, served alongside nokedli and potatoes.
What Is Schnitzel?
So, what exactly is schnitzel? It’s a classic Eastern European dish made by pounding meat thin, breading it, and frying it until it’s irresistibly golden and crispy. Think of it like the European cousin to chicken fried steak, but with a lighter, crunchier coating. And while you can make schnitzel with chicken, pork, turkey or veal, I use chicken breasts because my family loves it and it’s always easy to find.
Best of all, you can whip up restaurant-worthy pan-fried chicken in under 30 minutes! I’m sharing all my tips for mastering homemade schnitzel, from stress-relieving meat pounding to the key ingredient for the crispiest, lightest crust ever (hello, panko!), plus all of my favorite ways to serve these breaded cutlets. This easy dinner recipe is sure to become a weeknight staple!
- Chicken breasts: Boneless, skinless and with the tenders removed if present.
- All-purpose flour: Used to dredge the chicken, which helps the egg wash stick better. I like to season the flour with a little salt and pepper. For extra flavor, you could add a pinch of garlic powder or paprika.
- Eggs: These act as the “glue” between the flour and breadcrumbs.
- Panko breadcrumbs: The secret to the lightest, crispiest, most golden brown crust imaginable. You can use plain or seasoned panko. For a more authentic touch, you can use regular breadcrumbs, but they result in a denser coating.
- Oil: Avocado oil is my go-to for frying because it contains healthier fats, is neutral in flavor and has a high smoke point, which means it won’t burn at the temperature needed to fry the schnitzel. Vegetable oil works just as well if that’s what you have on hand.
- Large-flake sea salt: I love sprinkling a little coarse sea salt over my hot, pan-fried chicken to give it an extra crunch and boost of flavor!
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
The secret to the best schnitzel lies in a few simple techniques. Here’s how to make them extra crunchy (yet juicy!), perfectly golden and totally irresistible:
- Pound the chicken. Start by placing each chicken breast between two pieces of parchment paper and using a meat tenderizer or the bottom of a skillet to pound it to an even 1/4-inch thickness. The thinner the chicken, the quicker and more evenly it will cook.
- Bread each chicken cutlet. Set up your breading station. In one shallow dish, season flour with salt and pepper. In another, whisk the eggs. In a third dish, add the breadcrumbs. Dredge each cutlet in the flour, shaking off the excess, then dip it into the eggs, and finally press it into the breadcrumbs.
- Fry the schnitzels. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and generously coat it with oil. Once the oil is hot, add the breaded cutlets. Cook each side for 3-5 minutes, until golden brown and crispy, and the meat is cooked through. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain off excess oil, and season them with a pinch of salt immediately.
- The breading process can be done up to 24 hours in advance, and the earlier you do it, the better chance it has to adhere to the chicken, which minimizes it falling off during the cooking process.
- This chicken schnitzel recipe easily scales up or down depending on how many servings you need.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan! Fry the cutlets in batches to avoid lowering the oil’s temperature, which can make the breading soggy.
- To keep the cooked schnitzels warm and crispy while you finish cooking the others, arrange them on a wire rack atop a baking sheet and keep them in an oven set to 250°F. The rack allows air to circulate around the chicken, preventing the breading from becoming soggy.
- For a gluten-free version, simply swap out the flour and breadcrumbs for gluten-free alternatives like almond flour and gluten-free panko.
Serving Suggestions
I love this crispy chicken recipe year-round and serve it with (or atop!) a variety of dishes depending on the season. Mastering the simple technique of breading and pan-frying cutlets adds one of THE MOST VERSATILE foods to your recipe repertoire. Here are a few delicious ways I serve them:
- On top of a Caesar pasta salad
- Tucked inside wraps
- Over a bed of creamy coconut rice
- On a toasted hoagie (this makes the best crispy chicken sandwich!)
- Smothered in melted cheese
My dad likes it served with mashed potatoes, which is how we often had it growing up. Other delicious classic pairings to try include spaetzle, roasted potatoes or German potato salad. Or, keep it light with a simple side salad or a refreshing Hungarian cucumber salad.
And the list goes on and on!
- Refrigerate: Schnitzel is best enjoyed fresh, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: I recommend avoiding the microwave, as it will make the cutlets soggy. For the best results, reheat in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes until warmed through and crispy. You can also use an air fryer to keep the coating crispy.
- Make ahead and freeze: This freezes really well! After breading, freeze the cutlets in a single layer on a baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container. When ready to cook, fry them directly from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the cooking time.
Pro Tip: For a healthier twist, you can bake chicken schnitzel instead of pan-frying. Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. After breading the cutlets, arrange them on the sheet and lightly spray with oil. Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown and cooked through. For extra crispiness, broil for the last 2-3 minutes!
Ingredients
- 4 (8-oz.) chicken breasts
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups Panko breadcrumbs (seasoned or plain)
- Avocado or vegetable oil, for cooking
Instructions
- Arrange one of the chicken breasts between two pieces of parchment or wax paper. Using a meat tenderizer (or the bottom of a heavy skillet), pound the chicken breast until it is 1/4-inch thick. Repeat the pounding process with the remaining chicken breasts.
- Add the flour to a shallow dish then season it with salt and black pepper.
- Whisk the eggs in a second shallow dish.
- Add the breadcrumbs to a third shallow dish.
- Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
- Dredge the chicken in the flour, shaking off any excess then dip it in the egg wash and finally in the breadcrumbs, pressing to adhere them on all sides. Repeat the breading process with the remaining chicken breasts.
- Generously coat a large skillet with oil then place it over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken and cook until golden brown and crispy, 3 to 5 minutes, then flip it once and continue cooking until it is cooked through.
- Transfer the chicken breast to the paper towel-lined plate and immediately season it with salt. Repeat the cooking process with the remaining chicken breasts then serve.
Kelly’s Notes
- The breading process can be done up to 24 hours in advance, and the earlier you do it, the better chance it has to adhere to the chicken, which minimizes it falling off during the cooking process.
- I prefer avocado oil because it contains healthier fats, is neutral in flavor and has a very high smoke point
- Don’t overcrowd the pan! Fry the cutlets in batches to avoid lowering the oil’s temperature, which can make the breading soggy.
- To keep the cooked schnitzels warm and crispy while you finish cooking the others, arrange them on a wire rack atop a baking sheet and keep them in an oven set to 250°F. The rack allows air to circulate around the chicken, preventing the breading from becoming soggy.
- For a gluten-free version, simply swap out the flour and breadcrumbs for gluten-free alternatives like almond flour and gluten-free panko.
- This chicken schnitzel recipe easily scales up or down depending on how many servings you need.
- Schnitzel is best enjoyed fresh, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. For the best results, reheat in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes until warmed through and crispy. You can also use an air fryer to keep the coating crispy.
- Make ahead and freeze: After breading, freeze the cutlets in a single layer on a baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container. When ready to cook, fry them directly from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the cooking time.
- This same technique can be used with pork or turkey.
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
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Recipe adapted from Wolfgang Puck.
Replace the peanut oil with a relatively tasteless vegetable oil such as rapeseed (canola in the US) or sunflower to avoid harm to those who are allergic to peanuts.
P.S. It is accoutrements not accouterments
Thanks, Alan!
This is the only way I knew how to make fried chicken. The only way we ate fried chicken was this way since I was a child. I’m of Hungarian descent and having chicken deep fried was such a treat ,but I still only make this way.
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoy the recipe, Cindy!
One of my favourite meals is schnitzel with parslied potatoes braised red cabbage and cucumber salad! My kids love it too. My mom made the best schnitzel always crunchy and tastey! I was actually born in Hungary, we escaped in ‘46 and eventually landed in Canada.
We’ve made this with chicken and it’s ok, but our favorite way is with pork tenderloin! This is my exact recipe and everyone loves it. My maternal grandfather’s parents immigrated from Hungary before WW1 and my mother was lucky to live in a 3 generation household with them. She used to cook a lot with her grandmother and she transferred her love of authentic Hungarian food to me!
Love this, Leslie! :)
Absolutely delicious! Thank you for the recipe; I loved it and so did my guests!
Awesome! I’m so glad you all enjoyed the recipe!
Sorry HI Kelley not Lisa. Wrote what I read
No worries!
Hi Lisa,
In Indiana and parts of Illinois and Iowa, fried pork tenderloin sandwiches are a local specialty. They are better than hamburgers, but unfortunately you don’t really find them in any other part of the country as far as I know. I was thinking you might want to give them a try; maybe make little slider size ones as a way to modernize them ( the sandwiches are typically very big?). Here is a recipe I have tried that is very good. It gives you an idea of the traditional condiments used on the sandwich (although I personally would switch the mustard for ketchup and use smaller pickles).
I love your blog. My husband and I had a business dinner once with your father and he told me about your blog. I’ve been a fan of it ever since.
Thanks so much, Maureen! It’s so wonderful to hear from you!
I´m sorry to correct you but it isn´t hungarian dish.. It belongs to the best known specialities of Viennese cuisine. The Wiener Schnitzel is the national dish of Austria.
Tana, FYI, this is an Hungarian dish especially when made with pork – it’s called “Rantott Szelet”. Perhaps due to the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, many similar dishes are claimed by each country.
Lisa – I perfected my family’s Cucumber Salad recipe today and have posted the recipe. Enjoy! http://justataste.com/2011/01/29/hungarian-cucumber-salad/
Valerie – I had never tried the Panko either, until Wolfgang said it was a must. I figured he couldn’t be wrong … and he wasn’t!
My husband spent time in Germany so we eat Schnitzel in our house. I have never tried making it with Panko we usually use seasoned bread crumbs. I will have to try that sometime!
That would be great Kelly! I’ll be looking forward to it!
Hi Lisa,
Thanks so much for your comment. The cucumber salad is a family recipe that I just throw together since I’ve been making it since I was 10 years old! This weekend I’ll work out the specific proportions of ingredients and post them. In the meantime, I can share that I usually use two large cucumbers (thinly sliced on a mandolin), shallots or red onion, white vinegar, water, sugar, salt and fresh dill. As for how much of each of those – I’ll report back soon!
That looks so good! Do you have a recipe for the cucumber salad that you would share? I’ve been looking for one and yours looks so refreshing – the perfect side dish for wienerschnitzel.
uhhhhh… I have such a weakness for wienerschnitzel. I can practically hear the crunch on that outside.
My fiancee and I love a good schnitzel. We always add a tablespoon or two of grated white onion to the panko breading mixture for extra, unexpected flavor. Your plate looks clean and delicious with that thinly sliced cucumber salad… and of course the glass of beer on the side!
Cheers,
*Heather*