Chicken Schnitzel

5 from 2 votes

This easy Chicken Schnitzel recipe uses chicken breasts, panko, Parmesan, and eggs for cutlets that fry up golden and crispy.

Prep Time15

Cook Time28

Total Time43

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: German

Total Cost: $9.94 recipe / $2.49 serving

Servings: servings

Calories: 470kcal

Author: Melissa Nolan

Equipment

3 Bowls or Shallow Dishes
Sheet Pan
Heavy Bottom Skillet
Ziplock Bag or Plastic Wrap

Ingredients

2 large chicken breasts boneless, skinless (780g) $4.59*
1 tsp salt divided, $0.04
1 tsp black pepper divided, (freshly cracked) $0.16
½ cup all-purpose flour 80g, $0.09
2 eggs $0.50
1 Tbsp water $0.00
1 tsp garlic powder $0.04
1 tsp dried parsley $0.05
1¼ cup Panko breadcrumbs 100g, $0.82**
½ cup Parmesan cheese grated, (65g) $1.78
2 cups vegetable oil 16oz, $1.19***
1 lemon quartered, $0.68

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Gather and prepare all ingredients.
Take each chicken breast and cut it evenly down the middle, lengthwise. Place each cutlet into a ziplock bag or between two sheets of plastic wrap. Then, with a meat tenderizer mallet or rolling pin, gently pound each piece to ¼-inch thickness. Season them with ½ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of black pepper and set them aside.
Grab 3 medium bowls or shallow dishes. In the first bowl, combine the flour, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon of black pepper. In the second bowl, whisk together the egg, water, garlic powder, and parsley. In the third bowl, mix the panko and grated Parmesan.
To bread the chicken, coat each piece in flour, shake off any excess, and transfer it to the egg bowl. Coat it in the egg wash, letting any extra drip off, then transfer to the panko. Coat it in panko, pressing it to ensure the chicken is fully covered. Then place all the breaded chicken onto a sheet pan.
Once all the chicken has been breaded, heat the oil in a skillet to 350°F-375°F over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, carefully place one piece of breaded chicken into the oil. Do not overcrowd the skillet, and work in batches.
Fry the chicken undisturbed for 3-4 minutes, until golden brown. Using tongs, gently flip and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Once the chicken is done, place it on paper towels to drain. Make sure to maintain the oil temperature at 350°F and continue frying until all the pieces are done cooking. Serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon and enjoy.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*I like to make chicken schnitzel with chicken breasts because they’re easy to slice into cutlets and cook up tender once pounded thin. You can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs (no need to slice them in half). Be sure to pound them to about ¼-inch thickness so they cook evenly. No matter which cut you use, the chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°F once done.

**I like the added crunch that Panko gives you. The larger, airier flakes create a lighter, crispier coating compared to regular breadcrumbs and don’t pack as tightly around the chicken. Regular or homemade breadcrumbs will still work, but the coating will be a little finer and denser rather than quite as light and crunchy.

***I use vegetable oil, canola oil, or peanut oil when frying because they have a high smoke point, and can reach 350°F easily without burning the oil.

Want to make it in the air fryer? I haven’t tested this specific recipe in the air fryer, but based on our air fryer chicken tenders recipe, I don’t see why it wouldn't work! I’d preheat the air fryer to 400°F, lightly spray the basket with cooking spray, then add the breaded chicken in a single layer without overlapping. Spray the tops well with cooking spray and air fry for about 6-8 minutes, flipping halfway and spraying the second side, until the coating is golden and the chicken reaches 165°F. Cook in batches if needed. (The result may not be quite the same as shallow-frying, but the hot circulating air and cooking spray should help the Panko turn crisp and golden.)

This recipe uses all-purpose flour and Panko breadcrumbs, which both contain gluten. To make this recipe gluten-free, use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour in place of the regular flour (such as King Arthur gluten-free measure for measure flour) and gluten-free Panko or breadcrumbs for the coating. Check the labels on your remaining ingredients as needed to make sure everything you’re using is certified gluten-free.

Nutrition