Crisp Chicken Schnitzel With Lemony Herb Salad Recipe (2024)

Ratings

5

out of 5

1,632

user ratings

Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.

Cooking Notes

Al

The problem with Schnitzel is that the coating does not stay on the chicken when it is fried.
My mother's secret to get the coating to stick after frying was to put the coated cutlets into the refrigerator for at least an hour before frying.
It works every time.

Sara

Go read the article this originally appeared in before making this - the description of the cooking technique is longer, more detailed, and gives the reason behind it!

Following advice from that article taught me to make really, really good schnitzel. And picatta. And chicken parm.

Debra K

You'll get even better results if you flour/egg/crumb the chicken a few hours ahead of time, allowing the coating to set on the chicken. It helps adherence and make a more cohesive, crispier coating.

Patricia Garcia

I would never skip the anchovies, and am so tired of sugar being added to so many savory recipes these days

Brian

What is with this ridiculous dreadful fear of anchovies?! Anchovies are great! They add a nutty, earthy "background: flavor to dishes, similar to how salt-pork is used to create a background flavor, and do not add a fishy taste at all. I add them to braised southern greens (in place of salt pork or bacon)....braised broccoli w/garlic and chili flakes, and diced on top of pizza.

Agree with Patricia - sugar needs to be cut from our diets in all facets!

Figaro

This is one of our favorites. Husband doesn't like anchovies or garlic (he thinks), but he loves this dish and devours every bite. Of course, since it's just the two of us, I halve most everything, except the dressing. The lemon zest is absolutely necessary. I don't pound the chicken quite that thin as I use a French steel skillet and chicken seems to cook very quickly - nice and crunchy and golden - 3 minutes for the top side, 2 for the non-public side.

Boneless thighs also work very well.

Patricia Garcia

you're right....if you fry them immediately, it comes off...I make mine ahead and just let them sit on waxed paper for 20-30 minutes or so...works like a charm; and also gets the busy work out of the way ahead of time.

Hut

Since chicken breasts have gotten so much bigger over the past couple of decades, I slice them into piallards before beating them to the final thickness.

Slavin

I've made this a few times, and, "because I thought it didn't matter," have always just sauteed the cutlets as I'd done before, taking no heed of the "swirling" directive. Tonight, I decided to try it and = DEFINITELY better. Lighter and perfectly cooked. I definitely recommend it. And no worries about cooking fewer at a time: they don't degrade at all upon waiting. I drained them on paper towels, salted as directed, then put in a VERY low oven.

Vicki Morrone

I pound chicken for this recipe and for chicken parmagina and schnitzel. I save the wax paper liners from cereal boxes for this. I leave the liner as a sac and I place the cutlet in side to pound. I then insert cutlet in sac and pound and don't get "splashed" with meat juice. Since the waxed paper liner sac is only so large I often cut a thick breast cutlet longways to make it thinner BEFORE I pound. This way it pounds to 1/8 inches within the confines of the bag.

Vin

Best air pockets: Add a teaspoon or so of veg oil to the eggs. Also bread crumbs should be very fine. Buzz them in the processor and or run them through a sieve. Great with pork loin cutlets too.

Mary

We made this recipe and found it simple and delicious. For those who do not like anchovies...try anchovy paste (comes in a tube)...I think it results in a less fishy flavor and you can easily put in more or less of the paste.

Ed OConnell

Replace anchovy paste with red miso paste

Judith

a 4 y/o grandson who loves to help, a meat hammer, and some modifications--omitted the greens. A wonderful time was had pounding, dipping, and watching Granna sauté. he even tried some, insisted we take some to Mommy. I'd do this again--love recipes I can adapt to my young sous chef.

Leslie

This is pretty much excellent all around. My swirl technique was a little rusty, so I used a ladle to create some of the waves. Dressing is perfect, without an anchovy taste; it just gives the dressing more heft. I highly recommend!

SB

This turned out so good, I followed the recipe and the chicken was delicious. Crispy on the outside, tender and juicy inside. It looked so appetizing, so golden. I particularly loved the salad, the dressing worked so well with the chicken. I will definitely make this again.

Jonathan

I did a mashup of the side dish and main dish. In the frying pan with oil, I added lemon zest and a can of anchovies that I had finely diced. When the anchovies were melted, I added the chicken. After the chicken was done and removed from the pan, I deglazed the pan with the juice of half a lemon, added some olive oil, and poured the mixture over the greens.

Rebecca

Followed advice to refrigerate for one hour before cooking, and I did not lose any breading

Steve

I've found that flouring the chicken is unnecessary. I get a nice crispy coating with just egg and bread crumbs. Other than that, there's nothing I would change about this recipe. The dressing is superb.

Tiipiloo

Subbed potato starch for flour to make kosher for Passover. Simple and tasty -- kids ate it with siracha mayo on the side.

AmandaLee

This is a winner! Thank you all for the tip about refrigerating the chxn first so the breading stays put. Turns out great every time.

sheila

This was really good and the technique, refrigerating before cooking and splashing the oil on top of the cutlets really worked! A nice, easy recipe to use over and over again.

Sean Dell

Any thoughts on how to convert oil hot enough to “sizzle breadcrumbs” to actual degrees? 250F? 350? I’m guessing 350..

Kaylie

This recipe is simple and delicious! We made half with chicken breast and half with thighs, and everyone liked the thighs best!

Heather

I’ve made this at least a dozen times over the last few years and it’s one of my husband’s favorites. I use panko breadcrumbs which is key! I use whatever greens I have in hand and usually do the dressing with anchovies but tonight I had none so I used mashed capers and worked just as well for the umami flavor. Also happened to have pickled onions in fridge so added those which were a nice addition and keeping with the theme! (I rarely add the scallions at the end as I’m too lazy!)

Colleen

My favorite greens with this recipe: Add a big handful of arugula to a fresh tarragon-mint-chives-basil mixture. Goes so well with the anchovy-lemon dressing. So good you’ll be tempted to lick the plate.

Christine

So good! The advice to let the coated chicken sit in the fridge for an hour (or two) before cooking was perfect; the coating stayed on 100% and was crispy and tasty.

Lin

This was DELISH! Not sure if it was the saffron oil (which I hadn’t used before), but the result was light, crispy chicken that was perfect with any side salad (we skipped the anchovy-lemon dressing since my family is a little fussy. Will definitely make again! Thank you!!!

heather

“While I love excellent fried chicken as much as the next person, I do not love making it. This recipe offers a hint of that goodness but is much easier to execute. Folks always adore it. Thanks again, Melissa Clark.”

Miguel Gomez

Really outstanding. Mint, parsley, cilantro for the herbs. Frying technique is surprisingly effective.

Private notes are only visible to you.

Crisp Chicken Schnitzel With Lemony Herb Salad Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best oil to fry chicken schnitzel? ›

Peanut Oil

It also has a high smoke point, making it ideal for frying chicken. Plus, peanut oil prevents flavor transfer, which is excellent for establishments serving multiple fried foods.

How long can I keep chicken schnitzel in the fridge? ›

Both raw and cooked chicken should be used within two to three days, or one day if you are pregnant, immunocompromised or elderly. Freeze if more than two days' storage is required.

Can you use olive oil to fry schnitzel? ›

If the oil is not hot enough, the chicken will absorb too much oil and give you soggy, oily schnitzel. I use quality extra virgin olive oil, which has a high enough smoke point to fry the schnitzel. You can use another healthy frying oil of your choice.

How do you keep schnitzels crispy? ›

The best way to keep fried foods crispy? Just place them on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet. If you're frying multiple batches, throw the whole setup into a low oven to keep everything warm as you keep frying and adding to the rack.

What oil makes chicken crispy? ›

Solid vegetable shortening is a good choice as it's got a decent smoke point and is very, very pure, meaning no weird flavors or frying smells. I've had chicken fried in peanut oil. It's a good one to use due to its very high smoke point, but my favorite fat to fry chicken in is lard.

How long can you keep chicken schnitzel for? ›

MAKE AHEAD

Refrigerate uncooked chicken schnitzel for up to 3 days and freeze for up to 2 months. You can freeze chicken schnitzel for up to 8 weeks without losing any texture or intensity of flavour.

Is 2 year old frozen chicken still good? ›

How long can you store chicken in your freezer? According to the USDA, frozen chicken will be "safe indefinitely" as long as you keep it continuously frozen (i.e., you're not unfreezing it and then re-freezing it because you didn't have a chance to cook or eat it).

Why put schnitzel in fridge before frying? ›

Cooling the breaded schnitzel in the fridge for an hour or so before frying will help keep the breading on while cooking. Placing the cooked schnitzel on a wire rack while the rest of the batch cooks will help it keep crispy. To keep it warm, place in a lightly warmed oven.

How do you know when schnitzel is cooked? ›

Use a digital food thermometer to check that the thickest part of your chicken is at least 165 °F (74 °C). This is the best way to tell if it's cooked. Look for other signs of doneness like a firm texture, clear or white-ish juices running from the chicken, and a white or very light pink internal meat color.

What to serve with chicken schnitzel? ›

The best sides for schnitzel are mashed potatoes, cucumber salads, parsley potatoes, potato salad, arugula salads, and braised cabbage.

Is a chicken schnitzel healthy? ›

Schnitzel is usually fried, which isn't the healthiest thing, but if you have no weight issues or cardiac markers, it won't hurt you. The chicken in schnitzel is skinless white meat, which is high in protein and low in fat.

What kind of oil do you use for schnitzel? ›

The absolutely best way to perfect schnitzel is to shallow-fry them in neutral-tasting cooking oil (Vegetable, Canola, Peanut, Sunflower). So you don't need to use a lot of oil, but you want to use enough oil so that the schnitzel will “float” in the oil as it cooks and not touch the bottom of the pan.

What is the best fat for frying schnitzel? ›

Lard is ideal, as is clarified butter, duck or goose fat. Wiener schnitzel is such a simple recipe that you really ought to use a flavorful fat or you will wonder what all the fuss is about. That said, if you are violently opposed to using animal fats, go ahead and use sunflower or safflower oil.

Can you fry schnitzel in vegetable oil? ›

Heat Vegetable oil, for shallow-frying in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook chicken, in batches, for 4 to 5 minutes each side or until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel to drain. Serve.

Is it better to fry chicken cutlets in olive oil or vegetable oil? ›

What's the best oil to fry chicken cutlets in? You can fry chicken cutlets in either high heat vegetable oil or olive oil. Just note that olive oil has a lower smoke point and is more likely to burn, so you need to keep a close eye on them as they cook and adjust the heat as needed.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Tuan Roob DDS

Last Updated:

Views: 5413

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (62 voted)

Reviews: 93% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Tuan Roob DDS

Birthday: 1999-11-20

Address: Suite 592 642 Pfannerstill Island, South Keila, LA 74970-3076

Phone: +9617721773649

Job: Marketing Producer

Hobby: Skydiving, Flag Football, Knitting, Running, Lego building, Hunting, Juggling

Introduction: My name is Tuan Roob DDS, I am a friendly, good, energetic, faithful, fantastic, gentle, enchanting person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.