You possibly can’t go unsuitable with crispy hen schnitzel on a weeknight! It is a family-favorite hen dinner made with thinly pounded hen 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 hen recipes began with traditional hen schnitzel! It’s led me down all kinds of scrumptious paths, from hen Milanese and pecan-crusted hen to cornflake hen and extra.
If there’s one hen dinner that I do know is certain to please everybody on the desk, it’s hen schnitzel. It’s a traditional for a motive: juicy, tender hen wrapped in buttery breadcrumbs after which pan-fried. It doesn’t get extra easy and scrumptious than that!
The bottom line is pounding the hen ultra-thin so it cooks rapidly and evenly within the pan, utilizing the identical technique as French hen paillard and Italian hen piccata. The breading cooks as much as a mouthwatering golden brown, and all you want is a facet of greens or potato salad to make it a meal!
Causes to Love This Hen Schnitzel Recipe
- Fast and straightforward. Hen schnitzel is considered one 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 hen completely crispy and golden with out having to waste a ton of oil. The hen stays deliciously juicy beneath the crunchy, pan-fried breading.
- Make it forward. I like to freeze cooked hen schnitzel for simple last-minute dinners. Merely pop it into the oven, air fryer, or again into the pan to reheat it down the street.
What You’ll Want
One other great factor about hen schnitzel is that you really want solely 5 components to make it at house. 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 hen breasts or thighs because you’ll must pound them skinny. Afterward, you’ll give the hen a fast seasoning with salt and pepper. You possibly can additionally enhance the flavors with hen seasoning.
- Flour – All-purpose flour works completely. I haven’t examined this schnitzel recipe with different kinds of flour but.
- Seasoning – I season the breading with paprika and garlic powder, together with salt and pepper.
- Eggs – Frivolously overwhelmed for an egg wash.
- Breadcrumbs – I like to make use of massive, crunchy panko breadcrumbs, however any unseasoned or seasoned breadcrumbs will work.
Ideas and Variations
- Pound, don’t slice. Pounding the hen not solely flattens it to an excellent thickness but additionally makes for a extra tender and tastier hen schnitzel. I don’t suggest slicing the hen skinny as a substitute. It simply isn’t the identical.
- Get the hen good and skinny. Just remember to tenderize the hen in order that it’s equally thinned in all places (¼” thick is an efficient rule of thumb). This manner, it cooks evenly.
- Use smaller hen breasts. The one motive I minimize my flattened hen in two is to make it simpler to work with. So, in case you’re already utilizing smaller hen breasts, you’ll be able to skip this step.
- Test for doneness. Hen schnitzel cooks rapidly! To verify that the hen is finished, use an instant-read meat thermometer to learn the interior temperature. Hen is cooked when it reaches 165ºF.
- Add additional crunch. A simple strategy to deliver additional 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 hen tenders.
- Swap hen for pork. As an alternative of hen breasts, make pork schnitzel with thinly pounded pork loin chops or pork shoulder.
Often Requested Questions
Conventional German wiener schnitzel recipes use pork, whereas Austrian Schnitzel Wiener Artwork, or “Viennese-style” schnitzel, is made with veal. Nonetheless, schnitzel can seek advice from any skinny pounded cutlet, together with hen or turkey (like my Italian turkey scallopini).
The principle causes hen schnitzel seems powerful or chewy is overcooking, not utilizing sufficient oil, and meat that isn’t totally tenderized. To keep away from powerful schnitzel, make certain to essentially flatten the hen, after which shallow-fry in no less than 1” of oil. The oil ought to be scorching sufficient in order that the meat cooks rapidly, however not so scorching that it burns the breading.
One of the 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.
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Pound the hen skinny. Place the hen breasts between two items of plastic wrap. Utilizing a meat mallet (or rolling pin), pound the hen to ¼-inch thickness. Lower the hen breasts in half so that you’ve got 4 items. Season the hen to style with salt and pepper.
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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.
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Coat the hen. Coat the hen with the flour. Then dip it into the eggs. Enable the surplus eggs to drip off. Lastly, coat the hen with panko breadcrumbs. Place the hen onto a wire rack whereas the oil heats up.
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Fry the hen. Warmth 1 inch of oil in a skillet over medium-high warmth. Add the hen and cook dinner for 2-3 minutes per facet or till golden brown. Place the hen schnitzel onto paper towels to empty.
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Serve. Serve the hen heat with some lemon wedges on the facet.
- If you’re fascinated with reducing the skinny slices with a knife, I counsel you to not. Pounding the hen will make it extra tender and your schnitzel even tastier.
- For additional crunch, mix panko breadcrumbs with 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds. For additional taste, add parmesan to the panko breadcrumbs.
- Be certain your hen is thinned equally on all elements so it could possibly cook dinner evenly.
- If you’re utilizing small hen breasts, then there isn’t any want to chop them in half. We’re solely reducing the hen breasts so they’re simpler to work with.
Serving: 1schnitzel | Energy: 356kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 38g | Fats: 7g | Saturated Fats: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 2g | Monounsaturated Fats: 2g | Trans Fats: 0.03g | Ldl cholesterol: 173mg | Sodium: 389mg | Potassium: 633mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 284IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 3mg
Dietary data is an estimate and offered as courtesy. Values might range in accordance with the components and instruments used. Please use your most well-liked dietary calculator for extra detailed data.
The way to Make the Greatest Hen Schnitzel
You’re roughly 4 steps and quarter-hour away from the crispiest, most mouthwatering hen schnitzel. Observe alongside right here:
- Pound the hen skinny. Begin by pounding the hen flat utilizing a meat mallet or rolling pin. I prefer to get it to an excellent ¼” thickness. Afterward, slice every flattened hen 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.
- Coat the hen. Coat every hen piece first with flour, then with the egg, and eventually, press the hen into the breadcrumbs. Be certain the hen is well-coated on all sides. Set the coated hen apart on a wire rack.
- Fry. In the meantime, warmth about 1” of oil in a heavy skillet. Add the hen to the oil and fry for 2-3 minutes per facet till the breading is sweet and golden and the hen is cooked by means of. Let the additional oil drain off on a paper towel for a minute, then serve. I like my hen schnitzel with a squeeze of recent lemon!
Can I Bake Schnitzel As an alternative?
I received’t lie: Shallow-frying is one of the simplest ways to get a wonderfully crunchy, golden exterior. Nonetheless, you’ll be able to bake hen schnitzel as a substitute in case you’d favor a lighter possibility. I’d suggest baking the hen on a wire rack set over a foil-lined baking sheet so it crisps up on all sides, much like how I make my baked hen parmesan. Afterward, bake at 400ºF for 20-25 minutes.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerate. Like most fried meals, hen schnitzel is at its crispiest when served immediately, however leftovers will be stored within the fridge for 2-3 days.
- Reheat. For my part, one of the simplest ways to reheat crispy hen is within the oven or air fryer. Pop the leftover hen right into a 400ºF oven for about 10 minutes. Air frying takes barely much less time.
- Freeze. Switch the cooked (and cooled) hen to a freezer bag and freeze for as much as 3 months. Thaw the schnitzel within the fridge earlier than reheating.
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