Schnitzel can be any meat dish that has been pounded thin, breaded and fried until it is extra crispy. There are versions with beef, chicken, pork, and veal, which is the traditional “wiener schnitzel”. It is usually served with spaetzle, lemons or mashed potatoes. There are a lot of controversies regarding where this dish truly originated from, but one thing that we all can agree on is that is is an easy and delicious meal. The multiple meat options mean you can make this recipe multiple times without getting tired of it!
In Austria and Germany, this dish is called Wiener Schnitzel and it is made with a thin piece of veal instead of chicken!
This is one of the easiest chicken recipes you will come across! All you need is 30 minutes and a few ingredients that you already have at your house. You just need chicken breast, flour, panko breadcrumbs, eggs, heavy cream, and some seasonings, that’s it!
I personally love frying these in olive oil but feel free to use any oil you have on hand. I find heavy cream to work better than milk in the egg mixture! I feel like it helps the crumbs stick better on the chicken and makes the coating process a breeze! You could always replace the cream with a splash of milk also. When I don’t have cream or milk, I usually add a tablespoon or two of dijon mustard to the egg mixture and that seems to bind well also!
This Chicken Schnitzel, also called Snitel din Piept de Pui in Romanian, comes together in less than 30 minutes! Perfect dinner idea for a busy weeknight!
Many areas of Romania have been influenced by Central-European cuisine and many people to this day, enjoy snitel as a result of this. My mother grew up enjoying snitel on Sundays paired with mashed potatoes and peas. It became a staple in my home growing up as well, and the sides would change regularly but the star of the plate was always the juicy, crispy chicken snitel! I hope you give this recipe a try and leave a comment about what you thought! As always, poftă bună!
Chicken Schnitzel (snițel din piept de pui)
Ingredients
- 3 lbs chicken breast beaten thin
- 3 eggs beaten
- 1 tsp heavy cream
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1-2 cups olive oil for frying
- 2 cups panko bread crumbs (I used garlic flavored)
- parsley garnish
- lemon garnish
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap and beat with a meat mallet until they are about 1/4-inch thick. Be sure not to make any holes in your chicken during this process!
- In a shallow plate, add your flour. To a different plate, add the panko breadcrumbs with the onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper and mix to combine.
- In a bowl, whisk the eggs and heavy cream. Then set up your dipping station. I like to use the wet and dry method. With one hand dip the chicken in the flour (dry hand) and coat both sides. With the other hand(wet hand), dip it into the egg mixture. Then use the dry hand to coat both sides with the breadcrumb mixture. Press down the breadcrumbs on the chicken to ensure they will not fall during the frying process. Repeat with all the chicken pieces.
- Heat the oil in a skillet on medium-high heat. Drop a breadcrumb in the oil to see if it sizzles. Fry each side of your chicken breast for about 3-4 minutes, flipping repeatedly to get an even golden brown color. Add more oil as needed in between each batch. You can check the internal temperature as well and make sure they are at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Transfer them to a plate when finished that is lined with paper towels and pat off the excess oil so the schnitzel won't become soggy.
- Once done, serve immediately with lemon and parsley garnish. Enjoy!
I made your Chicken Schnitzel for Valentines dinner tonight and it turned out perfect. The recipe was so easy to follow. My husband said that I needed to keep the recipe. I look forward to trying more of your recipes.
Hi Debbie!
Thank you so much for trying this recipe out for such a special occasion. I am so glad you and your husband loved it! Your review is greatly appreciated 🙂
-Bre