This easy Chicken Schnitzel is a delicious way to make a fancy dinner at home in just 40 minutes. Pounded chicken breasts are coated in a light crispy breading, fried to golden brown perfection, and slathered with a rich and creamy mushroom sauce. It is so simple yet utterly scrumptious---you will never make breaded chicken any other way, ever again!
Table of Content
This recipe is a keeper! Not only is it incredibly hearty with the velvety mushroom sauce, it also cooks fast and looks impressive.
What Is A Schnitzel
By definition, a schnitzel is a type of meat that is pounded thin using a tenderizer/mallet and is commonly breaded right before frying. Traditionally this dish is made with veal (called wiener schnitzel) or pork but other cuts of meat like chicken, beef, mutton and turkey can also be used.
It is a popular dish in Central Europe, especially in Germany and Austria, where the name of the dish originated from meaning “cutlets” in German.
Schnitzel is commonly served with lemon wedges and German potato salad, mashed potato or potato fries.
The chicken version I made is called a hunter's schnitzel or Jägerschnitzel which is served with a wonderful creamy mushroom sauce. The rich sauce over the crispy chicken cutlets...AMAZING combo!
If you love mushrooms, you might want to check out my creamy Mushroom and Spinach Pasta, Cheesy Spinach and Mushroom Omelette, Creamy Mushroom Bisque and Chicken and Mushroom Vol Au Vent!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is easier to make than you think! All you have to do is pound, marinate, dredge, and fry. The mushroom sauce is a great addition to the dish and will only take you 6 minutes to make.
- This dish is a nice way to veer away from your usual fried chicken and gravy. The cutlets are super crisp on the outside while the meat remains juicy and tender inside and made even tastier with the homemade mushroom sauce - both adults and kids will love them!
- If you want to use less oil, chicken schnitzel can also be cooked using your oven or air fryer instead of deep frying. You can also shallow-fry. I added the instructions below.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chicken – I used boneless chicken breasts for this recipe. You can also use boneless thighs or veal if you prefer.
- Marinade – the sriracha sauce and Dijon mustard lends a zesty and mildly spicy taste to the fillets. I also added white pepper, crushed black pepper, garlic powder and salt for a nice savory base.
- Dredging Mixture – you can use any type of breadcrumbs, however, Panko breadcrumbs are great for making a light and crunchy coating. You’ll also need all-purpose flour and an egg to get the crumbs to stick to the cutlets.
- Oil – use a neutral-tasting oil with a high smoke point when deep-frying. Try avocado, peanut, sunflower or canola oil. I prefer using olive oil when making the sauce, as it keeps the butter from burning.
- Mushrooms – fresh are better than canned! I used white mushrooms, but feel free to use other varieties like brown, chestnut, baby Bella or cremini.
- Bechamel Sauce – aside from milk, butter, oil and flour, I also added dried parsley and a chicken stock cube to give the sauce flavor. You can use ½ teaspoon of chicken powder if that is what you have. The addition of cooking cream makes the sauce a lot richer. You can also use heavy cream in this recipe. Season it with white pepper and salt.
- Chives or Fresh Parsley - for garnish.
How To Make Chicken Schnitzel with Mushroom Sauce
- Prepare the chicken breast fillets. Slice each chicken breast from the middle so that you are left with 4 chicken cutlets. Put one chicken cutlet between two layers of plastic wrap and flatten with the meat mallet or rolling pin until it is under 1 cm (~ ⅓") thin.
- Marinade. Mix all the marinade ingredients in a small bowl until a paste is formed. Apply it thoroughly on both sides of the chicken fillets. Let it sit in the fridge for 30 minutes if you have time to spare. The flavours will develop better.
- Dredge the cutlets. Prepare the breading station. In three separate bowls, add a whisked egg, all-purpose flour and breadcrumbs. First, place the chicken piece in flour, coat both sides, and shake off excess. Then dip it into the whisked egg and then coat with breadcrumbs.
- Fry. Heat the oil in a large skillet or pan. Deep-fry or pan-fry the cutlets over medium heat and make sure to not crowd the pan. Once they are golden and crispy on both sides, take the chicken schnitzel out on a wire rack.
- Make the bechamel sauce. Cook the mushrooms in butter and olive oil till they start to crisp up. Mix in flour, salt and white pepper. On low heat, add the milk, dried parsley, and chicken cube. Keep stirring so that it doesn’t get lumpy. Add in the cream. Cook until the cream thickens.
- Assemble and serve. On a serving plate, place a chicken schnitzel, pour some mushroom sauce next to it, add your choice of potato side, sprinkle some chopped chives, place lemon slices and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- The thinness of the cutlets is very important for a crispy, well-cooked chicken schnitzel. However, be careful not to tear them when pounding.
- Press the breadcrumbs coating lightly into the meat to make sure they adhere properly.
- The oil temperature should be at 175°C (350°F) to get those perfectly golden cutlets. Dip a wooden chopstick into the pan, if it sizzles immediately, the oil is ready.
- Drain the fried chicken schnitzel on a wire rack and not on paper towels for maximum crunch. The paper towel will only make it soggy.
- Do not overcrowd the pan. Placing too much meat at once will affect the oil temperature and will result in a soggy, greasy breading. Exactly NOT what we want!
- The mushroom sauce will thicken up as it cools so remove it from the heat according to the instructions.
Air Fry or Bake Chicken Schnitzel
The great part about this easy chicken schnitzel recipe is that you can cook it however you like. If stovetop is not your preferred method, these breaded cutlets can be easily air fried or baked.
Using the Air Fryer
Preheat the air fryer to 180°C (360°F). Spray the air fryer basket with non-stick oil and place the breaded chicken fillets in a single layer. Cook for 5-6 minutes, then flip them. Cook for another 5-6 minutes or until the breading is golden and the meat is fully cooked.
Using the Oven
Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F). Place chicken on a baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the breading is golden and the meat is fully cooked. Make sure you change sides halfway.
Keep in mind the chicken schnitzel is pretty thin so it will cook fast.
FAQs
Store schnitzel in the fridge for 3 days, and reheat in an air fryer or oven for max crunch. The mushroom sauce can be kept for days. Reheat in a microwave with a splash of water or milk.
Sure, you can! Flash freeze the cutlets after dredging in a single layer, then transfer them to a ziplock bag and keep them for 1 to 2 months.
More Fried Chicken Recipes
📖 Recipe
Chicken Schnitzel with Mushroom Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 (500g / 1.1lb) chicken breasts boneless and skinless
- neutral oil for deep frying
- chives for garnish
Marinade
- 1 tsp or to taste salt
- 1 teaspoon crushed black pepper
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Dredging
- 1 medium egg whisked
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
Mushroom Sauce
- 150 g (5 oz) white mushrooms sliced
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ⅓ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ teaspoon white pepper
- ½ chicken stock cube optional
- 1 teaspoon dried parsely
- 1 cup milk
- 6 tablespoon cooking cream see notes
Instructions
- Slice each chicken breast from the middle so that you are left with 4 chicken cutlets.
- Put one chicken cutlet between two layers of cling film and flatten with the mallet until it is under 1 cm (~ ⅓") thin. The thin-ness of the cutlets is very important for a crispy, well-cooked chicken schnitzel. Repeat the process for remaining 3 cutlets.
- Make a paste of the marination ingredients and thoroughly apply on the chicken fillets. Let sit for 30 minutes if you have time to spare.
- Meanwhile, prepare the dredging station. In three separate shallow bowls, add a whisked egg, all-purpose flour and breadcrumbs.
- Heat oil in a large frying pan.
- Take out your chicken cutlets. First place the chicken fillet in flour, coat both sides and shake off excess. Then dip into the egg. And finally coat it with breadcrumbs.
- Fry these on medium heat and do not crowd the pan. They should reach an internal temperature of 75°C (170°F).
- Once golden and crispy on both sides take out on a wire rack. Don't put on a paper towel as it will get soggy.
- Heat the butter and olive oil in a pan and then on high heat add your mushrooms. Cook till some of them start to brown and crisp up.
- Then add your flour along with salt and white pepper. Give a stir.
- After 2 minutes add the milk, dried parsley and chicken cube on medium-low heat. Keep stirring so that it doesn’t get lumpy.
- Wait till the milk starts to thicken then add in the cream. Cook for 2-3 minutes and turn off flame.
- In your serving plate, place a chicken schnitzel, pour some mushroom sauce on next to it, add your choice of potato side, sprinkle some chopped chives and enjoy!
Notes
- You can substitute chicken bouillon cube with ½ teaspoon chicken powder.
- Cooking cream is a light cream containing 15% fat. You can also use heavy cream.
- The olive oil prevents the butter from burning.
Nutrition
PIN IT FOR LATER
Shine says
A brilliant recipe, my partner wouldn't eat half the ingredients in the marinade, so I was cautious to follow step by step, but I bit the bullet and made it as per instructions AND she loves it, the sauce I've done differently just added a couple of ingredients and it's absolutely fantastic,
I researched many recipes and this 1 sounded the best, the flavours are out of this world, so much so, I've cooked this for 12 people and it's a hit
Qashang says
Wow I’m so happy it turned out great and was a hit with everyone! Thanks for giving it a try! 🙂
Amanda says
This was amazing! I substituted turmeric for the white pepper because I didn’t have any and refrigerated the cutlets again after breading for a half hour. The sauce was phenomenal. That marinade for the chicken was so good. Will be a new favorite recipe around here.
Qashang says
Hello Amanda! There isn't any turmeric in this recipe. Thank you for your feedback. So happy you liked the dish. x
Tea says
Can you use tin mushrooms?
Qashang says
Yes you can.