German chicken schnitzel is an easy-to-prepare, budget-friendly dish that’s perfect for your Octoberfest celebrations or a weeknight meal.
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Grab your stein of Hofbrau and serve the schnitzel with a fresh Israeli Salad, Parslied German Spaetzel In Brown Butter Sauce, Easy Sugar Snap Peas, and Pumpkin Cheesecake bars for a meal worthy of a true German Octoberfest.
What is Schnitzel?
Schnitzel is a thin slice of meat that is breaded and fried. The meat is pounded with a meat tenderizer and then breaded in a coating of flour, egg, and mustard, and crunchy Panko breadcrumbs.
The name comes from the German word ‘schnitt’, which means ‘to cut’. It’s popular, not only in Germany and Austria, but most of Eastern Europe as well. It’s also a popular dish in Israel where Eastern Europeans introduced the dish to the Ashkenazi Jews.
Schnitzel can be made with chicken, veal, pork, or mutton. It typically is not highly seasoned, instead relying on very flavorful sauces or drizzles of fresh lemon or apple cider vinegar.
What Ingredients Are Needed?
- Chicken – boneless and skinless. You could also use veal or pork.
- Salt and pepper for seasoning.
- Flour
- Panko breadcrumbs – I used plain Panko. Breadcrumbs also work well, but won’t be as crunchy.
- Eggs
- Dijon mustard
- Vegetable oil such as canola, peanut, safflower, or any other oil with a high smoke point. Don’t use olive oil.
- Butter – this adds flavor to the coating while it pan-fries.
- Fresh parsley and lemon as a garnish
How To Make German Chicken Schnitzel
- Pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts to ¼-inch thickness and season with salt and pepper.
- Bread the chicken by rolling in flour, then an egg and mustard mixture, and finally in Panko bread crumbs.
- Pan fry until golden brown and crisp on the edges.
- Garnish with parsley and lemon wedges.
If you liked this chicken recipe, here are a few more recipes to try:
- Spicy Sweet Chicken Kabobs
- Spicy Grilled Jerk Chicken
- Flavorful Chicken Fajitas
- Extra Crispy Bourbon Fried Chicken
- Baked Nashville Hot Chicken
- Italian Chicken Francese
- Lemon Herb-Roasted Chicken
- Classic Chicken Piccata
- Grilled Tequila Lime Chicken
- Chicken Vesuvio
German Chicken Schnitzel
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: Serves 8
Description
German chicken schnitzel is an easy-to-prepare, budget-friendly dish that’s perfect for your Octoberfest celebrations or a weeknight meal.
Ingredients
3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 teaspoons salt, divided
3 teaspoons black pepper, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups plain Panko breadcrumbs
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
½ cup vegetable oil (more if needed)
½ cup butter, cut into 1 tablespoon pats (more if needed)
Chopped parsley, as garnish
Lemon wedges, as garnish
Instructions
Pound the chicken to flatten. Work with one piece of chicken at a time. Place it in a zip lock bag, without zipping the top, and use the flat side of a meat mallet to pound the meat gently until you have a uniform ¼-inch thickness. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Prepare a breading station.
In a shallow plate, whisk together the flour and 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
For the second plate, stir together the breadcrumbs with another teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
Finally, in a third shallow plate, whisk together the egg and the Dijon mustard.
To bread the chicken:
Dip each piece of chicken into the flour mixture, shaking off any excess.
Next, roll the chicken in the egg mixture before dredging it in the breadcrumbs. Turn the chicken to coat evenly. Press the crumbs gently onto both sides of the chicken so that it adheres.
Set aside on a wire rack set over a baking sheet and repeat the coating process with the remaining chicken.
Cook the breaded chicken:
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter into 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. The pan should be large enough to hold 2 chicken breasts.
Add 2 chicken breasts to the pan and cook until golden brown on both sides – about 8-10 minutes. Turn the breasts after 5 minutes.
Transfer the chicken to a paper towel-lined plate. While hot, season lightly with salt.
Add another 2 tablespoons each of oil and butter to the skillet and repeat with 2 more chicken breasts. Cook as directed above. Continue adding 2 tablespoons of butter and oil to the skillet and cook the remaining chicken.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Pan-fry
- Cuisine: German
Keywords: German chicken schnitzel, Octoberfest, German food, boneless skinless chicken breasts, pan-fried chicken
