All hail the mighty schnitzel: how to make chicken schnitzel

A sponsored post for Woolworths Macro

Tell me someone (besides someone who doesn’t eat chicken or who likes chicken schnitzel) who doesn’t love a chicken schnitty? Go on! You can’t right? Told you. You HAVE to make your own schnitty that’s just all there is to it. Say what you like about pre made ones that the butcher or deli sells, but I am here to tell you they are not as good. They just aren’t. And you know what – even though you have to go through some steps to get there – it’s worth it. Time to grow up and get on with it. Get your apron on already. I know this may seem like simple, basic, DER BETH, but I tell you what, people google how to boil an egg and get to my blog all the time so bear with me.

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Chicken schnitzel (serves 4 greedy piglets aka my family)

: 2 Woolworths macro free range chicken breasts (I use the Woolworths Macro ones that are pre cut because mid week I am lazy)
: 2 eggs
: 1 cup of plain flour
: Plate full of bread crumbs (if you want some extra crumb in your schnitty may I recommend Panko bread crumbs. They are Japanese and extra crunchy and delicious)
: Oil for frying (I use rice bran)
: Good chunk of butter for frying (it gets added in with the oil to stop it from burning)

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Grab the 4 fillets to give them a bit of a whack to get the sizes even and flattened and to also tenderise the meat. I get a piece of greaseproof baking paper, place it on the chicken and then give the chicken a good whack with a rolling pin or something hard over the top of the paper.

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Next you will need to create your crumbing station. A STATION. I know! Don’t be scared. All this means is a production line for crumbing the chicken. The basics of any crumbing is always the same. Think of the month February. Then shorten it. FEB.

Flour.
Egg.
Breadcrumbs.
And always in that order.

F: You can whack the flour in a zip lock bag or freezer bag if you want – that way you can throw the chicken piece in, hold your hand at the top and give it a good shake. You’ll get an even coat of flour and you won’t get your hands messy. I have recently started to just use a piece of baking paper for the flour and breadcrumbs – GAME CHANGER.

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E: The eggs need to be quickly whisked. If they are small and you don’t think you have enough you can always add a dash of milk. I use a shallow pasta bowl for the egg wash.

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B: The breadcrumbs (do try and use Panko if you can, but there are other kinds too: like cornflake or even home made from stale sourdough or the like thrown into a food processor…YES that easy) I pour onto the baking paper as well.

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You’ll also need another clean plate to place the finished products onto. Get it ready now, your hands are about to get dirty.

Now, just use one hand when you do this – you may need one clean one free. Ready? Dust the chicken in the flour, then dip into the egg wash coating on both sides then place onto the crumb plate. Turn it over and pat the crumbs into the chicken (I turn a few times) then onto the finished plate. Repeat until you are all done. You’ll get crumbed finger tips by the end that are quite satisfying to peel off when you are done.

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And tell me this isn’t the BEST THING EVER – roll those excess flour & crumbs and throw them in the bin! No washing up!

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Now you are ready to fry those bastards and get them crunchy and golden. You can bake them in the oven which will also work – just give a wee drizzle of oil on the top before they go in and make sure you turn them half way through. I use a deep frying pan because the oil spits. Get about 1 cm of oil in the frypan and add in a good wedge of butter too (about 50grams). The rule of thumb goes with any kind of frying (or pancake/pikelet making) that the first ones are never the best. The oil usually isn’t hot enough and you just have to go through the process. One way of checking if the oil is hot enough is to place the end of a wooden spoon into the oil (the pointed end not the turning end). If it bubbles, you are good to go.

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Gently lower the chicken pieces in and give a minute or so on each side (or until golden brown). When they are done move onto papertowel to drain. If your cutting of the breasts was not the best and not even and you’re concerned that the chicken is not fully cooked through you can place them onto a baking tray to finish off for a few minutes in a hot 200 degree oven.

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LOOK AT YOU! You made schnitzel. You did! You know what you can do now too? You can get a pre-made tomato passata sauce (like for pizza or pasta) spoon it on top, add some mozarella and you have PARMIGIANA. People will go ape shit for this kind of stuff. It’s easy. Tasty. And home made. And you did it. You did!

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Woolies are also giving away a $100 gift card to one of you guys! Just leave me a comment on the post below and you’re in the running. Good luck! For all T&C’s for the giveaway see this page.

Is there a food basic that you have never tried to make (for me it’s pastry)?
Do you love a good schnitty too?
What’s your favourite macro item in their range?

Comments

  1. Dannielle says

    Oh man they look good. I can never get a good even coating.

  2. Michelle says

    An extra tip: with chicken schnitty you can skip the flour step – just saves that extra bit of time and mess! Doesn’t work with veal schnitty though …

    • Tanya_blogreader says

      What I was about to say. I had a friend who didn’t believe me about shipping the flour step so we made half the batch with and other half without. All eight eaters could not tell the difference 🙂

  3. Dianne dowie says

    So today i recieved my fav newsletter from the one and only Babymac ! Then i see chicken shnitty! Umm ok yer i do know how to do that ! Well der !
    So i thought ok i will humor her and take a look and low and behold i learn something new !!!
    All these years i have been doing this wrong ?!? Seriously ?!? Sigh
    Thanks to you i have discovered the flour step ! Yep i have been missing an entire step ! What the ?!?
    So off to Woolies today for my micro chook for dinner tonight for i have some shnitties to make

  4. YUM! ‘Snitchel’ is a firm fave at out place. And makes excellent school lunches for the babes the following day (I make four breasts!), doesn’t it?

    One other ingredient I add to the Panko bowl to give it even *more* crunch is a few grates of parmesan. You will be amazed, girlfriend.

  5. Yum that looks so good! I’m all hungry for a snitty now…& I’ve just finished breakfast hehe:)

  6. Because I am super lazy, I just dredge the chicken in some garlic infused butter, dump them in some panko and then onto a baking tray with a quick spray of oil. Then in the oven for 20 minutes. PERFECTO-MUNDO.

  7. Great minds Beth. Made these last night. Perfect dinner for a cold and blustery Highlands evening

  8. Oh my lordy. In Melbourne there is a blog that recommends the best parma’s in Melbourne. I know schnitzel and parma aren’t the same but they’re cousins right? I have no plans for dinner tonight. You have solved that problem. Done. Schnitz. Thanks Beth.

  9. Hmm, you’ve even got me (the Dis-interested cook) interested!

  10. Tanya_blogreader says

    I helped out some mates one night at their pub. It was $10 schnitzel night. BUSY! Got a great tip from one of the cooks. Have the station, like you said, but use one hand for egg bowl and the other hand for crumb bowl. Really a great thing when you doing heaps as you don’t get that thick yucky finger crust (probably not necessary for a small dinner) but a game-changer when doing a lot.

  11. I love the home made chicken schnitz. A weekly dish in our house.
    I always use Panko and also finely grate in some parmesan and HEAPS of fresh herbs. Mostly thyme and finely cut parsley. Makes for a ripper schnitz.

  12. Hmmm schnitty for dinner tonight I think!!

  13. Had no idea the knob of butter stopped the schnitz from burning! Love it. Love me some butter and love me some schnitzel. Bring it!

  14. I can never seem to make the crumbs stick!! They always end up in the pan but from what I can see I think that it’s because I don’t have enough oil, I think I try and skimp to be healthy. Rice bran oil, is it better than peanut oil?

  15. Rachel Armstrong says

    Man I love me a schnitty. They also go perfectly with coleslaw, which has been enjoying a renaissance in our household of late. And lashings of mayo of course. Yum!

  16. Panko breadcrumbs do not use the bread crust and that’s why they are soooo much better than other brands. Made this last night but with pork – just yummiferous!

  17. Yum!! I always add a teaspoon of minced garlic to my egg wash! Makes it even yummier 🙂

  18. I always have problems with keeping the crumbs on. More oil perhaps looking at your pictures maybe!

  19. This my hubby’s all time fave food and I’m pleased to say I think I now have it down to a fine art 😉

  20. Sounds delicious!!

  21. Oh and parmesan mixed into the crumbs. And cold schnitzel plucked out of the fridge the next day! So yummy.

  22. Ooooh I love a good snitty! May I suggest adding herbs to the crumb? Makes it extra yummy. A good sprinkle of smoked paprika in the flour is excellent too. Plus parmesan in the crumb makes a yummy cheesy snitty! 🙂

  23. Love chicken schnitty and so does everyone in the family. Thanks Beth x

  24. Narelle A says

    Yum, yum and more yum! It’s a winner, winner chicken dinner around here. One of the few meals all 4 of my children will eat. Goes good when you turn it into a parma too!

  25. I love a good Schinty with pepper sauce!

  26. Kathleen Ward says

    Love a Schnitz! We panko bread crumb here..LA do dah! Or even the humble cornflake crumb yum!

  27. PANKO for President of Schnitzeland. The end.

  28. Natasha Andrews says

    I cannot believe I have never thought to make them myself – I have added them to next weeks meal plan – thank you – they look so simple and I know the kids love them.

    I love the macro chicken brand – their stuffed chooks are fabulous especially the one with garlic butter already under the skin (such a messy job I love that they do it for me!!)

  29. Wicked. I’ve never made them before as for some reason I thought it would be like tackling brain surgery. Thanks for breaking it down for me.

  30. Katherine says

    hot tip on the butter with the oil LOVE your work !!!!!!

  31. Can I add a suggestion….I sometimes use woolworths tenderloins which are equally yummy, tender and ‘kid size’ then I shallow fry mine in oil until I like the look of them and then finish them off in the oven…never burnt one yet and they are always cooked through. Panko are definately the way to go. I also make twice as many and freeze them between baking paper. Next snittzy day is then a breeze.

  32. Leanne Murch says

    Well that’s dinner tonight sorted!!! Love panko crumbs – the best!

  33. Melissa C says

    Yum, love a good schnitzel! Making pasta is on my to-do list 🙂

  34. I love a schnitty and yes, home made is definitely best! You can even make some mini-schnitty ones for the small people – giant and deliciously fresh chicken nugget style.
    Yum! I have a hankering now.

  35. Snap! I use panko too!
    Some times I add shredded coconut to make it fancy;)

  36. Once you make from scratch you won’t store buy again!!

  37. Haley Ali says

    I am going to admit I have never made my family schnittys, we usually just eat a Lebanese cuisine, but after seeing this post I’m going to have to give it a go!!

  38. A cheeky little twist on the traditional snitty – add some lemon pepper (found at supermarkets) into the breadcrumbs. Or any type of seasoning that tickles your fancy really. Your snitty will be taken to new heights!

  39. We occasionally make schnitty but we usually don’t have breadcrumbs in the house (or we do but Hubby doesn’t realise)! So we make them out of whatever we have available- ends of bread, old rolls from the freezer, cornflakes (sometimes a mixture!) sometimes we toast the bread first too 🙂 they always taste great!

  40. As a recent convert back to the meat eating world from many decades of vegetarianism, I’m now sitting here salivating and thinking of Chicken Schnitzels for dinner tonight! Who’d have thought it!?!? My gastronomic world is becoming wider every day 🙂

  41. You have just singlehandedly, perhaps singlepostadly, saved my marriage! Hurrah! Just this week hubby declared “let there be chicken schnitzel” and wont eat anything else for lunch except I don’t know how to make it. Cue bulk buys of preprepped schnitys from the butcher! And now u elevate me to wife status of “legend” by adding in parmigiana to! Thank you Beth 😉

  42. My mom’s recipe is first to dip the meat in the egg and then flour. You may be surprised how nice it will be.

  43. Schnitzel is a favourite at our house too, just about the only way my girls will eat chicken. And now I finally know what panko is, I have always wondered!

  44. Shannon Morgan says

    Love a good homemade chicken schnitzel! In fact, anything crumbed and homemade is excellent. 🙂

  45. I’m going to start making my own again after getting lazy! Rice bran oil is a great tip & I mix some grated Parmesan in with the bread crumbs.
    Panko crumbs or home made with day old bread are the best! Yum!

  46. Dianne Whittle says

    Chicken Schnitzel is my all time favourite meal! When I visited Melbourne recently I was so excited to find a food place called Schnitz where, you guessed it, they sold schnitzels! I was in heaven! They hand crumb them and cook them just like you would at home.

  47. Looks sooooooo GOOOOD!!

  48. Schnitzel is an all time favourite dinner in our house. We have to make them egg and gluten free, but couldn’t live without chicken Schnitzel for dinner at least once a fortnight. 🙂

  49. Yummmm!! Cant go wrong with chicken schnitzel. They taste great using rice crumbs too if you need a GF version 😀

  50. Leesa Monro says

    Looks fantastic – this is hands down a family fav! I even use almond meal instead of flour and it is sensational, oh and some salt….. superb!

  51. I can’t believe you call pastry a “food basic” haha! Mine is crumbing schnitzels – I am guilty of just falling for the deli convenience.

    • PS – fave product is definitely that pre thinly cut chicken – I’m a total sook when it comes to handling meat and don’t have the best knife skills so having it already done for me AND a more responsible product = win/win.

  52. Yum! I make these regularly for my family of six, and everyone loves them. I’m fussy about my ingredients and always use the macro chicken. To make them a bit fancier you can add Parmesan and chopped fresh herbs to the breadcrumb mix (I use parsley, oregano, whatever I have in the garden). Delishous 🙂

  53. Felicity Higham says

    Well this is definitely a schnitzel recipe I need to try with the family. The instructions are so easy to follow, perhaps my teenage kids could give it a go :).

  54. Love a good schnitty. Must try the panko crumbs next time I’m at the shops. Thanks for the tip!!

  55. Sarah Fleming says

    Oh yum! Thanks for the tip too, one of the main reasons I put schnitzel night off at times is because of the horrible, big fat messy fingers I get when doing the crumbs!

  56. Tanya Gibson says

    OH my god! They look delish! and Now i’m starving and need to cook, I’m thinking i need a quick trip to Woolies and get those ingredients to try that now 😉

  57. My man’s favourite is chicken schnitzel. He just looovvveees them. When he’s really good I make them for him. Pinko breadcrumbs make them really crunchy.

  58. Panko NOT pinko. Sounds like Reds-under-the-bed breadcrumbs! Hehe.

  59. Angela Fichera says

    Chicken Schnitties or Cotoletta (Italian) is a firm favourite in our house… there always seems to be more friends over for dinner when that’s on the menu. I don’t use flour, but I do throw 1/2 cup or so of grated Parmesan, finely chopped parsley and 1 garlic clove to the egg mix. Buon Appetito!

  60. Margaret says

    I love making them with home made breadcrumbs, beautiful and golden. But nothing beats a schnitzel from Vienna. Will you be making a stop there?

  61. Bron Nie says

    This reminds me of being a little girl & helping my Mum make homemade schnitzels. Happy days!

  62. Always a favourite dinner at my house. Actually anything crumbed and fried is a winner! XToni

  63. I failed in this department last week. First time – I didn’t read instructions on recipe properly and mixed egg, crumbs flour all together until I had a big fat mixture and tried to lay it on the chicken like I was paving it with thick concrete. I’m not number one cook. I will file your instructions for future reference:-)

  64. Katie clews says

    I always use Panko crumbs they are THE best, so crunchy !! Love me a good old home made schnitzel

  65. YUM. Snitty! Yes I have made my own and do all the time just like that! I have made pastry from scratch before…I love woolies macro whole chickens…great to bake on a winter night!

  66. This schniz hating vegetarian will have to give these a go for my family of chicken lovers 🙂

  67. Sometimes when I’m in a hurry I use freezer bags and shake the stuff on.

  68. Sheridan says

    Thanks Beth, this is going on my meal plan for next week, looked so good! And best of all I think my fussy Miss 2 should nail it. Winning all round. Hope u having awesome trip, loving the Facebook updates 🙂

  69. Push posh, I thought, Beth can’t teach me anything I don’t know about making a schnitty. But you know what? You did! The baking paper for the F and the B! Duh! Why didn’t I think of that? Ta.

  70. I add curry powder and Parmesan cheese to my breadcrumb mix… delish.

  71. I followed this as a guide last night but used corn flour and blitzed up plain sakata rice crackers and it was amazing. GF and crunchy with the best even coating. Previous crumbing attempts have always failed, I think it must come down to order. Love the FEB guide. 🙂

  72. I finally got around to making this, years after the event, but tonight I made this and it was loved by ALL the family, this never happens! And I used the recent baking paper trick! Winner winner chicken dinner 🙂

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