Chicken Schnitzel Recipe - A Quick & Easy Weeknight Meal - Chisel & Fork (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep chicken schnitzel from getting soggy? ›

To keep schnitzel, or any fried food (like churros!), crispy, place it on a cooling rack over a baking sheet after frying, instead of on a paper towel. Crazy, right?! The air circulation (this is KEY!) underneath the food keeps the bottom from getting soggy while you're finishing up cooking.

It is best to put your schnitzels into the fridge for as long as possible before cooking; this will help to "set" the crumb and avoid the crumbs coming off when cooking. 3. Drain your schnitzels on absorbent paper after cooking to soak up any excess oil before serving.

Place the chicken on a wire rack (this produces the best results, helping the schnitzel stay crispy all over, but if you don't have one, you can use a regular baking tray).

For the uninitiated, chicken schnitzel is merely a chicken breast pounded thin, breaded, and fried. It's one of those foods that you can't help but love, which is probably why it's so prolific—versions of the recipe can be found in cultures around the world.

Place the breaded chicken on a cooling rack (or a platter) and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. This cooling time will help the layers of breading ingredients solidify and adhere better after the chicken cooks. Once you start cooking the chicken, be patient and don't flip it over too early.

The white stuff coming out of chicken as it cooks is simply extra protein that dissolves in water and is forced out of the meat by heat. Food scientist Topher McNeil, PhD, explains, “The [chicken] muscles themselves actually contract and squeeze out the liquid that's in between muscle cells.”

The absolutely best way to perfect schnitzel is to shallow-fry them in neutral-tasting cooking oil (Vegetable, Canola, Peanut, Sunflower). So you don't need to use a lot of oil, but you want to use enough oil so that the schnitzel will “float” in the oil as it cooks and not touch the bottom of the pan.

The best way to cook chicken schnitzel is to fry it. I like to use a combination of oil and butter for the best flavor/crispiness combination. When cooking chicken schnitzel, you need to heat the oil and butter in a frying pan until it is bubbling hot, then add the schnitzel. It should sizzle as it hits the pan.

Meat is not properly dry

If the meat is wet, it will make the flour soggy. In that case, breading will not stick properly and may fall off when deep frying. Therefore, you must take some paper towels and pat dry the meat on all sides.

How do you get the breading to stick on a schnitzel? ›

Dip egg-coated chicken in breadcrumb mixture. Gently press on with fingertips to secure.

Overcooking might play a role in your chicken's tire-like texture. Leaving chicken in a pan, oven, or grill for just a little too long can suck the moisture right out and leave you with a dry, rubbery bird. Without moisture, the protein fibers in the chicken become elastic.

schnitzel, a thin meat cutlet, pounded until tender and then breaded and fried, that is a culinary staple in German-speaking countries and communities. The Americanized version of the dish is chicken-fried steak.

What's Great About It: Schnitty is Australian slang for schnitzel – thinly sliced meat that has been crumbed and fried. This Australian classic can be found on almost every pub menu across the country.

Leaving it uncovered in the refrigerator will help dry out the surface. Just store the chicken on the bottom shelf and avoid placing it next to raw vegetables to prevent cross-contamination.

This might be happening because you're cooking too many pieces at once, and the cool, uncooked meat is lowering the oil temperature. Patience is key — frying just a few pieces at a time will help ensure each one has the best, crispiest breading possible.

Too much flour will give you a soggy crust, so dredge the chicken once and keep the coating light. Simply place the seasoned flour in a plastic zip-top bag, add the chicken in batches (don't overfill the bag), and seal it. Shake to evenly coat, and repeat with the remaining chicken.

Bake in a high-temperature oven for around 5-8 minutes or until the coating is crispy once more. If you wish for the meat to remain crisp for a few hours following the cooking, lower the temperature to 200 degrees F (100 degrees C) and keep the chicken to rest until prepared to cook it.