Easy Chicken Breast Schnitzel- French Style

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Learn how to make easy chicken breast schnitzel- French Style- from scratch so you can ditch those breaded chicken nuggets and chicken cutlets you buy from the store.

Delicious and healthier for you, these chicken schnitzels can be served with salads, potatoes in any form, cooked vegetables or just in simple sandwiches. Perfect for picnics, lunches, and dinners.

Easy Chicken Breast Schnitzel- French Style

I grew up in Eastern Europe, with a German grandmother who made schnitzel quite often.  She used to make it the traditional way, with flour, bread crumbs and egg, the same way Austrians and Germans always made it.

However, my mom used to make it a little bit different, the French style, with just flour and egg.

I always loved schnitzels. For us, the kids, schnitzels were a real treat and we all loved them in any form or shape.

As an adult, I usually have to make a bunch of schnitzels as my family never gets tired of them. There are also very easy to make and much better than any chicken nuggets or breaded chicken cutlets you had from the grocery stores or fast  food places.

We have them for lunch or dinner, we pack them with us when we travel, we use them in sandwiches. My daughter grew up with them.

Her face lightens up when I say the word “Schnitzel”. And I don’t even have to mention my husband who would have them all the time.

What kind of meat you can use for schnitzels if you don’t like chicken breast

The beauty of this recipe is that you can replace chicken with any meat you like. I like pork schnitzels, thin cuts of beef or turkey breast. In other words, follow the recipe and use the cut of meat you prefer.

HOW TO MAKE THE CHICKEN Breast SCHNITZELS- French Style:

To make chicken breast schnitzels is the same way you would make pork schnitzels or beef/veal schnitzels.

Step 1.

Clean the chicken breast and slice it into thinner pieces, horizontally, like this:

The chicken breast is usually very tender so you do not need to pound the meat before, but if you prefer to do this, go ahead. You will have to pound the pork or beef, if you choose these cuts.

Step 2.

You will need two plates or trays. On one plate we will have flour, salt, and pepper. On the other plate, we will have beaten eggs. 

Step 3.

Take one slice of meat and toss it in flour both sides to cover.

Step 4.

Shake the excess flour. Dip the meat into the egg.

Step 5.

Heat up the oil in a skillet and add the coated chicken. Make sure the oil is hot, otherwise your chicken and batter will absorb a lot of oil.(the temperature should be around 350F).

Fry them on medium heat for about 4-5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. 

Make sure you do not crowd the schnitzels in the skillet. When done, transfer the schnitzels to a plate. 

This is my first batch:

Continue the same process until you used up all the chicken. 

How To Serve the Chicken breast schnitzels:

These chicken schnitzels are great served with mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes or French fries(yum!)made from scratch. Here you have a recipe of potatoes with butter and dill that is amazing in the summer.

Any other raw or cooked vegetable you like works as well. Do you like mushrooms, asparagus, peas or green beans? These vegetables are perfect for the schnitzels. 

Schnitzel is often eaten with just a bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice or a sauce. 

Make a salad also to complement your meal and here you have a gorgeous lunch or dinner! It will also become a favorite for your kids and the frozen bags of chicken nuggets will soon become a sad memory!

If you use other types of meat, like pork or beef:

If you use pork or beef, make sure the cuts are thin. Also, pound them a little bit, as the pork and beef tend to be a little less tender compared with chicken or turkey.

What kind of pan do I need to use?

The pan could be a regular frying pan that doesn’t need to be very deep. We are pan fry them, we are not deep fry them.  

My grandmother used to fry the schnitzels in lard, but my mom would use a sunflower oil, because it is neutral. Choose a vegetable oil if you don’t have sunflower oil. 

The oil needs to be hot if you want to have crispy schnitzels. In order to figure that out, do a little test: place the handle of a wooden spoon into the oil—if little bubbles begin forming around it, you’re good to go.

How To store the chicken breast schnitzels?

Keep the schnitzels in an airtight container in the fridge, they will last about 3-4 days. To reheat, place the schnitzels on a baking sheet and bake at 400F for 10-15 minutes. I would not recommend to reheat these schnitzels in the microwave because they will get soggy.

I never got to freeze schnitzels because we eat them right away. However, you can go ahead and freeze them if you want. They will store well in freezer bags or airtight containers.

Place them flat on a baking sheet, cover them with some plastic wrap and freeze them for about an hour before placing them in the bags. This method will keep them from sticking together and freeze into a block of schnitzels.

To reheat, bake the frozen pieces at 400F for 20-25 minutes, or until warm to your liking.

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Enjoy!