Freezer Friendly Chicken Schnitzel

Prepare the schnitzels

1. Sprinkle the chicken breast with salt and pepper. Use your hands to ensure it’s coated evenly (do not skip this step if oven-baking, this is what ensures your schnitzels remain juicy during the cooking process).
2. Place the flour in a shallow bowl, the whisked egg in a separate shallow bowl and the panko breadcrumbs in a third shallow bowl (see note 2 regarding panko breadcrumbs if baking).
3. Coat the chicken piece by piece in the flour, shaking off the excess. Dip in egg mixture, press into the breadcrumbs ensuring all sides are evenly coated. Repeat with remaining chicken, flour, egg mixture and breadcrumb mixture.

Cooking instructions

Deep fry

1. Heat approximately 600ml of a high smoke point oil (such as canola, vegetable or sunflower oil) on medium-high heat in a large, deep frying pan. Olive oil is best for shallow frying (see below). Deep frying requires the oil to be at least 1.5cm deep and covering the base of the pan (to ensure the chicken is cooked evenly with an even, golden coating).
2. Cook the chicken in batches for 8-12 minutes or until golden brown, turning regularly. Do not overcrowd the pan, the chicken shouldn’t be touching.
3. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain excess oil.
4. Season with additional salt if desired.

Shallow fry

1. Heat 4 tbsp of olive oil on medium-high heat in a large frying pan.
2. Cook the chicken in batches for 4-5 minutes on each side until golden and cooked through. Cooking using this method will result in an equally crispy crumb but less of an even golden coating (there may be spots that are darker than others).
3. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain excess oil.
4. Season with additional salt if desired.

Bake

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C fan. Place the schnitzels on a wire rack (this produces the best results, helping the schnitzel stay crispy but isn’t essential), spray with olive oil and cook for 12-15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.