Freezer Friendly Chicken Schnitzel

Name: Freezer Friendly Chicken Schnitzel
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 27 min
Ingredients: 3 large chicken breast fillets (halved horizontally to form 6 pieces – see note 1); 1 tsp sea salt flakes (or 3/4 tsp regular table salt); 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper; 1.5 cups plain flour; 4 eggs, whisked; 3 cups panko breadcrumbs (see note 2 if baking); Extra salt for seasoning; Oil for cooking (see recipe instructions below)

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Freezer Friendly Chicken Schnitzel

Freezer friendly, homemade chicken schnitzel perfect for those nights where you just need to get dinner on the table fast! This is a super simple recipe which includes how to prepare chicken breast, how to crumb chicken schnitzel without the mess, how to cook chicken schnitzel and how to store chicken schnitzel in the freezer. I know the freezer section in the supermarket aisle can be tempting, but not only will you have the satisfaction of making your own chicken schnitzels (and knowing exactly what is in them!), but I promise these will taste so much better too!

Total Time: 27 mins
Serves: 4-6 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale

Chicken Schnitzel Ingredients

3 large chicken breast fillets (halved horizontally to form 6 pieces – see note 1)
1 tsp sea salt flakes (or 3/4 tsp regular table salt)
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
1.5 cups plain flour
4 eggs, whisked
3 cups panko breadcrumbs (see note 2 if baking)
Extra salt for seasoning
Oil for cooking (see recipe instructions below)

Instructions

Prepare the schnitzels

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).
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).
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

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).
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.
Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain excess oil.
Season with additional salt if desired.

Shallow fry

Heat 4 tbsp of olive oil on medium-high heat in a large frying pan.
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).
Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain excess oil.
Season with additional salt if desired.

Bake

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.

Notes

MAKE AHEAD – Refrigerate chicken schnitzel up to 3 days, freeze up to 2 months. You can freeze chicken schnitzel for up to 8 weeks without losing any texture or intensity of flavour.Use a large container or reusable sandwich bag to freeze and line each layer of schnitzel with baking paper to stop them sticking together. That way when it’s time to cook, it’s as simple as removing the number of chicken schnitzels you require. They are best cooked once completely thawed (thaw overnight in the fridge). Once thawed the breadcrumbs may appear soft but will crisp up when fried.

LEFTOVERS – Refrigerate up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave (the coating will soften). Not suitable to freeze.

Note 1 – Cover the chicken breast with a sheet of baking paper and then using a mallet or rolling pin, pound the chicken to an even thickness (approximately 1.5cm). Chicken thigh fillets can be used too, use 6-8 pieces.

Note 2 – Crispy, baked schnitzels are possible if you follow this tip. Preheat the oven at 200°C fan. Arrange the 3 cups of panko breadcrumbs on a lined baking tray, spray with olive oil. Bake for 5-8 minutes, stirring halfway until they are golden. You can skip this step, but the schnitzels will not be evenly golden. Wait until the breadcrumbs have cooled slightly before using them to coat as per the recipe.