- Pounding the chicken breasts to about quarter-inch thickness allows for quick, evenly cooked cutlets with the perfect chicken-to-crust ratio.
- The chicken is dredged in flour, dipped in egg, and coated with panko, then fried in neutral-tasting canola oil to yield a light, crunchy crust.
- A brown butter sauce finished with capers, lemon juice, and parsley adds bright, nutty, acidic notes, lifting the dish beyond just a fried cutlet.
Thomas Keller’s low-lift chicken schnitzel is always a crowd-pleaser. It comes together in just about 20 minutes, complete with a simple pan sauce, and is easy to match with all kinds of sides. For a traditional meal, serve with warm potato salad or crispy roasted potatoes, braised red cabbage or sauerkraut, and buttered spaetzle or egg noodles.
What kind of meat is schnitzel made from?
Though there are versions of breaded and fried cutlets all across the globe, the one we call schnitzel originated in Austria. There, the namesake Wiener schnitzel, or Vienna schnitzel, must legally be made with veal. In Germany, pork schnitzel is the most popular variety. Chicken schnitzel stands out as another favorite, though it can also be made with beef or turkey.
How do you pound meat for schnitzel?
“Pounding chicken breasts to a uniform thickness cuts down on cooking time,” Thomas Keller says. You’ll need the breasts to be about a quarter-inch thick; after they’ve been butterflied, place them between sheets of parchment or plastic, on a cutting board or work surface. Beat with a flat meat mallet from the outside inward, flipping the meat over as needed.
Note from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen
To give his panko-breaded chicken a bright pop of fresh flavor, Thomas Keller makes a quick brown butter sauce to spoon over the top. In a small saucepan, he cooks the butter until the water content has evaporated and the milk solids have turned nutty and golden. He then swirls in lemon juice, capers, and parsley before topping each piece of schnitzel and serving.
