Chicken Schnitzel with Lemon Cream Sauce
Chicken Schnitzel done right—thin, juicy cutlets with a caraway–smoked paprika rub and a shatter-crisp crust, all finished with a bright Lemon Cream Sauce your family will ask for again and again.
Servings: 6 Cutlets
Calories: 531kcal
Equipment
- 1 Large skillet, Dutch oven, or pan For Frying
- 1 Blender, Immersion Blender, or Food Processor
- 3 9-Inch Cake Pans Or other shallow dishes for dredging
- 1 Instant Read Digital Thermometer Or frying thermometer
- 1 Medium Saucepan
- 1 Fine Strainer
Ingredients
Schnitzel
- 6 Thin Sliced Chicken Cutletss Approx. 2 ¼-½ lbs. - Pounded to ¼-inch thick. Optionally use whole breasts, sliced in half.
- 1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1½ Teaspoons Kosher Salt
- 1 Tablespoon Paprika
- ½ Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1 Teaspoon Caraway Seeds Ground
- Pinch Cayenne
- ½ Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 4 Eggs
- 2 Cups Panko Breadcrumbs
- 32 oz Peanut Oil Or other neutral frying oil
Lemon Cream Sauce
- 4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 1 Shallot Finely Minced
- 1 Cup Chicken Stock
- ½ Cup White Wine Pino Grigio or Chardonnay recommended.
- ¼ Cup Heavy Cream
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice From ¼ Lemon
- ½ Teaspoon Capers With a splash of brine.
- Kosher Salt To taste
- Black Pepper To taste
Garnishes
- Parsley Finely Minced
- Lemon Wedges
Instructions
Chicken Schnitzel
- Pound chicken cutlets between two pieces of parchment paper or plastic wrap until ¼-inch thick. Generously season with kosher salt, paprika, smoked paprika, ground caraway, cayenne, and black pepper. Allow to rest for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight in the fridge.
- While the chicken is resting, prepare your dredging station as follows:Dish 1: Combine all-purpose flour and any remaining chicken rub seasoning.Dish 2: Beat the eggs with a heavy pinch of salt until combined.Dish 3: Combine the blended panko breadcrumbs and a heavy pinch of salt.
- Coat each chicken breast in the flour mixture, pressing until completely coated and no wet spots remain. Dredge in the egg mixture, then transfer to the breadcrumbs, pressing until evenly coated. Place each piece on a baking sheet lined with a wire rack while you repeat the process with your remaining chicken. Rest for at least 10 mintues.
- Add the frying oil to the pan and heat to 350 to 375°F. Fry each chicken piece until golden-brown, about 3 to 4 minutes, flipping every 30 seconds to ensure even cooking. Remove chicken from the oil and place on a baking sheet lined with a wire rack. Immediately sprinkle with a generous amount of kosher salt, and repeat the process with the remaining chicken, adjusting the heat to maintain frying temperature at 350 to 375°F. Keep the cooked cutlets in a 200°F oven to keep warm while you cook the remaining chicken and the sauce.
Lemon Cream Sauce
- Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and melt the butter. Add the shallot and fry for 3 to 4 minutes until golden brown around the edges.
- Deglaze the pan with white wine and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until reduced by about half. Add the chicken stock and heavy cream and cook for an additional 8 to 10 minutes until reduced and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Remove from the heat and strain out the shallots with a fine-mesh sieve. Add the capers and lemon juice, stirring to combine.
Notes
Expert Schnitzel Tips:
- Drain on a rack: Set fried cutlets on a wire rack over a sheet pan so steam escapes and the bottoms stay crisp. Paper towels make the crust soggy.
- Immediately Salt: Hit each piece of schnitzel with a generous amount of salt the minute it comes out of the hot oil. Salt hard, salt fast.
- Mind the heat: Keep oil at 350–375°F. Adjust the burner to maintain steady bubbles so the chicken cooks through without the crust burning.
- Blend the Panko: A finer crumb makes a delicate, ultra-crisp coating.
- Sauce smart: Spoon the sauce over right before serving or serve on the side to preserve crunch.
- Cutlets: Airtight container, 3–4 days in the fridge.
- Sauce: Store separately from the chicken to keep the crust crisp.
- Air fryer (from frozen): 400°F for 8–10 minutes until hot and crisp.
- Air fryer (from fridge): 400°F for 4–6 minutes.
- Oven: 400°F on a rack-set sheet pan; 10–12 minutes from frozen or 8–10 minutes from the fridge.
- Skillet (quick re-crisp): Thin film of oil over medium-high, 1–2 minutes per side.
- Tip: Reheat first, sauce last (or at the table) to preserve crunch; avoid the microwave.
Nutrition
Calories: 531kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 46g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 250mg | Sodium: 1014mg | Potassium: 853mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1249IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 4mg
