Breaded chicken schnitzel

A quick, family-favourite chicken schnitzel — breast fillets in a crisp golden crumb, on the table in about 30 minutes.

Ingredients

• chicken breast600 g
• eggs2 pcs
• breadcrumbs150 g
• plain flour100 g
• salt1 tsp
• oil200 ml

Method

1. Prep the chicken. Place each chicken breast between two sheets of cling film and bash with a rolling pin or meat mallet until roughly 5–7 mm thick. Season both sides with salt.
2. Set up the crumbing station. Put the flour on one plate, beat the eggs in a shallow bowl, and spread the breadcrumbs on a third plate. Line them up in that order so you can move smoothly along the line.
3. Crumb each fillet. Dust a fillet in flour, shaking off any excess, then dip it in the beaten egg, letting the surplus drip off, and finally press it firmly into the breadcrumbs so every surface is evenly coated. Repeat with the remaining fillets.
4. Heat the oil. Pour the oil into a large, heavy frying pan to a depth of about 3–4 mm and heat over a medium-high flame until a pinch of breadcrumbs dropped in sizzles immediately and turns golden within 20–30 seconds.
5. Fry the schnitzels. Lay one or two schnitzels in the pan without crowding — they should sizzle assertively the moment they go in. Fry for 3–4 minutes per side until deep golden brown and cooked through; the crust should feel crisp and firm when pressed.
6. Drain and rest briefly. Lift the schnitzels onto a wire rack or kitchen paper and leave for a minute so the crust stays crisp and the juices settle. Fry the remaining fillets in the same way, topping up the oil if the pan looks dry.
7. Plate and serve. Serve immediately — a wedge of lemon and a crisp salad or potato salad alongside are the classic accompaniments.

Safety & hygiene Important

• Poultry temperature. Chicken must be cooked to a core temperature of 75 °C with no pink remaining. If a fillet is particularly thick after flattening, check by cutting into the thickest part — the juices should run clear.
• Hot oil frying. 200 ml of hot oil will spit if wet food is added — make sure the crumbed fillets are as dry as possible before they go in, and lower them away from you to avoid splashes.
• Raw chicken cross-contamination. Wash your hands and any surfaces that touched raw chicken before handling other food, and keep the crumbing station separate from your prep area.