Juicy Chicken Thigh Schnitzel

This Chicken Thigh Schnitzel is the perfect combination of tender juicy chicken inside and crispy breaded coating outside .

Chicken Schnitzel is one of those dishes that immediately taste like home to me. Schnitzel is a dish that originates in Austria and has been adopted as German. In fact, Wiener Schnitzel (made with boneless veal) is actually the National Dish of Austria! This delicious dish is made up of thin cutlets of seasoned breaded meat that are fried in fat.

Schnitzel was one of the dishes my Dad grew up with in Germany, so it was only natural that it became one of the specialties he made for us. It was a dinner I always looked forward to because it was so tasty. My Dad has always made his schnitzel with either veal or chicken, and while both are delicious, I prefer using the latter.

Chicken breasts are the traditional cut of meat for this dish but I find thighs are juicier and add more flavour. I’ve been making schnitzel for years, tweaking and perfecting my recipe, never entirely happy with the result. This is my latest version and I think it’s delicious. Best of all, it comes with my Dad’s stamp of approval!

This Juicy Chicken Thigh Schnitzel is the perfect combination of tender juicy chicken inside and crispy breaded coating outside. The thinly pounded chicken thigh is coated in egg and flour, ensuring that the meat inside stays juicy, while the seasoned breadcrumbs make for a flavourful crispy coating. Like any fried food, this delicious dish is best when served hot straight out of the pan. I always serve my schnitzel with lemon because nothing compliments fried food better than a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. The best part of this tasty dish is it can be on your table in under 25 minutes from start to finish!

TOTAL TIME FOR CHICKEN THIGH SCHNITZEL

• Preparation Time – 15 minutes
• Cooking Time – 6 minutes a batch
• Total Time – 21 minutes

INGREDIENTS

All the ingredients for this dish are easy to source from any local grocer.

• 8 Chicken Thighs
• 1 1/2 cups Avocado Oil
• 3 Large Eggs
• 1 cup Breadcrumbs
• 1 cup Flour
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 1 tsp Onion Powder
• 1 tsp Oregano Powder
• 1/4 tsp Chili Powder
• 2 tsp Paprika
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt

WHAT IS SCHNITZEL?

Schnitzel is a slice of boneless meat that is breaded and cooked in fat. It is often made with veal, pork, or chicken. Before cooking, the meat is flattened until thin using a meat tenderizer which ensures it cooks quickly in the pan.

CAN I BAKE MY SCHNITZEL INSTEAD OF FRYING?

If you really want to bake this schnitzel you could, but part of the appeal of this dish is the crispy fried exterior contrasted with the tender interior.

DO I HAVE TO POUND THE MEAT FLAT BEFORE FRYING?

Yes. Part of the process of making schnitzel is pounding the meat into an extremely thin, approximately quarter inch, cutlet. This ensures it fries up quick, and gives a high coating to meat ratio which gives it it’s characteristic taste.

HELP, I DON’T HAVE A MEAT TENDERIZING MALLET!

If you don’t have a meat tenderizing mallet don’t worry, you can simply roll over your meat with a heavy rolling pin, or gently pound it down with one. The goal is for your meat to be as uniformly thin as possible before breading and frying.

INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS

CAN I SUBSTITUTE CHICKEN BREASTS FOR CHICKEN THIGHS?

If you’d prefer, you can substitute chicken breasts for thighs in this recipe without issue. I prefer using thighs because they have more flavour, and stay moist when fried.

CAN I USE SEASONED BREADCRUMBS?

I like to choose how I season my food so I always use unseasoned breadcrumbs. I strongly recommend using plain breadcrumbs in this meal.

CAN I USE A DIFFERENT KIND OF MEAT?

Schnitzel is traditionally made with veal or pork, but can be prepared with any boneless cut of meat including chicken, turkey, or even beef depending on your tastes.

EQUIPMENT FOR CHICKEN THIGH SCHNITZEL

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Below is a list of the main equipment/kitchen tools needed to make Chicken Thigh Schnitzel.

• Heavy Bottomed Pan – My most used pan by far is my Le Creuset Braising Pan. It is made of heavy cast iron and coated in ceramic as all Le Creuset cast iron pans are. It’s large and deep which makes it perfect for everything from frying to making sauces. I can’t recommend it enough.

• Parchment Paper – I highly recommend lining your cookie sheets with parchment paper to ensure they don’t stick. Paper Chef is my favourite brand, and comes in a large format roll that is easy to cut to any size.

• Bowls x 3

• Cutting Board

• Tongs

• Meat Tenderizer

COOKING DIRECTIONS

This recipe has a number of steps, but is still easy to prepare as long as you follow a few simple rules:

1. Make sure all your ingredients are laid out before breading
2. Tenderize your schnitzel evenly
3. Make sure your oil is hot enough by dropping a few breadcrumbs in: they should sizzle immediately.

MAKE AHEAD/STORAGE

Although this dish is quick to put together, you could make it even faster by portioning out your dry ingredients ahead of time. I wouldn’t recommend breading your chicken before frying it, as it will start to get soggy.

This dish keeps beautifully for up to three days in the fridge, and can also be frozen easily.

FINISHED DISH

Enjoy this delicious Chicken Thigh Schnitzel!

OTHER CHICKEN DISHES

Buttermilk Fried Chicken Burger

Delicious Breaded Chicken Pasta

Yogurt Marinated Chicken Naan

Moroccan Sweet and Savory Chicken Pita

Juicy Lemon White Wine Chicken

DID YOU MAKE THIS DISH?

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