Crunchy Chicken Schnitzel

• January 03, 2011  |
• by Kirstin Uhrenholdt

Crunchy Chicken Schnitzel (or you may call it a Large Chicken Nugget) is a perfect meal for starting off the new year and a resolution to have more family dinners together.

When I was a kid and it was my turn to pick what we were going to have for dinner, it was often wiener schnitzel. The name is pretty fancy, but the dish is not, and to a kid it’s really just a big flat chicken nugget. In this recipe I use chicken cutlets, but if you want to use pork or turkey cutlets instead, go ahead. I have also modernized it using the fantastically crispy Japanese panko bread crumbs.

YOU NEED

3 cups panko crumbs (or unseasoned bread crumbs)
1 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup flour seasoned with salt and pepper, for dredging
4 large eggs, beaten
11⁄2 pounds thin-cut boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed, preferably kosher and/or organic
Vegetable oil, for sautéing
2 lemons, sliced

TO MAKE 6 SERVINGS

Mix the panko crumbs and Parmesan in a wide, shallow container. Fill another wide, shallow container with flour and a third container with the beaten eggs.

Dredge the chicken breasts in flour, pat or shake off the excess, and then dip them in egg, letting any excess drip off. Coat the cutlets in the panko mixture by pressing them hard down into the crumbs, then flipping them and pressing the other side into the crumbs.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over a medium flame and drizzle in enough oil to cover the bottom. Gently sauté the cutlets for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until golden and just cooked through. You might have to do this in a few batches; just keep the finished ones warm in the oven.

Serve the cutlets garnished with a lemon slice. And our honey mustard sauce on the side if you like (the recipe is in the book).

For more great family dinner recipes, check out the book “The Family Dinner: Great Ways to Connect with Your Kids, One Meal at a Time.”