Here’s a recipe for a really great Oven Baked Chicken Schnitzel that’s truly crispy and golden all over without overcooking the thin chicken inside. Honestly just like real deep fried schnitzel – minus the calories and the oily mess, with a less messy crumbing technique too!
Oven Baked Chicken Schnitzel
It’s always nice to have healthier baked versions of our favourite fried foods up our sleeve! And here’s one that isn’t a sad compromise to the real thing. The challenge with a baked rather than fried schnitzel is getting the crumb golden and crunchy without leaving it in the oven so long that the thin chicken inside overcooks and dries out. Nobody wants beautifully golden crumbs wrapped around dry chicken!
The answer has been on this website for many years, the method used in my Truly Crunchy Crumbed Chicken Tenders. It deploys a handful of tricks: toast the panko in the oven until deep golden first, because it won’t brown at all once it’s on the chicken; use an extra-strong egg-flour dredge that doubles as a marinade; then bake the thin schnitzels for just 13 minutes so the chicken stays beautifully juicy.
Real schnitzel crunch, beautiful golden colour, no frying required! Bonus: CLEAN HANDS!
Ingredients in Oven Baked Chicken Schnitzel
You really only need chicken, egg, flour, and mayonnaise (more on this below), though I also add some dried herbs and spices into the egg batter to make the chicken extra tasty, especially if you opt for the optional marinading time!
1. THE CHICKEN AND CRUMB
For an easy option, you can buy the chicken already cut into thin schnitzels. They cost a little more and are slightly thicker (and therefore smaller surface area), but they work just fine.
Chicken breast – Makes the neatest shape because it can be split and flattened evenly with a light pounding. For an easy option, buy chicken already cut into schnitzels (here in Australia, you’ll find them at large grocery stores like Coles and Woolworths).
Other chicken cuts – boneless chicken thighs (will need a good pounding to make it even). For chicken tenders, use the Crunchy Crumbed Tenders recipe instead (dredge batter is slightly different as there’s more surface area).
Other proteins – This recipe should work perfectly for any schnitzel-appropriate protein! Veal (topside/top-round), pork loin or tenderloin sliced and pounded thin or turkey breast. I’d avoid beef steak cuts that are best served medium rare. As for those thinly sliced beef sizzle steaks – I haven’t cracked a consistent way to keep these tender yet. Working on it!
Panko breadcrumbs – These Japanese breadcrumbs are larger and flakier than regular breadcrumbs, so they make an extra-crispy, crunchier coating. Find them in the Asian aisle of large grocery stores, standard stock these days!
Oil spray – Rather than gallons of oil. How good is that! 🙂
2. for the dredge
And here’s what you need for the all-in-one dredging batter that helps the breadcrumbs stick, rather than the usual separate flour then egg dredge. It binds better, is less messy and doubles as a marinade to help keep the chicken juicy and tender. Milk gives the batter the right consistency, while mayonnaise adds oil and flavour, helping the breadcrumbs cook from the inside more like deep-fried crumbs. I prefer it to oil because it’s thicker and tastier.
Garlic powder and Italian seasonings (optional) – These are optional flavourings for the dredge batter. Just adds a bit more flavour. Why not! 🙂 (But it’s totally fine if you decide not!)
How to make Oven Baked Chicken Schnitzel
Honestly, the most important point I’d like to stress here is that you will NOT get messy hands when crumbing the chicken!! 🙌
Split – Cut each chicken breast in half horizontally to form 2 thin steaks (4 in total). To do this, place the breast smooth-side up, press down firmly with one hand, then cut horizontally through the smooth (thicker) side of the breast. Don’t worry if you miss and one piece is larger than the other, you’ll be pounding to the same thickness anyway. And if you’ve got some flappy bits – lucky you! They come out extra crunchy. 🙂
Pound – Place the chicken cut side down and cover with a sheet of paper, plastic sheet or Go-Between (Australia). Then use the smooth side of a meat mallet or a rolling pin to lightly pound to an even 0.8 cm / 1/3″ thickness.
Pounding to even thickness ensures the chicken cooks through evenly and also breaks down some of the muscle fibres, so the chicken is more tender once cooked – especially useful for lean meats like breast.
Dredge – Whisk the Dredge ingredients in a large bowl and add the chicken, turning to ensure each piece is coated. There is just enough Dredge for 4 schnitzels, so make sure you turn and coat each piece.
Optional marinade – You can leave the chicken in there for 24 hours to marinade which will make the chicken extra tasty and succulent. But it’s not essential. So if you aren’t marinading, do this step while the panko is toasting.
Toast panko – Spread the panko breadcrumbs on a tray lined with paper and spray generously with oil. Bake in a hot oven for 10 minutes, stirring once, or until it is deep golden, the colour you want your schnitzel to be. The schnitzel will not go any more golden in the oven because it’s only in there for 13 minutes, just long enough to cook the chicken through without overcooking until it’s dry cardboard!
Once toasted, transfer the breadcrumbs into a shallow dish large enough to crumb the schnitzel (use the paper to pour it in, useful!).
Crumb – Take a piece of chicken out of the Dredge batter, letting excess drip off (there shouldn’t be much, the dredge is quite thick). Lay it down in the panko.
Sprinkle panko over the thin end, then use that as a clean spot to grip the chicken and turn it over – no batter-covered fingers! Sprinkle any patches with panko then press down with your hand to adhere the panko on well. Marvel at clean hands! 🙌
Rack and spray – Spray a rack with oil and set it over the tray you used to toast the panko, then put the crumbed schnitzels on the rack. The rack elevates the schnitzel off the tray so the underside goes crispy as well. The chicken is in the oven for such a short time, there is no time to turn them.
Spray the chicken generously with oil.
Bake 13 minutes – Then bake for just 13 minutes in a hot oven – 220°C/425°F (200*C fan-forced), just long enough for the chicken to cook through and the panko to adhere to the chicken. As noted above, the crumb coating will not get any more colour during the bake time.
When it comes out of the oven, you will be amazed how it looks just like a real schnitzel you just pulled out of the deep fryer – except without the spluttering oil, greasy stove and frying mess!
What to serve with Oven Baked Chicken Schnitzel
Keep it classic with fries (frozen all the way!), a simple leafy salad with a tangy Salad Dressing and plenty of lemon wedges for squeezing. Or go for a pile of buttery creamy mash and douse with gravy! It’s pictured above with mushroom gravy.
In Austria, Weiner schnitzels are commonly served with a vinegary potato salad side, it’s not the mayo sort. I can’t suggest a recipe (I haven’t tried making it myself), but my Lemon Potato Salad has a similar flavour profile or for something more substantial, a German Potato Salad would be wow!
Oh – and a couple more ideas just dawned on me! Use this baked schnitzel to make a lower calorie version of Chicken Parmigiana. Or you could make a schnitzel sandwich! We Aussies LOVE a good schnitzel roll. Cut the schnitzel into thick strips, pile it into a soft roll with lettuce, mayo and a good squeeze of lemon. SO GOOD! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Oven Baked Chicken Schnitzel
Ingredients
- 2 x ~300g/8oz chicken breast , each split in half horizontally to form 4 thin steaks in total, or buy chicken already cut into thin schnitzel pieces (Note 1)
- 2 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 3/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- Olive oil spray
Dredge (and optional marinade):
- 1 large egg (~50 – 55g/2oz each)
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise , full-fat (Note 2)
- 2 tbsp flour , plain/all-purpose (or gluten-free)
- 1 tbsp milk , any fat %, dairy or non-diary
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning (optional)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder (optional)
- 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Finishing
- Salt flakes or fleur de sel , for sprinkling
Instructions
ABBREVIATED RECIPE:
- Pound chicken to 0.8cm / 1/3″. Spray panko with oil, bake 10 min at 200°C/390°F (180°C fan) until deep golden. Whisk dredge, coat chicken (optional 1 – 24 hr marinade), coat in panko, place on rack, spray with oil. Bake 13 min 220°C/425°F (200°C fan).
FULL RECIPE:
- Pound (Note 3) – Place the chicken cut side down, cover with a sheet of plastic, baking paper or Go-Between. Pound gently with the smooth side of a meat mallet or a rolling pin to even thickness – 0.8cm / 1/3" thick.
Dredge + optional marinade:
- Dredge – Mix the Dredge ingredients in a bowl. Add chicken and turn so each piece is coated.
- Optional marinade – Cover and marinade for 1 hour, up to 24 hours, if you can. Otherwise, proceed with the recipe.
Toast panko (start this first if not marinating):
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/390°F (180°C fan-forced).
- Toast – Line a tray with paper and spread the breadcrumbs on. Spray generously with oil. Bake 10 – 12 minutes, stirring halfway, or until deep golden – this will be the colour of your schnitzel (it will not colour more when baked).
- Transfer – Use the paper to transfer the panko in a shallow dish large enough to crumb the schnitzel. Add salt and mix.
Prepare to bake:
- Increase heat – Turn the oven up to 220°C/425°F (200°C fan). We want it nice and hot when the schnitzels go in!
- Spray rack – Place a rack on a tray (I use the same panko toasting tray). Spray well with oil.
Crumb and bake:
- Crumb – Pick up a piece of chicken, letting excess Dredge drip off, then place in the panko. Sprinkle panko over the pointy end, use that end to turn the chicken, then press firmly to adhere. Place on the rack (marvel at CLEAN HANDS!!!) and repeat.
- Bake for 13 minutes – Spray the top of the chicken with oil spray. Bake 13 minutes – do not flip. The thin chicken will be cooked perfectly, not overcooked and dry, and the panko breadcrumbs will be crunchy and golden all over, including the underside (thanks to the rack).
- Serve immediately with a sprinkle of salt flakes! Keep it simple with lemon wedges, or add a side of creamy mash and mushroom or plain gravy. Or make schnitzel rolls with mayo, lettuce and tomato, or Chicken Parmigiana!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Jaffle
The next generation research assistant. ❤️ He has very big paws to fill, but he’s taking his researching duties very seriously (ie. intensive cuddling!)
And a flashback – with Dozer, doing recipe research and brainstorming for my first cookbook in 2021. I want to say he was right there beside me for moral support. But we all know he was just waiting for something edible to jump out of the pages! 😂 Miss you Dozer. Every single day.
HUGE fan of anything easy and baked, especially when it utilises the home-made mayonnaise we always have now.
And PANKO. Such a difference. Once they started putting it on the cheap shelves, I’ve never gone back to the old style.
Jaffle’s getting bigger, like all good boys do. Won’t be long til we look at pics of you holding him and think, “Oh, that was years ago! I remember that!”
-HUGS-
I can guarantee wherever Dozer is he’s missing you too 💛🧡 and keeping an eye on Jaffle x
Thank you for this recipe. Will definitely be trying it, not this week however as am all set up to cook your traditional Chicken Parma tonight! My hubby and I love it, as does my son and daughter-in-law.
Looks nice but honestly, if you use a really healthy oil with a high smoke point (such as rice bran oil), cook 3 mins per side in about 1cm of oil at a low-medium temp and wrap in paper towels once cooked there is no need to do it this way (well not for this schnitzel addict anyway). I do it this way to get the panko nicely browned then finish them off in the air fryer at 180deg for a few minutes just to ensure the chicken is cooked through. Perfect schnitzels every single time without having to bake anything or use mayo (which is probably more unhealthy than rice bran oil though I may be wrong on that!)
Only my 2c – I’m sure these are still very nice but for me there’s no need, if anything it’s more hassle, not less.
My Mum always made potato salad with a mint sauce ie vinegar, water, sugar, and mint. Poured over sliced potato and well chilled. Oh and onion of course.
Could I make this with thin boneless pork chops. Would the marinade work and cooking time be the same please?
FYI incase you’re interested… if you ALWAYS have egg whites in the fridge (because you make ice cream almost every weekend, ahem), you can whip egg whites as the initial dip instead of eggs. It’s what I always do!
Always trying to find ways to use egg whites! Recently
Discovered whipped Sweetened egg whites, aka Italian meringue, is used in sorbet to stop ice crystals forming also!
And thanks to Nagis granola recipe and “battered” roast cauliflower, I never have egg whites in the fridge anymore!
2 beautiful boys Nagi. Dozer’s coat was slightly more golden I think. I am sure he is delighted that you have a new son to cuddle.
I guess this would work in an air fryer, too. Reducing temperature and time as usual air fryer recommendations? This will be on plan for this week!!