Heart Shaped Chicken Schnitzel
These heart shaped chicken schnitzels are crispy and delicious - better still, they're so simple to make!
Servings: 4
Cost: £2 / $2.50
Equipment
- Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
- Clingfilm & Rolling Pin or Mallet (for pounding)
- 3 Large Shallow Dishes (for dredging)
- Large Pan & Tongs (for frying)
- Wire Rack & Paper Towels
Ingredients
- 4x 200-250g/7-9oz Chicken Breasts
- 1 tsp EACH: Paprika, Garlic Powder, Salt plus more as needed
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper plus more as needed
- 1/3 cup / 50g Plain/All Purpose Flour
- 2 Eggs, beaten
- 1 1/2 cups / 100g Panko Breadcrumbs (see notes)
- 1 cup / 250ml Vegetable Oil, or as needed
- Lemon Wedges, to serve
Instructions
- Horizontally slice a chicken breast through the centre as if you were to butterfly it. I recommend slicing through the shorter side, but it doesn't make a huge difference. When you get about halfway through, open up the chicken and carefully slice down the middle to open it up. Be careful not to slice all the way through. Make a slice at the top to create the two curves of the heart (see video below for guidance).
- Lay over clingfilm and gently pound to even thickness, but not so much that the meat starts tearing apart. Trim around the edges to clean up the heart shape if you need to. Season both sides with a pinch of salt and pepper, then repeat with the remaining chicken breasts.
- Set up 3 large shallow dishes: the first with flour, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, paprika & salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper, the second with beaten eggs and the third with Panko breadcrumbs and the rest of the seasoning. One by one dredge the chicken through the flour, into the eggs then finish in the breadcrumbs. Ensure you thoroughly coat the chicken at each stage, namely the breadcrumbs.
- Add enough oil to comfortably fill the bottom of a large heavy-based pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot (around 3-5 minutes - a breadcrumb should rapidly sizzle) take 1 piece of chicken and gently lower it into the oil. Fry for 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown with the centre piping hot, then remove and rest on a wire rack with paper towels underneath. Bring the oil back up to temp and top up if needed, then repeat with the remaining chicken.
- Serve with lemon wedges and side of choice or turn into a chicken parma (see notes).
Video
Notes
a) Panko Breadcrumbs - Panko breadcrumbs are great because they're larger and airy, meaning they come out extra crunchy when they're cooked. You'll find them in the Asian section of most stores.
b) Can I bake these? - Yep! You'll want to toast the breadcrumbs first though. To do that just melt 2 tbsp butter in a pan and stir in your breadcrumbs over medium heat until golden. Remove and leave to cool. Then follow the recipe as instructed and then bake at 425F/220C for 10-12mins until the chicken begins to crisp, take out and carefully flip. Rotate tray and place back in the oven for another 7-10mins or until the chicken is golden crispy.
c) How to make a heart shaped chicken parmesan? - The easiest way is to just top the cooked schnitzel with marinara sauce, mozzarella and parmesan, then pop it under the grill and broil until golden. If you're using store-bought marinara sauce I recommend simmering it and thickening it up before adding it to the chicken. I also recommend low-moisture mozzarella (i.e. not stored in brine) or thoroughly back it dry to remove moisture. For a more detailed recipe just slice the chicken into a heart shape then follow my Chicken Parmesan recipe.
d) Serving - I typically serve the schnitzel with Fries or Wedges and lemon wedges. Check out all my Sides though for inspiration!
e) Calories - per schnitzel assuming 2 tsp soaked up per schnitzel:
Nutrition
Calories: 493kcal | Carbohydrates: 24.47g | Protein: 54.83g | Fat: 19.48g | Saturated Fat: 3.674g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7.769g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6.243g | Trans Fat: 0.07g | Cholesterol: 233mg | Sodium: 1186mg | Potassium: 874mg | Fiber: 1.4g | Sugar: 1.51g | Vitamin A: 206IU | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 2.8mg