Here’s a really great Oven Baked Chicken Schnitzel that’s truly crispy and golden all over, without overcooking the thin chicken inside. Besides less mess, clean fingers and fewer calories, it’s pretty great being able to pull 4 hot schnitzels out of the oven at once, rather than frying them one by one!
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.
The solution uses a handful of tricks — the same method behind the Truly Crunchy Crumbed Chicken Tenders recipe:
- 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.
- Bake the thin schnitzels for just 13 minutes in a hot oven so the chicken stays beautifully juicy.
Real schnitzel crunch, beautiful golden colour, 4 hot schnitzels made at the same time, no frying required. Bonus: clean hands!
Ingredients in Oven Baked Chicken Schnitzel
You really only need chicken, egg, flour, and mayonnaise, though adding some dried herbs and spices into the egg batter makes the chicken extra tasty — especially if you opt for the optional marinating 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 them even. For chicken tenders, use the Crunchy Crumbed Tenders recipe instead, as the dredge batter is slightly different due to the greater 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. Avoid beef steak cuts that are best served medium rare. As for thinly sliced beef sizzle steaks — a consistent method for keeping these tender is still a work in progress.
-
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.
-
Oil spray – Rather than gallons of oil.
2. For the Dredge
This all-in-one dredging batter helps the breadcrumbs stick, replacing the usual separate flour-then-egg process. 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. Mayonnaise is preferred over plain oil here because it’s thicker and tastier.
- Garlic powder and Italian seasoning (optional) – Optional flavourings for the dredge batter that add a bit more depth, particularly during marinating time.
How to Make Oven Baked Chicken Schnitzel
One of the best things about this method: 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). 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 one piece is larger than the other — you’ll be pounding to the same thickness anyway. Any flappy bits will come out extra crunchy.
- Pound – Place the chicken cut-side down and cover with a sheet of paper, plastic wrap, or Go-Between (Australia). Use the smooth side of a meat mallet or a rolling pin to lightly pound to an even 0.8 cm / ⅓” thickness. Pounding to even thickness ensures the chicken cooks through evenly and also breaks down some of the muscle fibres, making the chicken more tender once cooked — especially useful for lean cuts like breast.
Baking at high heat for just 13 minutes once crumbed keeps the inside moist while the pre-toasted panko delivers the golden, crunchy coating you’d expect from a classic schnitzel — all without a drop of frying oil.
