Chicken Schnitzel With Cucumber Salad

By Sue Li

Updated March 9, 2026

  • David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell.
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Ready In
35 min
Rating
5(393)
Comments
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For crispy, perfectly puffed chicken schnitzel, begin by splitting the chicken breasts into cutlets and gently pounding them out until thin. This technique helps the chicken cook evenly in the time it takes the crust to turn golden, and creates more surface area for a crispy crust. While cooking the chicken, shaking the pan gently helps puff up the coating for an airy texture. Don’t forget to season with salt right after it is cooked. This schnitzel is served with an onion and herb salad with fresh cucumbers and sliced pickles, balancing out the fried chicken with some added brightness. 

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 1 small white onion (about 6 ounces), halved and thinly sliced 

  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound total)

  • Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and freshly ground black pepper

  • ½ cup all-purpose flour

  • 2 large eggs, beaten

  • 2 cups plain, fine bread crumbs

  • ½ cup vegetable oil, divided

  • ¼ cup plain whole-milk yogurt

  • 1 garlic clove, grated

  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

  • ½ teaspoon caraway seeds

  • 2 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced 

  • 1 medium dill pickle, thinly sliced

  • ½ cup parsley leaves and tender stems, coarsely chopped

  • ½ cup dill fronds and tender stems, coarsely chopped

  • Lemon wedges, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

60 grams carbs; 194 milligrams cholesterol; 761 calories; 23 grams monosaturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 38 grams fat; 5 grams fiber; 916 milligrams sodium; 44 grams protein; 7 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

    1. Step 1

      Soak the onion slices in a bowl of cold water and set aside. 

    2. Step 2

      Set each chicken breast on a cutting board. Pressing the chicken breast down with the palm of one hand, use a sharp knife to halve it horizontally into two thinner cutlets; repeat with the remaining pieces of chicken. Place a piece of plastic wrap or parchment on top of each piece and gently pound with a meat mallet or the bottom of a small pan until less than ¼-inch thick. Repeat with the remaining 3 pieces. Season them generously with salt and pepper.

    3. Step 3

      Arrange three shallow dishes in a line, one for flour, another for eggs, and the third for bread crumbs. To coat the chicken, work with one piece at a time and first coat in the flour, shake off excess, then dip in the egg wash to coat all around, and then dredge in the bread crumbs, using your hands to help press the bread crumbs onto the chicken. Set aside the breaded chicken on a large plate or baking sheet and repeat with the remaining pieces.

    4. Step 4

      Heat ¼ cup of the oil in a large skillet over medium. Once the oil is shimmery, add 2 pieces of the breaded chicken and cook, gently shaking the pan back and forth occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes per side. Transfer the cooked chicken to paper-towel-lined plates and season with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining ¼ cup of oil and fry the remaining chicken. 

    5. Step 5

      In a large bowl, whisk the yogurt, garlic, vinegar, caraway seeds, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Drain and dry the onion slices and add to the bowl along with the cucumbers, pickle, parsley and dill. Toss to coat. 

    6. Step 6

      Serve the chicken schnitzel with the salad and lemon wedges, for squeezing on top.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
393 user ratings
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Comments

Savage

Let the breading rest on the meat for at least 5 minutes, preferably 20 in the refrigerator. It will adhere much better to the meat. Avoid panko or put them in your processor: you want fine bread crumbs.

Summer

I read all the comments before making and did the following: prepped the salad ahead of time while the chicken came to room temp. I did not mix it till the last minute and kept the ingredients separate till the chicken was ready. I salted and peppered the breadcrumbs, I used Panko but ground it in a mini prep Cuisinart. You could also salt and pepper the flour. I added about 2 tbsps crème fraiche to the salad dressing along with salt and pepper. Cooked the chicken in about a quarter inch of vegetable oil. 6 minutes one side, 3 minutes the second. The crust was golden and it was delicious. The salad is a pitch-perfect foil. I plan to add this to my recipe rotation.

dadams

If you cook chicken that long it will be dry and tasteless. Two minutes a side should be enough to get a crispy crust and leave the chicken moist and tender. Use a hot skillet!

Liz Beech

This was delicious and the cucumber salad was extremely tasty. A keeper. Went perfectly with the schnitzel.

Connie

Perfect schnitzel, and love the side salad.

Heather CE

Kids and husband said it was restaurant quality. Then they asked for ketchup. I refused and after some deep breaths we all ate it happily with salt and lemon. Perfection.

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