This backed chicken schnitzel with avocado can be breakfast, lunch or dinner in our books. Tasteful, cheesy and golden brown – no one can resist!
Making the Chicken Schnitzel
Since we will be making the schnitzels from scratch, it is important to follow along step by step. One of the most important steps in making the chicken is to pound it flat with a meat mallet. If you don’t have a mallet, the flat side of a pan will work perfectly. The main reason why we pound the meat is to try and make the pieces as even as possible. A thicker piece of chicken might take longer to cook than a thinner one. Consequently, you will then end up with either overcooked or undercooked schnitzels. Pounding also tenderizes the meat, making the cooked result that much better.
Thereafter, follows the dredging process. For these schnitzels, you will be needing flour, eggs, and bread crumbs to cover the meat. Covering the chicken in the mixture helps to seal in all the moisture, leaving the chicken juicy and tender. And adding paprika to the bread crumbs will give these beauties an extra pop of flavour.
Assembling the Schnitzels
Once done frying, place the chicken on a drying rack to prep them for the toppings. Top each cooked schnitzel with a slice of tomato, mozzarella cheese, sliced avocado and fresh basil.
Not only will your chicken schnitzels be beautifully golden brown, but they will be oozing with mozzarella and avo goodness. Time to enjoy!
Ingredients
Chicken Schitzel
- 500 g boneless skinless chicken breasts (if making more adjust the ingredients)
- ½ cup flour
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups breadcrumbs of your choice
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 4 tsp salt
- Oil for frying, avocado oil, or vegetable oil
- Fresh lemon wedges for garnish
avo bake
- 1 large ripe avocado, peeled and cut into slices
- 12 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
- 12 thick slices ripe tomato
- few fresh basil leaves
- 2 tbsp avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Schnitzels
- Trim any visible tendons or extra bits of fat from the breast and set it aside, lay the breast on a cutting board with a smooth side facing upward.
- Identify the thickest round edge of the breast then place your hand flat on the top of the breast, slice carefully horizontally into the thickest round edge, slicing about three-quarters of the way into the breast (dividing top half of breast from bottom) and do not slice all the way through.
- Unfold the breast to reveal two halves (this is a "butterfly" of the breast) then slice down the middle to divide the breast into two equal pieces, when finished with the pound of chicken, you should have chicken breasts of relatively equal size.
- Lay down a strip of plastic wrap on your kitchen countertop and place chicken breasts on the plastic, leaving space between each piece of meat, then cover the breasts with another strip of plastic wrap, so the meat is sandwiched between two layers of plastic.
- Use the flat side of a mallet to pound the breasts thin until they are evenly flattened, place all the pounded breasts on a plate then set up three wide, shallow bowls and a large empty plate on your countertop.
- In your first bowl, put the flour then in your second bowl, beat the eggs together with 2 teaspoons of water until well mixed, lastly in your third bowl, stir together the bread.
- Place an empty plate nearby where you will put your coated schnitzels, pour oil into a skillet or sauté pan until it’s deep enough for frying, about a 1/4 full Heat the oil slowly over medium.
- While oil is heating, dip each breast one by one into your flour, next, dip the floured breast in egg until well coated and finally, place the egg-covered breast into the bowl of the breadcrumb mixture.
- Use a dry hand to coat the breast evenly with breadcrumbs and repeat the process for the remaining breasts, you want your frying oil hot, but not so hot that the oil smokes or splatters.
- Fry the coated breasts in single-layer batches until they are golden brown on both sides, If your oil is at the right temperature, it should take about 2 to 3 minutes per side to cook the schnitzels.
- Don’t fry more than two breasts at a time in a regular-sized skillet, or the oil temperature will drop and the schnitzels will become greasy, when the oil is at the right temperature, the schnitzels will absorb very little oil and cook up light and crisp.
- After frying, set the schnitzels on a drying rack to drain excess oil then sprinkle the schnitzels with additional salt to taste, if desired.
Assembling the Schnitzels to bake in the oven
- Preheat oven to 180°C/356°F Line a baking tray with baking paper or a non-stick spray and arrange the schnitzels on the tray.
- Top each cooked schnitzel with a slice of tomato, mozzarella, and alternate with sliced avocado and basil leaves, drizzle with oil.
- Place in oven for 15 minutes and then continue to cook under the grill until cheese is melted and golden crumbs, paprika, and salt, mix well.
