Schnitzels — Crumbed Fresh Daily

Chicken schnitzel done right is about the crumb and the cook, not just the meat — a dry, even, three-stage crumb that stays crunchy.

Choosing schnitzel

Our chicken schnitzel is pounded thin, three-stage-crumbed (flour, egg, crumb) and rested each day so the coating sets. We also do beef, pork and rose-veal schnitzel, in homestyle, parmesan-herb and gluten-free crumbs. Thin and even is the goal — a schnitzel that is thick in the middle either burns outside before it cooks through or comes out dry.

Cooking schnitzel

Cook from chilled. Pan: 5–7mm of oil at 170–180°C, 2–3 minutes a side until deep gold, then drain on a rack (not paper, which steams the base). Oven: 200°C on a wire rack over a tray, 12–15 minutes, turning once. Air-fryer: 190°C for 8–10 minutes, spritzed with oil. Chicken and pork schnitzel need to reach 74°C in the centre; veal and beef can be pulled at 63°C. Rest for a minute before serving so the crumb firms. Cooking temperatures follow the Food Standards Australia and New Zealand guidance. Keep raw crumbed schnitzel below 4°C and cook within two days, or freeze flat.

How much schnitzel to buy

Allow one large schnitzel (about 150–180g crumbed) per adult, or two smaller ones for a schnitzel-and-salad plate. Crumbed schnitzel freezes well for up to 2 months — freeze it flat on a tray first, then bag, so the pieces don't stick.

Serving and sides

A squeeze of lemon is the classic, but a schnitzel also carries a topping well: a fried egg (schnitzel "a la Holstein"), a tomato-and-mozzarella parmigiana, or a mushroom or Diane-style pan sauce made in the same pan after the schnitzel comes out. Keep sides sharp and simple — a lemony slaw, a rocket salad, or a warm potato salad cut the richness of the crumb.