How long does it take to make Schnitzel?

Slice the breast lengthwise into two or four thin slices, or pound between sheets of plastic wrap to an even thickness: a thick breast burns outside before it cooks through inside.

13 minTotal

12 minActive time

1 minSetting

Step by Step

#	What to do	How long
1	Spread the flour on a flat plate	1 min
2	Beat the eggs in a wide bowl	1 min
3	Spread the crumbs on another flat plate and season with salt and black pepper	1 min
4	Place the cutlets between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet to an even thickness of ½–1 cm	1 min
5	Pass each cutlet through the breading stations in order, pressing well so the coating sticks	1 min
6	Heat the oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat and fry 3–4 minutes on each side	7 min
7	Transfer to paper towels	1 min

How to Tell It's Done

until the coating is golden and crisp

Tips

The flour dries the surface, the egg sticks to it and holds whatever comes next. Without the flour, the coating tends to peel off during frying.
Even thickness is the secret: a cutlet that's thick on one side and thin on the other comes out dry at the edge and raw in the middle.

Common Mistakes

Work with one "dry" hand for the dry coating and one "wet" hand for the egg, so your fingers don't get caked in layers of coating.
Pound gently from the center outward: the goal is even thickness, not the thinnest possible cut, and torn meat dries out as it cooks.
What you brown (meat, patties, schnitzel) goes into hot oil: in lukewarm oil it soaks it up and comes out greasy. For onion and garlic that you soften, oil heated over medium or low heat is enough; do not wait for it to smoke.

More Ways

Oil about 1 cm deep, up to half the height of the schnitzel, over medium-high heat.
In a pan: 3–4 minutes on the first side and 2–3 on the second; in deep oil a thin schnitzel is done in about 2 minutes per side.
Test the oil with the edge of a schnitzel: gentle bubbles mean it's ready, spattering means it's too hot.
Bake breaded drumsticks on parchment paper in an oven preheated to 200–220°C (390–430°F), about 40 minutes to an hour, until browned and crisp.

The full recipe: Schnitzel →