Chicken Schnitzel is pretty much the national dish of Australia (perhaps after pie?), which is funny, because if you ask for chicken schnitzel in the UK people think you’ve come straight from the 1970’s.
The only problem with chicken schnitzel is the ingredients. This is what’s in a fairly standard one I saw in the supermarket:
Chicken (52%), Water, Buckwheat Flour, Wheat Flour, Thickener (1404, 415, 1442), Salt, Dehydrated Vegetables (Onion, Garlic), Herbs (Parsley, Rosemary, Thyme, Sage), Spices (Pepper), Wheat Gluten, Yeast, Egg Albumen, Sugar, Colours (150a, 100, 160c, 160b), Dextrose (Tapioca, Maize), Mineral Salts (450, 500), Canola Oil, Cottonseed Oil, Soy Protein, Thickener (1404), Yeast, Vinegar, Iodised Salt, Soy Flour, Emulsifiers (411, 481, 472E), Vitamin (Thiamin, Folate), Vegetable Gum (412), Hydrolysed Vegetable Protein, Wheat Cereal, Flavour Enhancer (635)
Quite alarming when the chicken element in your chicken is barely 50%, don’t you think? Also, “chicken” doesn’t really tell you too much, I think we can assume if it doesn’t say free-range, it’s almost certainly not the type of chicken I’d choose to buy. So you know what this means? Yes – it means a paleo chicken schnitzel recipe is called for!
Recipe: Paleo Chicken Schnitzel
Equipment
- Baking Tray
- Rolling pin or meat tenderiser
- Mixing bowls
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts free-range
- 1 cup tapioca flour
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 cup almond meal
- ½ cup coconut flour
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¾ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ tsp ground coriander
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: First, preheat your oven to 230°C (450°F) if you’re going to oven bake rather than fry.
- Prepare the Chicken: Next, slice the chicken in half width-ways, creating two thin pieces. Then, pound with a rolling pin (or, if you have a better equipped kitchen than me, a meat tenderiser) until it’s super thin. If you don’t want raw chicken flying around your kitchen, you can wrap it in cling film for this step. You can keep the pieces whole for proper schnitzels, or slice into strips like I did.
- Set Up the Breading Station: Then, put the tapioca flour (or you can use arrowroot flour if you don’t have tapioca) in a bowl, and the beaten egg in a separate bowl. Tip: fill up the tapioca bowl as you use it to avoid waste.
- Mix the Crumb Mixture: In another bowl, mix together the almond meal, coconut flour, seasoning, and herbs/spices. I tend to do this in small batches too, to avoid being left with an eggy mess of excess crumb mixture I’ll have to throw away.
- Bread the Chicken: Now for the fun part. Dip the chicken pieces in each bowl, turn by turn: start with the tapioca layer, then the egg layer, and end with the crumb mixture. Maybe it’s just me, but I find this turns into a huge mess, so small batches of the dry bowls will help here.
- Cooking Options:Oven Baking: If you’re oven baking, arrange the breaded chicken pieces on a baking tray and cook for about 20 minutes. I always cut into the chicken in a couple of the thickest places to ensure there are no pink bits left.Frying: Finally, if you’re going to fry, cook the chicken pieces in a hot pan with some coconut oil for about 8-10 minutes, turning them a couple of times to ensure even cooking.
Making this Paleo Chicken Schnitzel allows you to enjoy a classic dish in a healthier and more nutritious way. The combination of almond meal and coconut flour creates a delicious and crunchy coating that pairs perfectly with the tender chicken. Whether you choose to oven bake or fry, this schnitzel is sure to be a hit.
This dish is versatile and can be served with a variety of sides. Try it with a fresh salad, some roasted vegetables, or cauliflower rice for a complete Paleo meal. It's also a great option for meal prepping, as it reheats well and can be enjoyed throughout the week.
I hope you enjoy this Paleo Chicken Schnitzel recipe. For more delicious and healthy recipes, be sure to explore my blog and follow along to see what I post next week. I'd love to hear your thoughts and any variations you made to the recipe, so please share in the comments below. Happy cooking!
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