Pesto Chicken Schnitzel
I always seem to end up with just a bit of leftover pesto after cooking. Here is a tasty way to use it up!
Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts; sliced thin and pounded out
2/3 cup grapeseed oil
1/2 a lemon; cut in slices
Flour dredge:
1 cup of AP flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
A few cracks of black pepper
Egg dredge:
3 eggs
1 heaping tbsp of pesto (homemade or store bought)
Crumb dredge:
2 cups of seasoned panko breadcrumbs (if you can’t find the seasoned panko, just use 2 cups of panko breadcrumbs, 1 tsp of dried parsley, salt, pepper, 1/2 tsp of garlic powder)
Preheat your oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place a wire rack on top. Set that aside.
Prepare three shallow bowls or plates for your dredging stations. In each, mix the ingredients for the flour, egg, and crumb coatings together respectively.
For the egg station, whisk the egg and pesto together until the mixture is fully combined and bright green.
Working on piece at a time, coat each chicken breast as follows:
First, dip both sides in the flour mixture. Shake off any excess.
Next, dip into the pesto-egg mixture, ensuring the flour coating is fully covered.
Finally, press into the crumb mixture, making sure there are no wet spots.
Place the breaded schnitzels on a cutting board or plate. Repeat with the remaining pieces.
Heat the grapeseed oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Once hot, fry one schnitzel at a time for 3-5 minutes per side, until golden brown. Don’t worry about cooking them through - we will finish them in the oven. Transfer each fried schnitzel to the prepared wire rack.
Once all cutlets are fried, place the baking sheet in the oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165F.
Finish with a squeeze of lemon and serve with your favorite side!
