Gordon Ramsay Chicken Schnitzel Recipe

Gordon Ramsay’s chicken schnitzel is a butterflied breast pounded thin, coated in flour, egg and panko, then shallow fried for 2 to 3 minutes per side until the crust shatters. He serves it with a gherkin crème fraîche that takes 30 seconds to make and cuts through the richness perfectly. The whole dish is done in 10 minutes.

This recipe is from Ramsay in 10, and two details set it apart. He beats soy sauce into the egg wash, which seasons the chicken from inside the coating and helps the panko brown faster. And he mixes chopped dill into the breadcrumbs, so the crust is fragrant, not just crunchy. His chef’s tip: “Roll the coated chicken between parchment paper with a rolling pin to really press the crumbs into the meat.” That stops the coating falling off in the pan.

Schnitzel, milanese and escalope are the same technique from three different countries. Ramsay’s version leans Austrian with the gherkin sauce but works however you serve it. A fried egg on top turns it into a proper Holstein schnitzel if you have an extra five minutes.

Gordon Ramsay Chicken Schnitzel with Gherkin Crème Fraîche

Recipe by Sophie LaneCourse: DinnerCuisine: EuropeanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

6

minutes

Calories

390

kcal

Total time

11

minutes

From Ramsay in 10. Butterflied chicken breast pounded thin and coated in panko with dill and a soy sauce egg wash, shallow fried until golden. Served with a quick gherkin crème fraîche made from Dijon mustard, crème fraîche and pickled gherkin batons.

Ingredients

• For the Schnitzel:

• 4 skinless chicken breasts

• 3 eggs

• 2 tbsp soy sauce

• 3 tbsp plain flour

• 4 tbsp panko breadcrumbs

• 1 tsp chopped dill

• Freshly ground black pepper

• Vegetable oil, for frying

• For the Gherkin Crème Fraîche:

• 4 tsp Dijon mustard

• 4 tbsp crème fraîche

• 4 large gherkins (pickles), cut into batons

• Pinch of chopped dill

• Dash of gherkin pickling liquid (optional)

• To Serve:

• Lemon wedges

• Green salad

Directions

• Flatten the chicken: Slice each breast in half horizontally but not all the way through. Open like a book. Sandwich between two sheets of cling film and bash with a rolling pin until evenly flattened to about 1cm thick.
• Set up the coating: Crack the eggs into a shallow bowl with the soy sauce and beat with a fork. Put the flour in a second bowl. Mix the panko with the dill in a third bowl. Season the chicken with pepper.
• Coat the schnitzels: Dip each piece into the flour, then the egg, then the panko. Press firmly. For extra security, roll the coated chicken between two sheets of parchment paper with a rolling pin to lock the crumbs in.
• Heat the oil: Pour a 2cm depth of vegetable oil into a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat.
• Fry: Add the schnitzels and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until deep golden. Work in batches so the pan isn’t crowded. Drain on kitchen paper.
• Make the sauce: Mix the mustard and crème fraîche together, stir in the gherkin batons and dill. Loosen with a dash of pickling liquid if needed.
• Serve: Plate with a generous spoonful of gherkin crème fraîche, lemon wedges and a green salad.

Notes

From Ramsay in 10. Chef’s tip: roll the coated chicken between parchment paper to press the crumbs into the meat. For a Holstein schnitzel, fry an egg in the hot oil and serve it on top.

FAQs

What is the difference between schnitzel, milanese and escalope?

Same technique, different passports. All three are flattened breast, coated in breadcrumbs and pan-fried. Schnitzel is Austrian and German, milanese is Italian, escalope is French. Ramsay’s version uses panko and soy sauce in the egg, which isn’t traditional anywhere but tastes better than all of them.

The only real difference is what goes alongside. Schnitzel gets lemon and potato salad, milanese gets rocket and Parmesan, escalope traditionally comes with a béarnaise sauce which is richer than the gherkin crème fraîche but works just as well with the crispy coating.

Why does Ramsay put soy sauce in the egg wash?

It does three things. Seasons the chicken from inside the coating so every bite has depth, adds umami that plain egg doesn’t have, and the natural sugars in the soy help the panko brown faster in the pan.

Two tablespoons is enough. Any more and the egg wash turns salty. This trick comes from this schnitzel recipe in Ramsay in 10 and works on anything you’re breadcrumbing.

How do you stop the coating falling off?

Ramsay’s chef tip: after coating, roll the schnitzel between two sheets of parchment paper with a rolling pin. That presses the panko into the surface of the chicken so it bonds properly before hitting the oil.

The other half is patience. Don’t move the schnitzel for the first 90 seconds in the pan. Let the crust set against the heat before you flip.

Can you make this ahead or freeze it?

You can coat the schnitzels and freeze them uncooked on a tray lined with parchment. Once frozen solid, stack them with parchment between each one and bag them. Fry straight from frozen, adding an extra minute per side.

Cooked schnitzels don’t freeze well because the crust goes soggy. If you have leftovers, reheat on a wire rack in a 200°C (400°F) oven for 8 minutes.

What about the fried egg on top?

Ramsay mentions this as his “if you have more time” option. Fry an egg in a spoonful of the hot oil from the schnitzel pan and lay it on top. That turns it into a Holstein schnitzel, which is the classic German way of serving it.

The runny yolk mixes with the gherkin crème fraîche and creates its own sauce. It’s five extra minutes and genuinely worth it.

What salad goes best with schnitzel?

The recipe says green salad, which is the right call because it keeps the plate light against the fried coating. A beetroot salad leans into the Central European tradition. A chopped salad with cucumber and red onion gives you that fresh crunch against the crispy chicken.

Lemon wedges on the side are non-negotiable. The acid cuts through the oil and wakes up the whole plate.