Israel's most popular weeknight dinner — thin pounded chicken breast in crunchy breadcrumbs, fried golden and served with hummus, salad, and chips.
Israeli schnitzel (שניצל) is, improbably, the most eaten dish in Israel — far more common even than falafel or shawarma at weekday dinner tables. Brought by Central European Jewish immigrants (particularly from Germany and Austria) during the 1930s and 1940s, the Wiener Schnitzel tradition was rapidly adopted and adapted by Israeli home cooks, who made it their own by using chicken instead of veal (veal being expensive and not halal-compatible), seasoning the breadcrumbs more assertively, and serving it with an utterly Israeli accompaniment set: hummus or tahini sauce, Israeli salad, and chips (french fries). The Israeli schnitzel is always made from chicken breast pounded very thin — the thinner the better — so that the ratio of crispy breading to tender meat is high. A good Israeli schnitzel, fried in a generous amount of oil until shatteringly golden, is one of the great simple pleasures of the Israeli table. Every Israeli mother has her own secret, usually involving the exact seasoning of the breadcrumbs.
Serves 4
Place each chicken breast in a zip-lock bag or between sheets of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet or rolling pin, pound firmly to an even 5–6 mm thickness. This is non-negotiable for proper schnitzel.
Even thickness ensures the schnitzel cooks uniformly without raw spots or over-browned edges.
Set out three shallow dishes: flour in the first; eggs beaten with a pinch of salt in the second; breadcrumbs mixed with garlic powder, paprika, pepper, and cumin in the third.
Dry chicken with paper towels. Dredge each piece through flour (shake off excess), then egg (let drip), then breadcrumbs (press firmly on both sides so they adhere).
Place breaded schnitzels on a rack and rest 5 minutes. This helps the coating adhere and reduces splattering in the oil.
Do not skip the rest — it makes the difference between a coating that stays on and one that slides off during frying.
Heat 200 ml oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat to 170–180°C. Fry schnitzels one or two at a time for 2.5–3 minutes per side until deeply golden. Do not crowd the pan.
Remove to a rack or paper towels immediately. Season lightly with salt the moment they come out of the oil.
Serve on plates with a pool of hummus or tahini, a pile of Israeli salad, fried chips, and lemon wedges. Squeeze lemon over the schnitzel before eating.
Pound the chicken thinner than you think — at 5 mm, the schnitzel cooks in under 3 minutes per side and the crust-to-meat ratio is ideal.
Oil temperature is critical: too cool produces greasy, soft coating; too hot burns the outside before the inside cooks. A breadcrumb dropped in should sizzle immediately.
Panko breadcrumbs produce a significantly crunchier schnitzel than regular breadcrumbs and are used in many Israeli households today.
Veal schnitzel: the Austrian original — use veal escalopes instead of chicken; pound even thinner (3 mm).
Schnitzel in pita: sliced schnitzel inside warm pita with hummus, chips, and cabbage salad is a popular Israeli street-food format.
Baked schnitzel: brush with oil and bake at 220°C for 15 minutes — significantly less crispy but lighter.
Schnitzel is best eaten immediately from the pan. Leftovers keep refrigerated 2 days; reheat at 200°C in the oven for 8 minutes to restore crunch. Never microwave — it turns the breading soft and greasy.
Schnitzel arrived in Israel with Jewish immigrants from Germany and Austria during the 1930s and 1940s, fleeing Nazi persecution. They brought the Wiener Schnitzel tradition but adapted it to chicken (veal being impractical and expensive in the nascent Israeli state) and to local flavors. By the 1950s, chicken schnitzel had become so deeply embedded in Israeli cuisine that it is now considered a national dish, despite its entirely Central European origin.
The most common causes are not drying the chicken before breading, not pressing the breadcrumbs firmly, and not allowing the breaded schnitzel to rest before frying. Oil that is too hot also causes the coating to brown and separate before it sets.
Yes — spray with oil and air-fry at 200°C for 10–12 minutes, flipping once. The result is less golden and slightly less crispy than pan-frying but substantially lighter.
Neutral, high-smoke-point oils — sunflower, canola, or refined vegetable oil. Olive oil burns at the temperatures needed for schnitzel and imparts a flavor that competes with the seasoning.
Per serving (280g / 9.9 oz) · 4 servings total
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