These chicken schnitzel sandwiches are unlike any other you’ve tried before! Made with a simple homemade schnitzel that has been lightly fried until golden and crisp, combined with a fresh herb mayo, lettuce, pickles, and soft white bread. Perfect for a quick lunch or an easy dinner, this sandwich is sure to become a favourite.
Something I had in common with my Nana was that we both thought chicken schnitzel was a food group. It then makes sense when you find out the most popular recipe on my website is my chicken schnitzel.
So when I started to see these epic chicken schnitty sandwiches all over my social media feed, you know I needed that in my life immediately!
The one that kept popping up for me stopping my scroll was from Sunny Side Sandwiches here in Brisbane. They look insanely good and I immediately knew that I wanted one. That was until I found out their signature was their Japanese style milk bread. As someone who is dairy free and has been for the last 10 years, if I wanted to try one, I’d have to make it myself!
They will also set you back close to $18 for one, so it was also a good budgeting decision to make my own at home!
It all starts with a crispy homemade chicken schnitzel (of course) sandwiched between two thick pieces of white bread with lettuce, pickles and a deliciously creamy herb mayo. It’s so fresh, it’s so flavourful, and it’s my new favourite sandwich for all occasions!
Key Ingredients
This is a fairly simple chicken schnitzel sandwich but each element is essential in achieving the balance of flavour and texture which is what makes this better than anything you’ve had before.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Chicken breast – carefully cut it in half lengthways so you have two fillets to make 2 schnitzels.
- Breading – you’ll need the usual combination of plain flour/all purpose flour, egg and panko breadcrumbs to achieve that light and crispy coating on the chicken.
- Mayonnaise – use a good quality one that you like. My favourite is Heinz.
- Fresh herbs – unfortunately dried just does cut it flavour-wise for this mayo! I am using both dill and parsley which works really well.
- Pickle juice – this is literally the liquid from the jar of pickles and it’s the magic ingredient that makes the mayo so delicious!
- Shredded lettuce – as this is a super crisp and fresh sandwich I like to use iceberg lettuce.
- Thick white bread – it’s important that your bread is fresh! For this style of sandwich, white bread works best. Look for a toast cut loaf, which is a little thicker than regular sandwich slices and holds up perfectly to the crispy schnitzel.
- Sliced pickles – use your favourite sliced dill pickles or bread and butter pickles to add extra tang and crunch to the sandwich.
Step-By-Step Instructions
To get started, prep your chicken breast to create the schnitzels. To do this, first cut the chicken breast carefully in half lengthways so that you get to halves. Then using a meat mallet or rolling pin, pound it gently until its even in thickness.
From here, you’ll want to set up a standard crumbing/breading station. Start with three shallow bowls, one for the flour, the beaten egg, and the panko crumbs.
Start by dredging the chicken fillet through the flour, shaking off any excess. Then, dip into the egg, then coat well in the panko breadcrumbs, pressing gently to help them stick.
Heat about 1 cm of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the schnitzel and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or until it is golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a wire rack to drain excess oil and cool.
💡 The chicken is cooked when the internal temperature reaches 75°C/165°F.
While the chicken is cooling, mix together the mayonnaise, chopped herbs, pickle juice, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Add the shredded lettuce to the herb mayo and toss to coat evenly.
Divide the lettuce mixture evenly between two slices of bread. Add a layer of sliced pickles, followed by the schnitzel. Top with the remaining bread slices. Slice in half and serve.
👉Tip! It’s important to let the schnitzel cool before assembling the sandwiches as adding it while still hot can make the bread soggy.
Recipe FAQs
Let the schnitzel rest on a wire rack after frying and allow to cool before adding to the sandwich. This keeps the coating crunchy and prevents soggy bread.
Of course! Bake at 200°C (390°F) for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and cooked through. You can also cook the schnitzel using an air fryer!
While the sandwich is best fresh, if you need to make it ahead of time simply ensure that the schnitzel is completely cold before assembling. You’ll lose a little of the crispiness but it will still taste great. Leave the sandwich tightly wrapped in the fridge in plastic wrap and aluminium foil to prevent drying out.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More lunch ideas:
Healthy Egg Salad Bagel
Chicken Bacon Ranch Wraps
Chicken Salad Sandwich
Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
Chicken Schnitzel Sandwich
Equipment
Ingredients
For the chicken schnitzel:
- 1 large chicken breast cut in half lengthways
- ¼ cup plain flour
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- Salt and pepper
- Oil for frying
For the herb mayo:
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs such as parsley and dill
- 2 teaspoons pickle juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the sandwiches:
- 2 cups shredded lettuce iceberg
- 4 slices thick white bread
- Sliced pickles
Instructions
- Place each piece of chicken between two sheets of baking paper and use a meat mallet or rolling pin to pound until even in thickness.
- Place the flour, beaten egg, and panko breadcrumbs in three separate shallow bowls. Season the flour with salt and pepper and dredge each piece of chicken in the mixture, shaking off the excess. Dip into the egg, then coat well in the panko breadcrumbs, pressing gently to help them stick.
- Heat about 1 cm of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the schnitzel and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a wire rack to drain excess oil and cool.
- In a bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, chopped herbs, pickle juice, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- Add the shredded lettuce to the herb mayo and toss to coat evenly.
- Lay out the bread slices. Divide the lettuce mixture evenly between two slices of bread. Add a layer of sliced pickles, followed by the schnitzel. Top with the remaining bread slices.
- Slice in half and serve immediately while the schnitzel is still crisp.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
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