Crispy Gluten-Free Chicken Schnitzel (Dairy-Free)

You’ll love this gluten-free chicken schnitzel – with fried crispy golden brown breading on the outside with tender chicken meat inside. Serve it with garlicky butter pasta for a deeply satisfying meal or salad if you want a lighter option. Dairy-free too.

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Schnitzel – German Breaded Cutlets Fried to Perfection

During my University exchange in Mannheim, Germany, I discovered the beautiful freedom of living abroad on my own.

I realized the importance of being able to speak the language of the country you’re living in (my German was terrible, so I learnt this the hard way), and I also made a whole bunch of international friends from the exchange program (among which was my now-husband, Juan!).

There were many amazing memories on that trip.

My first forray into the shared student kitchen (the most fundamental thing my friend Faye taught me to cook was microwaved rice! LOL!); sitting with my housemates talking about everything and nothing by the riverside; queuing up at 5am for our Oktoberfest tickets; camping in tents for 2 rainy nights at a stadium because all the hostels in Munich were booked out; and dancing on benches with huge pints of German beer in our hands at the big festival.

And how could I forget the food?

I still vividly remember struggling to finish an entire pork knuckle (or ‘schweinshaxe‘ as it’s called in German), devouring big chewy butter pretzels, eating bratwurst with sauerkraut, and of course, schnitzel.

Schnitzel is basically meat cutlets that are first pounded till evenly thin, then breaded (first in flour, egg and then breadcrumbs), and finally pan-fried until golden brown and crispy. Different types of meat can be used, from veal, to pork, to chicken, or beef.

Today, we’re making it with chicken… and serving it with garlicky butter spaghetti (completely optional, but amazingly good!).

Why You’ll Love this Recipe:

• Simple Ingredients: The main ingredients required for this gluten-free schnitzel recipe are easily accessible at the local grocery store (nothing fancy required!).
• Easy to Make: While there may be quite a few steps involved, they are relatively uncomplicated.
• Totally Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free: The best part is that this chicken schnitzel recipe is 100% gluten-free and dairy-free, which means that even those with Celiac disease or gluten or lactose intolerances can enjoy it without issues!

Ingredients You’ll Need:

Here’s a visual overview of the ingredients required for making this gluten-free chicken schnitzel recipe.

(For exact measurements, please scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.)

Recipe Notes + Substitutions:

• Butter: I used dairy-free butter to keep this recipe dairy-free. However, if you are not lactose-intolerant, go ahead and use regular butter instead.
• Garlic: I love the big, bold flavor that raw garlic adds to this recipe, so I highly recommend adding it in.
• Parsley: I like adding a bit of fresh parsley for a pop of green. However, feel free to use other herbs such as chives, green onions, or basil instead.
• Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice will give the best flavor, but if you only have bottled lemon juice, that will work too.
• Chicken: Since this is a recipe for chicken schnitzel, chicken is a key ingredient. I’ve used boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but boneless chicken thighs will work too. Whether you use chicken breasts or thighs, make sure to pound them with a meat mallet till an even thickness as this will ensure they cook evenly at the same time.
• Gluten-Free Flour: I recommend using a good-quality gluten-free all-purpose flour blend (that is made up of lighter flours/starches such as rice flour, tapioca starch, corn starch or potato starch). Alternatively, if you are not Celiac or gluten-intolerant, go ahead and use regular all-purpose flour instead.
• Seasonings: To add flavor to the breading, I’ve used a mix of condiments such as dried oregano, smoked paprika, ground black pepper and salt.
• Eggs: The eggs help to bind the breading with the chicken, so make sure to include them in.
• Breadcrumbs: I used plain gluten-free breadcrumbs, but if you are not Celiac or gluten-intolerant, you may use regular bread crumbs instead. Alternatively, feel free to use gluten-free panko breadcrumbs for extra crunch.
• Oil: I used sunflower oil because I always have a bottle of sunflower oil on hand. However, feel free to use whichever vegetable oil you prefer (olive oil, avocado oil, etc.).

How to Make Gluten-Free Chicken Schnitzel:

Combine Garlic Butter Ingredients: Combine parsley, butter, garlic, salt, juice of half lemon and pepper to taste in a food processor or high-speed blender.

Blend Until Smooth: Blend the garlic butter ingredients until you get a homogeneous mixture.

Dish by Dish Tips:

• Pound Chicken Thinly: The trick to getting the breaded chicken to cook evenly in the skillet it to make sure that you pound the raw chicken breast or chicken thighs to an even thinness (using either a meat mallet or meat tenderizer).
• Use Other Proteins: Feel free to use other types of protein if you prefer for this gluten-free schnitzel recipe (e.g. veal, pork, turkey, beef, etc.)
• For Extra Crunch: If you want a super crunchy breading, you can also use gluten-free panko breadcrumbs instead of regular gluten-free breadcrumbs.
• Soak Up Excess Oil: If you wish, you can place the cooked schnitzel on paper towels to soak up any extra oil before serving.

Other Gluten-Free Chicken Recipes You’ll Love:

• Easy Chicken Curry (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Honey Sesame Chicken (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Fried Chicken (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Crispy Chicken Nuggets (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

Gluten-Free Main Dishes to Enjoy:

P.S. If you try this recipe, I’d love for you to leave a star rating below, and/or a review in the comment section further down the page. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to check out my entire Recipe Index for all the recipes on the blog. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram! Sign up for my Email List to get fresh recipes in your inbox each week!

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Gluten-Free Chicken Schnitzel (Dairy-Free)

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5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 1 review

• Author: Felicia Lim
• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

You’ll love this gluten-free chicken schnitzel – with fried crispy golden brown breading on the outside with tender chicken meat inside. Serve it with garlicky butter pasta for a deeply satisfying meal or salad if you want a lighter option. Dairy-free too.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

For the Garlic Butter:

• 1/4 cup salted dairy-free butter
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 small bunch of fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

For the Chicken Schnitzel:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 cup plain gluten-free breadcrumbs
• 3 tablespoons sunflower oil

For the Pasta (Optional):

• 12 ounces gluten-free spaghetti or other pasta
• 2 cups shredded dairy-free mozzarella
• fresh parsley for sprinkling
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

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Instructions

1. Make the Garlic Butter: Combine parsley, butter, garlic, salt, juice of half lemon and pepper to taste in a food processor or high-speed blender. Blend until smooth.
2. Pound Chicken: Pound the chicken breasts with a meat mallet or rolling pin until they are about 1 inch thick.
3. Brush with Garlic Butter and Chill: Brush each chicken breast with half the amount of garlic butter you made in the blender (use just enough butter to lightly coat each chicken breast). Set aside the other half for the pasta. Place the butter-coated chicken on a plate and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the chicken breasts for 30 minutes or while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
4. Prepare Dredging Stations: In a medium bowl, mix the gluten-free breadcrumbs with the oregano, ground paprika, salt and ground black pepper. Pour into a shallow dish. In another shallow dish, pour the gluten-free all-purpose flour. In a deep dish, beat the eggs.
5. Bread Chicken Breasts: Dip each chicken breast in the beaten eggs first. Then roll in flour. Return to the egg and finally roll in breadcrumbs.
6. Fry Breaded Chicken: Heat 3 tablespoons of sunflower oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the breaded chicken breasts until golden brown on one side, then flip over and continue frying until golden brown on the other side.
7. Prepare the Pasta: Bring a large pot of generously salted water to boil, then once the water starts boiling add the gluten-free spaghetti to the boiling water and cook according to package instructions. Drain the pasta well to remove the water, and mix in the remaining garlic butter. Stir the butter and pasta very well to melt the butter until it is evenly mixed with the spaghetti. Add the shredded mozzarella and stir again.
8. Garnish and Serve: Place the spaghetti in a large bowl. Place the gluten-free chicken schnitznel on top and sprinkle with additional parsley and lemon.

Notes

Butter: I used dairy-free butter to keep this recipe dairy-free. However, if you are not lactose-intolerant, go ahead and use regular butter instead.

Garlic: I love the big, bold flavor that raw garlic adds to this recipe, so I highly recommend adding it in.

Parsley: I like adding a bit of fresh parsley for a pop of green. However, feel free to use other herbs such as chives, green onions, or basil instead.

Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice will give the best flavor, but if you only have bottled lemon juice, that will work too.

Chicken: Since this is a recipe for chicken schnitzel, chicken is a key ingredient. I’ve used boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but boneless chicken thighs will work too. Whether you use chicken breasts or thighs, make sure to pound them with a meat mallet till an even thickness as this will ensure they cook evenly at the same time.

Gluten-Free Flour: I recommend using a good-quality gluten-free all-purpose flour blend (that is made up of lighter flours/starches such as rice flour, tapioca starch, corn starch or potato starch). Alternatively, if you are not Celiac or gluten-intolerant, go ahead and use regular all-purpose flour instead.

Seasonings: To add flavor to the breading, I’ve used a mix of condiments such as dried oregano, smoked paprika, ground black pepper and salt.

Eggs: The eggs help to bind the breading with the chicken, so make sure to include them in.

Breadcrumbs: I used plain gluten-free breadcrumbs, but if you are not Celiac or gluten-intolerant, you may use regular bread crumbs instead. Alternatively, feel free to use gluten-free panko breadcrumbs for extra crunch.

Oil: I used sunflower oil because I always have a bottle of sunflower oil on hand. However, feel free to use whichever vegetable oil you prefer.

• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Chilling Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins
• Category: Main Dish
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: German