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Gluten-Free Chicken Schnitzel

ByGeorgina Hartley Published on Updated on

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This Gluten-Free Chicken Schnitzel skips the breadcrumbs in favour of perfectly seasoned almond flour for a light and crisp and juicy 15 minute wonder meal.

overhead view of Plate of Gluten-Free Chicken Schnitzel with coleslaw and lemon

Chicken Schnitzel is a favourite weeknight meal. We make it every single week and it's the perfect quick, easy and healthy meal.

This Gluten-Free Breaded Chicken is perfectly seasoned and crisp even though we have swapped the breadcrumbs for almond flour. The almond flour crisps up deliciously in the pan without being too crunchy or nutty. If you are concerned about the ingredients in shop bought gluten-free bread or are embarking on the Whole30 or don't feel like pulsing a batch of breadcrumbs then this recipe will suit you any which way.

You can serve it in so many different ways, as a salad with a fresh coleslaw, with new potatoes, mash, pasta or rice. It's an endlessly versatile meal which you will be returning to again and again.

close up of Gluten-Free Chicken Schnitzel with coleslaw and lemon

Ingredients needed

Chicken breasts. There are many other occasions when I will urge you to use chicken thigh but here lean and light chicken breasts are the best choice for your gluten-free chicken escalope.

Almond flour. You are looking for blanched ground almonds. There is a bit of labelling confusion over almond flour which is sold as ‘ground almonds’ in most major UK supermarkets and found in the baking aisle. If you want to know what exactly you are looking for then check out this post >>>Is Almond Flour The Same As Ground Almonds.

You can substitute the almond flour for gluten-free breadcrumbs if you have a nut allergy.

Seasoning. Whisk paprika, onion granules, garlic powder, mustard powder and salt and pepper into the flour.

Egg. This recipe uses 1 medium sized egg but you can use any size you have to hand.

Fat. You want the rich flavour of butter but without the low burning point. Ghee is my favourite choice for this as you get the flavour and it can handle the high temperature. If you don't have any ghee to hand then use olive oil with a small knob of butter for the best of both worlds.

How to Make Gluten-Free Chicken Schnitzel

The full recipe is included below in the recipe card.

  1. Take your chicken breast and bash out gently out to an even thickness with a meat tenderiser.
  2. Dip the chicken in beaten egg and then finally dredged through the seasoned almond flour.
  3. Pan fry the chicken for three minutes each side and before you can google the correct spelling for schnitzel, dinner is done.

Expert Tips

Before doing anything start pre-heating your pan. Heat on a medium heat for at least 10 minutes before adding your fat and your chicken. As soon as you have added the chicken then turn the heat down to low-medium.

Your best choice for cooking this gluten-free crumbed chicken is a cast iron skillet, but you can use anything that has a good flat base which distributes heat evenly.

Season the flour well so that the crisp coating is ultra flavourful.

To check for doneness then pierce the chicken with a sharp knife and check the colour of the chicken in the very centre, there should be no trace of pink.

Rest the chicken for at least 5 minutes before serving so the meat has a chance to relax.

Whatever you do, don’t forget the squeeze of fresh lemon. It’s essential.

Plate of Gluten-Free Chicken Schnitzel with coleslaw and lemon

How to serve it

FAQs

Can you make it ahead of time?

If you want to save a little bit of time then you can prep this meal by bashing out the chicken up to 24 hours before so it's ready to be dredged right before cooking.
You can also season the almond flour ahead of time too. In fact you could season a whole batch of almond flour and store up to a month. Almond flour, once opened, is best to store in the fridge if you don't use it frequently.

Can you freeze it?

I don't recommend freezing this chicken once made, it tastes so much better cooked from fresh.

Plate of Gluten-Free Chicken Schnitzel with coleslaw and lemon

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side view of Plate of Gluten-Free Chicken Schnitzel with coleslaw and lemon

Gluten-Free Chicken Schnitzel

Georgina Hartley
Gluten-Free Chicken Schnitzel is made with seasoned almond flour in lieu of breadcrumbs and is a 15 minute wonder meal.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 4 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine British
Servings 1 serving
Calories 644 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 2 teaspoons ghee
  • 40 grams almond flour - ground almonds in the UK
  • ½ teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon onion granules
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon mustard powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 egg
  • 1 chicken breast

Instructions
 

  1. Heat a large flat bottomed saucepan on a medium heat.
  2. Whisk together the almond flour with the paprika, onion granules, garlic powder, mustard powder, salt and pepper and sprinkle evenly onto a plate.
  3. Break the egg into a medium sized bowl and whisk lightly.
  4. Batter the chicken breast gently to an even ½ inch thickness, then dip first into the egg, then once fully coated dredge through the almond flour so it’s coated well on both sides.
  5. Melt the ghee in the pan and turn down to a medium-low heat.
  6. Carefully place the chicken into the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes each side until golden.
  7. Remove the chicken from the pan, cut into even strips and serve with homemade coleslaw.

Notes

Pre-heat the pan. Heat the pan for at least 10 minutes on medium heat before adding the fat and the breaded chicken.
Ghee substitution. You can use olive oil with a small knob of butter if you don't have any ghee to hand.
Make ahead: If you want to save a little bit of time then you can prep this meal by bashing out the chicken up to 24 hours before so it's ready to be dredged right before cooking.
You can also season the almond flour ahead of time too. In fact you could season a whole batch of almond flour and store up to a month. Almond flour, once opened, is best to store in the fridge if you don't use it frequently.
Freezing: I don't recommend freezing this chicken once made, it tastes so much better cooked from fresh.
Ingredient measurements: Please note that the US customary measurements for the ingredients provided are based on a conversion calculator. This recipe was tested with metric measurements and I recommend using a digital scale to weigh ingredients for the most accurate results.
READ MORE >>> Why you should always weigh vs measuring with cups 
Nutrition Information: Please note that the nutrition information provided below is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients you use. Please seek a professional nutritionist’s advice for further clarification.
I don't think in this instance the nutrition information is accurate as you are dredging the chicken through the egg and through the flour, it is unlikely that you will be consuming all the egg and flour in this recipe so in my opinion the information below is inflated.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 644kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 63gFat: 40gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 334mgSodium: 908mgPotassium: 941mgFiber: 5gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 799IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 128mgIron: 3mg
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8 Comments

  1. Thank you for all your recipes and ideas, Georgina!! And the information you've shared regarding gluten-free flours is wonderful. It's so hard to figure out when one is first learning GF baking.
    I wanted to make a suggestion for an alternative to almond flour (my daughter can't eat almonds or gluten) for the batter on schnitzel, chicken fingers, or even a crispy fish batter.... We are Canadians living in Tyrol, Austria and another easy way to get a crisp batter for schnitzel is to use tapioca flour for the first layer, then egg, then medium to finely ground GF corn flakes (using a nut grinder or food processor works). I also add spices (garlic/onion powder, thyme, sage, rosemary, etc) to the flour and corn flakes (optional), but this can also make a really wonderful batter that is super crispy when fried or even baked in the oven (if you want less oil in the recipe) from frozen (freezing the raw battered chicken between pieces of baking paper then into a ziplock bag).

    And then of course, as they do it here in Austria, add a large spoonful of cranberry sauce on the side. I just thought I would suggest another alternative for those that may have gluten and nut issues... Hope this may help someone else in a similar situation.

    Thanks again for all those fantastic recipes, Georgina!

    Reply

    1. Hi Rachel, I think that's a great suggestion. I love using tapioca flour for my breading (and potato starch or cornflour works beautifully too!) What a great idea to use GF cornflakes - I'll try that next time!

      Reply

      1. I have to tell you that I tried the tapioca/cornflakes method and I loved it. I am on a fodmap diet for my stomach issues and I ate my allotment of almonds for the day. So I tried Rachel's method, and even my husband liked it. The picky one. Thank you, Rachel Hankai, and thank you, Georgina. For everything!5

      3. I grew up on pork & chicken schnitzel and my family loves it too. For gluten free version I just dip them into starch then in eggs. I love experimenting, I will try it with almond too, but I was wondering if polenta worked instead of cornflakes? I've just seen polenta coated parsnips and bought some, hence the idea.
        I'm new to gf baking, your website is soo helpful, thank you!

      4. I find polenta a bit too crunchy for my liking, but it's absolutely a personal preference.

  2. This sounds and look SO delicious! Such a great idea to use almond flour, I always end up with a bunch of almond flour left over from baking and then never quite know what to do with it. This sounds like a wonderful way to use it. Thanks for sharing, Georgina! 🙂

    Reply