The One Food I’ll Never Tire Of: My Traditional Croatian Chicken Schnitzels

Monday, 23 February 2026

I still remember my shock at discovering that Croatians in Croatia don’t actually appear to love chicken schnitzels anywhere near as much as the expat community I grew up in in Sydney does. A parish priest, invited to bless our new home and stay for dinner many years ago, mentioned that he had never been invited to break bread with Croatians in Sydney without the ubiquitous chicken schnitzels present and accounted for on the table.

Of course he mentioned this because there were chicken schnitzels present and accounted for on our table.

Chicken schnitzels are quite possibly my favourite food. I honestly never tire of them, never throw a single one away – wraps, sandwiches, and salads all benefit from leftover schnitzels. In fact there’s a good chance that at the time this is published I’ll be packing myself a schnitzel salad for lunch. To be honest I’ve always preferred them over the spit roasted pig or lamb that are the staples of so many Croatian events.

And to be clear, I don’t know what makes these schnitzels “Croatian” exactly as opposed to Austrian or Italian, other than the fact that every Croatian family I know makes them exactly the same way. The secret to a true Croatian schnitzel is the perfect crunch paired with the perfect thinness of the meat, and just enough breading. It’s light, simple, delicious, and pairs perfectly with a classic potato salad.

Traditional Croatian Chicken Schnitzel

What You Need

• Chicken: 1 kg large chicken breasts, sliced into thin fillets, pounding isn’t necessary if they’ve been sliced thin enough.
• For the crumbing station:
  • Flour: all-purpose flour.
  • Eggs: 2 large eggs, beaten with a splash of milk, and a pinch of salt (I can’t help tweaking things, so I also add pepper and some garlic powder. I also use almond milk as that’s all I have).
  • Breadcrumbs: 4 cups fine breadcrumbs (traditional or plain, not Panko).
• Seasoning: Salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
• Cooking fat: Light olive or vegetable oil (enough to shallow fry).
• Serve with fresh lemon wedges.

What To Do

1. Prepare the chicken: Slice chicken breast fillets into even slices about ½ cm to 1 cm thick. I’d stay just shy of a full centimeter for authentic. This ensures it cooks quickly and stays tender.
2. Season: Generously salt and pepper both sides of the chicken.
3. The three step crumb coating:* Dredge each fillet in the flour, shaking off any excess. Dip into the egg wash, ensuring it’s fully coated, allowing the excess to drip off. Press both sides into the breadcrumbs, heaping crumbs on top and pressing down really firmly so the coating sticks.
4. The Sizzle: Heat about 2 cm of oil in a large frypan over medium-high heat. Fry the schnitzels for about 3–4 minutes per side. You’re looking for a golden bronze hue and a gorgeously crisp exterior.
5. Drain and serve: Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to remove excess oil. Let them rest uncovered as you fry in batches, this keeps the steam from making the crumbs soggy.

Enjoy with just about anything: potato salad, coleslaw salad, cucumber salad, fries, roast potatoes, fried rice, pasta, ajvar, garden salad, parmigiana style…

*The three step coating of chicken schnitzels was the very first thing I learned to do in the kitchen, long before I ever got near the cooktop or frypan. Very soon followed by peeling endless apples for cakes, strudels, and slices. 😉