Chicken schnitzel is a tasty Austrian dish. We make it healthier by using whole‑grain pretzel crumbs and an air fryer. The result is juicy meat with a golden, crunchy crust and less oil.
Prep time: 15 minutes | Total time: 40 minutes
Air Fryer Pretzel Chicken Schnitzel
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 12 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup whole‑wheat flour
- 1 large egg, beaten
- ¼ cup low‑fat buttermilk (split)
- 2 oz spelt pretzel sticks or whole‑wheat pretzels
- 1 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups green cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1 medium tart green apple, cored and julienned
- 1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced
Directions
- Set the air fryer to 390 °F (200 °C) and spray the basket lightly.
- Slice each chicken breast in half horizontally to make thin cutlets about ¼‑½ inch thick. Sprinkle both sides with pepper and salt.
- Put the flour on a plate. In a shallow bowl, whisk the egg with 3 tbsp of the buttermilk. Crush the pretzels into fine crumbs and place them on another plate.
- Coat each cutlet in flour, then dip in the egg mixture, and finally press into the pretzel crumbs. Lightly spray the coated pieces with cooking spray.
- Arrange two cutlets in the air‑fryer basket. Cook 6 minutes, flip, and cook another 6 minutes or until the inside reaches 165 °F (74 °C). Repeat with the remaining cutlets.
- While the chicken cooks, whisk the remaining 1 tbsp buttermilk with the mayonnaise and vinegar. Toss the cabbage, apple, and fennel in the dressing to make a slaw.
- Serve each schnitzel with a generous scoop of the fresh slaw.
Serves: 4 (1 schnitzel + 1 cup slaw per person)
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories 309 | Fat 7 g | Carbs 35 g | Fiber 7 g | Sugar 11 g | Protein 26 g
Vitamins & minerals: Vitamin C 43 %, Vitamin A 12 %, Iron 12 %, Potassium 762 mg, Calcium 9 %, Vitamin D 3 %.