Chicken Schnitzel with Creamy Kale

5 from 4 votes

Chicken Schnitzel with Creamy Kale

This crispy juicy chicken schnitzel is basically a glorified Chicken Nugget and I'm obsessed! Add to that some creamy kale on top and it's the perfect fall meal.

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Servings: people

Author: Gaby Dalkin

Ingredients

For the Schnitzel

4 4-6 ounce skinless boneless chicken breasts
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 lemon, zested
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 large eggs
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
4 tablespoons olive oil
Freshly chopped chives
Lemon wedges

For the Creamy Kale

2 lbs kale, (roughly 3 bunches), stems removed and leaves roughly chopped into 1 inch pieces
½ cup olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 ounces cream cheese, at room temp
2 ounces grated fontina cheese
⅓ cup heavy cream

Instructions

For the Chicken Schnitzel

Place the chicken breasts in a plastic bag, one at a time, and pound them so they are about ½ inch thick throughout its entirety.
Prepare 3 bowls, one with flour, salt, pepper, lemon zest and the garlic powder, one with whisked eggs and the last with Panko bread crumbs.
Place each piece of chicken in the flour, coating both sides, and shaking off any excess. Next dunk it into the whisked egg – let any excess liquid drain off. Next, coat it with the Panko breadcrumbs.
Place a large skillet over medium high heat and add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, carefully place one piece of Chicken Schnitzel into the pan and let it cook for 3-5 minutes and then flip it over to finish cooking. Each piece should be golden brown on both sides.
Remove the chicken to a paper towel lined plate and repeat the process with the remaining chicken. Once all the chicken is cooked, give it all a generous squeeze of lemon and a large spoonful of the creamy kale. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

For the Creamy Kale

In a large bowl, add the kale and ¼ cup of olive oil and season with salt. Massage the kale to tenderize for 2-3 minutes. The kale should start to wilt and shrink.
Heat the remaining olive oil in your largest pot or Dutch oven. Add the kale in batches, stirring to wilt even further until all the kale has been added. Cover the pot and cook on medium-low, stirring every few minutes, until the kale is soft, about 30 minutes. If the kale starts to brown, reduce heat to low and continue to cook. Stir in the lemon zest and lemon juice and remove from the heat.
Break the cream cheese into small pieces and drop them into the Dutch oven with the kale, while still over low heat. Stir the cream cheese until it's fully combined into the kale. Add the fontina and heavy cream and combine for about 1 minute until the fontina is melted.

Notes

Schnitzel is traditionally made with pork, but I love chicken too. It's the same as you'd use for chicken Parmesan.

Nutrition