Chicken

Chicken schnitzel with burnt salsa and fennel slaw

Name: Thomas Straker's Chicken schnitzel with burnt salsa and fennel slaw recipe
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts; 100g plain flour; 2 eggs, lightly beaten; 200g panko breadcrumbs; Vegetable oil, to shallow-fry; 1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve; 300g cherry tomatoes; 1 onion, roughly chopped; d with the side 5 garlic cloves, bashed with the side of a knife blade; 1 long red chilli; 1 bunch coriander, leaves picked and finely chopped; 80ml olive oil; 60ml white wine vinegar; 2 fennel bulbs, thinly sliced; 75g mayonnaise; Juice of 2 lemons

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by Thomas Straker

CHEF

Aug 08, 2025

“There is something quite special about a smashed chicken breast covered in breadcrumbs and fried in oil. This dish is crunchy, juicy and slathered in a sharp, spicy tomato salsa with a refreshing fennel slaw. It was the first recipe video I made during lockdown, and it was something I always knew people would connect with.” - Thomas Straker

This is an edited extract from Food You Want to Eat by Thomas Straker, published by Bloomsbury, AUD$49.99, available now.

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
100g plain flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
200g panko breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil, to shallow-fry
1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve

Salsa

300g cherry tomatoes
1 onion, roughly chopped
d with the side 5 garlic cloves, bashed with the side of a knife blade
1 long red chilli
1 bunch coriander, leaves picked and finely chopped
1/3 cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup (60ml) white wine vinegar

Fennel slaw

2 fennel bulbs, thinly sliced
1/4 cup (75g) mayonnaise
Juice of 2 lemons

Method

1.

Start by preparing the chicken schnitzel. Use a sharp knife to cut each breast horizontally nearly in half, leaving a piece attached so it remains in a single piece, then open it out to butterfly the breasts. Place the first between sheets of plastic wrap or baking paper. Gently bash out with a rolling pin to an even thickness of 0.5-1cm. Repeat with remaining breasts.
2.

Put the flour, egg and breadcrumbs in 3 separate shallow bowls and season the flour well. Get 2 baking trays lined with baking paper ready for the breaded schnitzels to rest on later.
3.

First, dip a chicken breast into the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess, before passing it through the eggs. Finally, press into the crumbs, applying a little pressure to ensure the whole chicken breast is coated. Try to keep one hand dry at all times by alternating between the wet and dry bowls. Put onto prepared tray until ready to cook, then repeat to coat all the schnitzels. If preparing them in advance, be sure to keep the schnitzels separate; you can stack them on a plate if each is separated by a sheet of baking paper.
4.

Next, make the salsa. Place a cast-iron or heavy-based frypan over high heat. Once hot, add the whole cherry tomatoes, onion, garlic and chilli and cook for 3-4 minutes, until everything is well charred all over. Remove from the pan and allow to cool, then finely chop. Put in a bowl with the coriander, olive oil, vinegar and salt flakes to taste. Set aside at room temperature.
5.

To make the fennel slaw, mix the fennel, mayonnaise, lemon juice and a generous pinch of salt flakes in a bowl. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt flakes as needed.
6.

Heat 2cm vegetable oil in a large frying pan until hot (you want it to reach 180°C – a cube of bread will turn golden in 60 seconds when the oil is hot enough). Gently lower in 1 schnitzel and cook for about 2 minutes, or until golden, turning to ensure it cooks evenly. Remove to a wire rack or baking tray lined with paper towel and season with salt flakes. Repeat until all the schnitzels are cooked.
7.

Serve the chicken schnitzels topped with the salsa and fennel slaw, and lemon wedges for squeezing.