Name: Chicken Schnitzel with Diane Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Australian
Ingredients: 800g potatoes, peeled and quartered; 4 Tbsp unsalted butter; 125ml milk or cream; 2 Tbsp unsalted butter; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tsp tomato paste; 1.5 Tbsp beef gravy granules; 300ml boiling water; 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce; 80ml thickened cream; 2 large chicken breasts; 90g plain flour; 2 whole eggs, beaten; 90g panko breadcrumbs; Neutral oil for frying

Chicken schnitzel

PREP

10 mins

COOK

25 mins

SERVES

DIFFICULTY

Medium

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Chef Jack Ovens

Qualified Chef · 1.6M Subscribers

Updated May 2026

Crispy panko-crumbed chicken schnitzel, buttery mashed potato and a pub-style Diane sauce that’s rich, glossy and built in one pan. This is the kind of dinner that feels like a proper night out but takes 35 minutes at home.

The schnitzel gets butterflied and flattened to about 1cm so it cooks evenly and fast — flour, egg, panko, then straight into oil at 170°C so the crumb sets immediately and you get that golden crust all the way through without the chicken drying out. Rest it on a rack, not paper, so the base stays crisp.

The Diane sauce uses beef gravy granules as the base — garlic, tomato paste, Worcestershire and cream all go in and reduce down into something glossy and deeply savoury. It’s the sauce that makes the whole plate. Serve it poured over the schnitzel with mash underneath and a squeeze of lemon.

Chicken Schnitzel & Diane Sauce

CHICKEN · RESTAURANT · MEDIUM

⏰

Prep Time

10 mins

🔥

Cook Time

25 mins

⏳

Total Time

35 mins

🍽

Servings

📊

Difficulty

Medium

Ingredients

Servings

Creamy Mash

800g (1.76lb) All Rounder Potatoes, Peeled & Quartered

4 Tbsp (56g) Unsalted Butter

125ml (1/2 cup) Milk or Cream

Salt & Ground White Pepper

Pub-Style Diane Sauce

2 Tbsp (24g) Unsalted Butter

2 Garlic Cloves, Finely Minced

1 tsp (5g) Tomato Paste

1 1/2 Tbsp (15g) Beef Gravy Granules

300ml Boiling Water

1 Tbsp (15ml) Worcestershire Sauce

80ml (1/3 cup) Thickened Cream

Salt & Pepper

Chicken Schnitzel

2 Large Chicken Breasts

90g (3/4 cup) Plain Flour

2 Whole Eggs, Beaten

90g (1 1/2 cups) Panko Breadcrumbs

Salt & Pepper

Neutral Oil for Frying

Flat Leaf Parsley (Optional)

Lemon Wedges (Optional)

Method

The Mash

Place potatoes in a pot and cover with cold salted water. Bring to the boil and cook for 15-18 minutes until fork-tender. Drain well.

Add butter and cream and mash until smooth. Season with salt and white pepper. Cover and keep warm.

The Diane Sauce

Melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 30-45 seconds until fragrant. Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute until slightly darker.

Dissolve gravy granules in boiling water and pour in while stirring. Add Worcestershire sauce and cracked black pepper. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in cream and simmer for another 2-3 minutes until glossy. Keep warm on low heat.

The Schnitzel

Butterfly the chicken breasts and flatten to about 1cm thick. Season both sides with salt and pepper.

Set up three bowls: flour, beaten egg and panko breadcrumbs. Coat chicken in flour, dip in egg, then coat in breadcrumbs. Press firmly so they stick well.

Heat oil to 170C (340F). Carefully add the schnitzel and cook for 3-4 minutes per side until golden and crisp. Transfer to a rack and rest for 1 minute.

Plate with mash first, schnitzel on top and Diane sauce poured over. Finish with parsley and lemon wedges if using.

Storage & Reheating

Store schnitzel and sauce separately in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Reheat schnitzel in the oven or air fryer at 180C to keep the crumb crispy. Reheat sauce in a small saucepan over low heat.

980

Calories

58g

Protein

48g

Fat

78g

Carbs

Fibre

890mg

Sodium

Chicken schnitzel

Chicken Schnitzel & Diane Sauce

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