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How To Reheat Schnitzel

11 Mins read
How To Reheat Schnitzel

If you’ve ever had schnitzel before, you know that it’s a delicious and satisfying meal that can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. However, if you have leftovers or want to reheat schnitzel that you made ahead of time, it’s important to know the proper techniques to ensure that it remains crispy and flavorful. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to reheat schnitzel so that it tastes just as good as it did when it was freshly cooked. Whether you’re a schnitzel connoisseur or just looking for a tasty meal, this guide will help you make the most of your leftovers.

What is Schnitzel

Schnitzel is a thin meat cutlet, usually made of veal, pork, or chicken. The meat is pounded very thin, coated in flour, beaten eggs, and breadcrumbs, and then pan-fried. Schnitzel originated in Austria and Germany. The classic Viennese schnitzel is made of veal, while schnitzel made of pork or chicken is more common in Germany. 

Schnitzel is usually served with a lemon wedge, which you can squeeze over the top. It is often accompanied by French fries or a potato salad. Schnitzel has become popular in many parts of the world. Thin, crispy, and delicious, schnitzel is a favorite dish for many meat lovers. The crunchy breading and tender meat inside make it a satisfying dish. No wonder schnitzel has been adopted in so many cuisines outside of German-speaking countries.

How To Reheat Schnitzel

Schnitzel

How to make Schnitzel

To make Schnitzel, start with thin cutlets of veal, pork, or chicken. Pound the meat to an even thinner thickness, usually between 1/4 inch to 1/8 inch. Set up a breading station with three shallow bowls: one with flour, one with beaten eggs, and one with breadcrumbs (either fresh or panko). Season the flour with salt and pepper. Coat both sides of the meat cutlets in the flour, then dip in the egg, and finally coat both sides in breadcrumbs, shaking off any excess after each step.

Heat a half inch of vegetable or canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. You want the oil to be hot but not smoking. Cook the breaded cutlets in batches so you don’t crowd the pan. Fry until the cutlets are golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.

Serve the Schnitzel immediately with lemon wedges, a potato salad, French fries, or lingonberry sauce. A crisp salad or sautéed green vegetables also make great side dishes. For extra flavor, you can also top the Schnitzel with a fried egg, or serve it on bread as a sandwich.

How To Reheat Schnitzel – Best Methods

Schnitzel is a delicious and satisfying meal that can be enjoyed in many ways. But what should you do with your schnitzel if you have leftovers or want to prepare it ahead of time? The good news is that there are several ways to reheat schnitzel that will keep it crispy and delicious. Here are some of the best methods to reheat schnitzel:

How To Reheat Schnitzel in an Oven?

To reheat Schnitzel in the oven, first, make sure you have leftover breaded cutlets on hand. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Place the Schnitzel cutlets on a wire rack set on top of a rimmed baking sheet. This allows for even heating and also allows excess oil to drip down. Do not stack the cutlets on top of each other.

If the Schnitzel has been refrigerated, bring it to room temperature before reheating. This will ensure the center is heated through completely. Reheating cold Schnitzel from the fridge can result in overcooking the outer layer before the center is warmed.

Reheat the Schnitzel in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until the center is hot and reaches an internal temperature of 165 F. The cutlets should be crisp on the outside again. Check on the Schnitzel and flip the cutlets over halfway through the reheating time.

The reheated Schnitzel may not be quite as crispy as when freshly fried, but will still be delicious. You can briefly place the cutlets under a preheated broiler for 1 to 2 minutes to crisp them up, keeping a close eye to avoid over-browning. Serve the reheated Schnitzel immediately with lemon wedges, salad, or french fries, and enjoy your leftovers!

How To Reheat Schnitzel

How To Reheat Schnitzel

How To Reheat Schnitzel in a Microwave?

To reheat Schnitzel in a microwave, place the leftover breaded cutlets on a microwave-safe plate in a single layer. Do not stack the cutlets on top of each other. Microwaving in layers can result in uneven reheating. If the Schnitzel has been refrigerated, bring it to room temperature before reheating in the microwave. This will help the cutlets reheat more evenly and avoid overcooking the outer edges before the center is warmed through. 

Microwave the Schnitzel in 30-second bursts, checking and flipping the cutlets over in between. Continue microwaving and checking the Schnitzel until the cutlets are heated through the center and reach an internal temperature of 165 F. The total microwaving time will depend on the number of cutlets and your microwave wattage. Microwaved Schnitzel may lose some crispness but will still taste delicious.

You can re-crisp microwaved Schnitzel by placing it under a preheated broiler for 1 to 2 minutes, watching very closely to avoid burning. Alternatively, you can brush the microwaved cutlets very lightly with oil and place them in a hot skillet over medium-high heat until sizzling and crisped, about 1 minute per side.

Serve the reheated Schnitzel immediately with lemon wedges, a salad, or french fries. Enjoy your leftover Schnitzel! Microwaving and then re-crisping briefly under the broiler or in a skillet will produce Schnitzel that is both heated through and crispy. But microwaved alone, Schnitzel can still be tasty, though slightly soft. Either way, reheated Schnitzel is a delicious leftover meal.

How To Reheat Schnitzel on the Stove?

To reheat Schnitzel on the stove, place a skillet (cast iron works well) over medium-high heat and add about 1/2 inch of vegetable or canola oil. You want the oil to be hot but not smoking. Carefully add the leftover breaded Schnitzel cutlets to the skillet in a single layer without crowding. Do not stack the cutlets on top of each other.

Cook the Schnitzel cutlets until the underside is crisp and golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully flip each cutlet and cook the other side until also crisp and the Schnitzel reaches an internal temperature of 165 F. The total cooking time will depend on the number of cutlets and thickness. Drain the reheated Schnitzel on paper towels.

Schnitzel reheated on the stove will become very crispy. Be careful not to overcook the cutlets, or they can become too hard and dry out. It may take some practice to master reheating Schnitzel on the stove and getting them evenly crisp without overcooking. But with some care and patience, stove-reheated Schnitzel can be just as delicious as when first fried.

Serve the reheated Schnitzel immediately with lemon wedges, a salad, or french fries. Enjoy your crispy leftover Schnitzel! Schnitzel reheated on the stove will re-crisp up nicely while heating all the way through. The key is using medium-high heat, not overcrowding the skillet, and not overcooking the cutlets. With practice, you’ll be making Schnitzel leftovers that taste like new again.

How To Reheat Schnitzel

How To Reheat Schnitzel

How To Reheat Schnitzel on a Grill?

To reheat Schnitzel on a grill, preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Brush the grates with oil to prevent the Schnitzel from sticking. Place the leftover breaded Schnitzel cutlets on the grills in a single layer without stacking them on top of each other. Close the lid and cook until the underside is marked with grill marks, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Carefully flip each Schnitzel cutlet and continue cooking until the other side is also marked and the cutlets reach an internal temperature of 165 F. The total grilling time will depend on the heat level and number of cutlets. Be very careful not to overgrill the Schnitzel or they can become dried out. Schnitzel reheated on a grill may lose some crispness but will pick up a delicious smoky flavor from the grates.

Grill-reheated Schnitzel requires some attention to avoid overcooking, but with care can be the tastiest reheating method of all. The key is using medium-high, not high heat, positioning the cutlets evenly over direct heat without crowding, and frequently checking while turning only once or twice. Serve the reheated Schnitzel immediately with lemon wedges and your favorite sides.

How To Reheat Schnitzel in a Toaster Oven?

To reheat Schnitzel in a toaster oven, preheat the toaster oven to 350 F. Place the leftover breaded Schnitzel cutlets on a wire rack set on top of a rimmed baking sheet. Do not stack the cutlets on top of each other. Position the rack in the center of the toaster oven.

If reheating Schnitzel from the refrigerator, bring it to room temperature before placing it in the toaster oven. This will help the cutlets reheat more evenly without overcooking the outside before the center is warmed through.

Reheat the Schnitzel, checking frequently, until the cutlets reach an internal temperature of 165 F and the breading is crisp again. This typically takes 10 to 15 minutes in a standard toaster oven. The exact time will depend on your toaster oven’s wattage and the number of cutlets. Be very careful not to overcook the Schnitzel or they can become dried out.

You may want to briefly place the reheated Schnitzel under a preheated broiler to crisp the breading, watching extremely closely to avoid burning. Serve the reheated Schnitzel immediately with your favorite sides like salad, french fries, or lemon wedges. Enjoy your Schnitzel leftovers!

How To Reheat Schnitzel in an Air Fryer?

To reheat Schnitzel in an air fryer, preheat the air fryer to 350 F. Place the leftover breaded Schnitzel cutlets in a single layer in the air fryer basket without overlapping or stacking them. Do not overcrowd the basket. 

Spray the cutlets lightly with oil or coat with melted butter and reheat at 350 F, shaking the basket once during cooking, until the cutlets are heated through and the breading is crisp about 5 to 8 minutes. The time will depend on the number of cutlets and your air fryer model. Check on the Schnitzel and continue cooking until they reach an internal temperature of 165 F.

Air fryer reheated Schnitzel will become very crispy, often just as crispy as when originally fried. Be careful not to overcook the cutlets or they can become too hard. Air fryer reheated Schnitzel requires some experimentation with your particular model to get the timing right. But when done properly, Schnitzel reheated in an air fryer can be nearly indistinguishable from fresh fried cutlets.

Serve the reheated Schnitzel immediately with lemon wedges, salad, or french fries, and enjoy your crispy leftovers! An air fryer works beautifully to reheat and re-crisp Schnitzel cutlets. The key is not overcrowding the basket, spraying with oil, and checking frequently to avoid overcooking. With some practice, you’ll be making Schnitzel leftovers that taste like they were just freshly made.

How To Reheat Schnitzel

How To Reheat Schnitzel

How to Reheat Schnitzel without Overcooking?

Here are some tips for reheating Schnitzel without overcooking:

To reheat Schnitzel without overcooking, pay close attention while reheating using your chosen method – oven, stove, microwave, air fryer, or grill. Overcooking is easy to do and will result in dried-out, tough Schnitzel cutlets. 

Bring refrigerated Schnitzel to room temperature before reheating. This will allow for more even heating since you won’t have to overcook the exterior to warm the interior. Room temperature Schnitzel will reheat more gently.

Do not stack or overlap the Schnitzel cutlets. Reheat them in a single layer, whether on a wire rack, baking sheet, microwave plate, or grill. Stacking traps steam and prevents even heating, requiring longer cooking to reheat the stack, and risking overcooking the bottom layers.

Use medium or medium-high heat. High heat can quickly overcook the outer surface before the center reheats. Medium or medium-high is gentler, allowing slower and more even reheating.

Check on the Schnitzel frequently while reheating. Pierce the thickest cutlet with a knife to check if the center is heated through. The internal temperature should reach 165 F. Cut into a cutlet to check if needed. Better safe than sorry.

Re-crisp the breading briefly under a broiler after microwaving or baking reheating if needed. Watch extremely closely as broiling can burn the breading quickly. Just 1 to 2 minutes should be enough to re-crisp.

Brush the air fryer or grill reheated Schnitzel with a little oil or melted butter. This will speed heating and add moisture, so less cooking time is needed, reducing the opportunity for overcooking.

Practice makes perfect. Reheating Schnitzel a few times with your chosen method will allow you to learn how to properly reheat without overcooking for perfect results. With regular reheating, you’ll be serving up tender and delicious Schnitzel leftovers in no time!

How Long to Reheat Schnitzel?

The time required to reheat Schnitzel will depend on the reheating method and the number of cutlets. Here are some general guidelines:

In the oven at 350 F:

2-4 cutlets: 10 to 15 minutes

More than 4 cutlets: 15 to 20 minutes

Check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer. The center should reach 165 F. Check on the Schnitzel frequently to avoid overcooking.

On the stovetop:

2-4 cutlets: About 5 to 8 minutes total, flipping once, over medium-high heat with 1/2 inch of oil

More than 4 cutlets: 8 to 12 minutes, checking frequently. Flip the cutlets only once or twice.  Drain on paper towels.

In the microwave:

2-4 cutlets: Reheat in 30-second bursts, flipping the cutlets over in between, until the center is hot (165 F). The total time will be around 2 to 4 minutes depending on your microwave wattage.

More than 4 cutlets: Reheat in shorter 15 or 20-second bursts, flipping the cutlets and rotating the plate in between, to avoid overcooking. This can take 4 to 6 minutes in total. 

In an air fryer:

2-4 cutlets: At 350 F, about 5 to 8 minutes, shaking the basket once. Check the internal temperature – it should be 165 F.

More than 4 cutlets: Reheat in two batches to avoid overcrowding. The time will also be 5 to 8 minutes. Check frequently to avoid overcooking.

On a grill:

2-4 cutlets: Over medium-high heat with the lid closed, about 5 to 8 minutes total. Flip once when marked, about halfway through.

More than 4 cutlets: Grill in two batches. Cook time will be 6 to 10 minutes. Flip only once or twice, and check frequently.

The key is checking on the Schnitzel during reheating, regardless of the method. It’s best to undercook slightly, then continue reheating in short bursts, rather than overcooking. You can always reheat briefly longer, but you can’t undo overcooking. With practice, you’ll get better at reheating Schnitzel perfectly every time.

How To Reheat Schnitzel

How To Reheat Schnitzel

What Temperature is Needed to Safely Reheat Schnitzel?

To safely reheat Schnitzel, it needs to reach an internal temperature of at least 165 Fahrenheit or 74 degrees Celsius. At this temperature, any harmful bacteria that may be present will be destroyed, making the Schnitzel safe to eat.

The USDA recommends reheating leftovers to an internal temperature of 165 F before consuming. When reheating Schnitzel, use a meat thermometer to check that the thickest cutlet has reached 165 F in the center. It’s best to undercook slightly, then continue reheating in short periods, checking the temperature after each, until the proper 165 F is achieved.

For most reheating methods, preheat the oven, skillet, air fryer, or grill to 350-375 F. These moderate temperatures will gently reheat the Schnitzel without overcooking. Reheating at higher temperatures risks drying out or burning the Schnitzel before the center is thoroughly heated.

Here are the specific temperatures for different reheating methods:

Oven: Preheat to 350 F. Reheat until internal temp of 165 F.

Stovetop: Use medium-high heat and 1/2 inch of oil. Reheat until internal temp of 165 F.

Air Fryer: Preheat to 350-375 F. Reheat at 350 F until internal temp of 165 F.

Grill: Preheat grill to 350-375 F. Reheat over medium-high heat until internal temp of 165 F.

Microwave: Use 30-45 second bursts, flipping in between, until internal temp of 165 F. Microwaving can compromise crispness, so you may want to finish under a preheated broiler.

The key is frequently checking the internal temperature with a meat thermometer while reheating. Pull the Schnitzel when it reaches 165 F, as the temperature will continue to rise slightly after removing it from the heat source. It’s best to undercook slightly rather than overcook.

Let the reheated Schnitzel rest for 2 minutes, then serve and enjoy your leftovers! By properly reheating to a safe internal temperature of 165 F, you can have delicious Schnitzel again without worry. Monitoring the temperature and not overcooking are the keys to successful Schnitzel reheating.

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About author
As the founder and chief editor of Scills Grill, I'm a self-proclaimed BBQ nut. I love cooking outdoors over live fire and smoke, no matter the weather. I use various grills, smokers, and wood-fired ovens to produce epic food. Peter Cobbetts is the president and founder of Scills Grill, with over 15 years' experience in barbecue. He's an exceptional pitmaster and grill expert who specializes in smoking briskets, pork shoulders - using charcoal, wood or propane grills/smokers - as well as reviewing kitchen appliances such as grills, smokers etc., having tried out almost every model available on the market.
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