Name: How To Reheat A Schnitzel
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1 portion schnitzel (chicken, beef, pork, turkey, veal, mutton)

Table of Contents

If you’re looking for a great way to reheat your schnitzel, you’re in luck.

I’ve experimented with five different reheating methods to find the best one.

I’ve also included a few tips and tricks for storing and freezing schnitzels below.

Ready? Let’s jump right in.

Psst. these reheating methods work equally as well for chicken, pork, beef, and turkey schnitzels.

A note on my experiment

I spent a fun Sunday afternoon making schnitzels and left them in the fridge overnight.

The following day, I tested five different methods to reheat them:

In the oven or toaster oven (good, consistent results)
In a skillet (great results, but involved washing up)
In the microwave (juicy meat but a soggy coating)
In the air fryer (my favorite method, nice and crispy)
In the toaster (perfect for an on-the-go lunch)

There are two main problems with reheating schnitzel.

Dry meat
Soggy breadcrumbs

I wanted to avoid both of these.

The air fryer did the best job, but not everyone has one. So your next best options are the oven or a skillet. Both work well.

Reheating schnitzel in the oven/toaster oven

Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Allow the schnitzels to reach room temperature. Place the schnitzels on a wire rack or a baking tray and heat in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Flip the schnitzel around halfway through heating if you’re using a baking tray.

How to reheat schnitzel in the oven/toaster oven:

Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
Allow the schnitzels to reach room temperature before reheating. This means they can spend less time in the oven, so they’re less likely to dry out.
Place the schnitzels on a wire rack or a baking tray.
Reheat in the oven for 10-15 minutes.
Turn the schnitzels over after 5-7 minutes if they’re on a baking tray.
Remove the schnitzels when they reach an internal temperature of 165°F (75°C).

To speed the process up, zap the schnitzels in the microwave for 10-15 seconds before putting them into the oven.

This gives the schnitzel a head start.

You can cover the schnitzel loosely with foil if you’re worried about the meat drying out too much, but remember to remove the foil for a few minutes are the end so the breadcrumbs can crisp up.

If your coating is still a little soft, use the broiler function to add extra crispiness.

My verdict

This method was easy but a bit slow.

The coating was crunchy, although the meat was slightly dry. It wouldn’t be noticeable with some sauce though.

Reheating schnitzel in a skillet

Allow the schnitzel to reach room temperature. Lightly oil a pan and place it on medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the schnitzel and heat for 2 minutes. Flip the schnitzel over and heat the other side for a further 2 minutes. Let the schnitzel rest for 30 seconds before serving.

How to reheat schnitzel in a skillet:

Allow your schnitzel to reach room temperature (if you have the time – don’t worry if not).
Lightly oil a pan and place it on medium heat.
When the oil is hot, add the schnitzel.
Heat the schnitzel for 2 minutes.
Flip the schnitzel over and heat the other side for a further 2 minutes.
Place the schnitzel on a paper towel for 30 seconds to drain any excess oil.

I recommend using only a light oil coating because too much will lead to an overly-greasy schnitzel.

For a slightly more decadent flavor, use butter instead of oil – it’s delicious.

As tempting as it is to whack the heat up to high, don’t do it!

You’ll only end up burning the coating before the middle heats up.

My verdict

I liked this method.

It is a bit more effort than the other ways I tried because you have to pay close attention all the time.

But the crispy coating and deliciously succulent middle that awaits you is worth the extra work.

Reheating schnitzel in the microwave

Place your schnitzel on a microwave-safe plate lined with a paper towel. On full power, microwave the leftover schnitzel in 30-second intervals. Remove from the microwave and allow the schnitzel to rest for a minute before serving.

How to reheat schnitzel in the microwave:

Line a microwave-safe plate with a paper towel.
Place your schnitzel on the plate.
On full power, microwave the leftover schnitzel in 30-second intervals.
Using a kitchen probe or a knife, check that the middle has reached 165°F (75°C).
Remove from the microwave and allow it to rest for a minute.
Serve while still hot.

The paper towel soaks up any excess grease or moisture that leaks out.

It’s best to microwave one schnitzel at a time to ensure even heating. With more than one schnitzel, you could end up with cold spots.

My verdict

My results turned out okay, but I wouldn’t recommend using the microwave unless you were in a real hurry.

The meat stayed moist, but the breading lost all its crunch.

Be careful not to overheat the schnitzel, or the meat can become chewy.

Reheating schnitzel in the air fryer

Preheat the air fryer to 375°F (190°C). Place your schnitzels in the air fryer basket with a little space around each piece. Heat them for 4 to 5 minutes until hot and crispy. Remove from the basket and serve hot.

How to reheat schnitzel in the air fryer:

Preheat the air fryer to 375°F (190°C).
Spread your schnitzels out in the air fryer basket, leaving space around each piece.
Heat the schnitzels for 4 to 5 minutes until hot and crispy.
Remove from the basket and serve hot.

Arranging your schnitzels in a single layer is best so that you get good airflow. This results in a crispy, crunchy coating.

The air fryer heats food extremely quickly, so be careful not to overheat your schnitzels and dry them out.

My verdict

The air fryer is my favorite method for reheating breaded dishes, and I wasn’t disappointed this time around.

It’s very quick, and the leftover schnitzel came out super crispy and delicious.

If you have an air fryer, then I definitely recommend using it!

Reheating schnitzel in the toaster

Put the schnitzel inside a toaster bag (or make a toaster bag with parchment paper) and then place it in the toaster as if it was a slice of bread. Set the toaster to medium and switch it on. Watch out that the breaded coating doesn’t burn, and check the middle is hot before removing the schnitzel.

The toaster bag will catch any crumbs or fat drips, so you don’t end up with a fire hazard in your toaster!

My verdict

Surprisingly, this method worked well.

It’s perfect for when you’re on-the-go at work or if you’re generally in a hurry and need your schnitzel heated ASAP with minimal fuss.

Avoid this method: deep or shallow frying

Re-frying a schnitzel will give you a crispy outside. There’s no denying that.

But you’ll also end up with an oil-ladened schnitzel that tastes mainly of oil.

It also involves a lot of setting up and cleaning up!

Bottom line: avoid reheating your schnitzel by deep or shallow frying.

How to store schnitzel

Allow your schnitzels to cool to room temperature. Line an airtight container with a paper towel and place the pieces of schnitzel into the container, minimizing touching. Separate extra layers with more paper towels or parchment paper. Store for between 3 and 4 days in the refrigerator.

The paper towel absorbs any excess moisture, preventing the breaded coating from becoming soggy and waterlogged.

Putting warm schnitzels in the fridge will also encourage sogginess, so ensure they’re cool before storing them.

Can you freeze schnitzel?

Yes, you can freeze schnitzels.

It’s best to freeze breaded but uncooked schnitzel to achieve a crispy result, but you can also freeze pre-cooked ones.

Schnitzels last up to 6 months in the freezer. They’ll remain safe to eat beyond that, but the quality might start to decline.

How to freeze schnitzel:

Cover a baking tray with parchment paper.
Place the schnitzels on the baking tray, leaving a gap between each piece.
Separate layers of schnitzel with parchment paper.
Flash-freeze the schnitzels on the baking tray in the coldest part of the freezer (2-3 hours).
Remove the frozen schnitzels and place them in a freezer bag or vacuum seal. Remove all the excess air.
Store in the freezer for up to six months.

Ensure that you have removed as much air as possible from the freezer bag to avoid freezer burn.

The best way to do this is to suck the air out with a straw or dunk the open freezer bag in a bowl of water.

The water will force the air out, and you can seal the bag.

How to thaw and reheat frozen schnitzel

You can thaw your schnitzel before reheating it or cook it straight from frozen.

Cooking the schnitzel straight from frozen avoids any sogginess issues, but you may find the meat heats unevenly.

Thawing the schnitzel will mean the meat heats evenly.

To thaw the schnitzel, remove it from the freezer and place it into an airtight container lined with paper towel. Then leave it in the fridge overnight.

If you’re in a rush, keep the schnitzel in the freezer bag and hold it under cold running water. You can also use the defrost setting on the microwave but be careful not to start cooking the schnitzel.

Once defrosted, you can reheat the schnitzel in the oven, air fryer, or skillet. The microwave will work too but won’t crisp the breadcrumbs.

To reheat the schnitzel straight from frozen, preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and place the schnitzel on a wire rack or baking tray. Heat the schnitzel for 20 minutes. You can also use an air fryer or fry the schnitzel in a skillet.