Chicken and Mozzarella Schnitzel Sandwiches are seriously what dreams are made of! Crispy chicken, light and airy buns, gooey mozzarella, a little parmesan and delicious sauce. Typically, that sauce is a classic tomato marinara, however here, we’re taking things up a notch by using vodka sauce.
Butter, garlic, and tomato paste caramelize in the pan before being deglazed with vodka to help amp up the tomato flavour. Not drinking? No problem. Just skip the vodka and go straight through, whisking in cream to make it thick and glossy. That creamy, tomato goodness gets poured over crispy chicken cutlets that are oozing with grated mozzarella. The soft Italian buns are toasted to perfection and slathered in garlic-herb butter for even more flavour. Everything is piled high for a saucy, dangerously delicious bite.
The idea for this sandwich was loosely inspired by the vodka slice at a popular Toronto pizza joint, Badiali, where classic tomato pizza sauce is substituted for vodka sauce. It’s a simple substitution that marries the best of Italian-American (or Canadian!) cuisine while satisfying all the comfort food cravings. Every bite of this sandwich is a mind-blowing experience — one that you don’t need to wait in line for, but you’ll definitely want to have again and again!
Related: The Best Pizza Sandwich Recipe
ingredients
directions
Pat 2 chicken breasts dry and slice each in half lengthwise to create 2 thin cutlets. Season the cutlets with 1 teaspoon salt and set aside.
Set up three shallow bowls for dredging. In the first add ¼ cup flour, to the second crack and whisk two eggs, to the third add 2 cups panko and ¼ cup grated parmesan. Season each bowl with ½ teaspoon salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Mix until incorporated.
Take each cutlet through the dredging station, first in the flour, then the egg and finally in the breadcrumbs. Be sure to press the bread crumbs into the chicken to ensure even coating.
Transfer the breaded cutlets to a small plate and keep them in the fridge while you make the vodka sauce.
Heat a dutch oven, or thick-bottomed sauce pan, on medium-low heat. Add 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil. When the butter starts to foam, grate in 2 garlic cloves and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add ½ cup tomato paste and 1 teaspoon chili flakes. Let cook on medium low until the tomato paste is slightly caramelized and takes on a deep red colour, about 5-8 minutes. Deglaze the pan with 1 oz vodka, if using, and continue cooking until you can’t smell the alcohol. Whisk in 1½ cup heavy cream and season with ½ tsp salt. Taste and adjust.
Cover the sauce and turn the heat to the lowest setting to keep warm while you fry the cutlets.
In a medium frying pan, heat ½ cup olive oil on medium until it reaches 350°F-375°F. While the oil heats, position one rack in the upper third of the oven and the other in the middle. Turn the broiler to high. Finally, place an oven-safe wire rack inside a ½ baking sheet. Set aside.
Test the oil by dropping a bread crumb into the centre of the pan, it should turn golden brown within 10-20 seconds. Add 1 cutlet at a time and fry until light golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip and repeat. Transfer the cutlets to the wire rack-lined baking sheet and season with a sprinkle of salt. Continue until all 4 cutlets are fried, adding more oil to the pan as needed.
In a small bowl mix together 3 tablespoon butter, 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley and 1 grated garlic clove. Cut 2 Italian buns in half lengthwise and spread on the garlic-parsley butter. Transfer the buns butter-side up to a ½ baking sheet and place on the lower rack of the oven.
Cover each cutlet in grated mozzarella and place under the broiler until the cheese is melted and has developed a few brown spots throughout, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, give the vodka sauce a quick whisk and turn off the heat.
Remove the toasted buns and cover the bottom pieces in a few tablespoons of the vodka sauce.
Layer on a piece of chicken, followed by more vodka sauce. Repeat and finish with a little extra grated parmesan. Serve while hot and enjoy!
