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Pita Schnitzel- The New Trend

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Crispy breaded Pita, golden and coated with sesame seeds, filled with shredded spiced chicken, fresh guacamole, salsa, and heaps of caramelized onions. YES.

This is truly the sandwich of all pita sandwiches. It’s crispy on the outside, but fluffy on the inside, with Israeli and Mexican flavors meeting in such happiness. Such. Happiness. I literally laughed aloud on my third bite. It was so good. SO SO GOOD.

pita schnitzel with all the fillings

A few days ago a friend of mine sent me a video of a restaurant in Israel making Pita Schnitzel. (check them out HERE). At first glance I thought they had traded in the pita for a massive piece of schnitzel. (did you think that? it kind of looks like it doesn’t it?). Then I realized they had breaded the pita itself, dipped first in egg to get the coating to stick, and fried the whole thing, before stuffing it.

I was ecstatic and couldn’t wait to try it for myself. But my husband had cut up all our chicken schnitzel and all I had was whole chicken, and how would I stuff the pita?

The answer? Shredded chicken, tossed with fajita spices, and all the other fillings to match.

This idea is so versatile you can really fill the pita with whatever you want, but the Mexican flair brought the whole thing to food taste heaven. I’m going to give you all the recipes, just how I made it from scratch, but feel free to substitute with what works for you.

What you’ll need

Theres a general order to things so you won’t be all day in the kitchen making this Pita Schnitzel. First…

Shredded Fajita Spiced Chicken

For the shredded chicken, I used drumsticks and chicken breast. You could use a whole chicken. Or buy a rotisserie chicken. I get it. We’ll boil the chicken in white wine and water till it is fork tender, and then toss it with an easy- yet- superb mix of Fajita spices.

2. Caramelised Onions

The onions take 30 minutes to caramelize. Do this while the chicken is cooking, and while you wait, make the other sides. I caramelized 2 white onions, which was enough for 4 Pita Schnitzel Sandwiches. I was also very generous with the onions. If you’re serving more, or making a Pita Schnitzel Buffet(stuff your own! love this idea!), double the onions.

3. Fresh Salsa Roja

Whipping up, or should I say, blending up, a fresh batch of salsa is so easy, quick, and a great way to use up the over-ripe tomatoes you have bought but never actually use. Is that just me? Our salsa consists of red tomatoes, green jalapeño, onion, garlic, cilantro, and cumin. Use any leftovers for dipping chips.

4. Guacamole

The non-negotiable side in our Pita sandwich. Fresh guac is so delicious and takes a second to make, yet it adds such creamy and bright goodness. I like adding tomato to my guac for a little more heartiness. Make this before serving, because the avocado goes brown quite fast once cut and exposed to air, and brown is much less pretty than green.

5. The star of our show- CRISPY PITA SCHNITZEL

For the Pita Schnitzel, start with good, fluffy, fresh Pita. The best way to bread the Pita is to lay out two plates. In one, crack two eggs and give them a good whisk. In the second, add Panko crumbs and 1/4 cup sesame seeds. I recently tried the Panko crumbs from Pereg and they were already flavored and really tasty- I definitely recommend them!

TIP: If you get unseasoned panko crumbs you can season them yourself with 1 tsp. each of garlic powder and salt, and 2 tsp. sweet paprika.

Before you bread the Pita, heat up oil in a pot or frying pan till it reaches 350 F, or until the oil starts to shimmer. Dip the pita in the egg, making sure to fully cover both sides, and then dredge in crumbs, rolling the edges through the panko. Carefully lay in the hot oil to fry- for about 20 seconds per side.

TIP: The pita will puff up on one side, that’s when you know it’s ready!

  • egged and breaded
  • fried!

Stuff It

To slice the pita, make a slit on one side of the bread only. This creates that famous “Pita Pocket”. Stuff with all your fillings, and eat hot!!!

I know you are going to love this Pita Schnitzel like we do. Happy Cooking loves, and please come say Hi on Insta to share your food photos!!!

pita schnitzel

Pita Schnitzel: The New Trend

Estee
Crispy Sesame coated Pita bread stuffed with tons of good stuff.
5 from 4 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course dinner
Cuisine israeli
Servings 4 pita sandwiches

Equipment

  • pot or pan for deep frying

Ingredients
  

Shredded Fajita Spiced Chicken

  • 4 chicken breasts or 6 drumsticks
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 6 cups water
  • 1 tsp salt

Fajita Seasoning

  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp demarara sugar
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne powder

Caramelised Onions

  • 2 yellow onions
  • 3 Tbsp cooking oil

Salsa Roja

  • 4 ripe red tomatoes
  • 1 onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/8 cup cilantro
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small jalapeno
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp cumin

Guacamole

  • 1 avocado, pitted, and halved
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • half a tomato
  • squeeze of lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Pita Schnitzel

  • 4 pitas, whole
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup panko( used Pereg brand)
  • 1/4 cup sesame seeds
  • oil, for frying

Instructions
 

Shredded Chicken

  • Add chicken to a pot and pour over 1 cup white wine. Add 6 cups water(enough to cover the chicken) and 1 tsp. salt.
    Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover, and simmer until the chicken is fork-tender(easy to shred). This should take 45 minutes to an hour. In the meantime, make the other sides.
  • When the chicken is done cooking, remove it from the liquids and shred the meat, discarding skin and bones.
    Combine all the Fajita Seasoning Spices in a medium sized bowl, add the shredded chicken and toss to combine.

Caramelise Onions

  • Add 3 Tbsp oil to a saute pan and heat. Slice the onions into thin slivers. With the heat on low/medium-low, let the onions slowly cook until they turn golden, about 30 minutes. Stir often.

Salsa Roja

  • Add all salsa ingredients to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the "S" blade attachment. Process until desired thickness- I like my salsa on the chunky side.

Guacamole

  • Scoop the avocado flesh out of the skin into a medium sized bowl. Mash with a fork. Add salt, lemon, juice, and tomato, and mash again to combine.

Pita Schnitzel

  • Heat up oil in a frying pan or pot to 350F, or until the oil starts to shimmer.
  • Set out two bowls. In one, whisk the 2 eggs. In the second, add panko crumbs and sesame seeds.
    Dip each pita one at a time into the egg, making sure to cover all parts of the bread, and then into the crumbs. Roll the sides of the pita in panko to coat them as well. Add carefully to the hot oil, and fry until golden, about 20 seconds per side. If the middle of the pita isn't frying, flip it again. The pita will puff up when it is ready.
    Let cool slightly, and slit one side of the pita only, to create a pocket. Stuff with shredded chicken, guacamole, salsa, and caramelised onions. Enjoy!
Keyword bread, pita, schnitzel

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Comments

  4. Michelle says

    5 stars
    Wow! This looks amazing! The sesame-crusted pita looks so delicious. Such a unique recipe — cannot wait to give this a try!

    Reply