Traditional Turkey Schnitzels for Passover is a kosher for Passover, crispy turkey cutlet made with matzo meal (or matzo cake meal).
It only has 3 main ingredients and a unique spice blend for delicious flavor (or you can substitute your own favorite spice blend!), so it’s easy to make.
These cutlets are a perfect quick meal any time during the holiday week!
Crispy and flavorful turkey schnitzels are easy to make and are the perfect quick lunch or dinner any time during the week of Passover!
They go great with any side.
Have them with mashed potatoes or with coleslaw. A side salad works great too!
Cut them into strips or nuggets for the kids and serve them with french fries!
Seasonings to have in your cupboard during the week of Passover for easy cooking.
- salt
- ground black or white pepper
- granulated garlic or garlic powder
- onion powder
- ground cinnamon
- sugar (granulated)
- brown sugar
- chicken consommé powder
- onion soup mix
- various herbs
- additional spices to adapt taste to preference
Food on Passover
Torah-observant Jews do not eat chametz (the fermented products of five grains: wheat, spelt, barley, oats, and rye).
In addition, Torah-observant Ashkenazi Jews do not eat kitniyot (or kitniyos as pronounced in Ashkenazi Hebrew). These include legumes, corn, rice, and similar foods that were deemed forbidden to eat by rabbis in the medieval period and are still not eaten today. Sephardi and Mizrachi Jews do not follow this tradition.
Many observant Ashkenazi Jews will not even eat the derivatives of these kitniyot, while others do (each family holds their own traditions regarding this).
Then, there are Ashkenazim who don’t eat “gebrokts” (or gebrochts).
Gebrokts (gebrochts) means “broken” in Yiddish, and in this case refers to matzo that has absorbed liquid. Not eating gebrokts is observed by many in the Hasidic Jewish community and Ashkenazim who have taken on this tradition, where they basically don’t mix anything wet with matzo.
So, things like matzo sandwiches, fried matzo, and even matzo balls are a no-no for them.
There is a joke that sums it all up:
On Passover, we should remember people who have little to eat on this holiday. They are called Ashkenazim.
Over the years, I have learned to adapt “normal” food for Passover so that my family won’t complain about boring, tasteless, or repetitive meals.
I find that having good food and variety makes the week of Passover a very pleasant experience, and I hope this recipe will help make yours just that!
What is a schnitzel?
The word schnitzel comes from German, meaning a cutlet, and is prepared from fried or baked tenderized slices of meat coated with egg and flour or breadcrumbs.
The story goes that schnitzel was brought to the Austro-Hungarian Empire from Italy in the middle of the 19th century.
Ever heard of the term “weinerschnitzel” (the w being pronounced like a “v”)? Well, apparently, the schnitzel dish of veal coated in breadcrumbs and fried in butter or lard was named after the Austrian city of Vienna somewhere around the turn of the 20th century, and the wienerschnitzel was born!
Then, like today, the dish was often served with fries or mashed potatoes.
Before coating, the meat is either tenderized—using a meat-tenderizing hammer—or just cut into thin slices.
Today, this original dish is prepared and served throughout the world in a variety of ways, using veal, lamb, beef, pork, turkey, or chicken, and may be known by different names (such as breaded veal cutlet, breaded pork chop, or chicken fried steak).
Schnitzels in Israel
I learned to cook schnitzels in Israel, where they are a very popular dish.
Fast food stalls in Israel serve schnitzel in a pita or on a French Baguette, accompanied by veggies or French Fries and there are eateries entirely dedicated to serving schnitzel in a variety of ways.
At home, people serve schnitzel also in a pita with vegetables and humus or techina or on a plate with sides. Israeli salad of diced cucumber and tomato is a common pita filler or side.
The Israeli version of schnitzel is made from chicken or turkey breast, but the name “schnitzel” is used also for other breaded foods, such as fish (fish schnitzel) or the vegetarian packaged version made with corn (corn schnitzel).
Most of the popular food in Israeli cuisine is from Mizrachi Jews (Jews that immigrated to Israel from Arab countries, mostly when they were expelled from there after the establishment of the State of Israel).
However, schnitzel is one of the few foods in popular Israeli cuisine that were brought to Israel by Ashkenazi (Jews from Europe).
Today, most Israelis make schnitzel by coating it with egg and then the breadcrumbs, but back when I was taught to make them, the coating was eggs, breadcrumbs, or flour, and then another coating of eggs before placing it in the hot oil to fry.
Also, some people will coat with flour before the egg because a dry piece of chicken or turkey may hold the egg better. Personally, I haven’t found any difference.
While frying is the usual way Israelis make their schnitzels, baking them will reduce fat and thus reduce calories. Note that they might be a little less favorable.
Before frying, spices can be added to the dry coating, such as salt, paprika, or grill powder (as in this recipe).
Traditional Turkey Schnitzels for Passover
Kosher for Passover, crispy, turkey schnitzels with matzo meal.
Ingredients
- 4 6-ounce raw boneless turkey breast (the weight is just a recommendation - slice a turkey breast horizontally into cutlets)
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup of matzo meal (or matzo cake meal - which is just ground finer), kosher for Passover
- 1 tablespoon Israeli Grill Seasoning Mix *
Instructions
- Place the matzo meal and the Israeli Grill Seasoning Mix in a bowl and combine well. Then, place the beaten eggs in another bowl (make sure both bowls are large enough to easily accommodate the raw turkey).
- Pour oil into a frying pan so it reaches 1/8 - 1/4 inch high and heat on medium. (You will know it's hot enough when you can toss a little matzo meal in and it sizzles.)
- Take a piece of the raw turkey and dip in the egg, coating well. Let the excess egg drip off a bit and then coat well with the matzo meal on both sides.
- Gently place in the hot oil.
- Repeat with the remaining cutlets. Make sure to leave a little room between the cutlets.
- Fry on one side until golden brown, then gently turn and fry on the other.
- Remove from oil and place on paper towel lined plate too absorb excess oil and cool.
Notes
*This is a recommendation. You can spice as you wish with whatever seasoning you wish or not at all (but they may be somewhat bland if not spiced at all).
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 382Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 183mgSodium: 1326mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 56g