Trolleys at the ready: here are the best supermarket chicken schnitzels

Let’s be honest: chicken schnitzel is the undisputed MVP of weeknight dinners. It’s fast, cheap, and delicious.

Plus, supermarket shelves are practically overflowing with schnitty options these days.

But which ones actually deliver that golden, crispy perfection, with plenty of chicken content at a reasonable price, and which ones are best to avoid?

Two of Australia’s leading dietitians and nutritionists, Susie Burrell and Leanne Ward, have taken a deep dive into supermarket pre-made chicken schnitzel on their podcast The Nutrition Couch.

The pair made some startling discoveries.

This, coupled with our own nine.com.au investigation, has resulted in this list of the best supermarket chicken schnitzel options for families – based on chicken content, price per pack and unit price.

Supermarket chicken schnitzels, ranked

1. Woolworths Macro Free Range Chicken Breast Schnitzel

Chicken content: 67 per cent

Price per pack: $9 for a two-pack weighing 350g

Unit price: $25.71 per kilo

2. Aldi Chicken Breast Schnitzel Crunchy Homestyle

Chicken content: 67 per cent

Price: $7.99 for a four-pack weighing 600g

Unit price: $13.32 per kilo

3. Lilydale Fresh Range Chicken Breast Schnitzel

Chicken content: 66 per cent

Price: $10 for a four-pack weighing 400g

Unit price: $25 per kilo

4. Steggles Frozen Crumbed Chicken Breast Schnitzel

Chicken content: 62 per cent

Price: $5.50 for a four-pack weighing 400g

Unit price: $13.75 per kilo

5. Coles Chicken Breast Schnitzel 60 per cent chicken

Chicken content: 60 per cent

Price: $9 for a two-pack weighing 600g

Unit price: $15 per kilo

6. Cleavers Organic Chicken Schnitzel

Chicken content: 60 per cent

Price: $12.50 for a four-pack weighing 400g

Unit price: $31.25 per kilo

Further findings

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Burrell and Ward found the most chicken they could find in a supermarket chicken schnitzel was 67 per cent, but many options were much, much lower.

“Crumbed chicken is notoriously bad for having a low percentage of chicken, with some brands offering products with as little as 30 per cent,” Burrell told nine.com.au after publishing their findings.

“There are very few good options and as such, if you can, you are always better to crumb your own.”

They also found price doesn’t mean better, with two supermarket home brands giving the best bang for your buck. We also found an Aldi offering that was high in chicken content and low in price.

Although Ward noted most supermarket chicken schnitzel is “half the protein and often about double the calorie load” of what she would recommend for a single meal, and to proceed with caution.

Their top tips

• Look out for the words ‘chicken breast’ in the name as these tend to have a higher percentage of chicken.
• Paying more doesn’t mean a higher percentage of chicken, with two supermarket home brands scoring highly on their ranking.
• When in doubt, read the nutrition label.
• Better still, make your own using real chicken breast or tenderloins.