The schnitzel came to Australia in the hands of the European migrants who arrived after World War II, and Australians adopted it with open arms and hungry stomachs. By the 1970s the chicken schnitzel was a fixture of pub bistros, RSL clubs, and family dinners across the country, served with chips, salad, and a jug of gravy — and it remains one of the most-ordered dishes in Australian pubs to this day.
What makes it great is that perfect crunch: a thin, tender chicken breast with a crisp, golden, craggy crumb that shatters as you cut into it, and stays juicy inside. Squeezed with lemon, dipped in gravy, or piled high on chips, it’s simple, satisfying, and endlessly versatile — and with a topping of tomato sauce and cheese, it becomes its famous cousin, the parma.
