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Backhendl from Austria

Backhendl

Also known as Wiener Backhendl, Viennese fried chicken, Austrian breaded chicken

📍 Vienna / Wienerwald (Grinzing, Nussdorf, Baden bei Wien) ★ 4.3
Last updated Aug 13, 2026 · Reviewed by the WhatWhereVacay editorial team

Breaded and pan-fried spring chicken from Vienna, served in heuriger in Grinzing and Sievering with parsley, lemon, and Grüner Veltliner.

About Backhendl

Backhendl is the breaded, pan-fried chicken of Vienna, the dish for which the city's wine taverns (heuriger) and grand restaurants became famous across 19th-century Europe. The dish was popularised in the 1830s by the Viennese chef Joseph Kolb, who fried a young chicken in breadcrumbs and served it with a slice of lemon and a pile of parsley.

The bird is a young free-range spring chicken (Backhendlhenne), butterflied, lightly floured, dipped in beaten egg, and pressed in fine dry breadcrumbs. It is shallow-fried in clarified butter until the crust is shatteringly crisp and the breast meat is just cooked, then split down the backbone and served as two golden halves. The traditional accompaniments are a slice of lemon, a parsley-butter sauce, potato-cucumber salad, and a green-leaf salad.

Backhendl is served at every heuriger on the Wienerwald hillsides, in the city's grand coffeehouses such as Café Landtmann, and at traditional Gasthäuser in Baden bei Wien, Klosterneuburg, and Grinzing. It is also the centrepiece of any Viennese Sunday family lunch, paired with a young Grüner Veltliner from the surrounding hills.

🏛️ History & Culture

Backhendl, also known as Wiener Backhendl, is a quintessential Viennese dish, deeply associated with the city's heurigen (wine taverns) and grand restaurants. Its popularity surged in the 19th century, particularly during the Biedermeier era, when it became a celebrated symbol of Viennese dining. While the technique of breading and frying is not uniquely Austrian, the dish as a distinct Viennese specialty is firmly established in culinary history.

In Austria, Backhendl is traditionally made with chicken pieces—typically the leg or breast—coated in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs, then pan-fried in butter or oil. Regional variations are subtle, often revolving around the type of breadcrumb used (fine versus coarse) or the accompanying side, such as potato salad or cucumber salad. It remains a beloved staple of heurigen and traditional restaurants, representing Austrian comfort food and often enjoyed with a glass of local wine.

🍳 How to make Backhendl

AI-assisted, not kitchen-tested

Wiener Backhendl (Austrian Breaded Fried Chicken)

A classic Viennese dish of butterflied spring chicken, breaded and shallow-fried in clarified butter until the crust is shatteringly crisp and the meat juicy. Serve with lemon wedges and fresh parsley for the authentic heuriger experience.

Prep
30 min
Cook
30 min
Total
60 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
Medium

Recipe ingredients

  • 2 whole spring chickens (about 1 kg / 2 lb 3 oz each), butterflied, Ask your butcher to butterfly, or do it yourself: cut out the backbone with shears and press flat.
  • 150 g (1¼ cups) all-purpose flour, for dredging
  • 3 large eggs, beaten with a pinch of salt
  • 200 g (2 cups) fine dry breadcrumbs, preferably from stale white bread, pulsed finely
  • 500 g (2 cups) clarified butter, or ghee; if unavailable, use a mix of 250 g butter and 250 ml neutral oil for a higher smoke point
  • 1 tsp fine salt, plus more for seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 whole lemon, cut into wedges, for serving
  • 1 bunch fresh parsley, leaves picked, for garnish

Steps

  1. 1 Pat the butterflied chickens dry with paper towels. Season all over with salt and pepper.
  2. 2 Set up a breading station: one shallow dish with flour, one with beaten egg, and one with breadcrumbs.
  3. 3 Dredge a chicken in the flour, shaking off excess. Dip it into the egg, letting excess drip off, then press it into the breadcrumbs, covering every surface evenly. Repeat with the second chicken.
  4. 4 In a large, deep skillet (or two if you have them), heat the clarified butter over medium-high heat until it reaches about 180°C (350°F) — a cube of bread dropped in should sizzle immediately. The butter should be about 1 cm (1/2 inch) deep.
  5. 5 Carefully lay one chicken in the hot butter, skin side down. Fry for 5–6 minutes until deep golden brown and crispy, then turn and fry the other side for another 5–6 minutes, until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the thigh registers 74°C (165°F) on an instant-read thermometer. Adjust heat as needed to keep the butter from burning.
  6. 6 Transfer the chicken to a wire rack set over a baking sheet to drain. Keep warm in a low oven (100°C / 200°F) while frying the second chicken in the same butter, adding more if needed.
  7. 7 Serve each half chicken immediately, garnished with lemon wedges and fresh parsley. Accompany with potato-cucumber salad or a green salad if desired.
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