The truth is actually not simple. As we will see, much of the difficulty is not a matter of halacha, but rather of taste: Why is it that many people prefer schnitzel to cutlets that are not breaded?
Clearly, the ikar (main part) of schnitzel is the poultry. In general, we make a beracha on the ikar, which exempts us from saying a beracha on the less important ingredients,[2] and this is usually determined by the majority component of the food.[3] However, an exception to this rule is that if the minority of a food is made from one of the major grain species (which includes standard flour), the beracha on the mixed food is Mezonot.[4]
Grain products have this special status only if they play a significant role in the food’s character. Some Rishonim seem to understand that the grain rule is simply an application of the assumption that grain usually shapes the character of the food even when it is a minority.[5] According to this approach, in a case like ours, where the poultry is clearly the main ingredient, the beracha should be Shehakol even though it is breaded.
However, the accepted approach[6] is that grain has halachic precedence. Therefore, even when another food is more important than the grain component, as is true for schnitzel, the beracha is Mezonot. It is sufficient for the grain component to be a significant ingredient, even if it is not the main ingredient.[7] The classic case in which the grain component is not considered significant is when its purpose is just to make the ingredients stick together (e.g., gefilte fish).[8]
The question thus is what contribution the schnitzel’s coating makes. The following are the logical claims that we are aware of. (After each, we will write what beracha is appropriate if this is the factor):
1. The coating tastes good as a nicely seasoned doughy food (Mezonot).
2. It absorbs oil from the pan and gravy from the cutlet in one rich (albeit not so healthy) layer. (The beracha can go either way, as the doughy part tastes good, but mainly because of what it absorbed. Still, this factor would seem to indicate Mezonot.)
3. It helps the spices to stick (Shehakol).
4. It keeps the cutlet from drying out (Shehakol).
5. It allows frying at a high temperature with a reduced chance of burning (Shehakol).
Although the majority of these theories point toward Shehakol, this does not mean that this should be the conclusion. This is because if all of the above are true, then the coating has important food characteristics, which make Mezonot appropriate, irrespective of additional “Shehakol benefits.”
Regarding the bottom line, some important poskim say that one should say Mezonot on schnitzel when the coating is relatively thick and Shehekol when it is thin.[9] Some contemporary authorities differ regarding whether “standard” schnitzel has a thick or thin coating.[10] Rav Moshe Feinstein is cited as requiring berachot on both the meat and the coating, as neither element is dominant enough to outweigh the other. Others suggest first eating a little of each separately to avoid doubt. (This solution makes halachic sense, but we do not like mandating convoluted practices to avoid making halachic decisions.)
Of crucial importance is that the minhag is quite clearly to say Shehakol. Often, a minhag to say Shehakol develops because Shehakol is the ”safe” beracha, as one always fulfills his obligation, at least after the fact, with Shehakol.[11] This is particularly logical in our case, since the ruling may change depending on the time, place, and piece of schnitzel. Although some poskim say that Mezonot is also a “catch-all” beracha for almost all foods,[12] this is far less certain. Therefore, although we think that, fundamentally, most schnitzels “deserve” Mezonot, practically, there is not enough certainty in the matter to instruct people to change from the standard practice of reciting just Shehakol.