Grilled vs Fried Chicken Explained: Which Should You Order?

Grilled chicken is cooked over direct heat, so it tastes smoky, feels leaner and lets the meat speak for itself. Fried or breaded chicken is coated and cooked in fat, giving a crisp shell and a richer bite. At Hawaii in Side, grilled options are cooked over wood fire and charcoal; breaded favourites include schnitzel and Kiev.

The basic difference

Most chicken dishes on a restaurant menu fall into one of two families. Grilled chicken goes straight onto hot bars or skewers over the fire. The surface browns and picks up smoke, while the inside stays juicy if it is not overcooked. Fried or breaded chicken is usually coated first, in breadcrumbs, batter or flour, and then cooked in oil or butter. The coating protects the meat, holds in moisture and turns golden and crunchy.

Neither is better. They simply suit different moods, appetites and companions at the table.

Side-by-side comparison

The grilled options at Hawaii

At Hawaii Restaurant & Bar, meat and chicken grill dishes are cooked over wood fire and charcoal, which is what gives them their smoky edge. You can read more about that in our wood fire and charcoal grill guide. The grilled chicken dishes are:

• Grilled chicken fillet: served with a choice of mushroom, pepper or béarnaise sauce. See our grilled chicken fillet page.
• Chicken skewers: from the Turkish Specialities section, served with rice and chips. We cover them on their own chicken skewers page.
• Chicken Plank steak: a grilled fillet with oven baked mashed potato and béarnaise sauce, presented on an oak plank.

Children have their own grilled option too: the kids menu lists a Grilled Chicken Fillet with chips and rice.

The breaded and fried-style options at Hawaii

• Chicken Schnitzel: with mushroom, pepper or béarnaise sauce. A schnitzel is usually flattened, breaded and pan-fried. See our Chicken Schnitzel page.
• Chicken Kiev: the menu describes it as a chicken roll filled with garlic butter. Kiev is classically breaded and fried so the butter melts inside. More on the Chicken Kiev page.
• Chicken Nuggets with Chips: on the kids menu, the easy crowd-pleaser for younger diners.
• Buffalo Chicken Wings: listed in the Mexican section. Buffalo wings are typically fried and then tossed in a tangy, buttery hot sauce.

Where the menu does not describe the method in detail, ask your server how Hawaii prepares the dish. The descriptions above of how these styles are usually made are general, not a promise about our kitchen.

Breast vs thigh: does the cut matter?

Alongside cooking method, the cut of chicken shapes the eating experience. In general terms:

• Breast is white meat: lean, mild and quick to cook. It works well flattened for schnitzel or rolled for Kiev, but it dries out if overcooked, so sauces are a natural partner.
• Thigh is darker meat: a little fattier, more flavourful and more forgiving on a hot grill, which is why many cooks like it for skewers.

Menus do not always name the cut, and ours does not for every dish. If the cut matters to you, simply ask your server which one the kitchen uses for the dish you have in mind.

How to choose

• Want something lighter after a beach day? Go grilled: the fillet or the skewers.
• Want comfort and crunch? Go breaded: the schnitzel or the Kiev.
• Want a bit of theatre? The Chicken Plank steak arrives on an oak plank.
• Sharing with friends over drinks? Buffalo Chicken Wings are made for picking at.
• Feeding young children? Nuggets or the kids' Grilled Chicken Fillet.

Halal and allergies

All meat and chicken at Hawaii is halal-slaughtered, and pork is served only on request and prepared separately. If you have an allergy, for example to gluten in breadcrumbs or to dairy in butter-based sauces, tell your server before ordering so the team can advise you.

Plan your visit

Hawaii Restaurant & Bar has served Side old town since 2000 and is open daily 10:00–02:00. For the full chicken line-up, see our chicken dishes guide; for current prices, check the live menu. Free round-trip pickup is available from selected hotels, and you can reserve a table online or on WhatsApp at +90 533 930 12 83.