Chicken Schnitzel on the Menu: Breaded vs Grilled, Pita to Plate
Chicken schnitzel is a very thin chicken cutlet, breaded and fried until the crust is golden and crispy. You’ll often find it on a menu alongside the grilled chicken cutlet (which, of course, is unbreaded). Go for the schnitzel if you’re after the crunch; go for the grilled chicken if you want a bit of char.
Grill Point NYC has been around since it opened in Queens back in 2003. You can get them in pita, in homemade laffa, or as a plated meal (more options are available at the Upper East Side location). The order, pick your cutlet first, then choose the format that fits your appetite.
What Is Chicken Schnitzel?
Chicken schnitzel is a boneless chicken breast pounded thin, coated in breadcrumbs, and fried until golden on the outside. It has a crisp, breaded exterior and a tender, juicy chicken inside.
You’ll find schnitzel on menus all over the world, but in NYC it’s also common as a substantial chicken schnitzel sandwich or a full plate with sides.
At Grill Point, we cook the schnitzel fresh and serve it in several formats depending on where you’re at. It’s the same good old juicy chicken and crisp breading, but the way you order it can make the meal quite different.
What Makes a Cutlet a Schnitzel
A breaded chicken cutlet becomes a schnitzel when you flatten the meat and coat it in a fine crumb crust before frying. The thinness of the cutlet is what gives the crust its golden color and allows the chicken to remain tender.
So schnitzel is a type of breaded chicken (not every piece of fried chicken is a schnitzel). It’s the flattened cutlet with the crisp coating that gives it its own character.
What Americans Call Chicken Schnitzel
In the US, chicken schnitzel is generally known as a breaded chicken cutlet.
Both names refer to the same dish, and Grill Point uses both on its two NYC menus.
At our Queens location, the breaded chicken cutlet is listed alongside the grilled version. On the Upper East Side menu, it’s known as the schnitzel.
If you’re looking for schnitzel chicken or a breaded chicken cutlet, you’re looking for pretty much the same thing.
Chicken Schnitzel vs Grilled Chicken Cutlet
The main difference between a chicken schnitzel and a chicken cutlet cooked on the grill is the coating and the texture that it produces.
| Chicken Schnitzel | Grilled Chicken | |
| Coating | Breadcrumbs | No breading |
| Cooking style | Fried | Grilled |
| Texture | Crisp shell with juicy chicken inside | Grill marks and the chicken’s natural texture |
| Sauce | Best on the side or lightly drizzled | Can take more sauce without losing a crust |
| Queens menu name | Breaded Chicken Cutlet | Grilled Chicken Cutlet |
| Upper East Side menu name | Schnitzel | Grilled Chicken Breast |
Neither is automatically the better choice. It really comes down to what you want from your meal and how you plan to eat it.
Crunch vs Char
Chicken schnitzel has that lovely crunch from the breadcrumb coating. The chicken itself is quite mild and tender,, so the crunch does the work in terms of texture.
A grilled chicken cutlet, on the other hand, puts the chicken absolutely front and center. There’s no coating at all between you and the chicken, just the flavor of the grill and a bit of char on the outside.
If you’re after something golden and crunchy, then the schnitzel is the way to go. If you want the taste of grilled chicken breast without the breading,, you’ll want the grilled cutlet.
How Each One Takes Sauce
A crispy schnitzel crust soaks up moisture – that’s great if you’re going to have a bit of tahini or some other sauce with each bite, but if you’ve got too much, it’ll just end up softening the crust.
For maximum crunch, keep the sauce on the side or ask for a drizzle.
A grilled cutlet is far more forgiving. There’s no breadcrumb coating to worry about,, so you can add sauces and a juicy salad without fear of it all falling apart.
This is especially useful when you’re choosing between the two for a loaded sandwich.
Which One to Order
Choose the chicken schnitzel if you’re primarily after the crisp coating. It’s very good when it’s hot, with the sauce on the side and something fresh to cut through the richness.
Choose grilled chicken if you’d rather have the taste of the meat without the fried coating or if you’re planning on having a lot of salad and sauce with it.
Ordering with someone else? Get one of each and compare. That’s the easiest way to figure out your fave, then order the one you like.
Choosing a Format: Pita, Laffa, Baguette, Bowl or Entree
Once you’ve chosen your chicken, the next step is deciding how you want it served. A chicken schnitzel pita is a portable, easy-to-eat option for on the go. A bowl or an entree is the option if you want more of a meal in the traditional sense. For a general overview of the formats available, check out our guide to pita, laffa and bowls.
Chicken Schnitzel Pita: The Compact Handheld
A chicken schnitzel pita is a great option if you want a proper meal without having to sit down for it.
The pita pocket holds the cutlet and your chosen salads together so you can eat it easily.
At Grill Point Queens, the pita comes with French fries, and you get access to the salad bar.
At the Upper East Side location, you can pick up to six salads/meze fillings and up to three sauces on the side (tahini, amba, and schug, depending on what you’re in the mood for).
There’s no one particular way to build your sandwich, really. You can keep it very simple, or you can go a bit more adventurous and add a few of the sharper flavors to cut through the breaded chicken.
Laffa or Wrap: More Room for Fillings
Our homemade laffa gives you far more space to work with.
It’s a large soft flatbread with the chicken rolled up in it, plenty of room for extra salad and sauces. Both Grill Point locations have the laffa and the wrap as an option with your cutlet.
One thing to remember with schnitzel: the more wet fillings you use on the crumb crust, the quicker it will soften.
If you want the chicken to stay crunchy for as long as possible, then ask for the particularly good salads and sauces on the side.
Baguette: Upper East Side Only
If you want a sandwich with a bit of bite from the bread itself,, the baguette is definitely worth a look.
Available at Grill Point on the Upper East Side, the long crusty roll makes a pretty decent chicken schnitzel sandwich.
Unlike the soft pita or laffa, the baguette adds another dimension of crunch. It’s absolutely brilliant if you’re planning to sit down and eat the sandwich while it’s still fresh.
The Upper East Side menu also has a schnitzel special (served on challah) as an in-store option. Best to check directly with the restaurant as it’s not available via the online ordering system.
Bowl: Seven Choices, No Bread
The Schnitzel Bowl at Grill Point’s Upper East Side location gives you plenty of variety without wrapping everything in bread.
You can pick up to seven of the available salads, meze, and hot sides (rice, couscous, and grilled vegetables, as well as the range of prepared salads).
You can also pick up to three sauces on the side.
It’s a brilliant format if you want to enjoy the chicken with a range of flavors rather than just one sandwich combo.
Keeping the sides separate also gives you far greater control over how much moisture gets to the crispy coating.
Entree: Two Sides, Salad Bar & Bread
For a more traditional chicken schnitzel plate, the Queen’s is the way to go.
The Breaded Chicken Cutlet entrée comes with two side dishes of your choice, access to the salad bar, and bread.
This format is ideal if you’re a bit hungrier or if you prefer to eat your chicken with a knife and fork.
Instead of putting it all in a sandwich, you can have pieces of the crispy schnitzel with your chosen sides.
It’s also a good way to eat the breaded cutlet without having the sauces and salad just sitting on the crust.
What to Serve With Chicken Schnitzel
Traditionally, schnitzel is served with a lemon wedge and something like a potato or cucumber salad. At Grill Point,, you can go more in the Mediterranean direction with hummus, fresh salads,, and warm sides to go with the crispy chicken.
Sauces & Meze for a Crisp Crust
The best side dishes for chicken schnitzel add flavor without drowning out that glorious golden crust.
Some of our favorites include:
- Hummus: smooth and creamy, a lovely contrast to the crispy chicken.
- Matbucha: a cooked tomato and pepper salad that’s rich and tangy.
- Tabbouleh: fresh parsley and lemon provide a lovely bright counterpoint to the fried chicken.
- Baba ganoush: a smoky eggplant dip that pairs well with a hot cutlet.
- Moroccan eggplant: another option if you’re after something with a bit more depth.
You can also have tahini with schnitzel (particularly when you’re having it in a pita or laffa).
At the Upper East Side location, you’ve got schug for the heat, amba for the tang, and pickles or red cabbage for the crunch.
Keep the sauces separate to keep the coating crisp.
Sides for a Schnitzel Plate
Both Grill Point sites offer the usual sides, i.e., French fries, rice, couscous, and grilled vegetables.
French fries are the perfect thing when you’re after something substantial. The rice is a bit softer in texture, which pairs well with the crispy chicken, especially with tahini or another sauce on the side.
Grilled vegetables are a good option if you prefer a smoky side.
Queens has a potato of the day, and the UES menu has mejadara.
For the breaded version, fresh salads and veg will cut through the richness of the coating. With grilled chicken, rice or couscous makes a good base, with plenty of sauce.
Ordering Schnitzel in Queens vs the Upper East Side
Grill Point’s two NYC locations both have the chicken schnitzel and grilled chicken on the menu, though the names used on the menus are slightly different and the way you can order them is different at each location.
That’s the bit that matters when you’re choosing between a sandwich and a full meal.
Queens: Breaded & Grilled Side by Side
The Queens breaded and grilled chicken options are a Breaded Chicken Cutlet and a Grilled Chicken Cutlet.
Both are available in pita or laffa, with French fries and access to the salad bar.
You can also order them as an entrée with two sides and bread (perfect if you prefer a plated meal).
For the younger set, Queens has a kids meal with one breaded or grilled chicken cutlet, served with either fries or rice.
Upper East Side: Four Breads & a Bowl
The Upper East Side has its Schnitzel options (which are just called Schnitzel), and its grilled option is Grilled Chicken Breast.
You can choose a pita, a homemade laffa, a wrap, or a baguette.
The menu also features the Schnitzel Bowl, so you can build your meal around the salads and hot sides rather than the bread.
Come enjoy a schnitzel with us!
As co-owner of Grill Point, Amy Peretz has spent over 10 years managing daily operations and preserving the same shawarma recipes locals have loved for 20+ years.
