Chicken Spiedini With Lemon Butter Sauce

This easy Chicken Spiedini recipe features skewered chicken cubes that have marinated in wine, lemon juice and olive oil before getting coated with Italian seasoned breadcrumbs. Grilled until crispy on the outside, the chicken remains juicy and tender on the inside. Finished with a succulent lemon-butter sauce, these chicken skewers will delight adults and children alike!

If you love breaded chicken cutlets but despise standing at the stovetop frying them, this chicken spiedini is for you. There’s no messy egg/flour dipping station or oil splattering to contend with. Instead, marinated cubes of chicken are rolled in a breadcrumb mixture, skewered, then grilled. The crust gets incredibly crispy thanks to the hot grill and the coating of breadcrumbs and parmesan which brown so nicely. The meat, protected by the coating, remains impossibly moist and succulent.

But the joy of this Italian-American chicken spiedini recipe does not stop with its ease of preparation. Once they come off the grill, the golden-crisp chicken bites are drizzled with an amogio sauce. A simple garlicky, herby, lemon-butter sauce that makes it all taste out-of-this-world delicious.

Friends, go make these crowd-favourite chicken skewers as soon as possible. They are easy to put together, supremely satisfying, and will excite your taste buds.

What is Spiedini?

In Italian, spiedini is the plural word used for anything, but mostly meat, that is skewered. Spiedini are said to have originated in Abruzzo, Italy, where they are also referred to as arrosticini or spiducci. The addition of breadcrumbs to the skewered meat, mostly veal, appears to be more common in Sicily where the grilled brochettes are sold as street food.

Interestingly, the popularity of breaded chicken spiedini is credited to the restaurant Garuzzo in Kansas where the infamous dish is hugely popular. This recipe is very much based on that Americanized version where the chicken marinates in wine, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic before getting rolled in a breadcrumb and parmesan mixture. Once skewered, the chicken spiedini are grilled, or broiled, and served with a glorious garlicky, butter-lemon sauce.

Ingredient Notes

These are the ingredients you will need to make this incredibly flavourful chicken spiedini:

• Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast: I have only ever made chicken spiedini with chicken breast but I’m sure chicken thighs will work just fine.
• Olive Oil: For the marinade.
• Dry White Wine: For adding flavour to the marinade and to quickly help tenderize the chicken. I typically use a Pinot Grigio or sauvignon blanc. If avoiding alcohol, feel free to leave it out and add a little more lemon juice and olive oil instead.
• Garlic: You will need freshly minced garlic for the marinade and the lemon-butter sauce. On rushed weeknights I sometimes skip the fresh garlic, but I do end up missing it.
• Fine, dry Breadcrumbs: You will need seasoned breadcrumbs but I rather buy plain breadcrumbs and season them myself. This way I can control the seasoning and make it to my liking. If you prefer to buy them seasoned, that is fine too. You can use panko breadcrumbs in a pinch but they won’t adhere to the chicken as well as fine breadcrumbs. In addition, I find panko burns a little too quickly on the grill because it does not soak moisture very well. Occasionally, I will add a few tablespoons of panko to the breadcrumbs which seems to work well, but it’s really not necessary.
• Seasoning: If using plain breadcrumbs, you will need to add some Italian Seasoning and garlic powder to the breadcrumb mixture. If you don’t have Italian Seasoning, just sprinkle in a little dried thyme and oregano, and/or dried rosemary.
• Parmesan Cheese: A key ingredient for the breadcrumb coating because it adds so much flavour. If possible, always buy a block of Reggiano and grate it yourself.
• Butter: For the lemon-butter sauce that is drizzled all over the grilled spiedini – yum!
• Lemon Juice: You will need freshly squeezed lemon juice for the marinade and for the lemon-butter sauce.
• Fresh Parsley: Adds brightness, colour and flavour to the chicken spiedini. You can also add basil and chives, or add them in lieu of the parsley.

More Variations And Substitutions

• Add more herbs – Basil, chives, rosemary will all work.
• Swap the protein – Use beef or pork instead of chicken.
• Add some heat – For just a bit of heat, I sometimes add a teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the lemon butter sauce.
• Make it gluten-free – Thankfully there are plenty of gluten-freebreadcrumbs now on the market, including panko breadcrumbs. You can also easily make your own with gluten-free bread.
• Make it dairy-free – The butter in the sauce adds a delicious rich flavour to the dish as does the parmesan cheese in the breadcrumb mixture. But if avoiding dairy, you can totally use olive oil in the sauce instead, and use a dairy-free parmesan cheese. The spiedini will still be fabulous.

How To Make Chicken Spiedini With lemon Butter Sauce

If you are using wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least 20 to 30 minutes to prevent them from burning too much.

Step 1: Marinate the chicken

In a large bowl, combine the cubed chicken, minced garlic, lemon juice, white wine, olive oil, and salt. Mix until the chicken is well coated. Cover and marinate for 20-30 minutes, or up to overnight.

Step 2: Assemble the chicken skewers

Preheat your grill to medium-high heat and make sure the grates are very clean. Don’t oil the grates until ready to cook the skewers.

In a shallow dish, combine the breadcrumb mixture. Add about 5 pieces of chicken to the seasoned breadcrumbs, rolling each around so they are coated on all sides. Thread the coated chicken pieces onto wooden skewers (I fit about 5 on each skewer). Repeat with remaining chicken pieces. Depending on what size skewers you use, you should have 6 to 8.

Step 3: Grill the chicken spiedini

Very generously oil the grates or griddle. Add the skewers and cook undisturbed for 4 to 5 minutes on the first side. Using tongs, flip the skewers and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes each on the 3 remaining sides. Remove from heat when spiedini are nice and golden brown and/or internal temperature reads 165ºF. Note that the cooking time will depend on how hot your grill runs so adjust accordingly.

Step 4: Make the lemon-butter sauce

Over medium heat, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the minced garlic and pinch of salt and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice and chopped parsley.

Step 5: Serve

Place the chicken on a serving platter and drizzle generously with the lemon-butter sauce. Pass any leftover sauce around the table for extra drizzling. Serve with lemon wedges on the side, if desired.

Other Ways To Cook Chicken Spiedini

I prefer to cook the spiedini in an outdoor grill which gives the bread coating that yummy fried flavour when in fact it has been grilled. It may seem odd to grill meat that has a breadcrumb coating but I assure you it works with spiedini and it’s delicious!

Recently, unless I am cooking a huge batch, I have been using my Lodge griddle which I heat inside the bbq. It works great for cooking more delicate meat such as these spiedini. If you don’t have an outdoor grill, or prefer to cook the spiedini indoors, you can bake them in the oven or shallow fry in a large skillet.

TO BAKE:

• Preheat the oven to 425ºF
• Arrange the chicken spiedini on a large baking sheet. If making a double batch, use two sheet pans to not overcrowd.
• Spray the spiedini with cooking spray, or drizzle with olive oil.
• Bake for 20 – 30 minutes turning the skewers halfway through. If they need a little more colour, place the tray a few inches from the broiler and broil for 2-3 minutes.
• Serve as per recipe suggestions.

TO SHALLOW FRY:

• Place a large skillet over medium high heat. Add enough oil just to coat the bottom of the pan. Once oil is very hot, but not smoking, add 4 to 5 skewers to the pan. Don’t overcrowd the pan.
• Cook, undisturbed, for 3 minutes. Using tongs, flip the spiedini and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes each on the 3 remaining sides.
• Repeat with remaining skewers adding a little more oil if necessary. TIP: If a lot of crumbs have fallen off and burnt in the pan, wipe them out with paper towels before cooking the next batch.
• Serve as per recipe suggestions.

Serving Suggestions

Chicken spiedini is wonderful served over any pasta but we also love it alongside something fresh and green, like a simple cucumber or bean salad, and a pile of rice.

Or serve the spiedini with this favourite summery panzanella for a light and delicious meal.

If serving spiedini for a crowd, try serving it with a few colourful grain salads, or a gorgeous platter of sliced summer tomatoes with basil, or these easy baked potato wedges. Yum.

Storing Suggestions

Anything breaded is best enjoyed within hours of making it. But the cold leftovers are also fabulous the next day tossed into salads, or reheated in the oven.

• To store: Place leftover spiedini in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
• To reheat: Place spiedini on a small sheet pan and reheat in a 350ºF preheated oven until warmed through, about 10 minutes. Alternatively, heat them in a skillet with a smidge of oil over medium heat until heated through.

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***If you give this Chicken Spiedini recipe a try, please feel free to leave a comment and/or a star rating below. We appreciate and welcome all your feedback. Thank you!