Chicken spiedini is about to be your most requested chicken dinner! Juicy chicken pieces are soaked in an Italian-inspired marinade with lemon zest and red pepper flakes and then lightly breaded, skewered, and grilled until golden and tender.
I like to think of chicken spiedini as the Italian cousin of Macedonian chicken skewers or Asian chicken satay. I serve these with the zestiest lemon butter sauce!
I’ve always been a fan of Italian cooking, so it’s no surprise that I’m obsessed with this chicken spiedini recipe! Spiedini, pronounced “spy-deenee”, is super popular in Kansas City, but the dish originated in Abruzzo, Italy.
Chicken gets marinated in white wine, olive oil, garlic, fresh lemon zest, and red pepper flakes, tossed with seasoned breadcrumbs, and laced onto skewers. It’s grilled kebab-style (the name “spiedini” comes from the Italian word for spit). Every bite is juicy, crispy, and popping with Italian flavor!
What I Love About This Skewers Recipe
- The chicken is SO juicy! I can’t get over how juicy these Italian chicken skewers turned out. The chicken is ultra-tender thanks to the marinade, wrapped in deliciously crunchy, golden breading.
- It’s also loaded with flavor. This chicken recipe has all of my favorite Italian flavors on a skewer: zesty lemon, garlic, parsley, and parmesan. Sort of like my Italian dressing chicken, but on a skewer.
- Skewers are great for entertaining. Chicken spiedini is so simple to make, and it’s always a hit. These never last long whether I make them on a weeknight or as an appetizer for a party. Especially when they’re smothered in the most amazing lemon butter sauce!
What Is Spiedini Made Of?
In this case, we’re using chicken. You can also make beef spiedini (similar to my Asian beef skewers and steak skewers). You need only a handful of ingredients for the lemony Italian marinade and the breading, which I’ll cover below. Be sure to scroll down to the printable recipe card for the full ingredients list and recipe details.
- Olive Oil – Or avocado oil.
- White Wine – Choose a dry white wine, like Pinot Grigio. Other good options are dry sherry or fortified wine, like Madeira or Marsala wine (like you’d use to cook Chicken Marsala). If you’d rather not use wine, use chicken stock instead.
- Red Pepper Flakes – Feel free to leave these out if you’re sensitive to spice.
- Lemon Zest – Freshly grated. Remember to wash your lemons before zesting!
- Chicken – Boneless chicken breasts or thighs, sliced into even-sized cubes. You can often find cubed chicken that’s ready to use in the grocery store.
- Breadcrumbs – I use seasoned Italian breadcrumbs. You can also use panko crumbs.
- Parmesan Cheese – Plus pecorino cheese, freshly grated from the block, if possible.
- Lemon Butter Sauce – I make in easy lemon butter sauce to serve with the spiedini. It’s basically my garlic butter sauce recipe adapted to include white wine and lemon zest.
How to Make Chicken Spiedini
I squeezed the very last drop out of grilling season to make these! Chicken spiedini is very quick to prepare and it’s not as messy as, say, beer battered chicken. Here’s how to make these chicken skewers in just a few easy steps:
- Marinate the chicken. First, whisk up the marinade, then coat the chicken and let it rest. I like to soak the wooden skewers in water while the chicken marinates (skip this step if you’re using metal skewers).
- Make the breading. Meanwhile, combine the breadcrumbs with parsley, garlic powder, lemon zest, and grated cheese.
- Prep the chicken. After marinating, add the chicken pieces to the breading and toss to coat. Thread the breaded chicken onto the skewers.
- Get it to the grill. Afterward, grill the chicken spiedini over medium-high heat for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Once the chicken is cooked through, your spiedini is ready to serve! I love mine drizzled with lemon butter sauce (see below). I include easy serving suggestions further on.
More Cooking Methods
If you don’t have a grill, don’t let that stop you. You can also shallow-fry these breaded chicken skewers or bake them in the oven or air fryer. Here’s how:
- Air Fryer: Spray the breaded chicken skewers with cooking spray and arrange them inside the air fryer. Cook at 400ºF for 6-8 minutes, flip, and cook for another 6-8 minutes until the chicken is done.
- Stovetop: Heat about ¼” of oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet. Place your skewers into the hot oil and cook for about 6-8 minutes, turning them often while they fry. Cook in batches and don’t overcrowd the pan.
- Oven: After assembling the chicken skewers, drizzle them with olive oil and arrange them on a baking sheet. Bake in a 350ºF oven for 25-30 minutes, turning halfway through.
What Sauce Goes With Chicken Spiedini?
This is, without fail, the BEST homemade lemon butter sauce to serve with my chicken spiedini! I go half and half with olive oil and butter, but you can use only butter if you’d like. Here’s how to make it:
- Sauté garlic in melted butter and olive oil.
- Once that’s fragrant, pour in white wine (you can use the same wine you used to marinate the chicken).
- Cook for 1-2 minutes, then stir in lemon zest and fresh chopped parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve alongside your spiedini.
Instead of lemon butter sauce, you can also serve chicken spiedini with Macedonian taratur (it’s similar to tzatziki), marinara sauce, or honey mustard.
Recipe Tips
- Cut even-sized cubes. Do your best to cut the chicken cubes to an even 1” size. If the chicken pieces are too small or different sizes, they may overcook or won’t cook evenly.
- Thoroughly coat the chicken with breading. I usually do this in batches to make sure the chicken gets evenly covered.
- Preheat the grill. Make sure that the grill is nice and hot when you add your chicken spiedini. The heat locks into the flavors and juices and keeps the chicken from drying out.
- Cook in batches. Don’t overcrowd the chicken while it’s cooking, otherwise, the outside will steam and the breading won’t get crispy. Grill the chicken in batches if needed. The same goes for baking and pan-frying.
Serving Suggestions
Chicken spiedini goes with pretty much everything. I’ll serve these crispy skewers as finger food at cocktail hour (Campari spritz in hand, of course), as an appetizer, or as a meal. They taste great served with lemon pasta or sun-dried tomato pasta, with a Mediterranean salad on the side. Fluffy focaccia bread doesn’t hurt either, for mopping up the leftover butter sauce!
In the wintertime, cozy up this chicken spiedini with risotto or mashed potatoes, and a slice of pear cake for dessert.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Refrigerate. Store any leftover chicken spiedini in the fridge for 2-3 days. They’ll still taste delicious as leftovers, though the breading won’t be as crispy.
- Reheat. Reheat the chicken in the microwave. If you have leftover lemon butter sauce, warm that up, too, and then pour it over the chicken.
More Chicken Recipes
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For the Marinade and Chicken
For the Lemon Butter Sauce
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Marinate the chicken. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, wine, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and lemon zest. Add the chicken to the marinade and toss to coat. Set aside for 20 to 30 minutes.
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Soak the skewers. If you are using wooden skewers, soak them in water while the chicken marinates. If you are using metal skewers, disregard this step.
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Make the breading. Whisk together the breadcrumbs, parsley, garlic powder, lemon zest, parmesan, and pecorino in a large mixing bowl.
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Bread the chicken. Once the chicken is done marinading, toss the chicken pieces in the breading mixture to coat. You can do this in batches if needed.
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Assemble the skewers. Thread several pieces of chicken onto a skewer. Repeat until you are out of chicken.
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Grill. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and brush the grate with olive oil. Arrange the skewers on the grate and grill for 5 minutes. Flip and grill the chicken for an additional 5 minutes or until cooked through. The chicken is done when its internal temperature registers at 165˚F on an instant-read meat thermometer.
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Make the sauce. While the chicken is cooking, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Once the butter has melted, add the garlic and saute until fragrant. Add the wine and let the sauce cook for a minute or two before stirring in the lemon zest and parsley. Turn off the heat, taste the sauce, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
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Serve. Serve the chicken skewers warm with the lemon-butter sauce.
Calories: 590kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 132mg | Sodium: 1056mg | Potassium: 680mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 712IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 173mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.