Chicken Spiedini is the kind of chicken you think about days later, crispy, flavorful, and super simple to make.
Chicken Spiedini
I’m so obsessed with this recipe—I can’t wait for you to try it! If you’ve never had Chicken Spiedini, it’s an Italian-inspired dish made with marinated chicken that’s breaded, skewered, and baked. I cook it at a high temp so it’s ready in just 12 minutes—just like my easy baked chicken bites!
Each skewer bakes up golden, crispy, and full of flavor. They’re quick, easy, and totally irresistible.
Honestly, this is one of my all-time favorite chicken dishes. Don’t skip the easy lemon garlic butter sauce—it takes them over the top!
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make Chicken Spiedini:
- Chicken Thighs: Dark meat stays juicy and adds more flavor. Breasts will dry out.
- Olive Oil: The better the oil, the better the flavor. Use extra-virgin.
- Chicken Broth: I love Swanson’s for flavor—not sponsored.
- Lemons: We’re using fresh lemons for both zest and juice.
- Garlic: Big flavor in the Chicken Spiedini marinade and the lemon butter sauce.
- Red Pepper Flakes: Adds a little kick without too much heat. You can skip it.
- Italian Seasoning: Lots of flavor from just one ingredient.
- Salt & Pepper: Season in layers—taste and adjust as you go.
- Italian-Style Panko & Parmesan: Makes the chicken crispy and flavorful. Use the kind of Parmesan in the fridge section, not shelf-stable.
- Butter & Parsley: This easy sauce gets drizzled on top and takes the chicken to the next level.
What To Serve With Chicken Spiedini
- Lemon rice: Bright and simple to pair with the lemon garlic flavors.
- Roasted potatoes: So delicious with the garlic butter sauce.
- Caesar Salad: This is my favorite side to the crispy chicken!
- Herb Rice: Light, fluffy rice with herby flavor—pairs perfectly.
- Mashed Potatoes: If you want comfort food, this combo is hard to beat.
Chicken Spiedini Tips
- Soak wooden skewers: If using wood, soak them in water for 30 minutes so they don’t burn.
- Pat chicken dry: Helps the marinade stick and gives a better crust.
- Don’t skip the spray: A good coat of cooking spray helps the breadcrumbs crisp up and keeps the skewers from sticking to the foil.
- Use a meat thermometer: Chicken Spiedini is done at 160–165°F.
Storage
Chicken Spiedini is best fresh from the oven while the coating is crispy. If you have leftovers keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheat in the oven or air fryer to regain some crisp.
More Easy Chicken Dishes:
Chicken Spiedini
Chicken Spiedini takes marinated chicken, coats it in crumbs, and bakes it to crispy, juicy perfection.
Video
Equipment
- Metal skewers or wood skewers (soaked in water and dried)
- Large sheet pan (15" x 21")
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces, see note 1
Marinade
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 2 large lemons divided
- 3 teaspoons minced garlic divided
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper
Breading
- 1-1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese see note 2
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Garlic-Butter Sauce
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to center of oven. Preheat broiler to high. Line a large sheet pan with foil and generously spray with cooking spray. Trim fat and cut chicken into 1-½-inch pieces. Pat dry.
- In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, chicken broth, 1 tsp lemon zest, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tsp garlic, red pepper flakes, and Italian seasoning. Add salt and pepper (I use ¾ tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper). Add chicken and toss to coat. Cover and chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour (no longer).
- In a second large bowl, stir together Panko, Parmesan, garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.
- Use tongs to remove chicken from marinade, letting excess drip off. Add to breadcrumb mixture and gently toss until evenly coated.
- Thread chicken onto skewers and place spaced apart on the prepared pan. Press any leftover crumbs onto the chicken. Spray generously with cooking spray. In the fully heated oven, broil for 10–12 minutes (watch closely), or until chicken reaches 160°F and the coating is golden and crisp.
- While chicken cooks, melt butter with remaining 1 tsp garlic in a microwave-safe dish. Stir in 1 tbsp lemon juice and parsley.
- Drizzle or brush garlic butter over chicken. Serve right away with extra lemon wedges.
Final step! Please let us know how it was by leaving a review.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Chicken breasts won’t work the same here. Start with close to 3 pounds of thighs—after trimming all the fat, you’ll have around 2 pounds.
Note 2: Use real Parmesan from the fridge section, not shelf-stable. It should be finely grated, like sand—not shredded.
Storage: Best eaten fresh—chicken is crispy right out of the oven. Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days, but the coating softens. Reheat in the oven or air fryer.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 497kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 106mg | Sodium: 387mg | Potassium: 227mg | Fiber: 0.9g | Sugar: 0.7g | Vitamin A: 392IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 113mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Could I marinate and air fry and leave uncooked in the fridge overnight?
I wouldn’t recommend marinating that long. The lemon juice is acidic and can start to “cook” the chicken, which can give it a weird, soft texture.
I’d stick to the 30 minutes to 1 hour in the recipe for best results.
I made this and it was perfection the top but mushy on the bottom. My guess is that it was too much moisture from cooking close together on a skewer. I think next time I would spread it out on a sheet pan and flip halfway through.
Yes your guess is probably right, if they’re too close together they wont get as crispy! I’m so glad you still enjoyed!
We have some in our home that are eating low carb. Do you think these would work out without the panko breadcrumbs? I know the taste would change, but I was wondering if the method needs to be adjusted?
You can skip the panko, but I haven’t tested it that way so I can’t guarantee the results. The panko helps create that crispy coating and keeps the chicken from drying out under the broiler.
Without it, the chicken won’t be crispy, may cook faster, and could dry out more easily.
If you try it, keep a close eye on cook time and consider pulling it a bit earlier. You can also brush on a little extra olive oil to help keep it juicy.
For a low-carb option with some texture, finely grated Parmesan or a mix of Parmesan and almond flour would be a better swap, but I haven’t tested that either.
This recipe sounds amazing and am going to try it.
Help me understand how these ingredients create “Garlic Butter Sauce’ when there is no garlic in it?
Garlic-Butter Sauce
▢4 tablespoons unsalted butter
▢1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
Read step 6 🙂 the garlic is divided!
Can I use chicken breast
Breasts tend to dry out with this cooking method!
Superb!!
Thanks so much Steve!
could these be grilled? I would like to cook outside.
I haven’t ever tried but I think it would be ok so long as the grates were really well greased so the breading doesn’t stick