Lemon. Garlic. Wine. What more can I say? Ridiculously tender and juicy after a quick marinade, these Grilled Chicken Spiedini Skewers have a light, airy crust of Parmesan and panko and a simply, sumptuous Garlic Lemon Butter Drizzle to finish off this classic Italian favorite.
It’s still grilling season, folks! Which means a nice afternoon or evening of patio sitting, definitely a favorite activity for my family and I. Tiki torches, tunes, and a frosty cold cocktail will make even a dreary day just a little bit brighter!
Spiedini, basically meaning skewers, is a favorite at my local Italian restaurant. Don’t get me wrong, I seriously LOVE pasta, but I adore the large, tender chunks of chicken breast with the slightly charred crust of parmigiana and breadcrumbs all drizzled in flavor packed, lip-licking lemon garlic butter.
What makes these Italian kabobs head-over-heals better than other recipes out there? At least in my opinion! 5 easy steps make all of the difference for the most succulent, tender, flavorful packed Spiedini around.
- Dry Brine
- Marinade
- Breading
- Grilling
- Lemon Garlic Butter Drizzle
How to make Grilled Chicken Spiedini Skewers
First, Dry Brine!
Don’t be intimidated by the brine. It’s literally just sprinkling the 2” cubes of skewered chicken breast with coarse kosher salt while you whip up the marinade and bread crumb mixture. That’s it!
What is a Dry Brine and what does it do?
Brining does three things:
- Tenderizes
- Extra Moisture
- Flavor
The abbreviated definition of brining is that through osmosis and diffusion, the salt breaks down tough muscle tissue and enhances the inherent flavor. Dry brining also promotes the Maillard reaction which creates additional flavor and browning.
After the chicken has brined to flavorful, tender glory for 30-60 minutes, place in a ziplock bag that contains the marinade. And no, you don’t have to rinse the salt off of the kabobs.
The marinade is a simple mix of olive oil, dry white wine, garlic, lemon juice and zest.
Lemon is a star ingredient in this recipe. One of my favorite kitchen tools is a Microplane Grater/Zester. It’s what I use for the lemon in the marinade and butter sauce. It literally goes on vacation with me along with my knives. I highly recommend it for zesting and finely shredding cheeses if you don’t have one.
While the chicken is marinating, preheat your grill and stir together the breading in a flat tray. Whether it’s a chimney full of charcoal (my preference) or a gas grill, I aim for a temp of 350-400 on the grates.
After the grill is up to temp and the grates are well oiled, take a chicken skewer from the marinade, roll it in the tray that contains the breading mix and place on in-direct heat with the grill lid closed, which means NOT directly over the coals or flame.
Grill for about 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the crust is golden brown. The breading mixture contains parmesan cheese, panko breadcrumbs, parsley, salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, and chili powder. I like panko breadcrumbs over traditional Italian breadcrumbs because the texture is lighter and airier and promotes a crispier crust.
If you like a bit of char on your breadcrumbs as I do, roll them briefly over the heat to add some additional color and flavor just before you pull them off.
During the last 5 minutes of grill time, in a small saucepan either on the grill or stovetop, melt together butter, parsley, garlic, lemon juice and zest.
Love to grill??? Me too! Check out some of my other favorites:
- STICKY ASIAN GRILLED CHICKEN THIGHS
- GRILLED HOMEMADE ITALIAN MEATBALLS
- BOURBON BACON GRILLED BAKED BEANS
- GRILLED BANG BANG SHRIMP
- GRILLED TRIPLE BERRY CRISP IN A CAST IRON SKILLET
- PINEAPPLE TERIYAKI CHICKEN KABOBS
- GRILLED ASPARAGUS WITH GRILLED LEMON
If you’ve tried my Grilled Chicken Spiedini Skewers or any other recipe on this website, please don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how it came out in the comments below. I’d LOVE to hear from you!
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Grilled Chicken Spiedini Skewers
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breast, boneless, skinless, cut into 2" cubes
- 2 teaspoons Mortons kosher salt
Marinade
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup dry white wine Pinot Grigio
- 2 clove garlic, minced fine
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Breadcrumbs
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons Italian flat leaf parsley, fresh chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
Garlic Lemon Butter
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 tablespoons Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 clove garlic, minced fine
- lemon wedges for sqeezing
Instructions
- Skewer the chicken cubes on 4 to 6 kabob skewers and sprinkle with Mortons kosher salt. (Different brands and types have varying levels of saltiness.) Place on a baking rack over a cookie sheet in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes to dry brine.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the marinade ingredients. After the 30-60 minute dry brine, cover the chicken with the marinade for 30-60 minutes. Do not rinse the salt/brine from the chicken before placing in the marinade.
- Preheat the grill to a medium high heat, set up for in-direct cooking, aiming for 350-400 degrees. Make sure the grill grates are well oiled to prevent sticking.
- Combine the breadcrumb ingredients in a flat baking tray.
- Remove the chicken skewers from the marinade one at a time and roll in the breadcrumbs to coat.
- Grill the chicken skewers on indirect heat for about 20 minutes until chicken is cooked through (165 internal temperature) and the breadcrumbs are browned. Indirect means not directly over the coals or flame.
- During the last few minutes of cook time, melt the Garlic Lemon Butter ingredients together in a small saucepan and drizzle over the cooked chicken skewers after they are removed from the grill.
- For additional char and color on your breadcrumb crust, roll the skewers briefly over the heat source just before you pull them off of the grill if desired.
- Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing.
Nutrition
Mother, Gardener, Book Devourer, and Food Obsessor. I love being inspired with fresh, seasonal ingredients and relish every opportunity to elevate my home cooking. Join me!
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