Chicken Spiedini with Amogio Sauce is one of those classic St. Louis Italian dishes that deserves a spot in every home cook's recipe collection. Tender pieces of chicken are marinated in lemon, garlic, olive oil, and white wine, coated in Parmesan breadcrumbs, threaded onto skewers, and broiled until crisp and golden. A warm, buttery garlic and lemon amogio sauce spooned over the top makes every bite even better.
I live on The Hill, St. Louis' historic Italian neighborhood, where chicken spiedini is a menu staple at Italian restaurants throughout the neighborhood. As a professional recipe developer and cookbook author living right in the middle of this Italian-American food tradition, I wanted my homemade version to capture everything I love about the dish while still being practical enough to make at home.
Instead of frying the chicken or firing up the grill, this easy chicken spiedini recipe uses the broiler. It gives the breadcrumb coating that beautifully toasted exterior while keeping the chicken tender and juicy inside. The whole recipe takes about 50 minutes, including a quick marinade, so it's easy enough for a weeknight but special enough for Sunday dinner or entertaining.
If you love Italian-American classics, you'll also want to try my Chicken Modiga, Chicken Saltimbocca, and Veal Piccata.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Chicken Spiedini Recipe
- What Is Chicken Spiedini?
- What Is Amogio Sauce?
- Ingredients
- How to Make Chicken Spiedini
- Tina's Tips for the Best Chicken Spiedini
- Metal vs. Wooden Skewers
- Substitutions and Variations
- What to Serve with Chicken Spiedini
- Storage and Reheating
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Chicken Spiedini with Amogio Sauce
Why You'll Love This Chicken Spiedini Recipe
- Great for entertaining: Spiedini looks impressive served on a platter but is surprisingly simple to prepare.
- A St. Louis favorite: Chicken spiedini is a beloved Italian-American dish here in St. Louis, especially on The Hill.
- Crispy without frying: Broiling gives the Parmesan breadcrumb coating plenty of golden color without needing to pan-fry each piece.
- Quick marinade: The chicken only needs 20 minutes to soak up the lemon, garlic, white wine, and olive oil.
- That amogio sauce: Butter, olive oil, garlic, lemon, and parsley create a rich, bright sauce that makes the whole dish.
What Is Chicken Spiedini?
Spiedini means "skewers" in Italian, and the term can refer to many different foods cooked on skewers.
Here in St. Louis, however, chicken spiedini usually means something much more specific: pieces of marinated chicken coated in seasoned breadcrumbs, threaded onto skewers, cooked until golden, and served with a garlicky lemon-butter sauce.
Living on The Hill, I see versions of chicken spiedini on Italian restaurant menus all around the neighborhood. There are plenty of variations from restaurant to restaurant and family to family, but that combination of juicy chicken, crisp breadcrumbs, Parmesan, lemon, garlic, and amogio sauce is what makes the St. Louis-style version so good.
My version is designed specifically for the home kitchen. Using boneless chicken breast keeps the prep simple, and broiling the skewers gives you the browned breadcrumb crust you want without having to fry the chicken.
What Is Amogio Sauce?
Amogio sauce is the buttery, garlicky sauce commonly served alongside chicken spiedini in St. Louis.
My version combines butter and extra virgin olive oil with fresh garlic, lemon juice, parsley, and a little red pepper flake. It's rich from the butter but still bright and fresh thanks to the lemon.
You can spoon the warm sauce directly over the finished chicken or serve it alongside the skewers for dipping. I usually like to do a little of both.
Ingredients
Chicken Spiedini
- Chicken breasts: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are cut into 1-inch pieces so they cook quickly and evenly.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Forms the base of the marinade and helps keep the chicken moist.
- Dry white wine: Adds acidity and flavor to the marinade. Use a dry wine such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc.
- Lemon: Both fresh lemon juice and lemon zest give the chicken plenty of bright citrus flavor.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is essential to both the marinade and the amogio sauce.
- Italian seasoned breadcrumbs: These create the crispy exterior characteristic of St. Louis-style chicken spiedini.
- Parmesan cheese: Finely grated Parmesan adds savory, salty flavor and helps the coating become golden.
- Italian parsley: Fresh parsley adds freshness to both the breading and sauce.
Amogio Sauce
- Butter and olive oil: This combination creates a rich sauce without making it feel overly heavy.
- Garlic: Briefly cooking the garlic in the butter and oil mellows it slightly while infusing the entire sauce.
- Lemon juice: Cuts through the richness of the butter and complements the chicken.
- Red pepper flakes: Optional, but I love the subtle heat they add.
How to Make Chicken Spiedini
Marinate the chicken
Add the chicken pieces to a large bowl with the olive oil, white wine, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, salt, and pepper.
Toss everything together until the chicken is thoroughly coated. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
You don't need a long marinade here. Because the chicken pieces are small, 20 minutes is enough time for them to pick up plenty of flavor.
Bread the chicken
Combine the Italian breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and fresh parsley in a shallow bowl.
Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and let the excess liquid drip away. Coat each piece thoroughly in the breadcrumb mixture, gently pressing the breadcrumbs onto the chicken so they stick.
Assemble and broil
Thread the breaded chicken onto metal skewers.
Arrange the skewers on a sheet pan. Broil on high for 4 to 5 minutes per side.
The chicken is ready when the coating is golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Make the Amoigo sauce
While the chicken cooks, melt the butter and olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lemon juice, parsley, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.
Transfer the cooked chicken spiedini to a platter and spoon some of the warm amogio sauce over the top.
Tina's Tips for the Best Chicken Spiedini
- Cut the chicken evenly. Keeping the pieces close to 1 inch helps everything finish cooking at approximately the same time.
- Don't leave too much marinade on the chicken. Letting the excess drip away before breading helps the breadcrumb coating stick instead of becoming soggy.
- Press on the breadcrumbs. Gently pressing the coating onto each chicken piece will help it stay attached when you thread and turn the skewers.
- Add a little olive oil before broiling. A light spray or drizzle helps the breadcrumbs brown and crisp.
- Watch your broiler closely. Every oven is different. Use the color of the breadcrumbs and the internal temperature of the chicken as your guide.
- Serve the sauce warm. The amogio sauce is best when the butter is melted and the garlic and lemon flavors are warm and fragrant.
Metal vs. Wooden Skewers
I prefer metal skewers for chicken spiedini, especially when cooking under the broiler.
Because the skewers sit fairly close to intense direct heat, wooden skewers can scorch.
If wooden skewers are all you have, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before assembling the chicken. I also recommend wrapping any exposed wooden ends in aluminum foil before placing them under the broiler.
Substitutions and Variations
- Use chicken thighs: Boneless skinless chicken thighs can be substituted for chicken breasts. They may need slightly longer to cook depending on the size of the pieces.
- Skip the wine: Replace the white wine with additional olive oil and a small splash of chicken broth if you prefer to cook without wine.
- Add more heat: Increase the red pepper flakes in the amogio sauce for a spicier version.
- Grill the spiedini: You can also grill the skewers over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until the breading is golden and the chicken reaches 165°F.
- Add extra Parmesan: Sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan over the finished platter just before serving.
What to Serve with Chicken Spiedini
Chicken spiedini works especially well with simple Italian-inspired sides that let the crispy chicken and garlicky amogio sauce shine.
Serve it with pasta tossed in olive oil and Parmesan, roasted potatoes, an Italian salad, sautéed green beans, roasted vegetables, or crusty Italian bread.
For a full Italian-American dinner, I especially love serving chicken spiedini with a simple pasta and a big salad. Make sure you have some bread on the table too because you will absolutely want something to soak up the leftover amogio sauce.
Storage and Reheating
- Store leftover chicken spiedini in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- I recommend storing the chicken and amogio sauce separately if possible so the breadcrumbs stay crisp.
- To reheat, place the chicken on a sheet pan and warm it in a 375°F oven until heated through. An air fryer also works well for bringing back some of the crispness.
- Warm the amogio sauce gently in a small saucepan or microwave just until the butter melts again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Chicken cooked on skewers certainly isn't unique to St. Louis, but the breadcrumb-coated chicken spiedini served with amogio sauce is closely associated with St. Louis Italian-American cooking.
It's especially familiar here on The Hill, where I live, and you'll see different versions of spiedini served throughout the neighborhood.
Yes. You can arrange the breaded chicken pieces directly on a wire rack over a sheet pan and broil them the same way.
The skewers give you the classic presentation, but they aren't essential to the flavor.
"Spiedini" is Italian for skewers or foods cooked on skewers. The singular form is "spiedino."
Chicken Spiedini with Amogio Sauce
Ingredients
Chicken Spiedini Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch pieces
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- ½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
- Olive oil spray or additional olive oil for cooking
Amogio Sauce Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken. Add the chicken to a large bowl. Add the olive oil, white wine, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, salt, and black pepper. Toss until well coated. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
- Prepare the breading. In a shallow bowl, combine the Italian breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and parsley.
- Bread the chicken. Remove the chicken from the marinade, allowing the excess liquid to drip off. Working a few pieces at a time, coat the chicken in the breadcrumb mixture, pressing gently so the coating adheres.
- Assemble the skewers. Thread the breaded chicken pieces onto metal skewers, leaving a small amount of space between each piece. Arrange the skewers on a foil-lined sheet pan fitted with a wire rack, if using. Lightly spray or drizzle the chicken with olive oil.
- Broil the spiedini. Position an oven rack about 6 inches from the broiler and preheat the broiler on high. Broil the chicken for 4 to 5 minutes per side, turning once, until the breading is golden brown and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Watch closely toward the end of cooking so the breadcrumbs do not burn. Each broiler is different - so pay attention to the temperature and color of the chicken rather than relying on the time.
- Make the amogio sauce. While the chicken cooks, melt the butter with the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice, parsley, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.
- Finish and serve. Transfer the chicken spiedini to a serving platter. Spoon the warm amogio sauce over the skewers or serve it on the side for dipping. Garnish with additional parsley and serve immediately.
Notes
- Metal skewers are preferred for broiling. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before assembling and wrap any exposed ends with foil to help prevent scorching.
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