Today’s healthy chicken spiedini recipe will show you how to make this Italian dish at home. But what exactly is spiedini? Let’s find out.
What Is Spiedini?
“Spiedini” is an Italian word that refers to skewers of meatballs or meat cubes. So, chicken spiedini basically means chicken skewers.
The most common cooking method for spiedini is grilling because it gives the chicken a beautiful charring and a smoky flavor.
Is Chicken Spiedini Healthy?
Yes, our chicken spiedini recipe is healthy. Here’s why:
- It’s high in protein: Thanks to the boneless, skinless chicken breast, our chicken skewers and pasta contain 42.5 grams of protein per serving.
- It’s low in fat: There are only 6 grams of saturated fat in one serving of our chicken spiedini and spaghetti. We use enough olive oil, butter, and cheese to ensure the flavor of the dish.
- It contains carbs but isn’t high in calories: We’re serving the chicken with a side of spaghetti and tomato sauce to make it a wholesome meal. One serving of chicken and pasta provides only 480 calories, but it will surely leave you feeling full and satisfied.
Want to know more about your recommended daily calorie and fat intake? Check out our healthy eating guidelines for all the useful information you need.
Ingredients for Chicken Spiedini
Here are the main ingredients for today’s healthy, oven-baked chicken spiedini recipe:
- Boneless, skinless chicken breast: We’ll show you how to prepare later.
- Seasoning for the chicken: Italian seasonings, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, paprika, salt, oregano, and red pepper flakes. We also use a touch of lemon juice to tenderize the meat and olive oil to keep it juicy.
- Pasta and sauce: For this recipe, we’re making a simple tomato sauce with garlic, butter, and chicken broth to pair it with spaghetti. We use parmesan cheese to season the sauce and pasta instead of salt.
- Fresh herbs: We use coriander for the chicken and parsley for the pasta. If you’re not a fan of these two, feel free to leave them out.
How to Cut Chicken for Chicken Spiedini
Some recipes may tell you to cut your boneless, skinless chicken breasts into cubes, but we have a better idea. For this recipe, we recommend cutting the chicken into ½-inch thick strips and, here’s why:
- Strips are thinner and have more surface area than cubes. This allows them to absorb the seasonings better and faster without having to marinate for some time.
- Since they’re thinner, they cook faster. You can cook them at high heat for a shorter time and they won’t become dry.
Skewers made with cubed chicken take more time to cook as the meat is thicker.
You need to cook the chicken long enough for the interior to cook. However, by the time it’s done, the outside will likely be overcooked and have become dry and tough.
How to Make Chicken Spiedini
First, you will need to marinate the chicken. Simply combine the chicken with all the spices in a large mixing bowl and you’re good to go.
“How long should I marinate the chicken?” you asked. Actually, since we cut the chicken into strips, it absorbs the flavors well and doesn’t need to rest.
At this point, you can proceed to assemble the skewers.
Fold a strip of chicken in half and pierce each layer through the pointed end of the skewer. Push that piece down to the bottom of the skewer and continue to stack more pieces of chicken on top.
Once all the skewers are done, bake the chicken on a wire rack placed over a baking sheet in the oven for 7 minutes. We recommend putting the chicken on the bottom shelf of the oven to prevent it from drying out too fast.
While the chicken is cooking, you can start cooking your pasta and sauce. It’s best to work simultaneously so that all of your food is ready at the same time to plate up.
Here is a summary of our chicken spiedini recipe:
Marinate chicken.
Assemble chicken skewers.
Bake the chicken.
Season the chicken.
Cook the pasta sauce.
Mix the pasta with the sauce.
Garnish and serve.
How to Store and Reheat The Leftover
If you have leftover chicken spiedini and pasta, place it in a microwave-safe airtight container. It will last for up to five days in the refrigerator.
To reheat, simply unseal the lid so that it covers the food loosely and microwave for 2 minutes.
This dish is perfect for meal-prepping for the whole week. You can make a big batch of it and divide it into serving portions.
Meal preparation allows you to save time and energy as you don’t have to cook and clean up every day. Instead, you will have healthy, homemade ready meals waiting for you in the fridge.
What To Serve With Chicken Spiedini
Our chicken spiedini may be delicious, but it lacks fiber. We recommend serving it with a side of Greek salad to bring more vegetables into your meal.
Since both of these dishes are Mediterranean, their flavor profile naturally compliments each other.
We also reckon it would be nice, after this dish, to enjoy a glass of lemon watermelon juice to cleanse your palate. Don’t worry; it’s a low-calorie drink and won’t exceed your recommended calorie intake.
Here is a quick look at today’s meal’s nutrition facts:
Easy, Healthy Pasta Recipes You May Like:
Besides this tasty Chicken Spiedini recipe, we also have several amazing other pasta recipes that we would like you to try. They’re easy to follow and strictly comply with our guidelines:
- Pesto Shrimp Pasta Recipe
- Creamy Seafood Pasta Recipe
- Cauliflower Pasta Recipe
- Beef and Noodles Recipe
- Spaghetti Bolognese Recipe
Chicken Spiedini Recipe
Today's chicken spiedini recipe is going to show you how to make an Italian-style poultry skewer dish with spaghetti and tomato. Let's begin.
- cook TIME 10 mins
- prep TIME 5 mins
- total TIME 15 mins
- COURSE Main Course
- CUISINE Italian
- SERVINGS servings
- CALORIES 480 kcal
INGREDIENTS
- 20 ozskinless boneless chicken breast (cut into strips)
- 2 tspItalian seasoning
- 2 tbspolive oil (divided)
- 0.5 tbsplemon juice
- 0.5 tsponion powder
- 0.5 tspblack pepper
- 0.5 tspgarlic powder
- 1 tsppaprika
- 0.5 tspsalt
- 0.5 tspdried oregano
- 2 tbspfresh coriander (roughly chopped)
- 0.5 tspred pepper flakes
- 2 tbspfresh parsley (roughly chopped)
- 1 tbspunsalted butter
- 12 ozcooked spaghetti
- 2 tbspgarlic (minced)
- 1.5 ozshredded parmesan cheese
- 0.5 tsptraditional Dijon mustard
- 4 ozcherry tomato (cut in half lengthwise)
- 0.3 cupunsalted chicken broth
INSTRUCTIONS
Marinate the chicken: Preheat the oven to 480°F. While you wait, combine the chicken with 2 tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp oregano in a large mixing bowl. Mix well to distribute the spices evenly.
Assemble chicken skewers: Divide the chicken into 8 equal portions. Pierce it onto 8 bamboo skewers. Place it on a rack over a baking sheet.
Bake the chicken: Place the rack and baking sheet on the bottom shelf of the oven. Bake for 7 minutes.
Season the chicken: Remove the chicken from the oven. Sprinkle it with 2 tbsp coriander and 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes. Set aside.
Cook the pasta sauce: In a nonstick pan over medium heat, add 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp unsalted butter, 2 tbsp minced garlic, and sauté for 30 seconds. Add 4 oz cherry tomato and stir fry for 30 seconds, then add 1/4 cup unsalted chicken broth and cook for 2 minutes. Season the sauce with 1.5 oz shredded parmesan cheese and 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard.
Mix the pasta with the sauce: Add pasta to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, sprinkle with 2 tbsp fresh parsley and mix well.
Garnish and serve: Arrange the chicken and pasta on a plate and serve.
NUTRITION
Tuyet Pham
Chef, Culinary Consultant
Luna Regina
Writer, Author
Natalie Butler, RD, LD
Nutrition Reviewer