Spiedie Chicken Breasts With Buttered Broccoli

By Eric Kim

Published Aug. 6, 2024

Spiedie Chicken Breasts With Buttered Broccoli
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
40 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Rating
5(993)
Comments
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Native to Binghamton, New York, spiedies are marinated and grilled meat skewers, often made with lamb, pork and chicken. This casual weeknight dinner, inspired by the vinegary oregano marinade of spiedies, takes boneless, skinless chicken and transforms it into something special and undeniably juicy. Splitting thick, bulbous chicken breasts helps: The key to not-dry chicken is to level out its surface area so it cooks quickly and evenly. Tender-crisp buttery broccoli is a fun side dish here, something you can pan-sear after the chicken has had its time staining the skillet with its savory remnants of dried oregano and red wine vinegar. Serve with white rice, buttered toast or a big green salad.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1tablespoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning
  • 6tablespoons olive oil
  • 2tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1teaspoon coarse kosher salt or fine sea salt, plus more for the broccoli
  • ½teaspoon garlic or onion powder
  • ½teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • ¼teaspoon MSG (optional)
  • 1½pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
  • 1pound broccoli, crown chopped into bite-size pieces and stem peeled then sliced crosswise
  • 1tablespoon unsalted butter
  • Lemon wedges, for serving (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

453 calories; 28 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 17 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 42 grams protein; 626 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large bowl or resealable container, whisk to combine the oregano, olive oil, vinegar, salt, garlic powder, red pepper and MSG, if using.

  2. Step 2

    If using chicken breasts, cut each in half through their equators to create thin cutlets. Add to the marinade, mixing well to coat evenly, then cover and refrigerate until ready to cook, at least 10 minutes and up to 24 hours.

  3. Step 3

    Heat a large skillet over high; a splash of water in the hot pan should result in small beads that evaporate quickly. Add 2 to 3 chicken cutlets at a time and cook until lightly browned, 1 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter to rest.

  4. Step 4

    Over medium-high heat, add the broccoli to the dirty pan, season with salt, then stir-fry until charred at the edges, about 4 minutes. Add the butter and 2 tablespoons of water, and cover to finish cooking in the steam until your preferred doneness, 2 to 5 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    Serve immediately with the lemon wedges, if using.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
993 user ratings
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Comments

Brooke

I wanted to pop in the comments before Spiedie traditionalists come in. As a Binghamton native, I wanted to say that this is absolutely something I ate growing up. We used bottled Spiedie marinade for a variety of meats growing up, not just the skewered cubes. Even though I no longer live in the Southern Tier, I still stock up on bottles of Lupo's. It tastes like home to eat a marinated chicken breast like this. Thanks for sharing Eric!

SJR

Did I read this correctly that there's no oil used in the pan for the chicken? It's just relying on the oil on the chicken from the marinade?

Squirrel Butler

Dear God, this is unnecessarily complicated The analogy to a globe and an equator just doesn't work. A chicken breast doesn't look anything like a globe. Try this: place the chicken breast flat on the cutting surface, and cut it in half with a horizontal cut parallel to the cutting surface That resolves all the comments asking what an 'equator' is for a chicken breast....

Sharon

I just used the marinade part of this recipe and after 2 hours roasted the chicken breasts in my 390-degree air fryer for about 24 minutes (turning once). I skipped the broccoli and served the chicken breasts with a Provençal sauté of shredded cabbage and shredded butternut squash (recipe is from NYT Cooking) and whole wheat pasta in pesto with grated Parmesan. The chicken was fabulously juicy and delicious, and I didn’t even miss the broccoli.

Amy

Instead of slicing, I pounded the chicken breast thin and poked holes with a fork before marinating. This does alter the texture of the chicken, so might not be for everyone. It produced extremely flavorful chicken after just an hour or so of marinating, and it was borderline too salty. If I were to do it this way again, I'd reduce the salt. I doubled the recipe and cooked under the broiler. It didn't produce the dark browning of skillet cooking, but it works if you need to make it for a crowd.

Amy B.

This has quickly become not only an enter favorite but now is on the Sunday food prep list for chicken to pop on salads and sandwiches all week. So easy. So tasty. Highly recommend!

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