Chicken Spiedies originate in the Binghamton, New York area. Tender cubes of marinated chicken are threaded onto skewers, grilled until juicy, and traditionally served on a hero or hoagie roll. They’re ideal for summer cookouts alongside your favorite sides.
A Binghamton Classic
Italian-American cooking in the U.S. often reflects the regional ties of immigrant communities. In upstate New York you’ll find specialties like chicken riggies in Utica and chicken Vesuvio in other areas. Chicken Spiedies — derived from Italian spiedini — became a signature of Endicott and the Binghamton region thanks to Sicilian immigrants who settled there in the early 20th century.
Spiedies are simply chunks of meat, most commonly chicken, marinated in lemon juice, garlic, olive oil and herbs, then grilled on skewers. They’re delicious on their own, but the classic local presentation is piled into a toasted hoagie or hero roll and finished with a drizzle of the warmed reserved marinade.
Note: Binghamton University even honors the local specialty with the playful name “Spiedie Computing” for one of its computing clusters.
Recipe Ingredients
Below are the main ingredients and helpful notes. See the recipe card for exact quantities.
- Chicken. Boneless skinless breasts are used here, but boneless skinless thighs work well too; if using thighs, cook to an internal temperature of at least 180°F.
- Marinade. A mix of olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, sugar, black pepper, kosher salt, dried oregano, fresh basil and parsley. Fresh mint is an optional addition that appears in early regional recipes.
- Hero rolls. Traditional for serving — toast them on the grill if you like. The skewered chicken is also excellent served without bread.
How to make chicken spiedies
Follow these steps for best results.
- Cut the chicken into 1 to 1½-inch cubes.
- Whisk or blend the marinade ingredients. Reserve about one-third of the marinade for finishing, then pour the rest into a sealable bag with the chicken. Massage the marinade into the meat, seal the bag, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. Flip the chicken midway through marinating for even flavor.
- Thread the marinated chicken onto soaked wooden skewers or metal skewers, leaving a couple of inches on each end.
- Combine the reserved marinade with 1/3 cup water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil; turn off the heat and keep warm. Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high (about 400–450°F) and oil the grates.
- Grill the spiedies 3–4 minutes per side, rotating so each side gets color, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160°F. Remove from the skewers and tent with foil to rest.
- Serve 2–3 spiedies per hero roll and drizzle some of the warmed reserved marinade over the chicken. Enjoy.
Top tips
- Marinate long. A minimum of 6 hours is good; overnight yields deeper flavor and more tender meat.
- Soak wooden skewers. Soak for at least 1 hour to prevent burning, or use metal skewers.
- Serving. Toast the hoagie rolls on the grill if you prefer, and finish each sandwich with a drizzle of the warm reserved marinade for an authentic touch.
More grilled chicken recipes
If you enjoy grilled chicken, try other marinated and grilled varieties for variety at the next cookout.
- Chicken souvlaki with tzatziki
- Grilled chicken thighs
- Marinated grilled chicken breasts
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Binghamton Chicken Spiedies
Equipment
- 16 wooden skewers, soaked in water for at least 1 hour
Ingredients
Base ingredients
- 2½ pounds chicken breasts, cut into 1–1½” cubes
- 6 hero rolls
For the marinade
- 1¼ cups olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 6 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- ¼ cup minced basil
- ¼ cup minced flat-leaf Italian parsley
Instructions
Marinate the chicken
- Cut the chicken into 1–1½” cubes.
- Combine the marinade ingredients and reserve one-third. Place the remaining marinade and the chicken in a sealable bag, massage to coat, and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight, flipping once.
Skewer and grill the chicken spiedies
- Thread chicken onto soaked wooden or metal skewers, leaving a few inches at each end.
- Bring the reserved marinade and 1/3 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan, then turn off heat and keep warm.
- Preheat grill to medium-high (400–450°F). Oil the grates and grill 3–4 minutes per side, rotating until each side is cooked and internal temperature reaches 160°F. Remove and tent with foil to rest.
- Serve 2–3 spiedies per roll and drizzle with some of the warmed reserved marinade.
Notes
- Skewers. Soak wooden skewers for at least 1 hour to prevent burning, or use metal skewers.
- Oil choice. You can substitute half the olive oil with a neutral oil to reduce cost.
- Oven method. Broil on metal skewers for 5–6 minutes per side on the second-highest rack, or bake at 425°F for 15–20 minutes until the center reaches 160°F.
- Serving. Traditionally served on a hoagie roll, but the chicken is also great on its own with a squeeze of lemon or some warm marinade.
- Storage. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 3 days; reheat in the oven or microwave until warm.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 44.2 g |
Protein: 50 g |
Fat: 49.8 g |
Saturated Fat: 7.1 g |
Cholesterol: 121 mg |
Sodium: 1104 mg |
Fiber: 7 g |
Sugar: 4.1 g |
Calcium: 160 mg
Nutrition information is an approximation.