Spiedie Chicken Breasts With Buttered Broccoli
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.
- Preparation:
- Cooking:
- Total:
- Serves: 4 persons
Ingredients
- 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)
- 1 ½pounds 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)
Instructions
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.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.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.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.Step 5
Serve immediately with the lemon wedges, if using.