Spiedini Recipe (Italian Style Kebabs)
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This delicious beef Spiedini Recipe is loaded with breaded meat, Italian sausage, peppers, onions, and bay leaves for the ultimate kebab. Our family has been making this Italian classic for decades.
I obviously cook quite a bit of Italian food, and there’s always something from my family recipe vault. Whether it’s gnudi or homemade pasta, there are always lots of delicious things on our weekly family menu.
Spiedini
Spiedini translates from Italian to English simply as skewers. These fancy Italian meat kebabs can be customized however you see fit. The one necessary thing is that the main meat is breaded up, which is more Sicilian than Italian.
This specific recipe has been in my family for over 75 years. It’s incredibly delicious and not all that hard to make, either. I’ve tweaked some of the original procedures and ingredients and added a dipping sauce to make it more of my own. Wow, it is tasty.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Beef — I used eye of round. Other good cuts are beef tenderloin, strip sirloin, top and bottom sirloin, or ribeye. You can also substitute with chicken or pork.
- Oil – The best to use is olive oil.
- Peppers — I used red and green bell peppers, but you can also use orange, yellow, or any combination of the four.
- Onions – Red, white, yellow, or sweet onions can be used.
- Cheese – Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano are used to season the breadcrumbs.
- Sausage – Mild or sweet Italian sausage is used on the skewer. It can be loose or already encased.
- Breadcrumbs – Regular breadcrumbs or Panko will work. In addition, you can use Italian breadcrumbs as well.
- Bay Leaves — This recipe uses Dried bay leaves, which add incredible savory flavors to the kebabs.
How to Make Spiedini
Thinly slice an eye of round beef across the grain.
Coat each slice in olive oil and then in the seasoned breadcrumbs.
Roll each breaded slice of beef up. If it is too big, slice it in half.
Skewer the breaded rolled-up beef with the Italian sausage, vegetables, and bay leaves until all the ingredients have been used.
Cook on a flat-top or cast-iron skillet for 2-4 minutes per side or until browned and cooked. For an added kick, try serving it with Amogio sauce.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: If you want to serve these later in the day, I recommend skewing the spiedini and holding off on cooking them until you are ready to serve them. You can make these up to 1 hour ahead and keep warm in the oven covered with foil at 250°.
How to Store: Cover in plastic and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can freeze these covered in plastic for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge for 1 day before reheating.
How to Reheat: Place the desired number of skewers on a cookie sheet tray, wrap in foil, and bake in the oven at 375° until hot.
chef notes + tips
- Feel free to add vegetables such as zucchini, squash, or mushrooms.
- You can also use metal skewers in this recipe.
- If the rolled-up breaded beef is too big for a skewer, slice it in half.
- I used 12” skewers in the recipe.
- These kebabs can also be grilled.
More Italian Recipes
Video
Classic Spiedini Recipe (Italian Style Kebabs)
Ingredients
For the Spiedini:
- 1 Amogio sauce recipe
- 1 1/2 pounds thinly sliced eye of round beef, about 40 slices
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil + more for cooking
- 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 20 each dried bay leaves, broken in half
- 1 peeled yellow onion cut into 1” squares
- 1 seeded red bell pepper cut into 1” squares
- 1 seeded green bell pepper cut into 1” squares
- 1 1/2 pounds lose mild Italian sausage
- sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make the amogio sauce and set it to the side.
- Add the olive oil to a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl mix the breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper until combined.
- Taking 1 slice of beef at a time, completely coat it in the olive oil, and then dredge it in the breadcrumbs until coated.
- Roll the beef up and set it aside on a cookie sheet tray. Slice it in half if it’s too big.
- Add on some of the breaded beef followed up with a ½ bay leaf, onion, peppers, and loose Italian sausage and repeat until the 12” skewer is full, and then repeat until all of the other skewers are full and all of the ingredients have been used. Set them on a cookie sheet tray.
- Add a small amount of olive oil to a flat top griddle or a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat and sear the skewers, in batches if need be, for 2-4 minutes per side or until browned and cooked throughout.
- Serve the spiedini alongside the amogio sauce and garnish with optional chopped fresh parsley.
I can’t wait to try these out this weekend. They look so delicious. Thanks Chef for another Delicious and Great Meal for this Summer.
Hi Billy!
This beef appears to have been prepped ( pounded or scored). Prior to you slicing it. Is there a tenderizing step for the beef before slicing?
Thank you! Planning to make this for family dinner soon.
I’ve made several of your recipes. All have turned out fantastic!
Thank you
Ginny Simpkins
No, not pounded or prepped. Simply sliced from a bigger piece. Be sure to watch the video or look at the step by step images.
Chef! My family is Sicilian and made these skewers and and amogio. They would cook on the grill and apply the sauce with a mop of fresh mint stems! Great memories!
How can I say this…you are good 🙂 and you have a sweet smile too
Hey Chef, looks like another GREAT recipe for the end to Summer. These would make delicious sandwiches served with some good pilaf. I have made these with just Italian Sausage and some of the Italian Peppers that I grow. The aroma goes all over my neighborhood and my phone starts ringing. There is nothing like a huge delicious Italian Sandwich and a glass of Beer or iced tea… Thank you Chef for this delicious recipe….