Lemon Garlic Butter Chicken Spiedini

This is a bit of work but its well worth it. Lemon. Garlic. Wine. What more do you need? Incredibly tender and juicy after a quick marinade, these Chicken Spiedini skewers have a light, airy crust of Parmesan and panko and an awesome Garlic Lemon Butter Drizzle to finish off this classic Italian favorite.

• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

• ¼ cup white wine, such as Pinot Grigio

• 3 tablespoons lemon juice, divided

• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced, divided

• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

• 2 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces

• ⅔ cup Italian breadcrumbs

• ⅔ cup panko

• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

• 6 (6 to 8 inch) skewers

• olive oil cooking spray

• 4 tablespoons butter

• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh parsley

1. Whisk together olive oil, wine, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, lemon zest, half of the garlic, crushed red pepper, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes to 1 hour.

2. Stir together remaining salt and pepper with bread crumbs, panko, Parmesan cheese, and garlic powder in a shallow dish. Remove chicken from marinade and toss to coat in breadcrumb mixture, pressing them in to make sure they are solidly coated. Thread chicken onto skewers and coat with olive oil cooking spray. 

3. Preheat an air fryer (hey, don't knock it—after all the work to get this far in the recipe, its easier to use the air fryer and it puts a nice crust on the chicken) to 390 degrees.  Air fry until chicken is no longer pink at the center and juices run clear, it should be lightly golden brown and crisp, about 12 minutes. An instant read thermometer, inserted near the center, should read 165 degrees. Or, throw them on a grill over medium heat and stop whining about the air fryer.

4. Meanwhile, melt butter with remaining garlic on high in the microwave, about 10 seconds.  Stir in remaining lemon juice and parsley. Drizzle butter mixture over chicken just before serving.