Spiedini alla Siciliana (Sicilian Beef Spiedini)
These Spiedini alla Siciliana are a traditional Sicilian dish and a cherished family recipe. Thin slices of breaded beef cutlets are stuffed with sweet onions, salty salami, sharp Pecorino cheese, and a delicious tomato sauce, then baked to perfection with fragrant bay leaves. It's a crowd pleaser and everyone will ask you for the recipe!
This tasty dish is a really special family recipe and it's a staple in my house for family gatherings, festive occasions (like Italian Christmas Dinner) and dinner parties.
I even made this recipe on The Today Show and everyone in the studio (including Matt Lauer) went crazy for it!
For more classic Sicilian recipes, try this Pesto alla Trapanese made with tomatoes and almonds, or Scaccia Ragusana, a delicious stuffed and folded bread, or make a traditional Eggplant Caponata!
What is Spiedini?
Spiedini translates to skewers in Italian, and there are a million different recipes associated with the name. It often just refers to grilled or roasted meat and vegetables on long wooden skewers, like Spiedini alla Romana, or Italian style kebabs.
Spiedini alla Siciliana, or Sicilian Spiedini, are a traditional recipe from Sicily, an island in Italy known, amongst other things, for its delicious food and ingredients.
This recipe, instead, is my Sicilian American family's version and the name refers to the toothpicks that hold the meat closed, similar to Beef Braciole. However, spiedini are smaller, have a different filling and are baked, rather than simmered in marinara sauce.
There are many different variations of Sicilian spiedini and differ from family to family, even within my own!
For instance, my family never added salami to their spiedini, but my cousin Paul's wife MaryAnne's Sicilian family does, and it's delicious!
Most people roll up the meat, which is easier, but my mom and grandma always bunched up the meat into a beggars purse, which allows for more filling.
No matter how you choose to make your beef spiedini they'll be delicious!
Why This Recipe Works
- An old family recipe that's stood the test of time.
- You can easily scale it up or down, depending on the occasion.
- They can be served as an appetizer or main course.
Ingredient Notes
Beef Cutlets - Thinly sliced beef or veal cutlets, pounded out (if needed) to be as thin as possible, about ⅛-1/4 inch thick, to ensure quick cooking and tender meat. At my grocery store, I buy what they call "sandwich steak." It's shaved extremely thin (for making cheese steaks) and works really well for spiedini.
Oil - Use good quality extra virgin olive oil, regular olive oil or vegetable oil, preferably neutral in flavor to bread the beef cutlets.
Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs - If you can't find the pre-seasoned Italian bread crumbs, you can make them yourself by mixing regular bread crumbs with Italian seasonings, dried parsley, and garlic powder to taste.
Tomato Sauce - Better if you can make homemade tomato sauce, but your favorite jarred tomato sauce will also work well.
Onion - Use yellow, Spanish, or white onion for a milder taste.
Pecorino Romano Cheese - Buy good quality Pecorino Romano cheese (such as Locatelli) in a slice or already cut into chunks. This recipe does not use grated cheese. Alternatively, you can also use Parmesan cheese but it has a much milder flavor.
Bay Leaves - Tucking dried or fresh bay leaves between the spiedini as they bake gives them a subtle, but beautiful fragrant flavor. It really makes a difference, so don't leave them out! If using dried bay leaves, make sure they are not old.
Genoa Salami - This is optional, but thin slices of salami add another layer of flavor that really compliments the other ingredients. Just make sure the salami is sliced paper thin.
*Find the full ingredient list in the recipe card below!
Helpful Equipment
9"x13" Baking Dish - Use a rectangular or oval ceramic casserole dish to fit all of the Sicilian Spiedini and bring them directly to the table.
How to make Spiedini: Step by Step Instructions
Bread the cutlets
- Dip each cutlet in a little olive oil, allow it to drip off, then dredge in breadcrumbs. Set aside.
Make the filling
- In a small bowl, mix together the tomato sauce, onions and cheese, then add a few handfuls of seasoned breadcrumbs until the mixture is the consistency of runny oatmeal.
Assemble the Spiedini
- Place a few cutlets down on a cutting board, then lay a piece or two of salami (if using) on top. Place a heaping teaspoon of bread crumb mixture filling on top of the salami, being careful not to put too much.
- Roll them up like cigars or bunch the meat up into a pouch and use two toothpicks to hold it close.
- Place the meat rolls into a greased baking dish. Be sure to pack them in tight, as this will help them cook evenly.
- Spoon any extra sauce, onion, or remaining breadcrumbs mixture into any holes in the pan, then tear a few bay leaves into pieces and tuck them in between each spiedini.
Bake the Spiedini
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Cover the pan with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes to crispy perfection or so until the breadcrumbs are golden brown.
- Serve hot or warm with fresh parsley or lemon wedges.
Tips for Success
- The beef cutlets should be no bigger than 6 inches long. If they are too large after pounding them out, you can cut them in half.
- Don't go overboard with the filling, otherwise it will overflow during cooking.
- For a spicy kick, you can add some red pepper flakes to the filling.
How to Serve spiedini
This recipe is really versatile since it can be served either as an appetizer or a main course.
I like to have 2-3 spiedini per person as a starter and about 4-6 per person as a main dish, depending on other food being served.
Pair with a side dish like roasted potatoes and onions or these Brussels sprouts with anchovy caper lemon butter sauce. I always love to serve them with something green, like this Neapolitan style Escarole or Sautéed Broccoli Rabe.
In my family, we often serve spiedini at holidays and big events along with lots of other family recipes, like our Sugo (Sunday Sauce) with Meatballs and Chicken Cutlets or Lasagna Bolognese.
And don't forget to finish with a classic Sicilian dessert like Cannoli or Picotta Pie!
Spiedini FAQ
You can assemble the spiedini and refrigerate them covered for a few hours before baking. Just make sure to bring them back to room temperature before baking to ensure even cooking.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven or on the stove for best results, as microwaving may make the breadcrumbs soggy.
Absolutely! While Pecorino Romano is traditional for its sharp flavor, you can experiment with other hard cheeses like Parmesan or Asiago if you prefer a milder taste.
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Sicilian Beef Spiedini (Spiedini Alla Siciliana)
Ingredients
- 1 lb beef cutlets very thinly sliced and pounded out (if needed) to be about ⅛-1/4 inch thick *
- ¼ cup olive or vegetable oil or more as needed
- 3 cups Italian seasoned breadcrumbs or more as needed
- 2 cups tomato sauce any kind, though homemade is preferred
- 1 large yellow onion finely minced
- 4 oz pecorino Romano cheese cut into small chunks
- 20 slices Genoa salami very thinly sliced (about 1 slice per cutlet), optional
- Toothpicks optional
- Dried bay leaves optional
Instructions
Bread the cutlets
- Arrange a work space by filling a medium, shallow bowl with oil and filling another medium, shallow bowl with about 2 cups of breadcrumbs. Working one at a time, dip each cutlet in oil, allowing the excess to drip off, and then dredge in breadcrumbs. Set aside.
Make the filing
- Mix together the tomato sauce, onions and cheese, then add a few handfuls of seasoned breadcrumbs a little at a time until the mixture is the consistency of runny oatmeal - but not too wet. If it’s too saucy it will ooze out when you roll these up.
Assemble the Spiedini
- Create an assembly line by placing a stack of breaded cutlets next to a stack of sliced salami (if using), and the bowl of filling. Place a few cutlets down on a cutting board, then lay a piece or two of salami (if using) on top. Place a heaping teaspoon of filling on top of the salami, being careful not to put too much. At this point, you can choose to roll them up like cigars or bunch the meat up into a pouch and use two toothpicks to hold it closed.
- Place the spiedini into a greased baking dish. Be sure to pack them in tight, as this will help them cook evenly. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Once all the spiedini are made, spoon any extra sauce, onion, or breadcrumb mixture into any holes in the pan. Use it all up to help keep the spiedini moist, and not to waste any. If you don’t have any mixture left, you can mix together a little sauce and breadcrumbs. No need to chop more onions and cheese for this part if you don’t have any left.
- Break up some pieces of dried bay leaves and tuck them in between each spiedini. This is optional, but gives them a nice, subtle flavor.
- Cover the pan with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes or so until the breadcrumbs are golden brown. Serve hot or warm.
Notes
- * I used eye round cutlets sold as "sandwich steaks" because that’s what they offer in my grocery store, but any cut will work as long as they are nice and thin
- * Mary Ann's rule is that these should be finger food: 2-3 per person as an appetizer or 4-6 per person as an entree
- If the cutlets are too large after pounding them out, you can cut them in half.
-
- Don't exaggerate with the filling, otherwise it will overflow during cooking.
Nutrition
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This is very similar to the recipe I grew up with. My mother always used veal, but I was excited to try the beef. I used a cut called Milanese, which was already very thin. No salami, and I used chunks of mozzarella. When I rolled these, I fold in the edges and roll like an egg roll, securing with one toothpick on the top. I alternate slices of onion with bay leaf between the rolls and bake uncovered. My family loved this version and leftovers are even good cold. Thanks for bringing back some great memories.
I loved reading this comment, Regina! Thanks for sharing and trying my recipe 🙂
Your Aunt Angela's version sounds a lot like my family's version! We thinly eye of round, pound it thin, cover in breadcrumbs seasoned with oregano and romano cheese, put a little dollop of ammoghiu and a bit of slivered onion in the middle, roll them up, then put them on skewers with bay leaves between every few rolls. We grill or broil them (depending on the season) and top with ammoghiu while the second side cooks. SO DELICIOUS!
I haven't tried your recipe, but was just excited to see how similar it is to my family's and wanted to comment 🙂 We're in metro Detroit where there's a pretty big number of Sicilians and you can get this kind of spiedini at a lot of our Italian produce shops, which are mostly Sicilian owned.
As a side note, my grandmother's step family (I'm not sure if they're Sicilian or Italian) put together a family cookbook and their recipe for spiedini is like big cubes of chicken in a casserole dish. I was like wtf is this? Where is the rolled up beef??? At the time, I had no idea there were tons of variations lol!
I'd never heard of ammoghiu before reading your comment, but after googling it now I have to try it!! I'd love to try your recipe for spiedini as well. Thank you for sharing your family's version. It's so fun to learn about them all!!
This recipe was so delicious and brought me back to my days watching my Grandma Mary in the kitchen!!!!
Thank you Lisa! That warms my heart! <3
I Fed 4 families with this and included angel hair pasta with herbed olive oil and Parmesan and a salad. Being shut in with the Covid19 scare, these were a comforting delivery for all!
OMG!
I haven’t had these since I was a child!
I loved them and have not seen a recipe since I grew up! These are exactly how my Mom made them except she sliced a tomato in small wedges and placed a wedge in the center! No salami but pretty much everything else is the same!
All recipes I have seen used a sauce but I like it with out!
Thanks for bringing back all those memories!
Oh, I'm so glad! Thanks for your comment, Mary! Just curious, what part of the US do you live in? Is your family Sicilian? I love hearing about all the regional differences!
Just made these last night for my husband and my 2 boys. They loved them!! These are very similar to how I remember them looking and tasting when my great grandma Zena used to make them. She was born in Licata, Sicily . Thanks so much!
I love that, Nicole! Thank you for your comment - I love hearing about how this recipe is similar to ones made by other Sicilian Americans!
I am of Sicilian descent and grew up eating spiedini as well. Two differences in our family recipe is that we used veal cutlets instead of beef and we used the toothpicks (2/roll) and skewered a bay leaf on each side. It was that look that gave them the Americanized name of veal birds because the bay leafs looked like wings. We then broiled them which was a fairly quick cook. The other difference was our stuffing used strips of tomatoes cut from canned san marzano tomatoes, instead of sauce. Our onions were thin stips often cut on a mandolin.
thank you for sharing! I love learning about all the different ways this dish is prepared.
Omg second generation Italian Canadian here...my parents from Veneto....ossilini scampati was what my mom called them....veal or pork cutlets pounded thin with sage leaf wrapped in half slice of bacon with toothpick holding things together.....fried in fry pan and always served with mashed potatoes and warm green beans with fried onions and bacon pieces and parsley drizzled with olive oil and red wine vinegar....childhood memories even for my kids.....gonna make these soon!!
That sounds like what we call Saltimboca! Delicious no matter the name. 🙂
I used to help my mom make these as a kid in the 1970,s.. we used bacon.. and I remember using dollops of crisco on the baking sheet.
I think we cooked them in wine as well..
I am so excited to have stumbled across your recipe and the essay accompanying it that I have forgotten what I was doing that landed me here!
Spiedini was a very special Sunday meal when I was growing up. My mother's parents were both from Sciacca, Sicily. They met and married here so Gtandma's and Mom's cooking was a real mix of Italian, Sicilian, American. I could never figure out what came from where or where to find recipes or even what they would be called by others.
Fortunately my Mom is still around although, at 97, her memory isn't always as sharp as it was. But she can still often point me in the right direction to find details for some of my sketchy memories. This particular dish is one we both remember but one I never tried to recreate.
Until recently I was working full time while taking care of Mom by myself and spiedini was a meal that was too labor intensive to try. Our version is made with veal pounded very thin. The filling is mostly seasoned breadcrumbs browned in butter and they are rolled then sealed with a toothpick.
A major reason I never tried to make them is that I never knew they could be baked. Growing up we always had a big precursor to the toaster oven. It broiled, roasted, baked, and had a self-rotating spit. That's what we used for the spiedini. My brother and I used to stand there and watch the tine spiedini rolls turning on the spit and listen to the sizzle of the juices.
When the old broiler/spit went away, we never had spiedini again. Now I'm so excited to try the baking method. Thank you for giving us back a sepcial memory. I'll definitely be back to visit your site.
Thanks for leaving such an awesome comment! I loved reading this. What an amazing memory. I hope you try my family's version of spiedini and let me know what you think! <3
Try prosciutto instead of salami, more expensive but I believe you'll like it better.
oh, yum! I like anything with prosciutto, so you're probably right! Thanks for the tip, I'm going to try it next time I make them.
In my family spedini are mini personalized braciole and neither of them equal heaven to me if they do not have the boiled egg. In spiedini the egg is diced and placed inside the rolled toothpicked meat along with diced cheese, salami (or no salami) and ofcourse breadcrumbs.
We also cook our spiedini in sauce, I have had as you put it the "dry" version and really prefer it cooked in the sauce; it just melts in the mouth. Thank you for sharing your recipe - I always love to find other people's recipes because it may inspire me to add something new to a dish I adore.
Thank you so much for your comment!! I love hearing about all the different variations of Spiedini out there. Just curious, where are you from??
My grandfather grandpa's parents came to the US from Palermo they made a life in Milwaukee Wisconsin which honestly has a very dense and large population
of Italian/Sicilian Americans. I grew up going to a deli that imported so many cheeses, salamis, meets canned goods and etc. Kiddy corner from the deli is the most delicious and divine bakery filled with only Italian sweets. Milwaukee is pretty awesome because as soon as summer comes we have ethnic festivals that are held on the grounds of the largest music festival in the world summerfest. Ofcourse my favorite has always been
festaitaliana.com
It pulls in the most people at roughly double the amount of attendees to Milwaukee's other ethnic festivals. In fact my son was even able to join the childrens Italian dance group because funds are provided thru the Italian community center to make sure the next generationsare able to not only learn about the Italian culture but also participate in the culture.
🙂
Thanks for the background, I love it! I also had no idea there was such a big Italian/Sicilian presence in Milwaukee. It sounds like I need to take a little trip this summer! 🙂
My grandfather taught me how to make these. He was from Lercara Friddi, Palermo. We made this dish on special Holidays and it has always been my favorite. We use thin sliced veal, and for filling: breadcrumbs mixed with Romano grated cheese, garlic powder, and parsley. Each slice has a small piece of bacon and tab of butter. Roll and skewer 3 pieces together with toothpicks. If I have any leftover filling, I sprinkle on top of spiedini (I always spelled it spattini). I enjoyed reading all the variations.
So interesting to see all the variations. My mother and father-in-law were both from Palazzo Adriano in Sicily. Their spiedinis were a bit different from the last post that I read, using tomatoes breadcrumbs, garlic and Romano cheese. We also used veal when it wasn't too expensive and the rest of the time beef! We also had them for special holidays.
My mother always made spedini, I am making it for Christmas, I have made it often . I make it with chicken cutlets. I enjoyed reading about it.
I love that you make them with chicken! Thanks for your comment. Glad you enjoyed the post!
I am from Milwaukee and I am German. My best friend is Italian. I have learned alot about Italian cooking from her and also have forever attended Italianfest! We make our spiedini on a scewer and fry in olive oil with bay leaves. The spiedini is dipped in Italian bread crumbs. On keto diet so making some dipped in almond flour. Will see how that turns out.. We serve with a homemade tomato sauce. Just scrumptious!!! Making some spiedini to celebrate Christmas.
Can these be frozen either cooked or uncooked
Thanks for this recipe
I had something like this about 40years ago and have wanted to try to make them since then but never found a good recipe
Hmm.. I've never tried freezing them, but I imagine they'd hold up alright. I'd probably cook them first and the freeze, and just reheat in the oven. If you try it, let me know how they turn out!
It works great. The mark of great Italian food is thst is gets better the next day. Freezing only intensifies the favors. I wouldnt freeze them with onion slices though. Bay leaves no problem. In Sicily there are a number of combinations, region to town....
many family recipies became subject to The availability of ingredients and cost control . My Nonna’s were Depression era simplicity breadcrumbs cheese and sauce for filling. However the best Speidini I’ve ever encountered or made Inc. similar flavors but used fresh ingredients. Try adding softened white raisins and pine nuts to fresh tomato, cacciacavallo, sautéed onion and Seasoned breadcrumbs. Superior! Once you have mastered rolling beef then take it up to the next level and try swordfish. Simply ftom the heavens.
Thanks Jimmy! I'm definitely going to have to experiment with some different types of spiedini. I'm so intrigued! My husband's favorite fish is swordfish, so I might have to try that for his birthday this year. Thanks for the idea!
Your story began just like my experience. Eyes wide, so excited someone else, menu also in my case, knew what a Spiedini was. At that restaurant it was fried cheese? Not even on a skewer but still yum anyhow.
My family puts them on skewers and onto the grill/BBQ. They look more like Mary Ann's. Rolled up with the filling spread thinly across the whole slice and quarters of onion and bay leaves are alternated between the meat. But man adding salami and a matchstick of cheese sounds amazing! And baking them would be awesome in winter. These are generally made for Easter and Christmas in my family. Love, Love Spiedini!
I loved receiving this comment! It's been so interesting to learn about the different interpretations of this dish. I'm curious where you're from? Someone from New York e-mailed me his family's recipe and it sounds like yours. I want to try that version next! I hope you love my recipe. 🙂
Came across your page while looking for the spelling of spiedini. I'm making this tonight for my son's birthday dinner and it has been a family recipe for generations. My family originally hails from Augusta, Sicily and we have been making spiedini as you describe it here for ever *you are not alone* 🙂
ps (we also say "bysta" rather than pasta and "sugo" rather than sauce).
Good work here.
I came across your website when trying to determine if bra hole and spiedini were the same thing (I still don't know). My big, Sicilian, St. Louis family makes spiedini for almost ever occasion (but most certainly for Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day). Our recipe is similar to your Aunt Angela's. Oh I miss a good spiedini! But your added touch with the salami sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing your recipe. And BTW, I know what bysta sugo is (we pronounce it basta Sugo). Most people I know have no idea what it is either but once they taste it, it's a meal they never forget!
Hey Christi! Thank you so much for this comment. I'm so excited to hear that your family has so many food similarities to mine! In regard to spiedini vs. braciole, thought hey are very similar, there is definitely a difference. For me anyway, braciole is rolled up, then braised in tomato sauce (usually with wine) until it's really tender, and then served with the sauce and sometimes pasta. Spiedini on the other hand are breaded and baked,and don't get served with a sauce other than whats used to moisten the filling. Spiedini can be eaten as finger food, while braciole requires a knife and fork. I see braciole as being a wet dish and spiedini as being a dry dish, if that makes sense, lol.
I married into a Sicilian family in St. Louis and our spiedinis are quite similar excep no onion - just garlic. They are grilled outside which to me is the best way possible! Nothing like them in the article it mentions crunching them together or using toothpicks. We assembled them as you would a diaper and put the seam side down. Never a problem. Bottom piece up over bread crumb mixture-then the two sides flapped in. Gently roll over from bottom.
Do you know off there's one that's made where three rolls are put in a pic, then dredged in egg and crumbs and pan fried? The other ingredients sound about right but no tomato sauce, what I remember was more like a finger food... and eaten dry...
I have heard of these but not ever had them before. This is how my family makes them - they are like a finger food too. They sound delicious though!
I'm Sicilian and have been making "Spatinis" (my family's pronunciation) since I was very young, making them with my Gramps. We only use thin sliced beef, breadcrumbs (seasoned w/garlic, Romano cheese, parsley, ground pepper), a small piece of bacon and a tab of butter. They are rolled and toothpicked in sets of 3. Extra butter is melted and poured on top along with the extra breadcrumbs. Baked at 350 for about 12-15 minutes, turning once halfway. We don't eat them with sauce, although, our braciole is made similar to your recipe. Sometimes I mix the leftover breadcrumb mixture with eggs to form a thick batter and fry them by the spoonful. These make great finger foods too!
Cathy, thank you so much for leaving this comment! I absolutely love hearing about other Sicilian-American families' versions of this dish. Just curious, where in America is your family from, and where in Sicily is your family from? It's so fun to make these connections!!
I was looking up recipes for spiedini since it was such a childhood favorite though I've yet to make them. My mom used to buy them at Trupiano's in Gloucester, yes, gloucester born & still here. That store closed so long ago & trying to find spiedini made the way they made them is near impossible. They made them with the salami & it's the only way I'll eat them especially since eating them any other way just doesn't do it for me. Thanks so much for sharing your families recipes!
omfg my site is 10 years old and this post is longer than all my posts combined. And no, I am not sure if that is a compliment or an insult.
Rating: Long Place!
Can't wait to make this. Thanks