Chicken Saltimbocca
This Chicken Saltimbocca is exactly the recipe you need when you’re craving authentic Italian food but haven’t got a lot of time.
With tender chicken, prosciutto, fresh sage, and a buttery, white wine sauce, it’s a quick one-pan meal that feels and tastes so special.
I remember when I first came across Saltimbocca alla Romana. I was quite young and still living at my family home. Being a recipe from the Lazio region of Italy (Rome is in the Lazio region), it wasn’t one that was familiar to my family. My first attempt was using dried sage leaves, so you can imagine it wasn’t too amazing, but I was hooked!
Now I like to use chicken because veal is hard to find in my area. It’s not traditional to use chicken; however, the flavors are. Just like the cheesy twist for my Chicken Pizzaiola recipe, this variation works perfectly!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Simple Ingredients: All of these ingredients are easily available in most areas, making this chicken dish simple to prepare anytime.
- Quick Dinner: Chicken Saltimbocca cooks fast (faster than my Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie), making it ideal for weeknight family dinners. It’s equally good for a no-fuss gathering with friends.
- One Pan: With everything cooking in one pan, this recipe makes weeknight dinners easier for everyone. It’s exactly what I love about Steak Pizzaiola. Even my husband, who helps with the dishes, approves.
- Flavor: The combination of prosciutto and sage, together with the delicious sauce, makes this a chicken dish everyone will love. You’ll be surprised by the richness and depth in the sauce without needing a drop of cream.
For complete ingredient quantities and full instructions, please scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Ingredients
- Skinless, boneless chicken breasts: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are easy to find at the supermarket. Simply slice them lengthwise to create thinner pieces, or choose ready-cut cutlets if you’d like to skip that step.
- Prosciutto: Widely available in grocery stores. You may be able to get this freshly sliced or pre-sliced in sealed packages. Prosciutto is a cured meat that comes from the hind leg of the pig and is dry-cured over time.
- Sage leaves: Fresh sage leaves are available in most grocery stores. There’s no substitute for fresh herbs in this recipe.
- White wine: Use a dry white wine you enjoy drinking. As it cooks, the alcohol evaporates completely, leaving only the flavor behind.
Plus all-purpose flour, olive oil, salted butter, salt, and black pepper. See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Slice the chicken breasts horizontally to create even cutlets.
Cover the cutlets with plastic wrap and gently pound until evenly thin.
Lay a slice of prosciutto and a sage leaf on each cutlet, then secure with a toothpick.
Season the plain side, dust that side lightly with flour, and shake off any excess.
Heat oil and butter in a skillet, then cook the chicken in batches. Remove to a plate and keep warm.
Remove the chicken and pour in the white wine, letting it simmer until reduced by half.
Lower the heat and swirl in the remaining butter until the sauce thickens.
Return the chicken to the pan, spoon the sauce over, and warm through.
Marcellina’s Hint: Place the prosciutto side facing up when you place it in the pan. Cook it mostly on that side and just turn it over for 20 or 30 seconds. Prosciutto burns quickly, and this simple tip keeps the prosciutto from drying out and becoming hard.
Substitutions
- Chicken Breast – Instead of chicken breast, you can use chicken tenderloins.
- Prosciutto – Ham or thinly sliced speck, if you can get it, can be substituted for prosciutto. Using ham, the flavor will be milder. But if you can get thinly sliced speck, it works in the same way, only the flavor will be smokier.
- Sage leaves – In a pinch, you could use fresh rosemary or thyme sprigs instead of sage. In this case, sandwich the herbs between the chicken and prosciutto as they will be harder to secure.
Variations
- Alcohol Free – If you prefer not to use wine, substitute it for low salt chicken broth. Add a splash of lemon to give the sauce a little acidity similar to wine. The flavor will be different but still delicious.
- Gluten Free – Use gluten-free flour instead of regular flour. It will give very similar results.
Equipment
Chicken Saltimbocca doesn’t need fancy equipment. You just need a skillet or frying pan. Unless it’s very large, it won’t fit all the chicken, so cook it in batches.
Storage
While chicken saltimbocca is best eaten as soon as it’s made, leftovers are still delicious the next day. Pop any leftover chicken and the sauce into a sealed container in the fridge.
Reheating the microwave is fine, though it does tend to dry out the prosciutto. I like to reheat any leftover chicken in the skillet, adding a splash of water to loosen the sauce.
Top tips
- Use chicken cutlets if you don’t feel confident with your knife skills. Thin chicken cutlets are generally available in the fresh meat section of the grocery store right alongside skinless chicken breast.
- Pounding the chicken between two sheets of plastic keeps the mess contained. I often use a freezer bag cut open, though parchment paper or plastic wrap works just as well.
- Be gentle as you pound so the meat doesn’t tear. You’re aiming for cutlets that are an even thickness, which helps them cook quickly and evenly.
- If the sage leaves are very large, tear or cut them in half so that the flavor doesn’t dominate.
- Prosciutto is quite salty, so go easy on the salt.
- Fry the chicken with the prosciutto side up to prevent the prosciutto from burning and becoming hard.
- Thin chicken will cook quite quickly. Keep this in mind so that it doesn’t overcook and stays juicy.
- Don’t skip reducing the wine. It will need to be reduced by about half to create a tasty sauce that will coat the chicken perfectly and emulsify with the butter.
FAQ
Saltimbocca is Italian, but it is usually made with veal. However, pork is also used in Italy. Chicken Saltimbocca is more of an Italian American and Italian immigrant dish because chicken is easy to find in grocery stores, while veal has become harder to find.
It can be gluten-free if gluten-free flour is used. The traditional version of this recipe doesn’t use any flour at all and therefore is naturally gluten-free.
It’s not overly salty, but thanks to the prosciutto, it has a distinct savory flavor. If you are sensitive to salt, skip adding any extra to the chicken. I do recommend only a light seasoning of salt in my recipe.
Serving Suggestions
Chicken Saltimbocca can be served with any of your favorite sides. I suggest these Green Beans and Potatoes, or if you want an easy oven-baked side, try this Roasted Potatoes and Broccoli recipe. My Garlic Monkey Bread is a favorite in our house and makes a wonderful accompaniment to this dish.
Related
Chicken and Peppers
Crispy Prosciutto
Chicken and Vodka Pasta
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Chicken Saltimbocca Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds (680 g) boneless skinless chicken breasts (2 or 3 chicken breasts)
- 3 ½ ounces (100 g) thinly sliced prosciutto See Note 1
- 12 sage leaves
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose plain flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons (45 g) salted butter (1 tab for the cooking 2 for finishing)
- ⅔ cup (160 ml) white wine
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus extra
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Place one chicken breast flat on a cutting board and steady it with the palm of your hand. Using a sharp knife, make a horizontal cut through the middle of the breast, starting from the thicker side and cutting toward the thinner edge, keeping the knife parallel to the board. Open it out or separate it completely to create two to three even cutlets.
- Lay the cutlets between two pieces of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet or rolling pin, gently pound from the center outwards until the chicken is an even thickness all over, which helps it cook quickly and evenly.
- Season each chicken cutlet with a small amount of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Take care not to oversalt. Place a slice of prosciutto and a sage leaf on top of each chicken slice and secure with a toothpick.
- Then flour each slice on the sides without prosciutto. Shake off any excess flour by gently tapping.
- In a skillet or frying pan, add the oil and a third of the butter over medium heat
- When the butter is melted and the pan is hot, add the chicken slices, prosciutto side up. This is important because the prosciutto burns easily.
- After 1-2 minutes, turn them over and cook for just 20-30 seconds. Remove and repeat with the remaining chicken slices, adding a little more oil if necessary.
- When the chicken is all cooked and set aside, add the white wine to the pan and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. That's where the flavor is.
- Simmer the wine until reduced by half.
- Reduce the heat to low and swirl in the butter. Swirl the pan until the butter emulsifies and creates a thick sauce. Season with extra freshly ground black pepper.
- Put the chicken back in the pan, spoon the sauce over and heat for about 1 minute.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Depending on how thinly the prosciutto has been sliced, you may need more or less.
- Use only a little flour. A light dusting is all you need. Too much flour will thicken the sauce too much and can make the chicken heavy. A fine coating helps the chicken brown beautifully without overpowering the delicate flavors.
- Take a moment to flatten the chicken evenly. When each piece is the same thickness, it cooks quickly and stays tender. It also helps the prosciutto and sage cling to the surface.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan with chicken. Give each piece space in the pan. If the chicken is packed too tightly, it won’t brown properly and will steam instead, which affects both flavor and texture. Cook in batches if needed.
- Prosciutto brings plenty of salt to this dish, so go easy with the seasoning. You may need an extra small pinch to highlight the flavors without making the chicken too salty.
Nutritional Estimate Per Serving
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. For accurate results, it is recommended that the nutritional information be calculated based on the ingredients and brands you use.
Very popular dish amongst our family- simple preparation. We replaced sage with oregano due to no availability. Worked well- put the oregano between the prosciutto and chicken to secure. We added lemon zest to the sauce also. Delicious. Had with bean salad and garlic roasted potatoes.
Lauren, that’s a great variation if you can’t find sage. Oregano goes so well with chicken! I’m thrilled that you loved it and your sides are perfect. Thank you for taking the time to write a review and give the recipe five stars!