Chicken Saltimbocca Recipe - Chisel & Fork (2024)

This chicken saltimbocca recipe is a traditional Italian dish where the chicken is wrapped in sage and prosciutto and then finished with a wine butter sauce. It is the perfect weeknight meal if you are looking for an excuse to open a bottle of wine.

I can never get enough chicken - from chicken francese to Indian butter chicken to Roman chicken.

I remember the first time I had saltimbocca. No it wasn't at an Italian restaurant. It was actually something my mom had decided to make one night.

My mom has a healthy obsession with Martha Stewart, and while her cookbook, Martha Stewart's Cookies, inspired by mom to start her cookie business, it was her chicken with prosciutto and sage that inspired her that night.

It was love at first bite. And I remember my mom whipping it up in under 30 minutes, which I've got to be frank, doesn't happen very often. I'm not going to lie.

For me any meal that has prosciutto in it is tough to beat. I can't explain why I love it as much as I do, but if you follow this blog at all, you have probably noticed how often I use it in my recipes, especially pizza! So if you want a quick and easy dinner that is super tasty, this chicken saltimbocca recipe should be on your list.

Ingredient Notes

• Chicken - you want thin chicken so you can get chicken cutlets or take chicken breasts and slice them in half. Or if you have some anger, just pound them then.
• Sage - this traditional herb has a pronounced herbal flavor that is an earthy, slightly peppery taste, with hints of lemon.
• Prosciutto - this cured ham not only adds flavor and an explosion of saltiness, but it gets crisp too, adding to the texture.
• Wine - you want a dry wine like Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc as it contributes to the flavor of the sauce.

Ingredient Swaps

Like any meal, you can mix up some of the ingredients for this chicken saltimbocca recipe. Some variations include:

• While I'm a fan of chicken saltimbocca, you can substitute chicken with veal which is very traditional.
• If you don't have prosciutto, you can use ham, salami, pancetta or bacon instead.
• While wine is a favorite of mine in the sauce, you can just use more chicken stock instead.

Step-by-Step Photos

Wrap each piece of chicken with 2 sage leaves and two slices of prosciutto then dredge in the flour, shaking off any excess.

Heat oil over medium-high heat and add chicken. Cook for about 3 minutes before flipping and cooking another 3 minutes.

Remove the chicken and deglaze the skillet with the wine and stock. Once it has reduced by about half, add the butter and sage before returning the chicken and spooning the sauce over it.

FAQs

Flavor Additions

While this is a fairly traditional dish, you can add some of your favorite ingredients to mix it up. Some additional include:

• Flavorings - the sauce is pretty simple but capers, garlic, onion, fresh lemon juice or even a touch of heavy cream can kick it up a notch.
• Vegetables - spinach, kale or mushrooms can all be cooked with the sauce.
• Cheese - cheese makes everything better. You can add a slice of fontina or mozzarella on top of the chicken saltimbocca and then broil for 2 minutes to get it melty.

Side Dish Options

In general, you want a starch or carbohydrates to pair with chicken saltimbocca, so pasta, potatoes or polenta make for a great side.

Or if you want to go all-in on the Italian meal, try some goat cheese risotto.

As far as vegetables, roasted broccoli or asparagus work great. I'm actually partial to parmesan roasted brussels sprouts.

Pro Tips/Recipe Notes

• Use chicken cutlets or cut chicken breasts in half so the chicken is thin enough to cook quickly.
• Add cold oil to a cold skillet and let heat up to proper temperature before adding the chicken. You'll know it is ready when the oil starts to shimmer.
• When you wrap prosciutto around each chicken, use the palm of your hand to press it against each piece of chicken so it will stick. You'd be surprised but it does actually stay wrapped. Dredging in the flour helps too.

Other Chicken Recipes

If you’ve tried this chicken saltimbocca recipeor any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow meonFacebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.

More Chicken Recipes