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Saltimbocca translates to ‘leap in the mouth’ in Italian. All the flavor in this one skillet chicken saltimbocca recipe will have your tastebuds jumping for joy!
Ingredients
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Saltimbocca is traditionally made with veal, but I wanted to put an Americanized twist on it and utilize chicken. Chicken cutlets are preferred due to them being already thin, but if you have boneless chicken breasts (what I used) pound them thin to an even consistency.
I pounded the chicken with a small meat mallet and I cover it with plastic wrap while pounding so chicken bits don’t go flying. This dish is salty naturally from the prosciutto and the cheese, so be mindful adding salt to the chicken/sauce. I lightly spread olive oil on the chicken and some freshly ground black pepper.
Cooking the dish
To begin I added some olive oil over medium/low heat and placed the fresh sage leaves in the skillet. I quickly “fried” them for about 30 seconds, remove with tongs and place on a paper towel to drain any excess oil.
Next we are going to quickly sear the chicken. Raise the heat to medium and place the chicken breasts in the skillet. You are going to sear the chicken on both sides and get a nice golden brown on the outside. We will be finishing them in the oven, so no need to fully cook them through. Remove them from the skillet and set aside while we make the sauce.
Sauce
Now for the sauce! After removing the chicken lower the heat to medium/low, then add 2 tbsp of butter to the skillet and allow it to melt. Then I added a combination of minced garlic, shallot, and sage which is going to give our sauce all of the flavor.
I sautéd for about 1 minute until the garlic becomes fragrant. You don’t want to overcook the garlic because then it will burn. Add 1/4 cup of white wine and deglaze the pan. While the alcohol cooks off from the wine, take your wooden cooking spoon and scrape up all the delicious bits that may have been left behind by the chicken.
Once the wine has reduced by half, add in chicken broth and freshly squeezed lemon. The lemon gives it a nice fresh/acidic note that will compliment the sauce and the chicken. For added heat, I put some crushed red pepper flakes in the sauce, but feel free to omit if you don’t like a little spicy.
Assembly
Now for the assembling of the rest of the dish. Return the chicken breasts to the skillet and place them into the sauce. Using the sage we fried earlier, place a few pieces on the breasts.
Next, place fresh prosciutto over the top of the chicken. For the bigger pieces of chicken, I used two slices to cover the whole top of the breast.
Next I add a thin slice of provolone cheese on top of the prosciutto and then one final sage leaf on top. With the oven on 400 degrees F, I bake the chicken for 10-12 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked through (internal temperature of 165 degrees). Cook time will vary due to thickness of the chicken.
Final product
Once the cook time has elapsed, if you want the cheese more browned and crispy, turn the oven to low broil for 1-2 minutes. Keep an eye on it so you don’t burn.
Carefully remove from the oven with heat safe mittens because skillet will be very hot. Enjoy this delicious chicken saltimbocca recipe with one of the options below!
Serve with:
- Salad with Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette
- Crispy Roasted Potatoes
- Parmesan Garlic Smashed Potatoes
- Rice
- Pasta
- French bread to soak up the delicious sauce!
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Chicken Saltimbocca
Ingredients
- 4 chicken cutlets or chicken breasts (1 1/2 lbs pounded thin (1/4 inch))
- 4 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
- 6 slices prosciutto
- 4 thin slices provolone cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage (chopped + 12 full leaves)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small shallot (minced)
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Freshly ground black pepper
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Instructions
- Using a mallet or meat tenderizer, pound the chicken to a thin even consistency, about 1/4 inch. Rub 1 tbsp of olive oil on the breasts and add some freshly ground black pepper.
- Turn oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a cast iron skillet over medium/low heat, add 3 tbsp of olive oil. Once shimmering, add the 12 pieces of whole sage leaves spread out in the skillet. Allow to lightly “fry” for about 30 seconds. Remove from the pan using tongs and set aside on paper towel to drain excess oil.
- Turn the heat to medium/high and add the chicken to the skillet. Allow the chicken to sear/brown for about 2 minutes on each side. Remove from the skillet and set aside on a plate.
- Return the skillet to medium heat and add 2 tbsp unsalted butter. Once the butter has melted, add in the minced sage, garlic, and shallots. Sauté for 1 minute, until the garlic becomes fragrant. Add in the 1/4 cup of white wine and allow the pan to deglaze and the liquid to reduce by half. Once liquid has reduced, add in the chicken broth, fresh lemon juice, and red pepper flakes. Stir all the ingredients together and lower the heat to low.
- Return the chicken back into the skillet. Place 2 pieces of the lightly fried sage leaves on each piece of chicken, followed by a slice of prosciutto. For the larger pieces of chicken you can use two slices to ensure the top of the chicken is covered. Then place one slice of provolone over the prosciutto, followed by 1 more sage leaf on top.
- Place skillet in the oven for 10 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked through (165 degrees F internal temperature) and the cheese is melted and bubbly. If you want the cheese more melted/browned, low broil for 1 minute. Carefully remove from the oven and serve along with your favorite side dish.
Notes
- Prosciutto and provolone are naturally salty, which is why I didn’t add extra salt to the dish. Be mindful if adding extra salt.
Hi Cindy! We love Chicken Saltimbocca so much. We make ours just like your recipe but sometimes sub in Cambazola Cheese for the Provolone and place it on before the prosciutto. Then when we brown it in the pan, some of (but not all) of the cheese oozes out and when I make the sauce, it makes the sauce taste wonderful!!! We serve ours with a side of pasta (fettuccini) with halved grape tomatoes, garlic oil, and roasted asparagus mixed in the pasta. The sauce is wonderful with the pasta and chicken. Thanks so much for sharing and your pics are devine!
I’ve been looking for a recipe similar to a fave restaurant that no longer exists where i am, and this is the closest I’ve found! My only changes: I marinate chicken tenders in Kalamata olive brine for about half an hour first, add a handful of olives and sliced mushrooms into skillet with the shallots and all, and don’t use cheese (diet…otherwise WOULD!). Served over brown rice/quinoa with a side of spinach, which is amazing in the broth!
Sounds delicious Cindy! I’ll have to try it your way next time!
Very good flavor and super easy.
I would love to print the recipe for the Saltimbocca…not 33 pages!
Please advise…I see no Print option
Hi Susan, if you go to the recipe card at the bottom there is a print button and it will print just the recipe, Cheers.
I made this the other night and followed the recipe exactly. Very simple to make, yet the result was one of the most flavorful and delicious meals I have ever had. Great recipe- thank you.
What a great compliment Eric! So glad you enjoyed it
Cheese and prosciutto on anything has got my attention. This looks so marvelous!