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Level up dinnertime with this Easy Chicken Saltimbocca! Each cutlet of chicken is seasoned with fresh sage, then topped with prosciutto and seared to perfection. Finish with the most delicious lemon butter sauce for an impressive meal that’s perfect for any occasion. Ready to serve in less than 30 minutes!
Today marks 2 years since my father passed away. I wanted to honor him in his very favorite way: with home cooked Italian food.
Saltimbocca was probably his VERY favorite dish to make for people. He had a whole routine; a somewhat complex recipe that lived partially scribbled on a random piece of paper, that we have yet to find, and partially just in his brain. He always served his saltimbocca with herby potato coins which is the next recipe of his that I hope to master.
Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to find his recipe anywhere for this saltimbocca dish so my re-make of it is a best guess based on taste and a bit of research.
While my dad always made his saltimbocca with pork (which is the more traditional way to serve it), I decided to make my own version with chicken. Truthfully, I don’t have a lot of experience cooking pork AND I thought chicken would be a little more approachable for people looking for an easy dinner recipe.
If you aren’t familiar with saltimbocca, the word literally means “jump in the mouth” in Italian which SO accurately describes how DELICIOUS this dish is. I swear, this is one of the BEST recipes on my blog. Admittedly, it’s NOT the prettiest dish in the world. I had a really hard time trying to take pretty photos of this. BUT it’s good. SO so good.
Ingredients you’ll need
With just a handful of simple ingredients, you’ll create the most irresistible chicken recipe. It’s a dish that’s all about juicy chicken, loads of flavor and a burst of richness from the white wine butter sauce. Let’s dive into the magic these ingredients will bring to your plate. All measurements are in the recipe card below!
- Chicken: You will need thinly sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts or cutlets.
- Sage: Fresh sage is sprinkled over the chicken with salt and pepper for seasoning. Plus, full sage leaves are placed on top of the prosciutto for extra flavor.
- Prosciutto: Pressed into the chicken the thin slices of prosciutto add a salty, slightly sweet flavor that is beyond delicious.
- Olive oil: For cooking the chicken.
- Shallot: Milder and sweeter than regular yellow or white onions, shallot works great in this recipe not to overwhelm the other flavors.
- Flour: To thicken the sauce.
- Dry white wine: Any good dry white wine such as vermouth, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, marsala wine or Pinot Grigio works well.
- Broth: Adds flavor to the sauce while giving it the perfect consistency.
- Unsalted Butter: Provides an incredible rich taste to the sauce.
- Fresh parsley: For herby Italian flavor.
- Lemon juice: Just 1 tbsp for brightness.
Substitutions and variations for this Chicken Saltimbocca recipe:
- Feel free to use gluten-free flour to thicken the sauce instead of all-purpose flour.
- You can use chicken broth or vegetable broth.
- If you love garlic, add a minced garlic clove in with the shallot.
- Instead of adding wine, you can use additional broth. But the wine adds a really great depth of flavor that adds a lot to the sauce, plus the alcohol will cook out, so I encourage you to use it!
How to make Chicken Saltimbocca
For this dish, we’re going to use very thin pieces of chicken breast (aka, cutlets). Or you can cut your chicken breasts in half to make them thinner. Some recipes also have you pound the chicken until it’s a certain thickness. I typically can’t be bothered with that so I simply go in knowing that each piece of chicken might cook at slightly different lengths depending on the thickness.
The chicken is then seasoned with salt, pepper and sprinkled with fresh sage. The fresh sage is a must and what really makes this dish SO good. Next, press a slice of prosciutto onto the chicken breast, and top with a leaf of sage.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add in the cutlets, prosciutto side down, and cook for about 3 minutes. Flip and then cook on the other side until chicken is cooked through, about 3-5 additional minutes. Once done, transfer chicken to a plate and cover with foil.
Pour out about half of the oil so that only 1 teaspoon of oil/liquid remains in the skillet. Add in the shallot and cook for 2 minutes until softened. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 additional minute.
Whisk in the wine and broth and bring to a simmer and cook for about 4 minutes until the sauce is thickened and reduced a bit.
Turn heat down to low and whisk in the butter, parsley, and lemon juice until fully combined.
Return the chicken to the skillet, prosciutto up, as well as any juices that collected on the plate. Simmer for about a minute so that the chicken can heat through again.
Remove from heat and serve the chicken with the sauce divided evenly among the 4 cutlets.
Chicken saltimbocca is one of those dishes that many people are intimidated by but it’s SO easy! This seriously comes together in less than 30 minutes and is just so very good!
Helpful tips
- Use a toothpick to secure the prosciutto: While not completely necessary, I like to use a toothpick to hold the prosciutto and the sage onto the chicken. My dad did it this way, so it’s one of those small things that I wanted to incorporate into the dish. Plus, it makes it easier to hold everything together when you flip the meat. Don’t forget to remove the toothpicks before eating!
- Brown bits: Be sure to scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the skillet when you add in the wine and broth. This is where much of the flavor comes from!
Frequently asked questions
Saltimbocca is a classic Italian dish originating from Rome, and is traditionally made with thin veal cutlets wrapped or topped with prosciutto, and a whole sage leaf often pressed or pinned on top with a toothpick.
We love to enjoy this chicken dinner with a side of roasted veggies, a fresh green salad or creamy mashed potatoes! It would also be great with roasted green beans and potatoes or these fun accordion potatoes!
To truly guarantee your chicken is perfectly cooked, use an internal thermometer and check to see that it has reached 160 degrees F; as it rests, the temperature will rise to 165 degrees F, which is safe to eat.
Storage recommendations
- Storing leftovers: Place any leftover chicken saltimbocca in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to about 4 days.
- To freeze: This will also freeze well in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
- To reheat: Rewarm leftovers back in the pan with sauce. You can also pop it in the microwave and heat until warm.
More easy dinner recipes
As usual, PLEASE let me know if you make this recipe and how you like it! You can come back here and leave a comment and/or tag me on instagram (@foodwithfeeling).
Easy Chicken Saltimbocca
Ingredients
- 4 chicken cutlets, roughly 4 ounces each
- salt and pepper
- 2 teaspoons fresh sage, minced
- 4 fresh sage leaves
- 4 slices prosciutto, you could do 8 slices and have a slice on each side if you want
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 teaspoon flour, you can use a gluten free flour here if needed
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ⅓ cup dry white wine, vermouth is a good option here
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Salt and pepper both side of the chicken cutlets.
- Sprinkle one side of each cutlet with 1/2 teaspoon of the minced sage and then place a slice of prosciutto on top of the sage. Press the prosciutto into the chicken. Place a sage leaf on top of each piece of prosciutto and then secure it into the piece of chicken with a toothpick.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add in the cutlets, prosciutto side down, and cook for about 3. Flip and then cook on the other side until chicken is cooked through, about 3-5 additional minutes. Once done, transfer chicken to a plate and cover with foil.
- Pour out about half of the oil so that only 1 teaspoon of oil/ liquid remains in the skillet. Add in the shallot and cook for 2 minutes until softened. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 additional minute.
- Whisk in the wine and broth, making sure to scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the skillet (this is where much of the flavor comes from!). Bring to a simmer and cook for about 4 minutes until the sauce is thickened and reduced a bit.
- Turn heat down to low and whisk in the butter, parsley, and lemon juice until fully combined.
- Return the chicken to the skillet, prosciutto up, as well as any juices that collected on the plate. Simmer for about a minute so that the chicken can heat through again.
- Remove from heat and serve the chicken with the sauce divided evenly among the 4 cutlets.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Butter. Herbs. Lemon. Shallot.
What else is there?!
It is a crowd pleaser, easy to cook and engaging to serve to people. It’s worth it! 100% delish and satisfying. Serve with roasted potatoes and green roasted veggie of choice. Add more wine and butter to the sauce to ale it real. You know.
We have made this twice and love it. We do add sautéed mushrooms!
This came out amazing! Thank you