Chicken Saltimbocca

Chicken Saltimbocca is a super flavorful Italian dish made with chicken cutlets, salty prosciutto, and sage. A simple butter and wine sauce adds an extra touch of savory flavor to every bite.

What is Chicken Saltimbocca?

It’s a classic Italian dish that you’ll see on the menu at many Italian restaurants – made with pan-fried boneless cutlets of chicken, prosciutto, and sage.

This recipe was originally made with veal slices, and in Italy you’ll likely see the dish on the menu as Saltimbocca alla Romana. While it’s now considered a staple of Roman cuisine, some sources claim that this dish originated in Brescia – a city in Italy’s Lombardy-Veneto region.

The name saltimbocca comes from the Italian words “saltire” (to jump) and “imbocca” (to put in the mouth) – and the salty flavors of the prosciutto and crispy sage certainly do “jump” into your mouth when you take a bite.

You can serve Chicken Saltimbocca over buttered pasta, or with fresh salad greens that are simply dressed with a vinaigrette.

• All the flavors of juicy chicken, salty prosciutto, and crispy sage with the lemony sauce will make your taste buds sing!
• This dish is simple enough for a weeknight meal and impressive enough for a dinner party.
• Much of the prep can be done ahead of time, then it will take just about thirty minutes to cook.

• Chicken – Buy good-sized boneless skinless chicken breasts (at least six ounces each). If you can only find smaller chicken breasts, just note that the cooking time will be less than what we’ve listed in the recipe.
• Sage – Fresh sage are fried for serving as a garnish, and some more is finely chopped and added to the breading. Don’t be tempted to swap in dried sage – it won’t be the same as fresh in this case.
• Prosciutto – You will need 8 slices (approximately 4 ounces or a quarter of a pound). Ask for thinly sliced prosciutto when you order from the deli counter.
• Unsalted Butter and Extra Virgin Olive Oil – We like to use a combination of these two fats for frying. The butter adds flavor and richness, while the olive oil helps prevent the butter from scorching.
• Kosher Salt and Ground White Pepper
• All-purpose flour
• White Wine – Any drinkable dry white wine will work such as a chardonnay.
• Lemon Juice – Freshly squeezed is always best. (The bottled juice has a bitter taste.)
• Chicken Stock or Broth

You can also make this recipe with thin slices of veal. The overall process will be the same, but the cooking time will vary depending on the cut you use.

1. Prepare the chicken by butterflying and trimming the breasts into 6-ounce uniform pieces. We do not recommend pounding the chicken for this dish.
2. Mix the flour with salt, pepper and finely chopped fresh sage.
3. Dredge the chicken in flour, then lay the breasts out on your cutting board or on a sheet tray.
4. Cover one side of each piece of floured chicken with two slices of prosciutto. (If your chicken pieces are smaller you can wrap the prosciutto around the chicken.)
5. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter and the olive oil into a large skillet and turn heat to high. Once the butter has melted and is frothing in the pan, add the 12 fresh whole sage leaves and fry on both sides until crisp. Gently remove with slotted spoon onto paper towels and set aside.
6. Keep the heat on high and place chicken, prosciutto side down, into the hot fat and cook for three minutes. Dust the exposed side with more of the seasoned flour. Gently turn each piece over, reduce heat to medium, and cook for three more minutes then remove to a platter.
7. Deglaze the pan with lemon juice, then white wine and once reduced add chicken stock and cook to reduce further. Thicken with the remaining butter off heat then add the cooked chicken back to the pan with the sauce and heat just to serving temperature.
8. Remove to a platter, and top with the crispy sage leaves and serve sauce on the side.

• Can I add other ingredients to my Chicken Saltimbocca? Of course – any recipe can be adapted to suit your tastes and available ingredients! Some Saltimbocca recipes include mushrooms, onions, or garlic – and while you can certainly add that to this dish, we feel the added vegetables detract from the delicious simplicity of this recipe. Same goes for adding Marsala wine – it would be delicious, but it’s not traditional and again, it would totally change the flavors of the dish. You might enjoy making this Chicken Marsala recipe instead!
• Can I make Chicken Saltimbocca ahead of time? You can get some prep done ahead of time, but this meal should be served freshly cooked.
• How do I store leftovers? Store covered in the refrigerator for up to three days.
• How do I reheat leftovers? Heat gently in the microwave but avoid overheating. The chicken will get tough if it’s overcooked.

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