Chicken Involtini

Chicken involtini, or chicken braciole, look and taste complex, but are really quite simple.  Chicken breasts are pounded thin and rolled around a sauteed spinach, mushroom, and fontina cheese mixture, lightly seared, and finished in a lemon white wine sauce.   A go-to dish for when you want a beautiful presentation, but don't want to jump through hoops to create it.

This chicken involtini recipe has quickly become a favorite way to eat chicken in our home and was inspired by beef braciole, a dish I grew up eating as part of our family's Sunday dinner.

Involtini with chicken are a bit simpler and don't require hours of cooking in a Sunday sauce. 

In fact, from start to finish, it takes less than an hour to prepare.

Chicken involtini are essentially chicken rolled around a mixture of ingredients.  This recipe combines sauteed spinach, mushrooms, and fontina cheese for the stuffing.  

The garlicky sauteed spinach, earthy mushrooms, and melted fontina cheese make the perfect filling for these chicken involti.  

Perfect served alongside roasted potatoes, rice, or even more sauteed spinach and sauteed garlic mushrooms, this dish is a hit with even the pickiest eaters!

Pro tip:  Make large portions of both the spinach and mushrooms linked above and save them for when you make this recipe.  That will cut down on some prep and cooking time and make the process far easier!

How to make it

Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.

1. In a large pan saute the garlic in olive oil over medium-low heat until golden (about 2 minutes) then add the spinach. Cook spinach until wilted and season with salt and pepper.  Remove spinach from heat and set aside.  Once the spinach is cool enough to handle, drain by pressing through a fine-mesh strainer. Chop the spinach and set it aside.

2. Heat the same pan to medium and saute the mushrooms in olive oil until they release their water (about 5 minutes).  Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper and set them aside.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the drained spinach, mushrooms, 1 cup shredded Fontina cheese, and a ¼ cup of breadcrumbs.  Also, preheat the oven to 375f.

4. Spread out 8-10 thin chicken cutlets (use either storebought thin sliced cutlets or pound them out to a ¼-inch thickness) and pat them dry.  Season both sides with salt and pepper then place 2-3 tablespoons of the spinach mixture onto the cutlets.
5. Roll the chicken then secure with a toothpick.  Next place the chicken involtini into flour and dredge, shaking off the excess.  Note: Don't worry - most of the stuffing will stay inside the chicken while searing after securing with the toothpicks.

6. Heat a large pan (preferably stainless steel) to medium heat and wait 3 minutes.  Once the pan is hot add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and sear the chicken for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown.  Work in batches, if required, to not crowd the pan.  Place all the seared chicken onto a plate and set aside.
7. Turn the heat down to medium-low and add 4 cloves of sliced garlic.  If the pan is very dry add a couple more tablespoons of olive oil.  Cook the garlic until golden (about 2 minutes) then add a ½ cup of dry white wine and a ½ cup of low sodium chicken stock.  Turn the heat to high and reduce the liquid by half (about 2-3 minutes).  While reducing, use a wooden spoon to dislodge the flavorful brown bits from the pan.   

8. Once the sauce is adequately reduced remove the pan from the heat and taste test.  Season with salt and pepper if necessary - it probably won't be - then add 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice. 
9. Return the chicken rolls to the pan and add 2 tablespoons of cubed butter.  Also, spoon a bit of sauce onto the chicken then sprinkle the remaining breadcrumbs on top of each piece of chicken involtini.  You don't have to use all the breadcrumbs here.  Just a thin coating will suffice.

10. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the internal temp of the chicken reaches 160f.  Once finished cooking remove the pan from the oven and add 2 tablespoons of minced parsley.  If you want the sauce a bit thicker simply move the chicken to a plate and tent with foil.  Heat the sauce over medium-high for a few minutes until it reduces then turn off the heat and add 1-2 tablespoons of cold butter and whisk it into the sauce.  Enjoy!

Top tips for perfect chicken rollups aka involtini

• The chicken.  Good involtini doesn't just have a delicious stuffing - the chicken should also be moist and tender.  To accomplish this, pound the cutlets to ¼ inch thick.  This will tenderize the meat and will further thin the cutlets making them easier to roll.
• The cheese.  I used fontina cheese for this recipe because I love the slightly pungent flavor and fontina's ability to melt.  If you can't find fontina, you could substitute with mozzarella, provolone, or even swiss.
• The wine.  I used a Sauvignon Blanc for my sauce, but any dry white wine will work.  Pinot Grigio would be another good choice.  If you prefer to not use wine, simply substitute with an extra ½ of low sodium chicken stock.
• Tying it all together. I used toothpicks to secure the chicken, however, if you'd like you can also use kitchen twine.  Either way, don't forget to remove the toothpicks or twine before eating!

More great chicken recipes

Chicken is such a versatile ingredient and is the perfect base for a variety of flavors and ingredients.  Here are some of our favorite chicken dishes - we know you'll love them!

• Chicken Saltimbocca - Pan-seared chicken cutlets layered with prosciutto and sage in a buttery white wine sauce.
• Creamy sun dried tomato chicken - Ultra-thin chicken cutlets cooked in a creamy sauce with spinach, sun dried tomatoes, and white wine.
• Chicken Marsala - Chicken cutlets with smoked prosciutto and mushrooms in a Marsala wine sauce.
• Chicken Sorrentino - Cutlets layered with prosciutto, eggplant, and fontina cheese in a wine-infused tomato sauce.
• Chicken with tomatoes and capers - Cherry tomatoes, capers, parsley, and chicken cutlets.
• Chicken Valdostana - Fontina cheese, prosciutto, and chicken cutlets in a simple white wine sauce.
• Chicken piccata - Chicken, lemon, and capers in an EASY buttery sauce.

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