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    Home » All Recipes » Main Dish Recipes

    Chicken Saltimbocca

    Published on Jan 14, 2022 by Jim · Updated on Mar 6, 2022 · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 22 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    Chicken Saltimbocca combines thinly sliced pan-seared chicken cutlets, salty prosciutto, and sage leaves in a white wine butter sauce.  Perfect served with a side of roasted potatoes, or sauteed spinach, this is a favorite in our home for its simplicity and outrageous flavor!

    Large pan and tongs with finished chicken saltimbocca.

    Every time I make chicken saltimbocca, I find myself wondering "why don't I make this more often".  

    Saltimbocca, meaning "to jump in the mouth", is easy to make but looks and tastes impressive.

     

    The layering of the sage leaves, prosciutto, and chicken make for a lovely presentation and the white wine butter sauce is definitely drinkable.

    I love serving chicken saltimbocca with some roasted potatoes, and a side green salad, or other green like broccoli rabe or garlicky spinach.

    While chicken saltimbocca is one of my favorites, I don't often find it on the menus of Italian restaurants in the NY metro area as often as I would like, which is why when I'm craving it, I simply make it myself!

    Ingredients shown: chicken breasts, prosciutto, butter, chicken stock, wine, and sage.

    How to make chicken saltimbocca

    Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.

    1. Begin by filleting (if using chicken breasts) and pounding out the chicken with the flat side of a meat mallet to a ¼" thick.  Pieces that are roughly 5 inches long are a good size to hold the prosciutto and one sage leaf.  Note: Using a Ziploc bag, makes the pounding out process easier and more sanitary.

    Chicken saltimbocca recipe process shot collage group number one.

    1. Season all of the chicken pieces with salt and pepper on both sides.
    2. Layer one piece of prosciutto onto the chicken and trim off any excess.  Place 1-2 sage leaves onto the prosciutto and use a toothpick to secure it in place.  Repeat with all pieces of chicken.  Note: You can avoid using toothpicks but you must put the sage leave down first.  It doesn't look as nice but will taste the same.

    Recipe process shot collage group number two.

    1. Dredge the chicken pieces in flour (use about 1 cup, the remaining flour should be discarded) and shake off all of the excess.  Place the floured chicken pieces onto a plate or a parchment paper lined baking sheet as shown in pic 4 above.
    2. Heat a large stainless steel pan to medium heat and wait 2-3 minutes for it to heat up before adding the olive oil or butter.  Once the pan is hot add a tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter and sear the chicken prosciutto side down.  

    Recipe process shot collage group number three.

    1. After 2-3 minutes, flip the chicken and cook for about 2 minutes more or until the chicken pieces are cooked through.  Repeat the process for the next batch of chicken using more oil and butter as required.  Place the cooked chicken pieces on a plate off to the side and tent with foil. Note: I forgot to tent the chicken, but make sure you do it to keep the chicken warm!
    2. Add 1 cup of dry white wine to the pan and turn heat to medium-high.  Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to remove any brown bits and cook for 1 minute.

    Recipe process shot collage group number four.

    1. Next, add 1 ¼ cups of low sodium chicken stock and cook the sauce for 3 minutes more or until it reduces by about half.
    2. Turn the heat down to medium-low and add in the remaining cubes of butter.  Whisk the sauce together and taste test.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

    Recipe process shot collage group number five.

    1. Return the chicken to the pan and mix together gently.  Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the chicken is hot and the sauce has coated the chicken saltimbocca.  

    White plate held in hands with chicken saltimbocca and garlic spinach.

    Top tips for awesome chicken saltimbocca

    • The cutlets.  Its extremely important that the cutlets are thin.  Don't skip the step of pounding them out.  It may take a little more time but will yield you the best possible results.  Using a bag as pictured above can help make the clean-up easier.  Note:  If you prefer to use pork or veal cutlets, feel free to do so!
    • The wine. I used a Sauvignon Blanc for this dish.  Any dry white wine will do.  The alcohol will cook out and you'll only be left with the taste of the wine which is an important component of the flavor profile of saltimbocca.
    • The layers.  One of my favorite parts of chicken saltimbocca is the presentation.  The sage leaves layered on top of the prosciutto are visually appealing.  To accomplish this, you'll need to use toothpicks to secure the leaves to the prosciutto.  If you prefer to not use the toothpicks, you'll need to layer the sage leaves between the chicken and prosciutto.  While it will taste the same, the presentation won't be as pretty.  Don't forget to remove the toothpicks before eating!

    Close up shot of one piece of chicken saltimbocca.

    More Italian chicken recipes made with thin cutlets

    Here are some of my absolute favorite Italian chicken recipes.  Which one is your favorite?

    • Chicken Milanese - Butterflied and pounded out chicken breasts, breaded and fried, and topped with an easy tomato, mozzarella, and basil salad.
    • Creamy sun dried tomato chicken - Thinly sliced cutlets with spinach and sun dried tomatoes in a creamy white wine sauce.
    • Chicken valdostana - Cutlets layered with prosciutto and fontina cheese in a white wine sauce.
    • Chicken sorrentino - Cutlets layered with eggplant, prosciutto, and fontina cheese in a tomato Marsala wine sauce.
    • Chicken parmigiana - The classic topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and Parmigiano Reggiano.
    • Chicken Marsala - Cutlets with mushrooms and Marsala wine.
    • Chicken piccata - Chicken with lemon, capers, and white wine.

    If you’ve enjoyed this chicken saltimbocca recipe or any recipe on this site, give it a 5-star rating and leave a review.

    Some people learn by watching.  If you're that type of person, you can find most of our recipes on YouTube and our Facebook Page.

    Chicken saltimbocca featured image.

    Chicken Saltimbocca

    5 from 9 votes
    Prep Time: 15 mins
    Cook Time: 30 mins
    Total Time: 45 mins
    Servings: 4
    Print Pin Rate
    Author: James

    Ingredients

    • 2 pounds chicken cutlets pounded to ¼" thick and cut into 5 inch long pieces
    • 20 large sage leaves
    • 12 pieces prosciutto about a ¼ pound worth
    • 1 ¼ cups low sodium chicken stock
    • 1 cup dry white wine
    • 1 cup flour for dredging only
    • salt and pepper to taste
    • ¼ cup olive oil
    • 6 tablespoons butter divided
    • 2 tablespoons parsley minced

    Instructions

    • Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper on both sides. Place the prosciutto on top of the chicken, trimming to fit if required. Press it down to make it stick and then depending on the size place 1-2 sage leaves on top. Secure the sage leaves and prosciutto to the chicken with toothpicks.
    • Dredge all of the chicken pieces in flour and shake off excess. Place the chicken pieces onto parchment paper and set aside.
    • Heat a large pan to medium heat. Add in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. Once melted add in the chicken pieces prosciutto side down and sear until golden (about 2-3 minutes). Flip and cook the other side for 1-2 minutes more or until cooked through and then place the chicken onto a wire rack. Work in batches, using more olive oil and butter as required.
    • Once all of the chicken pieces have been cooked, prepare the sauce by adding the white wine to the pan. Turn heat to high and scrape the pan with a wooden spoon to remove all of the brown bits. After 1 minute add in the chicken stock and cook the sauce until it thickens and reduces by half (about 3 minutes). Once reduced turn heat down to medium-low and add in the remaining butter.
    • Whisk the sauce together and taste test. Adjust salt and pepper as required. Once satisfied with the taste add the chicken pieces back into the pan and gently mix to warm the chicken through (about 2 minutes).
    • Sprinkle the chicken saltimbocca with parsley and serve right away. Enjoy!

    Notes

    • Serve chicken saltimbocca with garlic sauteed spinach.
    • Pounding out thin flat cutlets is essential for this dish.  Though store-bought thin cutlets can be used, pounding the cutlets flatter will help achieve more even cooking and better results.
    • Leftovers can be saved in the fridge for up to 3 days and can be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 687kcal | Carbohydrates: 5.3g | Protein: 72.9g | Fat: 35.5g | Saturated Fat: 13.4g | Cholesterol: 228mg | Sodium: 611mg | Potassium: 572mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.5g | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 3mg
    Did you make this recipe? Mention @sipandfeast or tag #sipandfeast
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Karen

      February 07, 2022 at 9:16 pm

      5 stars
      Fantastic! Mine looked very close to the master's. The fragrance was so incredible as it cooked and the taste was yummmmmmm.

      Reply
      • Jim

        February 08, 2022 at 11:56 am

        Hi Karen. Really glad you enjoyed the saltimbocca and now know how simple and easy a dish like this can be. Thanks for the comment!

        Reply
    2. Robyn

      March 24, 2022 at 11:53 am

      5 stars
      Hi Jim absolutely restaurant quality and “home chef” easy. Best thing ever finding your site and following you. My small family ate every bite but now going to have guests 6 of us in all some big eaters so do you have suggestions as to how to make double your recipe but keeping it warm…or do you have a rolled saltimbocca recipe finishing in the oven I can use?

      Reply
      • Jim

        March 24, 2022 at 12:32 pm

        Hi Robyn. You can easily scale up this recipe. I recommend just placing your seared chicken on a large plate and tenting with foil while you attend to the next batch(s). Then make your sauce and add all of the chicken back into the pan to warm everything up. I will probably make a rolled saltimbocca at some point. That could work to maybe save a bit of room in the pan, but I think you will be fine with tenting the batches. Thanks for liking our recipes!

        Reply
    3. Karen Cooper

      March 31, 2022 at 5:58 pm

      5 stars
      Absolutely delicious and not difficult!! This will be a great addition to favorite dishes I make.

      Reply
      • Jim

        April 01, 2022 at 2:23 pm

        Hi Karen. Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for the comment!

        Reply
    4. Knoll

      June 21, 2022 at 6:33 pm

      5 stars
      Instead of chicken used Red Snapper though any similar fish will work. Because of using fish, skip the pounding and adjust your cooking time depending on thickness. Have to catch more fish to have again. Was excellent and easy to prepare.

      Reply
      • Jim

        June 22, 2022 at 1:04 pm

        Hi Knoll, thanks for the comment, and great to hear you made it your own by using red snapper! Sounds awesome.

        Reply
    5. Mark

      October 14, 2022 at 6:56 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious! The only change we made was to put the sage between the chicken and prosciutto—eliminated the need for toothpicks. Thanks for the great recipe!

      Reply
      • Jim

        October 15, 2022 at 9:28 am

        Hi Mark, thanks for the comment and so happy you enjoyed the saltimbocca!

        Reply
    6. Camille

      October 28, 2022 at 7:32 pm

      Looks delicious going to try love all your recipes

      Reply
      • Jim

        October 28, 2022 at 10:17 pm

        Thanks, Camille!

        Reply
    7. Wen

      November 01, 2022 at 7:04 pm

      5 stars
      I made this last night and it was perfect! There isn't one receipe that we have tried that wasn't amazing.

      Reply
      • Jim

        November 01, 2022 at 9:46 pm

        Hi Wen, I'm so glad you enjoyed the saltimbocca and that you're enjoying the recipes! Thanks for the comment!

        Reply
    8. Karn Carmonynymyny

      November 17, 2022 at 2:17 pm

      5 stars
      I am loving these lessons in Italian cooking , with the very detailed step-by-step guidance. and helpful insights and tidbits... so many useful things explained thoughtfully , you've done a excellent job Jim it's a joy to watch your videos!!

      Reply
      • Jim

        November 17, 2022 at 2:58 pm

        Hi Karn, thanks for the comment and so happy you're enjoying the recipes!

        Reply
    9. Claire

      January 07, 2023 at 4:44 pm

      5 stars
      Loved it. I will use even more sage next time to have it in every bite!

      Reply
      • Jim

        January 08, 2023 at 9:12 am

        Thanks for the comment, Claire, and so happy you liked it!

        Reply
    10. Fayette Inman

      January 19, 2023 at 9:57 pm

      Hi Jim, I took on a BIG challenge today. I made your recipe for Chicken Scariello & Saltimbocca, and followed your recipe to the T, for the Scariello ...Bib, Bib Hit. Saltimbocca I made the cutlets into logs, so before I dredge them in the flour I added 3/4 small chunks of fontina cheese, then rolled them up and held them together with a toothpick, carefully dredging them in the flour. Sauteed them until brown, set them aside, and made the sauce as you instructed. added the chicken back into the sauce spooning some of the sauce over the chicken. Put it back in a 350 oven for 12 minutes. Again Big Hit with family
      I love following you, you make your recipes so easy to follow. Thank you

      Reply
      • Jim

        January 20, 2023 at 11:13 am

        Hi Fayette, making the scarpariello and saltimbocca in one day is a challenge but happy to hear it was a success for you and that you enjoyed them as well as the other recipes. Thanks so much for the comment!

        Reply
    11. Bill

      March 19, 2023 at 1:12 pm

      5 stars
      Making it tonight

      Reply
      • Jim

        March 20, 2023 at 9:33 am

        Hi Bill, thanks for the comment and hope you enjoyed!

        Reply

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    About Jim

    Welcome! I'm Jim and I'm here to help you make awesome Italian food that you would normally enjoy at some of your favorite New York style Italian restaurants. While my recipes are typically Italian, you'll find some other great ones as well. Take a look around, and get cooking!

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