Ready in just 30 minutes, this chicken saltimbocca features thinly sliced chicken cutlets topped with prosciutto and fresh sage leaves bathed in a simple white wine sauce.
Saltimbocca Looks Elegant, But Is Effortless to Prepare
Chicken saltimbocca sounds fancy, but this Italian classic is actually a weeknight wonder that comes together in one skillet, in about 30 minutes.
Tender chicken cutlets are topped with fresh sage, then wrapped in salty prosciutto and seared until golden. Because the Italians know how to utilize every last bit of flavor, the skillet drippings become the base for a silky pan sauce made with both white wine and Marsala.
It’s elegant enough for a dinner party but easy enough for a Tuesday night when you’re craving something a little extra. Serve it with mashed potatoes, polenta, or garlic bread to catch every last drop of the white wine sauce.
Enjoy!
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
Slice thicker chicken breasts into cutlets. This minimizes the cook time and keeps the chicken super juicy. If the cutlets are noticeably thicker on one side, gently pound the meat until it’s an even thickness.
Go easy on the salt. The prosciutto is already very salty and will do most of the heavy lifting in this dish. I seasoned all four cutlets with just ½ teaspoon of salt in total.
Add marsala wine for richness. While you could make the pan sauce with regular white wine (I prefer a dry Chardonnay here), mixing in an equal amount of fortified marsala wine deepens the flavor and makes for a more interesting dish.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Chicken breasts — This is one recipe that doesn’t work as well with chicken thighs, so stick to boneless skinless chicken breasts.
- Fresh sage leaves — Sorry folks, you can’t swap in ground sage here. The sage leaves crisp up in the skillet and adds an earthy, fresh flavor.
- Prosciutto — This Italian dry-cured ham might be sliced wafer thin, but it packs in tons of savory flavor.
- Flour — Dredging the prosciutto-wrapped chicken in seasoned flour helps it develop more color in the pan and gives the sauce something to cling to.
- Butter + olive oil — Mixing a little oil into the melted butter prevents it from burning as the chicken browns.
- Wine — You can use a dry white wine to make the pan sauce, but I prefer mixing in a little sweet marsala wine for a more nuanced flavor.
- Chicken stock — Thins out the sauce without having to add more booze.
How to Make Chicken Saltimbocca
- Slice the chicken into cutlets. This is a fancy way of saying you need to slice the breasts lengthwise to create two thinner pieces. Chicken cutlets cook faster and therefore stay juicier than thick chicken breasts, which tend to cook unevenly in a skillet.
- Top with sage and wrap in prosciutto. If your prosciutto slices are on the large side, you should only need 1 slice per cutlet.
- Brown the chicken. To get a deeply golden sear on the chicken, you’ll need to dredge it in a little flour before searing for 2 minutes per side in an oiled skillet. After searing, transfer the chicken to a plate and tent with foil.
- Make the saltimbocca sauce. Pour both wines into the now-empty skillet to deglaze the pan. Use a spatular to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom — that’s where all the flavor is! Add the chicken broth and let the sauce simmer gently for about 5 minutes to thicken.
- Finish with a pat of cold butter. Adding a smidge more butter at the very end thickens the sauce without having to use any flour or cornstarch, plus it makes it super glossy. I learned this trick when testing my chicken marsala recipe many moons ago.
- Return the chicken to the pan. Nestle the browned cutlets into pan and top with the white wine sauce. Since you dredged the chicken in flour, the sauce should cling to it and not slide right off.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
Chicken Saltimbocca Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts , about 1 ½ pounds
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 large fresh sage leaves
- 4 large slices of prosciutto
- 2 tablespoons butter , divided
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- ¼ cup marsala wine
- ¾ cup chicken stock
Instructions
- Prep the chicken breasts. Trim any excess fat from 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts. Slice each in half lengthwise to make two thin cutlets (four total). Place each cutlet between plastic wrap and gently pound them out to the same thickness. Season each side of the cutlets with ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Place 2 sage leaves on each cutlet. Wrap each cutlet with a slice of prosciutto.
- Brown the chicken cutlets. Mix 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour and ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper in a shallow bowl. Carefully dredge each of the chicken cutlets in the flour mixture, taking care so the prosciutto sticks to the chicken, lightly coat and shake off the excess. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high. Place each cutlet in the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Transfer to a platter or sheet pan and tent loosely with foil.
- Make the sauce. Pour off any excess oil from the skillet. Pour in ¼ cup dry white wine and ¼ cup marsala wine, then bring to a boil over medium. Stir to scrape up any browned bits. Add ¾ cup chicken stock, bring to a boil, and cook for 5 minutes until the sauce is reduced and slightly thickened. Stir in 1 tablespoon butter, then add the chicken breasts back to the pan. Serve the chicken with sauce drizzled over the top.
Nutrition
What to Serve With Chicken Saltimbocca
- 3-Ingredient Parsley Potatoes
- Buttery Mashed Potatoes
- Creamy Polenta
- Parmesan Risotto
- Garlicky Sauteed Spinach
- Roasted Asparagus
- Italian House Salad
- Simple Arugula Salad
More Skillet Chicken Dinners
- Mediterranean Chicken
- Creamy Tarragon Chicken
- Chicken with Asparagus and Mushrooms
- Creamy Chive Chicken
- Balsamic Chicken with Tomatoes
- Caprese Chicken
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