Chicken Saltimbocca – Prosciutto and basil stuffed chicken breast pan seared to golden perfection, topped with cheese and served with a light wine butter sauce. This easy and impressive one-pan chicken dish is absolutely delicious!
Chicken Saltimbocca is the perfect dish to make on weekends or during the holidays. Juicy and tender stuffed chicken, gooey cheese and the most amazing wine butter sauce makes chicken saltimbocca a family favorite! We love serving it with asparagus, roasted fingerling potatoes or sauteed green beans for the most perfect restaurant style meal!
What Is Chicken Saltimbocca
Saltimbocca is a traditional Italian dish commonly made with veal cutlets, prosciutto and sage leaves. Saltimbocca literally means “jump in the mouth”.
How To Make Chicken Saltimbocca
This restaurant favorite is actually an easy dish to make at home. The first step is to butterfly the chicken breast. Think of it as opening a book by splitting it horizontally.
Butterfly The Chicken Breast
- Place your hand flat on top of the chicken breast and with a sharp knife, slice into the chicken horizontally.
- Stop cutting right before you get to the opposite side. You want to be able to open up the chicken as if it was a book (see images below).
- Place the chicken breast between two sheets of plastic wrap and with a mallet, pound the chicken lightly to make the thickness a bit even.
Stuff , Season, Sear And Make The Sauce
- Place 2 basil leaves inside the chicken breast.
- Top with 2 slices of prosciutto.
- Fold the chicken to enclose the filling. Use a couple of toothpicks to secure the filling.
- Season the chicken breast with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
- Spread flour on a dish or counter.
- Lightly dredge the chicken in the flour.
- In a skillet, sear the chicken until golden brown.
- Remove the chicken from the skillet and melt the butter
- Stir in the flour and cook for about a minute.
- Add the wine, stirring to prevent any lumps. Scrape any brown bits at the bottom of the skillet.
- Stir in the broth and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and let the sauce reduce until slightly thickened.
- Return the chicken to the skillet and cook for a couple of minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Top each chicken breast with the cheese slices.
- Cover the skillet to melt the cheese. This takes a couple of minutes. Season to taste and garnish with basil. Serve!
What Do You Serve With Saltimbocca?
You can serve this amazing chicken dish with rich polenta, pasta or roasted vegetables. Creamy Instant Pot mashed potatoes, this amazing rice pilaf or simply steamed broccoli are great options as well.
Saltimbocca Tips and Notes
- The recipe below calls for Fontina cheese but you can use any semi-soft cheese like Mozzarella, Gouda and Gruyere work well.
- The chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit before it is consumed. Always check with an instant read thermometer for accuracy.
- You can use gluten free flour if you wish.
- If you prefer, place the skillet under a broiler to melt the cheese. Just keep an eye on it as it melts fast. Also make sure your skillet is oven-safe.
- You can use fresh sage instead of basil if you prefer.
- Use any white wine you enjoy drinking. Good options are Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier. Sweet white wines like Muscat can be use but keep in mind they will make the sauce a sweet.
OTHER GREAT CHICKEN RECIPES:
Chicken Saltimbocca with Prosciutto and Basil
Chicken Saltimbocca -Prosciutto and basil stuffed chicken breast pan seared to golden perfection, topped with cheese and served with a light wine butter sauce. This easy and impressive one-pan chicken dish is absolutely delicious!
Ingredients
- 4 (5-6 oz. ea.) boneless and skinless chicken breast halves
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 8 large basil leaves
- 8 thin prosciutto slices (about 3 ounces)
- 2 tablespoons all-purposed flour (divided)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter (divided)
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 8 slices Fontina cheese (mozzarella, Gruyere or provolone can be used), (thin slices)
- Chopped basil for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Butterfly each chicken breast, cutting horizontally into the thickest part of the breast almost all the way through to the other side (keeping the breast attached on one side). Open each breast like a book and place 2 basil leaves in the center of each chicken breasts and top the basil with 2 slices of prosciutto. Fold the chicken over to enclose the basil and prosciutto and secure the filling with a skewer or toothpicks.
- Season the chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder on both sides. Spread 1 tablespoon of the flour on a plate and dredge each breast very lightly. Shake off the excess. Set aside.
- In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and oil. Add the chicken and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown. Turn the chicken over and cook for about about 3-4 minutes. The chicken will finish cooking on the sauce. Transfer the chicken to a platter and cover to keep warm.
- Lower the heat to medium-low. In the same skillet melt the butter. Add the remaining flour and cook for 1 minute stirring constantly. Add the wine whisking to avoid any lumps. Cook for about 1 minute. Slowly add the broth and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Let the sauce cook down for about 2 minutes to thicken slightly.
- Return the chicken to the skillet, and cook over medium-low heat for about 2 minutes. Top each chicken breast with 2 slices of cheese. Cover the skillet and cook 1 to 2 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Season with salt and pepper to taste if needed and garnish with chopped basil (optional). Serve immediately.
Notes
- Smaller chicken breasts (5 to 6 ounces each) work best for this recipe.
- We use 1 tablespoon of flour to dredge 4 chicken breasts halves and 1 tablespoon of flour to make a roux to thicken the sauce.
- Dredging the chicken lightly with flour creates a thin coating that gets beautifully golden when seared. You can skip this step but the chicken may not get as golden brown.
- If you prefer, place the skillet under a broiler to melt the cheese. Just keep an eye on it as it melts fast. Also make sure your skillet is oven-safe.
- The chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit before it is consumed. Always check with an instant read thermometer for accuracy.
Nutrition
Calories: 504 kcal, Carbohydrates: 6 g, Protein: 39 g, Fat: 34 g, Saturated Fat: 16 g, Cholesterol: 150 mg, Sodium: 830 mg, Potassium: 549 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 1 g, Vitamin A: 722 IU, Vitamin C: 6 mg, Calcium: 297 mg, Iron: 1 mg
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