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GET IT NOWMy Chicken Saltimbocca Recipe Skips The Fuss, Not The Flavor
A reader asked me for a chicken saltimbocca recipe after making my Italian-inspired eggplant rollatini, and I was excited because I had actually tried it on a trip to Italy years ago. When I recreated it at home, here’s how my version came together and why I keep making it:
- Tender chicken, salty prosciutto, melty cheese, and crispy sage all swimming in a buttery white wine sauce – Every bite reminds me of sitting at a café in Rome, only now it’s a healthy dinner recipe I can whip up at home. It’s definitely more of a grown-up meal, but my kids did eat the chicken without the sauce, so if you’ve got picky eaters, that’s a simple workaround.
- You don’t need any flour – Most chicken saltimbocca recipes dredge the chicken in flour, but I skipped it and didn’t miss it at all. The cutlets still come out juicy, golden, and yes, gluten-free. And while the sauce is a little thinner, I think that’s perfect for drizzling over the chicken.
- My easier, better method for sage – I’ve seen some versions attach the sage to the chicken with toothpicks (which is extra fuss), while others just tuck it underneath the prosciutto (which doesn’t stay crispy). Instead, I fried the sage leaves first to get them more crispy, then used them for topping at the end — and they stick to the melted cheese. Bonus: The olive oil got a sage flavor, which transferred to the chicken!
- Quick for a weeknight – Although it looks fancy, this dish comes together in less than half an hour. It’s fast enough for a weeknight, but I’ve also served it for company.
This chicken saltimbocca was such a fun challenge to create. Make it with me, and I’d love to know if you think it lives up to the original!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my chicken saltimbocca recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Chicken – Traditional saltimbocca is made with veal, but chicken is a common variation, and it’s actually what I had when I tried the dish in Italy. I use boneless skinless chicken breasts. Feel free to use thighs if you prefer.
- Fresh Sage Leaves – Fresh sage is essential for that classic flavor. I crisp up some whole leaves for topping and chop the rest for the sauce. If you don’t have enough, you can swap in a little dried sage in the sauce, but for the topping I recommend fresh.
- Prosciutto – The salty, savory layer that makes this chicken feel restaurant-worthy. The name saltimbocca means “jumps in the mouth,” and prosciutto is a big reason why.
- Provolone Cheese – I used this partly because it’s classic for chicken saltimbocca and partly because it’s one of my kids’ favorite cheese, so we always have it. You can use other cheeses that melt well, like mozzarella, Fontina, or even Swiss.
- Garlic – Fresh is best for flavor, but 2 teaspoons of jarred garlic works in a pinch.
- Chicken Broth – I use reduced sodium chicken broth so the sauce doesn’t end up too salty (especially with the prosciutto). If you only have regular, just taste before adding more salt.
- Dry White Wine – I don’t recommend using “cooking wine” for chicken saltimbocca (or really for most uses, if I’m being honest). You want a decent quality dry white wine, like pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc, or chardonnay. The alcohol cooks off and leaves behind flavor. If you’d rather skip it, you can just use more chicken broth instead.
- Olive Oil & Unsalted Butter – I use oil for sauteing and searing, and butter for the sauce near the end.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper
How To Make Chicken Saltimbocca
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Fry the sage. Heat some olive oil in a large skillet, add the whole sage leaves, and cook until they shrink and darken. Transfer to a paper towel and leave the oil in the pan.
- Prep the chicken. Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally to make cutlets, then pound them evenly with a meat mallet. Pat dry, season with salt and pepper, and lay a slice of prosciutto on each one, pressing gently so it sticks.
- Cook the chicken. Heat the oil back up and sear the chicken. I start prosciutto-side down so that it “seals” the prosciutto on, then flip and brown the other side. I recommend cooking in batches as needed. Set aside and cover to keep warm.
- Make the easy pan sauce. Lower the heat and add a little more oil, then sauté the garlic until fragrant. Pour in the wine, broth, and chopped sage. Scrape up any browned bits with a wooden spoon, and let the sauce simmer to reduce. I stir in the butter at the end to make it smooth and glossy, then season to taste.
- Add the chicken and cheese. Return the chicken to the pan, prosciutto side up, and top with provolone. Cover until the cheese melts.
- Finish and enjoy! Top your chicken saltimbocca with the crispy sage leaves. Don’t forget the sauce from the bottom of the pan for serving!
My Recipe Tips
- Got a bunch of sage with different leaf sizes? I recommend saving the biggest ones for the part of my chicken saltimbocca recipe that uses them whole, and using the smaller ones for the chopped portion. If they’re really tiny, feel free to toss in a few extras.
- Flip the whole sage leaves carefully with tongs, starting with the stem end. They break more easily if I start with the opposite end.
- When slicing the chicken, start at the thicker side. I place the palm of my non-dominant hand flat on top to keep it steady, then use my other hand to carefully slice through the middle horizontally.
- Use the flat side of the meat mallet, so it flattens the chicken without tearing it. The textured side is better for beef. You can also place the chicken between two pieces of plastic wrap to keep it intact better, but for me it worked fine even without it.
- Do I have to pound the chicken at all? No, but this is a signature step in chicken saltimbocca. Pounding helps the chicken cook faster and more evenly, plus it gives you more surface area for all that crispy prosciutto and buttery sauce. I recommend 1/4 to 3/8 inch thickness.
- Don’t stretch the prosciutto when placing it on the chicken. It will shrink a bit as it cooks, so stretching causes it to separate from the chicken. This is especially important in my recipe since I don’t use any flour for dredging.
- You’ll need to cook the chicken in batches at first. The raw chicken cutlets are unlikely to fit in one pan to sear, so you’ll need 2 batches for a 12-inch skillet or 3 batches for a 10-inch skillet. After they cook down, though, they do fit in the 12-inch cast iron skillet I use for the final step to melt the cheese.
- For the juiciest chicken saltimbocca, remove it from the heat at 163 degrees F. It will reach 165 as it rests under foil while you make the sauce. And if you’re always misplacing your thermometer, try my magnetic one that sticks to the fridge!
- Don’t let the garlic brown much when sauteing. I find that this can make wine-based sauces, like this saltimbocca sauce, bitter. (You might notice I gave the same recommendation in my creamy garlic chicken, too.) Make sure the heat is low enough at this step, and have your broth and wine ready to add quickly as soon as the garlic smells fragrant.
- I used a 50/50 ratio of white wine and broth, but you can easily use all broth, or use a cup of broth with just 1/2 cup of wine for a less intense flavor. You just need the liquid to add up to 1 1/2 cups total before simmering.
Chicken Saltimbocca (25-Min Dinner)
My chicken saltimbocca recipe layers prosciutto, sage, and provolone in buttery wine sauce for a 25-minute, flavorful Italian-style dinner.
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
Fry The Whole Sage Leaves:
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Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the whole sage leaves and fry for 45-60 seconds, gently flipping occasionally, until they shrink and their green color darkens.
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Use tongs to transfer the sage to a paper towel lined plate and set aside, leaving the oil behind in the pan.
Cook The Chicken With Prosciutto:
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Cut the chicken breasts in half horizontally (like you’re butterflying them, but cut all the way through). Use the flat side of a meat mallet to pound them to an even thickness, 1/4 to 3/8 inch thick.
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Pat the chicken cutlets dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Lay a slice of prosciutto over each chicken breast (trim it if needed), and press gently to help it stick.
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Heat the oil in the pan again over medium-high heat. Carefully place the chicken in the pan with the prosciutto side down, in a single layer. (You’ll probably need to cook in 2 batches for all the pieces to fit.) Sear for 3-4 minutes, until the prosciutto is golden brown. Flip and cook for 3-4 more minutes, until the chicken is golden on the other side and the internal temperature reaches 163-165 degrees F (73-74 degrees C). Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
Make The Sauce:
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Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the minced garlic and saute for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
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Working quickly, add the wine, broth, and chopped sage (the remaining leaves that you didn’t fry) to the pan. Bring to a boil, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the liquid volume is reduced by half.
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Reduce the heat to low. Stir the butter into the sauce, until smooth. Adjust salt and pepper to your taste if needed.
Combine:
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Return the chicken to the pan, prosciutto side up, over low heat. Top each piece of chicken with a half slice of provolone. Cover with a lid for 2 minutes, until the cheese melts.
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Serve the chicken saltimbocca with the crispy sage leaves (from the first step) on top.
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 chicken cutlet + 2 tablespoons sauce
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you prep like a pro, get perfectly juicy chicken, and make that buttery sage sauce shine.
- Storage: Leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-5 days. I store the chicken with the sauce, so the flavors soak in even more.
- Reheat: Warm it gently on the stove or in the oven, and spoon some of the sauce over the top. I usually add an extra splash of broth and/or pat of butter to bring the sauce back.
- Freeze: You can freeze this dish for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Chicken Saltimbocca
How To Serve It
Saltimbocca chicken is traditionally served with a side dish that can soak up the sauce, like mashed or roasted potatoes, risotto, or pasta. I often choose lighter options, like mashed cauliflower or roasted spaghetti squash.
I also recommend some veggies on the side, like sautéed spinach or my favorite fall salad.
2 Comments
~Chrissie O.
0This is so freaking delicious!!! I will be honest: whole sage leaves just destroy my palate, so I don’t do that particular accent. But I do roll and chiffonade them, and then frizzle them in a bit of olive oil (to your point about the olive oil picking up that amazing flavor!!)
I really appreciate that the sauce, here, is a bit thinner. It makes for an overall “lighter” feel to the dish!!! I adore Saltimbocca with pasta, and I’m NOT low-carb, but hubbie is, so it’s super-easy to boil up pasta, and then toss half an oz of actual pasta (just for the textural mouth-feel) with several oz of heart of palm pasta, and he’d swear it wasn’t low-carb!! By the same token, I sautee up caulflower rice (spritz a skillet with non-fat cooking spray to give it bit more “rice” texture), and mix in about 1 T of actual rice, and he never misses the carbs.
Anyway, the flavors are ON POINT!!! It’s delish! Thanks so much for posting!!! Wish you didn’t have so many ads on your site, though – I don’t have high-speed internet where I live, and boy, oh boy, does it mean your site freezes and I cannot even navigate!!! Regardless, your content is fantastic!!! Keep it coming!! ~Chrissie
Wholesome Yum D
0Chrissie, love your idea of crisping the sage in olive oil! Your pasta and rice swaps are genius too, so both you and your husband can enjoy it. Thrilled the flavors hit the mark for you!