Chicken Saltimbocca

Chicken Saltimbocca a version of the Roman classic that uses chicken cutlets, sage and prosciutto, pan-fried until crispy and served with the simplest white wine sauce. We serve ours with rosemary cannellini beans for a good and easy side.

We love this recipe. Chicken Saltimbocca is so simple and full of flavour, with crispy salty prosciutto and fragrant sage leaves in a simple white wine sauce.

It's made in the same way as the traditional Roman dish, veal saltimbocca, but it's much more accessible and less expensive.

The other thing we love about this recipe is that it's ready in 30 minutes, making it suited to busy weeknights, yet it's fancy enough to serve for special occasions too.

As for sides? We like to serve it with rosemary cannellini beans, which take no more than 10 minutes to whip up, making the whole meal quick and easy, but it's a versatile recipe and will go with almost any veg or salad (see more good ideas below).

See the photo below that shows you everything you need to make Chicken Saltimbocca plus some notes on ingredients and substitutions.

• Chicken – use either chicken cutlets or large chicken breasts cut in half lengthwise. We like to pound them a little to make them a little bigger and an even thickness.
• Prosciutto – use a good quality prosciutto; if possible, it makes a huge difference in terms of flavour.
• Sage – always use fresh sage (never dried) and make sure the leaves aren't bruised or brown.
• Flour – regular all-purpose flour is all you need (only a few tablespoons for dredging).
• White wine – use a dry Italian white wine such as Pinot Grigio, Vermentino or Verdicchio.

Visual walk-through of the recipe

Cut the chicken breasts in half and pound them lightly using a rolling pin or meat mallet until they're roughly 1/2cm (¼ inch) thick (photos 1 and 2).

Place one sage leaf in the centre of each cutlet then place a slice of prosciutto on top (you can fold it in half if the slice is larger than the cutlet). Secure the sage and prosciutto in place using a toothpick. Note: You can opt to do it the other way round and place the sage leaf on top of the prosciutto for a prettier presentation (photos 3-5).

Lightly season the plain side of each cutlet with a little salt then dredge each cutlet in a little flour, shaking off any excess so it's lightly coated (photo 6).

Heat olive oil in a large pan on a medium heat, once hot place the chicken in prosciutto side down and cook until crispy (about 4-5 minutes) then turn round and cook for a further 4 minutes on the other side until cooked through. You can add extra sage leaves at this point for garnish (optional) (photos 7 & 8).

Remove the chicken and place on a plate. Add the wine to the pan and scrape any brown bits, simmer for around 2-3 minutes until the wine has reduced by half then add the chicken back to the pan to warm up (photos 9 & 10).

How to get an extra crispy texture

What we love about chicken saltimbocca is the extra crispy prosciutto on top.

A top tip is to use large slices of prosciutto and fold them in half over the sage (don't put the sage on top) and fry them prosciutto side down for the majority of the time then turn over to cook the other side.

Serving suggestions

We love to serve our Chicken Saltimbocca with rosemary cannellini beans. drain and rinse a can of beans and heat them in a pan with olive oil, a whole garlic clove, fresh rosemary, salt and pepper.

It's so easy and good. Once ready, remove the garlic and serve. See more good, recommended side dishes below.

• Arugula Salad with lemon and Parmesan
• Italian Roast Potatoes
• Fagioli all'uccelletto – Beans in Tomato Sauce
• Easy Green Bean Salad with Mustard and Garlic Dressing
• Italian Green Beans In Tomato Sauce
• Peas and Pancetta – Easy Italian Side Dish

Top tips and FAQs

Use high-quality ingredients – use good quality free-range chicken and a good quality prosciutto for best results and flavour.

Chicken cutlets – if you can buy chicken cutlets that's great, even less prep but if not then you can slice chicken breasts in half lengthwise and pound them with a meat mallet or rolling pin. We recommend getting large chicken breasts or cutlets if serving 4 people.

Wine – we like to use a dry Italian white wine such as Vermentino, Gavi, Verdicchio or Pinot Grigio, but use whatever you'll drink with the dish. Our one rule is not to use cooking wine, whatever you do!

Sage – after years of making saltimbocca we've come to the conclusion that although it doesn't matter, the sage leaf is better underneath the prosciutto to get the prosciutto extra crispy. It doesn't look as pretty so we sometimes fry a few extra leaves for garnish.

What does Saltimbocca mean?

Saltimbocca translates as 'jumps in the mouth'. The combination of ingredients veal (in this case chicken), sage and prosciutto is so good that that's exactly what it does!

What can we use instead of wine?

If you don't want to use alcohol to make the sauce you can replace it with low-sodium chicken stock (same quantity) or you can choose not to make the sauce at all.

Can Chicken Saltimbocca be frozen?

Yes, you can freeze the chicken for up to 3 months. Defrost completely in the fridge before reheating until piping hot right through.

More Italian recipes you might like

If you love this chicken saltimbocca recipe, then check out the four chicken and veal recipes below that are similar in terms of prep, ease and deliciousness!

Mains

Veal Saltimbocca with Prosciutto and Sage

Mains

Chicken Sorrentina (Pollo alla Sorrentina)

Mains

Breaded Veal Cutlets with Parmesan Cream

Mains

Cherry Tomato and Basil Chicken

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

• 2 large chicken breasts
• 4 slices prosciutto crudo
• 4 sage leaves (plus extra for garnish if desired)
• ½ cup Italian white wine (such as Pinot Grigio, Vermentino or Pecorino (120ml))
• All purpose flour (for dredging)
• Olive oil
• Salt

Equipment

• toothpicks

Method

1. Cut the chicken breasts in half and pound them lightly using a rolling pin or meat mallet until they're roughly 1/2cm (¼ inch) thick.

2. Place one sage leaf in the centre of each cutlet then place a slice of prosciutto on top (you can fold it in half if the slice is larger than the cutlet). Secure the sage and prosciutto in place using a toothpick.

3. Lightly season the plain side of each cutlet with a little salt then dredge each cutlet in a little flour, shaking off any excess just so it's lightly coated.

4. Heat olive oil in a large pan on a medium heat, once hot place the chicken in prosciutto side down and cook until crispy (about 4-5 minutes) then turn round and cook for a further 4 minutes on the other side until cooked through. You can add extra sage leaves at this point for garnish (optional).

5. Remove the chicken and place on a plate. Add the wine to the pan and scrape any brown bits, simmer for around 2-3 minutes until the wine has reduced by half then add the chicken back to the pan to warm up.

6. Turn off the heat and serve.

Kitchen notes

Chicken cutlets if you can buy chicken cutlets that's great, even less prep but if not then you can slice chicken breasts in half lengthwise and pound them with a meat mallet or rolling pin. We recommend getting large chicken breasts or cutlets if serving 4 people.

Storage and freezing because the chicken is dredged in flour it tastes its best when eaten immediately but can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

To defrost defrost completely in the fridge then reheat until piping hot right through.