Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Chicken Saltimbocca

Chicken Saltimbocca with prosciutto and sage in a cast iron skillet.

This healthier Chicken Saltimbocca brings together chicken, lemon, and prosciutto, which is always a good thing. In less than thirty minutes, you can make this restaurant quality dish at home. Serve it with some Parmesan Roasted Broccoli or Mashed Cauliflower.

This quick and easy dinner may just be my new favorite meal, especially because it feels fancy and tastes like something you would get at a restaurant. Did I mention it is ready in under 30 minutes? This is the best kind of weeknight meal in my opinion. Full of flavor, easy to prepare, and something everyone will love. It would also make an incredible meal for a special occasion or date night since it feels special. Prosciutto just does that I think.

Speaking of prosciutto, it's something I often wrote off in the past since it is unfortunately pretty high when it comes to fat and sodium. However, I have recently started using it sparingly in recipes and it adds so much flavor. It's a lot like bacon, but I find it's a bit lighter. You also don't need that much of it to really pull in a lot of flavor.

One more quick story before we dig into this recipe. I worked as a waitress every summer for over 10 years at a beach town in New Hampshire. We had all the typical beachside dishes - lobster, fish, fried clams, and then we had chicken saltimbocca. It was a strange addition to the menu (inspired by the owner's favorite dish) and at least once a night I found myself explaining exactly what it was. Most times, people ended up choosing something more familiar, but every single time someone ordered it, they ended up licking their plates clean. This to say, even if you haven't heard of this before, please give it a shot. It's seriously good.

What is Chicken Saltimbocca?

This classic Italian dish literally means "jump in my mouth" and it couldn't be a better name in my opinion. The mains stars of any saltimbocca dish are prosciutto, sage, and a simple lemon pan sauce.  You start with a thin piece of chicken, veal, or pork. The protein is seasoned with salt, pepper, and sage. Then it is wrapped in prosciutto and cooked until the chicken is perfectly moist and the prosciutto gets nice and crispy. Then the drippings are turned into a pan sauce with lemon juice, chicken broth or wine, and herbs. Easy and delicious.

Chicken Saltimbocca in a skillet wrapped in prosciutto with sage and lemon.

How to Make Chicken Saltimbocca?

This is one of those recipes that on the first look may seem scary and intimidating, but is actually really easy to make. Plus it takes less than thirty minutes.

  1. Prepare the chicken: For this recipe to work, you need pretty thin pieces of chicken. Otherwise, the prosciutto will burn and the chicken will be raw on the inside. There are three options for this. You can pound the chicken breasts into thinner pieces uses a mallet. You can also cut larger chicken breasts in half horizontally to make two thinner halves. Or you can buy chicken cutlets in the grocery store. They are slightly more expensive but already sliced nice and thin.
  2. Season the chicken: Add some flavor to the chicken with salt and pepper, being careful with the salt since the prosciutto is already salty. You can also add some garlic powder, onion powder, or any other spices you like.
  3. Add sage: Next up comes the sage. Traditionally, whole sage leaves are layered on the chicken. You can also chop the sage leaves for a more uniform option. Another option is using a dusting of dried sage.
  4. Wrap the chicken: Now it is time to wrap the chicken in the prosciutto. It should be sliced paper thin and will wrap right around the chicken breast. 
  5. Cook the chicken in olive oil for 4-5 minutes on each side. Place the seam side down to start so the prosciutto doesn't fall off the chicken. Remove the chicken and set aside.
  6. Make the sauce in the same pan by adding lemon juice, chicken broth or white wine, and garlic. You can use fresh garlic or garlic powder. Some people also like to add shallots and a touch of butter. Scrape up all the burnt bits from the pan, that's where all the flavor is, and let the sauce reduce.
  7. Serve the chicken with the sauce on top.

Side Dish Ideas

There are lots of options for side dishes for this Italian dish from classic Italian options to salads, roasted veggies, and more. Here are some of our favorites:

Looking for More Italian Chicken Recipes

Calories 294, Total Fat 12g, Total Carbohydrate 4g, Protein 43g, Serving Size 6 oz.

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