Chicken Saltimbocca

Chicken Saltimbocca lightened up! This easy recipe has all the flavor of the traditional restaurant favorite without all the unnecessary fat and calories. It's incredibly tasty.

294 CAL 4g CARBS 12g FAT 43g PROTEIN
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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

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

Chicken Saltimbocca

Adapted from myrecipes.com
294 CAL 4g CARBS 12g FAT 43g PROTEIN
PREP TIME: 10 Min
COOK TIME: 15 Min
TOTAL TIME: 25 Min
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Ingredients

US METRICS
  • 1.33 lbs boneless skinless chicken cutlets
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 12 sage leaves
  • 8 slices prosciutto
  • 1 tbsp olive oil, divided
  • 1/3 cup low sodium chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
  • Salt and pepper

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Instructions

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1

Season the chicken on both sides with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Be careful about the salt since prosciutto is already salty.

2

Top each piece of chicken with 2-3 sage leaves and wrap in two pieces of prosciutto.

3

Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes per side or until cooked through. Remove from pan and tent with foil to keep warm.

4

While the chicken is cooking, stir together the chicken broth, lemon juice, and cornstarch. After the chicken is cooked and set aside, add this to the pan. Scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pan and bring to a boil. Cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Serve drizzled over the chicken.

Nutritional Facts
Serving Size: 6 oz.
Amount Per Serving
Calories 294
Calories from Fat 89
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 12g
15%
Saturated Fat 1g
4%
Monounsaturated Fat 0g
0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0g
0%
Cholesterol 0mg
0%
Sodium 647mg
28%
Total Carbohydrate 4g
1%
Dietary Fiber 1g
5%
Sugars 1g
Protein 43g

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

The Nutritional Values provided are estimates only and may vary based on the preparation method.

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About the author Meet Kristen McCaffrey
Hi, I’m the cookbook author, recipe developer, and food enthusiast behind Slender Kitchen. I am obsessed with making healthy food that is easy to prepare and absolutely delicious. Meal planning is my secret weapon and I hope I can make meal time easier for you with our tried and tested recipes and foolproof meal plans. Learn More
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