Chicken Saltimbocca
Are you looking for the perfect weeknight meal? This Chicken Saltimbocca is an Italian classic that you can easily make in your home kitchen. And the best part? It tastes just like it came from your favorite Italian restaurant! Save for a special occasion, or make it “just because”.
What I love about this chicken saltimbocca recipe is that each bite has the perfect salty flavoring, thanks to the slice of prosciutto wrapped around the tender piece of chicken. If you’ve never had this combination before, you’re about to give your taste buds a real treat.
The first time that I made this dish for the family, we were hooked. Not only did we agree that the flavor of this classic Italian dish was out of this world delicious, but we also loved the way the salty prosciutto and melty cheese perfectly wrapped up the chicken breasts, keeping them tender and juicy. Pair with a simple side salad and some crusty bread, and you’ve got the perfect weeknight meal.
If you’re looking for other delicious Italian recipes, be sure to try my Italian Herb Chicken and this Italian Wedding Soup. So good!
Ingredients
- Chicken breasts – You’ll need about 3 pounds, sliced in half width-wise.
- Prosciutto – About eight slices are needed.
- Olive oil – Adds flavor and helps brown the chicken.
- Chicken broth – This creates the pan sauce.
- Garlic cloves – Slice them thinly.
- Xanthum gum or glocamannan – Helps to add thickness to the sauce.
- Lemon juice – For flavor.
- Salt and Black pepper – For flavor.
- Mozzarella cheese – Thinly sliced.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Chicken Saltimbocca
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Step One: Preheat a frying pan or skillet on the stovetop over medium heat. Wrap the thin prosciutto slices around each chicken breast piece.
Step Two: Pan-sear two or three of them at a time in the pan until they are golden brown.
Step Three: Then, transfer them to a large baking dish. Top with the sliced cheese. Put the pan in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the internal temperature of the cooked chicken reads 160 degrees when checked using an instant-read thermometer.
Step Four: While the chicken is baking, add the garlic to the frying pan and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until softened. Add the chicken stock to the pan and turn up the heat. Scrape off any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Step Five: Mix the xanthan gum and the lemon juice, and then add them to the frying pan. Cook until it is thickened a bit, then turn the heat to low. Add seasoning to taste.
Step Six: Once the chicken is cooked all the way, spoon the sauce on top and serve.
Top Tip💡
Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature of the chicken. Cook the chicken until it is 160 degrees internally, then you can remove it from the oven.
Substitutions
- Chicken cutlets – You can use other cuts of chicken or chicken pieces for this recipe. I’ve always used boneless chicken breasts, but other options are fine.
Variations
- Sage – This dish traditionally has fresh sage leaves under the prosciutto. Feel free to add some.
- Use a different sauce – A white wine butter sauce is a great substitute and tastes delicious. Deglaze the pan with your favorite white wine.
- Cheese – If you don’t want to use mozzarella, you can use Fontina cheese or any other type.
- Add spice – Adding some red pepper flakes is a simple way to make this dish have some heat.
See this Italian Baked Chicken with Sausage for more Italian flavor.
Equipment
To make this classic saltimbocca dish, you really only need a frying pan, a baking dish, a measuring cup, and a sharp knife. A wooden spoon is also helpful when scraping the bottom of the frying pan.
Storage
Leftovers are a breeze to store. Let the chicken cool to room temperature, then store it in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge. To reheat, simply warm thoroughly in the microwave or low and slow in the oven.
You can freeze this dish as well by storing it in a freezer-safe container.
Common Questions
You can pair this recipe with roasted potatoes, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower rice, or a simple side salad.
You can. If you want a budget-friendly option, you can wrap some sliced ham around the chicken instead. It’s still delicious and has a nice, salty flavor!
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Chicken Saltimbocca Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 large chicken breasts about 3 pounds, cut in half width wise
- 4 oz prosciutto 8 slices
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 8 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum or glucomannan
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 12 oz mozzarella cheese thinly sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Preheat frying pan over medium heat. Wrap each chicken breast in a piece of prosciutto.
- Pan-sear two or three pieces at a time until golden.
- Transfer to a large baking dish. Top with the sliced mozzarella. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken reads 160 degrees when checked with a meat thermometer.
- Meanwhile, add the garlic to the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until softened. Add the broth to the pan and turn up the heat. Scrap any browned bits off the bottom. They give the sauce tons of flavor.
- Mix the xanthan gum into the lemon juice and add that to the frying pan. Cook until slightly thickened. Turn to very low. Season to taste.
- When the chicken is cooked through spoon the sauce on top of it and serve.
Nutrition
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Originally Published November 19, 2016. Revised and Republished September 20, 2025.
Great recipe! I added some fresh basil under the cheese and some fresh sliced Roma tomatoes then added spinach to the sauce!!
Made this for supper tonight. It is delicious!! I will be making this again. Thanks for the tasty recipe!
I will be making this chicken over and over again!
Very delicious! I love that sauce!
This frying pan is beautiful! It would give my husband some motivation to get that pot rack hung! Hopefully it will have my favorite deep S breakfast cooking in it soon: poached eggs on a bed of steamed greens in bone broth! 🙂 Good luck everyone!
Amy
Lots of veggies and that recipe sounds amazing!!! Can’t wait to try it out! thank you!
I definitely want to try this yummy recipe in it1
I could cook so many things in this pan! Our farm fresh eggs, chicken, steak, etc. Your meal looks amazing to try! We love chicken dishes.
This chicken looks delicious. I would love to have a nice frying pan.
If I win this frying pan, I’ll be preparing bacon & eggs.