This Chicken Saltimbocca with White Wine Butter Sauce is one of those recipes that tastes like it came from a fine Italian restaurant but is simple to make at home in just 30 minutes. Wrap thin chicken cutlets in prosciutto and fresh sage, dredge them in a little flour, and sear them until golden and crispy.
The chicken is finished with a simple white wine and butter pan sauce that is rich and flavorful. It is the kind of dinner you make when you want to impress someone but do not want to spend hours in the kitchen! Looking for another easy chicken skillet meal? Try this caprese chicken skillet next.
30 Minutes
Weeknight Eating
Quick Look: Chicken Saltimbocca
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 👩🍳 Cook Time: 20 minutes
- 🕖 Total Time: 30 minutes
- 🍝 Servings: 4 servings
- ⚡️ Calories: 416 calories per serving (based on nutrition panel)
- 🔥 Cooking Method: In a pan on the stove
- 🛒 Main Ingredients: Chicken, prosciutto, sage, white wine
- ⭐️ Difficulty: Medium! This dish comes together quickly, and it requires just a bit of finesse to sear the chicken and perfect the sauce.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy weeknight meal – This chicken saltimbocca comes together in 30 minutes, making it a perfect weeknight dinner. It tastes like you fussed, but takes very little time!
- Restaurant dish at home – This recipe feels like the kind of thing you would only get at a restaurant, but it is so easy to recreate at home for a delicious meal.
- Many ways to serve – I love a dish like this because you can serve it over pasta, on a bed of mashed potatoes, or alongside some roasted potatoes. No matter what you choose, it is a delicious dinner.
If you would like to serve chicken saltimbocca with mashed potatoes, give this creamy mashed potatoes recipe a try.
What is Saltimbocca?
Saltimbocca is a traditional Italian dish with meat wrapped in prosciutto and sage and marinated in wine. The name translates to “jump in the mouth” in Italian, which perfectly describes its bold, savory flavors. The traditional version is made with veal, but chicken has become a popular and accessible version because it is easier to find, more affordable, and cooks beautifully.
Ingredients you’ll Need
You only need a few simple ingredients to make this delicious honey glazed salmon recipe. See full recipe card for all ingredient information.
- Chicken breasts – I like to buy full sized chicken breasts and slice them myself to get them perfectly thin and even, but you can also opt to buy thin sliced cutlets if your store has them.
- Prosciutto – this meat adds amazing flavor to the chicken and gets so crispy and delicious when cooked in the pan
- Sage – the sage provides a lot of aromatics in the dish and complements the prosciutto perfectly
- White wine -use a dry white wine to create the sauce for your chicken. Allow it to reduce to get the best consistency
- Butter – the butter adds flavor, but it also helps make your sauce the perfect texture. It gives it a silky quality that coats the chicken
For another prosciutto dish to make, try this prosciutto wrapped asparagus.
How to make Chicken Saltimbocca
Step 1: Cut each chicken breast into filets and pound thin. Lay a piece of prosciutto and sage leaves on each filet.
Step 2: Secure the prosciutto slice and sage leaves to the chicken with toothpicks. Press each piece of chicken into a flour and seasoning mixture.
Step 3: Place the chicken in hot oil in a skillet with the sage and prosciutto side facing down.
Step 4: Cook for 5-6 minutes, flip so the floured side is facing down and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
Step 5: Turn skillet heat to low melt butter, mix in flour and then slowly mix in white wine until a smooth sauce remains.
Step 6: Add the chicken back into the pan and nestle it into the sauce with the prosciutto side up. Allow the chicken to rewarm and serve!
Mad’s Expert Tips for the Best Chicken Saltimbocca🍝
- Slice the chicken thin – This is the most important step. Thin cutlets cook fast and evenly so that you get a restaurant-style golden crust without drying out the inside.
- Sear prosciutto side down first – This is how you get crispy prosciutto that stays on the chicken instead of sliding off. Do not move the chicken for the first 2-3 minutes.
- Do not overcrowd the pan – Cook in batches if needed. Too many cutlets at once drops the temperature and the chicken will steam instead of sear, so you will not get that crust.
- Use a dry white wine – It is important to use a dry white wine like sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio for this dish. A sweet wine will totally change the flavor of the meal.
For another chicken cutlet meal, make these Buffalo Chicken Cutlets with Ranch Slaw.
Recipe FAQs
Can I use a different wine for the sauce?
Use a dry white wine like pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc, or chardonnay. Avoid sweet wines which will make the sauce too sweet. If you prefer not to cook with wine, substitute low sodium chicken broth and add a squeeze of lemon juice.
Can I make chicken saltimbocca ahead of time?
This dish is best made fresh since the prosciutto will lose its crispiness as it sits. You can prep everything ahead of time by slicing the chicken and having all the ingredients ready to go. The dish comes together very quickly once you start cooking.
What do you serve with chicken saltimbocca?
It is delicious over creamy mashed potatoes, buttered pasta, or risotto. A simple side salad or sauteed spinach also goes well for some added greens.
storage and reheating
Once fully cooled, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
You can reheat the chicken saltimbocca in a pan or in the oven until warmed through.
Other 30-Minute Recipes
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
Email Recipe for Later
Recipe
Chicken Saltimbocca with White Wine Butter Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ to 1 ½ lb boneless skinless chicken breasts ~ 2 breasts
- 2 oz prosciutto ~ 4 sheets
- 8 sage leaves
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ cup salted butter
- 1 cup dry white wine
Instructions
- Cut each chicken breast in half longways so you have 2 fillets from each breast. Pound with a meat tenderizer until each breast is about ¼” thick.
- Lay a piece of prosciutto on each piece of chicken breast to cover the top. Then, lay 2 sage leaves on top of each piece of prosciutto and secure the prosciutto slice and sage leaves onto the chicken with toothpicks then set aside.
- In a small shallow bowl or plate, mix together the all purpose flour, salt and pepper. Press each piece of chicken into the flour with the side that does not have the prosciutto and sage on it. Save the excess seasoned flour for later.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place the chicken in the skillet with the sage and prosciutto side facing down.
- Cook for 5-6 minutes, flip so the floured side is facing down and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet when the internal temperature reaches 165F. Set to the side on a plate or cutting board.
- Turn skillet heat to low and add the butter to the pan. When the butter is fully melted, add 2 tbsp of the flour mixture you used earlier to the pan and whisk to fully mix into the butter like a paste. Slowly pour the white wine into the pan, whisking constantly as you pour until a smooth sauce remains.
- Increase the heat to medium and allow the mixture to simmer for 5 minutes. Add the chicken back into the pan and nestle it into the sauce with the prosciutto side up. Allow the chicken to rewarm for a minute in the sauce and then serve. I like to serve over pasta or roasted potatoes and use any extra wine sauce over the dish.
Recipe Notes
- Slice the chicken thin so it cooks fast and evenly.
- Do not overcrowd the pan. You want to make sure each piece of chicken gets a nice sear.
- Make sure your wine is dry for this recipe. Sweet wines will change the flavor of the dish and make it too sweet.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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