When it comes to Italian deliciousness, chicken saltimbocca lives up to its name. It literally means explodes in your mouth and this flavorful chicken dish will not disappoint!
Have you ever heard of Chicken Saltimbocca? During my restaurant days, it was one of my favorite dishes to prepare. It contained different components that came together in a symphony of flavors that truly did “jump in your Mouth”, at least according to the literal translation!
When I first started working in an Italian kitchen, Saltimbocca was made with veal, but these days chicken has replaced veal in just about every dish it used to be made with.
What do I need to make chicken saltimbocca?
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make a Chicken Saltimbocca. In Chef Speak this is called the Mise en Place which translates into Everything in its Place.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
Do I Need to add mushrooms to Chicken Saltimbocca?
No, you don’t. This is your dinner and you should always make it with ingredients you enjoy eating.
Some of the ingredients we use in restaurants have very specific purposes, while others are fillers used to bulk up a dish without bulking up the cost. Mushrooms have always been a favorite of mine for this purpose, and pasta, rice or grains take up a lot of room on the plate and can a meal much more enticing.
What type of Marsala should I use?
The first thing to remember when looking for Marsala wine to cook with is if you have a choice between dry or sweet, always choose sweet. The wine is not actually sweet but adds a more complex flavor profile.
This is going to go against everything you read from other chefs and publications. But this is the reason my Marsala Sauce is so much better than the rest.
My favorite Marsala will always be Pellegrino, my other recommendations are:
- Pellegrino
- Cribari
- Florio
- Taylor
If you can only get dry, don’t worry. The sauce will still be delicious.
The first step is to lightly coat the chicken breasts in flour seasoned with sea salt and black pepper. Add olive oil to a hot pan and saute the breasts on one side for 2-3 minutes then turn to the other side.
When you turn the chicken breasts over, add the slice mushrooms to the pan. If you need additional olive oil add it now.
**mushrooms will soak up the oil as they cook.
When the mushrooms are fully cooked and both sides of the chicken have been seared, move the pan off the heat and add the Marsala. This is a good time to add the seasonings to the pan.
This will deglaze the pan, unsticking all the delicious little bits that have stuck during the cooking process.
The next step is adding the chicken stock and cream to the pan. Simmer over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. The sauce will begin to thicken.
While the sauce is reducing, saute (or steam) the spinach in another pan.
The next step is to add the beurre manie (softened butter rolled in flour). This will help thicken the sauce.
Once the sauce has thickened, turn the heat down to low and top each chicken breast with two very thin slices of prosciutto and shredded (or sliced) Fontina cheese.
Cover the pan to allow the cheese to melt.
Do I have to use prosciutto in the Chicken Saltimbocca?
No you don’t. It does enhance the flavor of the dish, but If you don’t like prosciutto leave it out.
Can I use another cheese in this dish?
Yes you can. Traditionally Fontina is used, but another soft mild flavored cheese could be used. Here are some suggestions.
- Gruyère
- Emmental
- Provolone
- Gouda
Place a portion of the sauteed spinach on a plate and cover one edge with the finished chicken breast.
Add a splash of marsala to the sauce to bolster the flavor and spoon the mushrooms and sauce over the chicken breast.
**If the sauce is too thick or looks oily add a little water (or stock) to the pan.
If you enjoyed this recipe you may also like these:
Chicken Saltimbocca
Ingredients
- 10 ounces boneless chicken breasts 5 ounce breasts
- 4 slices prosciutto very thin
- 2 oz fontina cheese shredded
- 8 oz mushrooms sliced
- 5 oz baby spinach
- 6 oz sweet marsala
- 6 ounces chicken stock
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 ounce heavy cream or half and half
- ½ teaspoon ground sage
- â…› teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 3 tablespoons Olive oil to saute spinach and chicken
Instructions
- Lightly pound the chicken breasts with the flat side of a meat hammer
- Dredge chicken breasts in flour seasoned with salt and pepper
- Add oil to a hot large saute pan (medium-high) then place the floured breasts into the pan
- Cook the chicken 2-3 minutes on one side. Turn over the chicken breasts and add the sliced mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms are fully cooked.**add additional olive oil if needed.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add all but 2 ounces of marsala wine to deglaze the pan. This will deglaze the pan.*Reserve 2 ounces of marsala for final step.
- Add the chicken stock, seasonings and heavy cream to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook allowing the sauce to reduce.
- In another saute pan add in a little olive oil and the baby spinach, saute until completely cooked and set aside (make sure you drain off any extra oil)*you can use water instead of oil if preferred.
- Take the butter and coat it in flour pressing flour into the butter and add to the sauce (this is called a beurre manie) it will thicken the sauce and the butter will impart a rich flavor
- Turn the heat to low and top each chicken breast with two slices of very thinly sliced prosciutto and shredded fontina cheese
- Cover the pan and allow the cheese to melt.
- Place a portion of the spinach on a plate and place the finished chicken saltimbocca covering one corner of the spinach.
- With the pan over medium-high heat add the reserved marsala wine to the pan. If the sauce is too thick or looks oily add a little water to the pan.
- Serve with potatoes, rice, grains or over pasta and enjoy
Nutrition
william f, wilson (Bill) says
Sounds delicious, looks easy.. Can’t wait to try it.
Joss Ostendorf says
Thanks Dennis!!
Even I couldn’t find the Marsala where I was at that moment, it’s just a lovely dish.
Also I didn’t have the onion powder, but I fried some garlic and onions with the spinach.
I was surprised by the tenderness of the chicken!
This will be a favorite!
Aaron says
This version was Delicious!! Very similar to local Italian restaurant, but the Marsala added a pleasant sweetness to the sauce. I did not see in the recipe where to incorporate the onion powder and sage, but was tasty without. Afterthought was to incorporate sage and onion into flour dredge mixture. Great recipe and will definitely be making again.
Chef Dennis Littley says
I’m very happy to hear you enjoyed the dish, and sorry about not telling you where to put the seasonings. That would be when you add the stock and cream. This is also my basic chicken marsala recipe, just eliminate the spinach, prosciutto, cheese and sage.
Susan Buckethal says
dI made this recipe, it turned out perfect and my husband loved it. Thanks for a really great recipe!
Kevin Godbee says
Loved this! Made it last night. It tastes so good, and really is easy to make!
Mama Maggie's Kitchen says
Incredibly delicious. I have to make this soon!
Debra says
Skip the mushrooms? No WAY! They look like the best part to me!
Leslie says
Your recipes are always so stunning. This one is no exception!
Marina says
I love saltimbocca recipe , so delicious! Fantastic Italian recipe
Marina says
I love saltimbocca recipe , so delicious!
Amy says
Looks absolutely delicious! I think the prosciutto really makes the difference in this dish. All that salty goodness!
Emily Flint says
Well, I know what I’m making with my chicken this week! Looks amazing!
Andréa Janssen says
Delicious, I love saltimbocca. I usually prepare it with veal but this chicken variant is really delicious to!
Rachael says
This is so delicious and your tips made it really straightforward. Thank you!
Sue says
I can’t wait to make this and there will definitely be mushrooms!!
Alexandra says
This meal might just be our new favourite! We love how comforting it is, and the flavours are superb! The mushrooms are a tasty touch!
Mardi says
Hi Dennis, I want to make this for my daughters engagement party, to serve 25-30 people. Can I make trays of this the day before and then bake for dinner time next day. Can I make the sauce early or at serving? If it’s possible how would you do it? For that many people what’s the best accompaniments?
Chef Dennis Littley says
This is a great choice for a party.
I would oven roast the chicken breasts (season well) undercooking them a little so they can finish in the oven.
You can make the sauce ahead of time if you need to, and reheat it at the time of service. It will thicken, thin it out with more marsala or chicken stock when you reheat it.
Put the chicken on the baking tray, add hot sauce, top with prosciutto and fontina finish in 350-degree oven for 10 minutes.
Place on top of the spinach when you move it to the serving dishes.
I would do either mashed or roasted potatoes and a nice salad, either Cesaer or Garden. Roasted potatoes can be cut, oiled and seasoned ahead of time, then placed in a 350 oven 35-45 minutes before you finish the chicken.
Hope this helps
Molly says
Hi Chef, I also would like to make this ahead of time – I’m planning to bring it to Xmas dinner, and need to make enough for about 20 people. Just to clarify, would you recommend doing everything up ’til step 11, and then finishing the dish in the oven, re-warming the sauce? Thank you!!!
Chef Dennis Littley says
I would cook the chicken till its almost done. You can grill it, cook it in the oven or saute it. Season the chicken well before cooking. Cook the spinach ahead of time or before serving whatever works best for you. Make the sauce on the stove top and when you’re ready to serve put it together and finish it in the oven, adding the sauce before serving.
This is a great dish for groups.
Molly says
Thanks so much! We’re doing a trial run tonight, we’ll see how it goes 🙂
Belle says
While my note is many years past the original posting date of your recipe, I thought I’d still throw in my comments. I have been making Chicken Saltimbocca now for, gosh, over thirty years, and it’s always been a favorite of my family. I learned to construct it a bit differently, but I doubt it makes a huge difference in taste, if at all. After pounding the breasts flat, I place the prosciutto and cheese on top of each breast portion, then roll them up snugly, tucking in the edges and ends, securing each with toothpicks. I give them a quick egg wash before dredging each in a fresh breadcrumb/flour/parmesan/sage mixture and pan fry in an unsalted butter/olive oil mix over medium to medium high heat until a light golden brown before transferring to the baking dish. Several members of my family have never acquired a taste for spinach unfortunately, so I’ve had to substitute there. I usually toss asparagus spears with olive oil, fresh squeezed lemon and sea salt before grilling them to a crisp-tender consistency, then fan out 5 to 7 spears under each breast for plating. Everything else is practically identical, including the idea of adding the mushrooms!! Yummmm….
Chef Dennis Littley says
thanks for your comment Belle and I’ve always said recipes should be guidelines and easily adaptable to our own tastes. Thanks so much for sharing your version!
Piper Smith says
My husband fell in love with me when I made this. I served it over wild mushroom ravioli!
Chef Dennis Littley says
what a great way to serve it! I’ll have to try it
Howlinwolf says
I am trying to figure out what I am missing. The recipe is basically strong, but the cooking times are ridiculous. If you pound the chicken breast to the thickness shown in your photo of the plated dish your cooking times of 5 minutes per side & 15 minutes in a 350 degree oven would produce chicken jerky. I sauteed mine around 1 1/2 minutes per side & 5 minutes in the oven. Tell me what I am missing.
Chef Dennis Littley says
your right Bob, you can definitely reduce the cooking time, I do saute over a medium heat as high heat tends to toughen the meat and as for the oven time it says about 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Whatever works for you is good.
Chef D says
yes you can , just don’t cook the chicken all the way, I would top it with everything, reserve the sauce. heat it up at 350 for 15 minutes or until 165 degrees then top with the hot sauce when you serve it.
Nanci says
thank you
Nanci says
Can I saute the chicken and mushrooms first then hold it for an hour or so and then bake it in the oven would that be ok. It is a time thing for me
Chef D says
Thank you so much for letting me know! I’m happy to hear you enjoyed it!
nicole says
this looks amazing. I love fontana cheese and anything w mushrooms and wine works for me
Denise says
Oh my, this looks fabulous! Definitely going to try it soon. Fontana cheese is hard to find here, any thoughts on a good substitute?
Chef D says
I have used Mozzarella, that works well with the dish, you just want a cheese that melts well and doesn’t over power the dish.
Kaitlin says
mm. I love chicken Saltimbocca, but mine is never as pretty as this!
Maureen says
I was searching for a recipe for this and found yours. I know it will be fantastic so this is the one I’m going to make!
Chef D says
Thanks Maureen! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Felechia says
I made this tonight for our Friday night supper. We loved it. Thanks so much.
Chef D says
Thank you for letting me know! I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed it!
Margie says
Love how you’ve presented a restaurant-style dish for home cooks! I try to avoid boneless skinless chicken breasts, but my kids love ’em. IMHO, pounding them is the way to go to for even cooking and tender texture. I’ve never cooked with Marsala and would love to give it a try.
Laura @ Family Spice says
I’m not feeding a restaurant or a school, just my family of five. We also have a lot of relatives and we are always hosting dinners and parties at our house. Actually, maybe I am a restaurant? But, I pay for it all!! I have an extra fridge in the garage specifically for stocking up on meat that’s on sale. Whole roasting chickens for 69¢/pound, B/S chicken breast for $1.88/lb, tri-tip for $1.99/lb…. and on and on. I only pay full price during an emergency cooking situation! Lovely recipe!
Katrina @ In Katrina's Kitchen says
Loving this new segment! Of course the dish is delightful!! I feel your pain on grocery prices. Sigh.
skip to malou says
I love the new series chef. Thank you for generously sharing your skills and knowledge. Homecooks like me appreciates the learning I could get from your series. It will help me infuse a littlle sophistication into our daily cooking. I know my family will enjoy new dishes that I could get from here.
xo,
Malou
Peggy says
I love the new segment Dennis! And what a way to start it off – I’m a big fan of saltimbocca and this sounds like a definitely winner to me =)
Clarissa says
I’ve never heard of beurre manie. How can you be sure the sauce doesn’t have that raw-flour taste you get if you don’t cook a rioux long enough?
Chef D says
your not putting that much flour into the dish, like with a roux. I have been using this method for 30 years without ever having it leave a raw flour taste. If anything you get more of the butter flavor, the flour just helps pull it together. The trick is just pushing flour into the outer part of the butter, kind of rolling it in the flour while getting as much in the butter as you can.
I’ve used this with all types of dishes and sauces.
Kita says
Beautiful dish Chef! I am floored by prices lately – and not just on chicken. But on everything. I read a report earlier in the year about the inexcusable increase in markets over the last five years and how it is just going to continue to rise. Nothing like stimulating the economy huh? It’s just the two of us 99% of the time here, but I always buy in bigger packs and break them down into portions we can use – freezing the leftovers. It just saves in the long run.
Can’t wait to see what your bring us next!
Carolyn says
Great new segment, and a fantastic meal to start with. I think I will be making this one soon.
Taflan says
Great dish Chef…
It seems like Chicken is much more expensive in England. So is Beef, so is lamb, so is pork…
and probably fish is the most expensive ingredient here. Sometimes i forget that we live in island. :))))
I’ll be following your new segment with interest and good luck. One thing is sure that photography will be excellent.
Nanci says
My mouth is watering I do not care for sage what could I use as a sub?
Chef D says
hi Nanci
i would just leave the sage out, my wife doesn’t like it either and it comes out great!
Cheryl and Adam @ pictureperfectmeals.com says
One of the first things I ate when I moved to Rome was saltimbocca. I thought I had died and woken up in heaven. It truly was one of the most amazing flavors i had ever tasted. Over the next ten years I explored the entirety of Italian culinary genius, but you never forget your first time, right? Thanks for the memories, chef! Congrats, of course, on the Top 9!
Barbara @ Barbara Bakes says
This is my kind of recipe! Great idea of a series.
RavieNomNoms says
This is awesome. Great first entry Chef Dennis! I am so excited to see how this new portion of your blog is going to go. You always have the best tips and are so very thorough. Thanks for being awesome as always!
Your chicken looks very tasty. I think I should try this and try it very very soon. I love the mushrooms on top. One of my favorite ingredients with chicken.
Daniela says
E’ Da un po’ che non passavo a farti visita, il tuo nuovo blog è a dir poco favoloso.
Ho appena letto le tue ultime due ricette, sono favolose, ora vado leggermi cosa mi sono persa.
Ciao Daniela.
kateiscooking says
One of my favorite dishes for chicken or pork! I’m looking forward to trying your take on it 🙂
Elin says
Chef Dennis…this is a great dish to start off your first segment of your In My Restaurant Kitchen and I am looking forward to the coming ones…lots to learn from you 🙂 I will definitely love this Chicken Saltimbocca and will be trying out this recipe. Wild Boar will be in for a surprise soon ! :p Thanks and btw Congrats on the Top 9 today 🙂
Sandi G says
Your food recipe and layout is an art!
Congrats on being Foodbuzz #1!!
Becky says
Chef,
this a great new feature that will help all of us out in the culinary sides of our blogs and kitchens, I’m always looking for another new chicken recipe. Congrats on the Top 9 today!
Alyssa says
I love your idea for this new series. I used to work in restaurants (front of the house) but always wanted to get a chance to work in the kitchen too. Now, I only cook for my small family of four, but I think I still take what I learned in my restaurant experience when I’m cooking for my family. I am always looking for something new to do with chicken. Thanks for the idea and a great post!!!
Brian @ A Thought For Food says
In someone’s restaurant, I understand sometimes needing to be more economical. But the only cooking of animals that i respect is one that is done with organic, free-range (hopefully local) chickens. They may cost an astronomical amount, but it’s worth it.
This dish does look amazing and I can’t wait to pass it along to friends. But I will also suggest that they get animals that have been treated properly… no matter what the cost is.
Chef D says
I do understand your point Brian, and while I wish it was always possible to buy free range meats, I can’t always accomplish this. I wish there were more sources and more of a market for the products which would help bring the prices down. Free range and organic should be the first choice of any shopper, choices shouldn’t have to be made because of pricing.
Thank you for making a very valid point, I always appreciate your comments.
[email protected] says
Oh heavens, that looks delicious Dennis! I have never tried Chicken Saltimbocca; not sure why. But looking at this and reading the recipe, It is going on my menu for this weekend.
[email protected] says
Dennis, this sounds amazing! I can never get over the mark-up–it’s pretty ridiculous.
Sandra says
Who wouldn’t like this? It is Great recipe, and you made fantastic photographs, making this meal even more appealing and delicious! Thank you for sharing!
Jen says
Great idea for a new segment! Looking forward to it…
Wendy Irene says
Chef Dennis,
I think ‘In my Restaurant Kitchen’ is a great idea! Can’t wait to learn from you. Have a wonderful day!
Yesim says
it looks great Chef Dennis, and i look forward your tips about cooking thecniques and so on:)
Eva says
Chicken is also expensive in Toronto. I love mushrooms, and have some I need to use right now, so this recipe came to us just in the nick of time. It has all the flavours both my hubby and I love!
Stephanie @ Eat. Drink. Love. says
Great post, Chef!!! I have been wanting to make some chicken saltimbocca for a while since I saw it on a magazine cover a few months ago. Now after seeing yours, I need to make this SOON! I love this new segment on your blog! What you said about the price of chicken is so true. I buy ours in bulk and just freeze it!
Candace says
I loved this new feature, Chef! This is going to be fun. I have made a version of Chicken Saltimbocca that is completely unlike yours. While we love our version, yours looks even better. I cannot wait to give yours a try. With the mushrooms and the cheese and marsala, my husband will hurt himself when I serve this. Thanks so much for sharing it! It’s getting pinned for sure.
Barefeet In The Kitchen says
Chef Dennis, once again you have actually made my mouth water! I can not believe how amazing this looks. I adore mushrooms and I’m pretty certain this might be the most tempting dish I’ve seen in a long time.
I love this new section on the blog!
Jammy Chicken says
That is a tasty looking dinner! I see there’s some spinach under there, I absolutely adore spinach and think it would go very well with the cheese and mushroom of this dish.
Jill Colonna says
Great idea, Dennis, with your Restaurant Kitchen! One of my favs is Saltimbocca – also adore Fontina but frustrating can’t easily get a hold of it here. Interesting note on the sweet marsala. I use the dry one (also Pellingrino), only so that I can have a wee swig of it while cooking. 😉
Meagan says
Morning! I like the new segment and the recipe! Kudos..
The Kitchen Noob says
I really enjoyed your new segment!
I’m able to find chicken for $1.88 a lb but it comes in 8+ packs and there tends to be lots of waste. It’s surprisingly tender and delicious though compared to the organic, no-additive, no antibiotic chicken that I used to buy at the posh store that seemed to be always dry and have a strong chickeny flavor to it.
Dish looks great and right up my ally – I’ll have to make it sometime. I love mushrooms!
The Kitchen Noob says
Waste as in fat trimmings, not throwing away chicken…I freeze it and pull it out as needed.
Reread my comment and thought I’d clarify lol 🙂
Chef D says
Thanks! I knew what you meant but not everyone might, I do buy my chicken in bulk packs too, its a great savings in price! And don’t forget those trimming can help make a good chicken stock!
The Kitchen Noob says
Chicken stock is a good idea – I’ll keep that in the back of my mind (along with homemade pasta)
Liz says
That is the tastiest looking saltimbocca I’ve ever seen!! Printed off to try. Always a joy to visit your blog, Dennis!
[email protected] Culinary Lens says
Saltimbocca is such a great dish. I always think there is a reason why dishes last such a long time.
I never really thought about how many dishes we make from a set of Mise en Place. An excellent idea for a series.
tanyab1990 says
I love the new segment. Sharing your experience makes for great reading. The Chicken Saltimbocca looks amazing and will be on my table very soon.
Tanya
http://www.3-squaremeals.com
Ann says
This is a great dish! Saltimbocca is one of my favorites! I have to admit to never having served it with mushrooms, tho. I agree…chicken breasts are crazy expensive. I buy mine in bulk and re-wrap and freeze
[email protected] says
What a great way to kick off your new segment! I love chicken saltimbocca and yours looks so good!
Kim Bee says
Great first segment Chef Dennis. My only issue is none of us like mushrooms. Could I substitute something else in it’s place? I am going to enjoy getting to know the ins and outs of the culinary world. Keep them coming my friend. I love reading your blog.
Chef D says
hi Kim
you can leave out the mushrooms all together, that’s not a problem. As for adding something else in it’s place, I don’t see to many items filling in for the mushrooms, and since we already have spinach on the plate, it would be fine without them!
Dennis