Chicken Saltimbocca – Prosciutto and Sage for Two
⏱ 15 min prep · 🍳 15 min · 🍽 2
Chicken Saltimbocca is a for-two dish, built for the Saturday slot after the kids are finally asleep. Fifteen minutes of prep, fifteen minutes in the pan: pounded chicken breasts layered with prosciutto and sage, finished with a white-wine pan sauce built right in the skillet the chicken cooked in.
The prosciutto side sears first until golden and crisp, then the chicken flips before the wine goes in and reduces properly, before stock and butter round it out. That reduction step is what gives the sauce body — skip it and you end up with something thin and sharp instead of silky.
Feeding the whole family at once? Double the recipe and use two pans, or cook it in batches and hold the first portion warm in a low oven (around 175°F/80°C) while you finish the rest.
Ingredients
- 2.000 stk kyllingbryst
- 6.000 skive parmaskinke / spekeskinke
- 20.000 blader fersk salvie
- 2.000 dl hvetemel
- 2.000 dl hvitvin
- 3.000 dl kyllingkraft
- 3.000 ss smør
- 4.000 fedd hvitløk
- 50.000 g parmesan
- olivenolje til steking
- salt og pepper
Instructions
Fjern skinn fra kyllingfiletene, skjær i tynnere skiver og bank dem flate.
Legg parmaskinke og salvieblader på kyllingen.
Vend kyllingen i hvetemel.
Stek skinkesiden ned i olivenolje i ca. 2 minutter til den er gyllen.
Snu kyllingen, tilsett smør og hvitløk i pannen.
Hell hvitvin over og la den redusere.
Tilsett kyllingkraft og kok i 3–4 minutter.
Riv parmesan over retten og server med pasta.
This one belongs on the meal plan as a Saturday slot after bedtime, not squeezed between homework and bath time. Thirty minutes from fridge to table means it actually happens on a night when you're tempted to just order in instead. Because it's written for two, there's no portion math for a kid who was never going to eat sage and a wine-reduced sauce anyway — this is the dinner you cook for yourselves once the house goes quiet. If the rest of the family is eating at the same time, double the recipe and hold the first batch warm in a low oven while the second one finishes, so nobody's plate goes cold waiting on the pan.
FAQ
Can I use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts?
Yes, boneless skinless thighs work well and often stay juicier than breast meat, but pound them a little thinner so they cook through in the same two minutes per side. You can also leave them in the pan for an extra minute since thigh meat is more forgiving and won't dry out as fast as breast.
What can I use instead of white wine in the sauce?
Chicken stock on its own, brightened with a splash of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, makes a solid alcohol-free version without losing the reduction step in the pan. Most of the alcohol cooks off anyway during simmering, so what you're really chasing is the acidity and depth, not the wine itself.
How do I store and reheat leftovers?
Cool quickly and keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of extra chicken stock on low heat so the chicken doesn't turn rubbery — full power in the microwave will dry out the prosciutto fast. The sauce tends to split when reheated, so whisk in a teaspoon of cold butter at the end to bring it back together.
Can chicken saltimbocca be frozen?
The chicken with prosciutto and sage freezes fine for up to a month, but a butter-and-cream-style pan sauce tends to split on thawing, so freeze the chicken and sauce separately if you're planning this ahead. Thaw the chicken overnight in the fridge and make the sauce fresh right before serving — it only takes a few minutes from stock to reduced anyway.
Is this dish kid-friendly, and how do I adapt it for younger eaters?
Sage and a wine-reduced pan sauce are usually an acquired taste for kids, so serve the chicken and prosciutto plain to younger family members and keep the full version for the adults. Cut the chicken into strips for little ones and set aside a bit of extra crisped prosciutto on the side for them to eat on its own. Plain buttered pasta without the sauce makes the meal more approachable for a skeptical four-year-old.
What should I prep before I start cooking?
Pound the chicken and layer on the prosciutto and sage well ahead of time — it only takes a few minutes, and the chicken holds fine in the fridge for up to an hour before cooking. Get the pasta water going right as you start the chicken so it finishes around the same time the sauce is reduced. Have the wine, stock, butter, and garlic measured out and within reach at the stove, because once the chicken hits the pan the whole thing moves fast and you won't want to be hunting through the fridge.