Chicken dishes come and go but Chicken with Prosciutto and Sage is eternal. The parcels of delicately wrapped chicken in prosciutto is a meal in its own right. Serve with steamed greens and Boiled Potatoes with Herbs and you have a dish worthy of any table. The sage introduces a delicate almost background flavour improving but not overpowering the chicken breasts. I also serve these with Braised Lettuce with Peas and Lemon or a bed of fluffy rice. It is strange collection of flavours that work so well. The broth from the lettuce keeps the rice moist and the chicken breast just blends into everything.
Chicken with Prosciutto and Sage
Ingredients
- 4 large chicken breast boned and skined
- 8 leaves sage
- 8 slices Prosciutto sliced paper thin
- 2 tbsp olive oil 30 ml
- 1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken broth, 125 ml
- 1/4 cup light cream 60 ml, or half and half
- salt to taste
- ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the chicken breasts in half horizontally, sliding the knife blade between your hand and the cutting board.4 large chicken breast
- Place a sage leaf on each piece of chicken, and wrap with a slice of prosciutto, securing with a toothpick if necessary.8 leaves sage, 8 slices Prosciutto
- Heat the oil in a skillet over moderate heat and saute each piece of chicken for 2 to 3 minutes on each side.2 tbsp olive oil
- Add the vermouth/ white wine and cook covered for 3 minutes.1/2 cup dry white wine
- Remove the chicken from the skillet and add the cream, salt, and pepper.1/4 cup light cream, salt, ground pepper
- Bring the sauce to a boil and pour over the chicken.
Nutrition
What I particularly like about this dish is how little fuss it needs once the chicken has been prepared. The prosciutto brings a gentle saltiness to each bite, while the sage adds that familiar earthy note that works so naturally with poultry. Meanwhile, the quick cream sauce gathers all the flavours left in the pan and turns them into something far more luxurious than the short cooking time suggests.
I find it helps to choose chicken breasts that are reasonably even in thickness. Cutting them horizontally makes smaller pieces that cook quickly and also gives the prosciutto plenty of surface area to cling to. However, take care not to overcook the chicken, as the thin pieces can lose their tenderness surprisingly quickly. A moderate heat is usually best because it allows the prosciutto to colour without becoming too hard.
The pan sauce is where this simple meal really comes together. After the chicken has been removed, the wine or broth loosens the tasty browned bits from the base of the skillet. Stir them through the cream and you get a smooth sauce with a lovely savoury depth. If you prefer a slightly lighter finish, use chicken broth and reduce the cream a little. Alternatively, a splash of extra broth can loosen the sauce if it becomes thicker than you like.
For serving, I tend to keep the sides uncomplicated. Steamed green beans, broccoli or peas provide freshness and a little colour beside the chicken. Potatoes are another excellent choice because they happily soak up the creamy sauce. Rice works just as well, particularly when you want something that makes every spoonful count.
This is also a useful recipe when you need dinner on the table without spending the evening in the kitchen. Everything comes together in one skillet, which means there is very little washing up afterwards. I sometimes prepare the chicken earlier in the day and keep it covered in the refrigerator until cooking time. A green salad alongside it makes a pleasant contrast and keeps the meal feeling balanced. Finally, remember to remove any toothpicks before serving and spoon plenty of the warm sage-scented sauce over each portion.
Chicken with Prosciutto and Sage
Ingredients
- 4 large chicken breast boned and skined
- 8 leaves sage
- 8 slices Prosciutto sliced paper thin
- 2 tbsp olive oil 30 ml
- 1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken broth, 125 ml
- 1/4 cup light cream 60 ml, or half and half
- salt to taste
- ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the chicken breasts in half horizontally, sliding the knife blade between your hand and the cutting board.4 large chicken breast
- Place a sage leaf on each piece of chicken, and wrap with a slice of prosciutto, securing with a toothpick if necessary.8 leaves sage, 8 slices Prosciutto
- Heat the oil in a skillet over moderate heat and saute each piece of chicken for 2 to 3 minutes on each side.2 tbsp olive oil
- Add the vermouth/ white wine and cook covered for 3 minutes.1/2 cup dry white wine
- Remove the chicken from the skillet and add the cream, salt, and pepper.1/4 cup light cream, salt, ground pepper
- Bring the sauce to a boil and pour over the chicken.
36 comments
Perfect. The prosciutto adds a simple flavour than brings out the flavours of the other ingredients. Love it.
Really nice recipe and very quick to prepare. I would perhaps reduce the cream slightly next time, but that is simply personal preference.
Made this on a busy weeknight and it was ready in no time. Tasty, filling and very little washing up afterwards.
A great Italian-style chicken dish. I particularly liked the little salty pieces of prosciutto with the mild sage.
The sage flavour was just right and didn’t overpower the chicken. I also liked how few ingredients were needed.
A wonderful recipe when you want something special without spending hours cooking. The whole dish came together very quickly.
A lovely quick dinner for a busy evening. I used chicken broth instead of wine and it still made a very tasty sauce.
I served this with steamed broccoli and rice and the sauce soaked into the rice perfectly. Definitely one I will make again.
The flavours are simple but work exceptionally well together. I especially liked how the sauce picked up the flavours from the chicken and prosciutto.
Excellent combination of ingredients. I was surprised by how much flavour the sage added without making the dish taste strongly of herbs.
A very quick recipe that still feels like proper home cooking. The sage and prosciutto complement each other beautifully.
The prosciutto crisped beautifully and gave the chicken a wonderful texture. The creamy sauce brought everything together nicely.
I made this for guests and everyone asked what was in the sauce. It looked and tasted much more complicated than it actually was.
I found the chicken needed another minute or two in my pan, but once cooked through it was tender and delicious.
Really enjoyed this one. It has a lovely balance of savoury flavours and doesn’t need lots of extra seasoning.
I thought the sauce was particularly good. Next time I might make a little more because everyone wanted extra.
Simple, tasty and quick. Those are three things I really appreciate in a recipe, and this one delivers all three.
I served it with rice and peas, which worked really well with the creamy sauce. A very satisfying meal.
This was much easier to make than I expected. The chicken stayed tender and the creamy sauce was absolutely delicious with mashed potatoes.
Very good recipe and ideal for a midweek meal. I added a little extra sage because we really enjoy the flavour.
This made a lovely family meal. I was slightly worried the prosciutto might make it too salty, but it worked perfectly with the cream sauce.
The combination of chicken, prosciutto and sage works beautifully. Everyone at the table enjoyed it and there were no leftovers.
Really tasty and surprisingly elegant for such a simple recipe. The prosciutto became slightly crisp around the edges which was my favourite part.
A delicious and comforting chicken dish with a lovely Italian feel. I will definitely be adding this to our regular dinner rotation.
This was a big hit with my family. I served it with roasted potatoes and some steamed vegetables for a complete meal.
This was delicious with a side of creamy mashed potatoes. The sauce is definitely something you want to mop up from the plate.
Very tasty and easy to follow. I would recommend checking the chicken carefully near the end as thinner pieces cook very quickly.
A lovely recipe but I found the sauce a little salty because my prosciutto was quite salty. Next time I will add less seasoning.
A delicious dish that proves you don’t need a long ingredient list to make something impressive. The sage aroma while cooking was wonderful.
This has become one of my favourite quick chicken dinners. It is simple enough for a weekday but nice enough for company.
I used half and half rather than cream and the sauce still turned out lovely. The prosciutto gives the chicken plenty of flavour.
Lovely recipe with plenty of flavour for such a short cooking time. The chicken was cooked perfectly and remained moist.
We really enjoyed this. I used chicken broth instead of wine and added a handful of fresh parsley at the end, which worked nicely.
Really enjoyed this chicken. The prosciutto adds a lovely salty flavour and the sage gives it just enough herby character without taking over.
The chicken was tender and juicy, and the sauce was rich without being too heavy. Served with boiled potatoes and green beans.
The only change I made was using slightly thinner chicken pieces so they cooked evenly. Otherwise, I followed the recipe and it was excellent.