- 4 thin boneless, skinless chicken breasts*
- 4 large, thinly sliced pieces of prosciutto (if not cut from center of ham or if chicken pieces are large, you may need 1½ or 2 slices per piece of chicken)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Optional: 8 fresh sage leaves, lemon wedges (see notes)
Prosciutto Wrapped Pan Seared Chicken
Yield: 4 servings (easy to make a single serving or scale the recipe as needed)
A slice of prosciutto and a quick pan sear transform a plain old chicken breast into something special. Perfect for busy weeknights yet worthy of company!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Snugly wrap each piece of chicken with prosciutto. (Prep ahead tip: Once wrapped, you may cover and refrigerate until ready to eat.)Heat the oil in a large skillet (non-stick or seasoned cast iron work well) set over medium-high heat.When hot, place the prosciutto-wrapped chicken in the skillet and cook for about 3 minutes on the first side, or until the prosciutto is golden and crispy and the chicken is partially cooked through. Flip the chicken pieces and continue to cook until the prosciutto is crisp on the other side and the chicken is cooked through. (Internal temperature taken with a quick read thermometer should register 165℉. This will take approximately 2-3 minutes more with a thin breast, or longer with a thicker piece. See helpful hint.)Transfer the chicken to plates for serving. Any pan juices may be drizzled over the chicken, if desired. Serve with pesto-tossed orzo or pasta and some fresh tomatoes (my favorite), a green vegetable, baked potato, and/or a side salad…or whatever sounds good to you!
Notes
*You may purchase chicken cutlets for this, or if your chicken breasts are particularly thick, you may slice them in half lengthwise to form 2 thinner cutlets. If you prefer to use thick breasts, simply adjust the cooking time as needed.
Helpful hints for thicker chicken breasts: While I prefer to use thinner breasts or cutlets for a better prosciutto-to-chicken ratio, thicker breasts may be used. In this case, reduce the heat to low after flipping the breasts. The lower heat allows the thicker pieces to cook through without burning the prosciutto. I timed this with the pictured batch, which was rather thick, and I had to cook the second side for 10-11 minutes on low before it came to temperature. Optionally, thick breasts may be halved into 2 thinner cutlets or pounded. The latter will result in wider fillets which will require a little more prosciutto to cover. Never fear, any way you go about this, the end result will be easy and delicious!
Optional sage: Fried sage leaves are a nice extra if you have the fresh herb on hand. A lovely garnish, they also add a hint of complementary flavor to the olive oil. If using, start by adding an extra drizzle of oil to the pan (do this before cooking the chicken) and fry the leaves until crisp but not burned, about 3 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Use to garnish the cooked chicken, with or without a wedge of lemon on the side.