Grilled Chicken Saltimbocca Recipe
A Backyard Barbecue Recipe Version of the Italian Chicken Favorite
Apr 7, 2009
Looking for something different to cook and serve for the next cookout? Try this backyard grill adaptation of a popular Italian chicken breast recipe.
The Italian word saltimbocca literally translates as “jump in the mouth.” That pretty much describes the happy circumstances of eating the popular Italian dish of chicken breasts stuffed with provolone cheese, ham, and sage, usually sautéed in butter and olive oil on the stove.
It’s easy, though, to adapt the favorite Italian recipe to the outdoor grill, as the following recipe serves. Just be sure to have on hand long wooden cocktail toothpicks to hold the stuffed chicken breasts together so the filling won’t fall out.
Grilled Chicken Breasts Saltimbocca Stuffed with Provolone, Ham, and Sage
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/2 pounds total weight)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage leaves, or 1/2 tablespoon dried sage, crumbled
- 4 thin slices provolone cheese
- 4 thin slices smoked ham
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
- Preheat an outdoor grill or indoor grill. Soak long wooden cocktail toothpicks in a bowl of cold water.
- Meanwhile, prepare the chicken breasts. Trim them of any fat or connective tissue. One at a time, place a breast half between 2 sheets of waxed paper and pound with a flat meat pounder or a rolling pin to flatten to a uniform thickness of about 1/2 inch.
- In a mixing bowl or large shallow dish, stir together the oil, lemon juice, and sage. Add the flattened chicken breast halves and turn in the mixture to coat well.
- One breast half at a time, arrange a cheese slice and a ham slice on the wider half of the meat, folding in the cheese and ham to leave a margin. Fold the breast lengthwise in half, bringing the narrower side over the wider side. Tuck the sides over to enclose the filling. Secure each of the three open sides by passing one of the soaked wooden cocktail picks down through both halves, along the underside, and back up. Leave the packets to marinate in the oil-lemon-sage mixture.
- Carefully oil the grill rack. Season the chicken packets with salt and pepper to taste. Place them on the grill and cook, turning several times, until well browned and cooked through, about 25 minutes total.
- Transfer the chicken to a platter or individual serving plates. Using a kitchen towel or paper towels to protect your fingers, pull out the toothpicks before serving.
Tips and Variations
- Substitute other favorite melting cheeses for the provolone.
- Leave out the sage. Instead, before placing the cheese and ham on the chicken breast half, smear the chicken with 1 teaspoon of good-quality prepared pesto.
- The recipe also works very well with veal scallopini to make grilled veal saltimbocca.
- For an added flourish, pass a favorite tomato sauce alongside, or make one by sautéing chopped sun-ripened tomatoes with garlic and basil in olive oil.
Looking for other great grilled chicken dishes? Check out Vietnamese Grilled Chicken Salad, Grilled Chicken Breast and Vegetable Kabobs, or Grilled Chicken Fajitas!
The copyright of the article Grilled Chicken Saltimbocca Recipe in Barbecue/Picnic Foods is owned by Norman Kolpas. Permission to republish Grilled Chicken Saltimbocca Recipe in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
