Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken Breast

For whatever reason, boneless, skinless chicken breast is one of Canada's most popular meats or poultry cuts. Personally, I'm not really a fan. I find that chicken breast is often bland and dry because it's been overcooked. It doesn't have to be either of those things. Today, I will share a technique for stuffing and wrapping chicken breast that will help prevent it from drying out, and that will keep it interesting for years to come.

Jump to:

• Chicken Stuffing
• Jarred Roasted Red Peppers vs. Homemade
• Cutting the Chicken Breast for Stuffing
• How to Wrap Chicken in Prosciutto
• How to Cook Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken
• Recipe
• Conclusion

Specifically, we will make prosciutto-wrapped chicken breast stuffed with spinach and goat cheese, but the technique is really the core of this post, not the recipe. What do I mean by that? Once you learn how to cut a pocket, stuff it, and wrap it in prosciutto, you can use any filling you like. The possibilities are endless. Let's get to it.

Chicken Stuffing

The stuffing for the prosciutto wrapped chicken is made of shallots (you can use onions), garlic, roasted red pepper, spinach and goat cheese. It is not complex by any means. You can find all the measurements in the written recipe at the end of the post.

To make the stuffing, mince the shallot or onion and the garlic, and dice the red pepper. Heat a medium frying pan over medium-high heat, then add one tablespoon of olive oil, then the shallot and garlic. Cook for two minutes, then add in the red pepper, cook for one minute, then add in the spinach and cook until it is wilted. Season with salt and pepper, then take the stuffing out of the pan and set it aside to cool. Once the mixture has cooled, mix in the goat cheese. Just like that, the stuffing is ready.

As I said in the introduction, this post is not so much about the stuffing recipe, though it is delicious. Use the recipe, and you will be happy you did, but focus more on how to cut the chicken breast, how to wrap it, and how to cook it. Because if you master those techniques, you can stuff the chicken with whatever you want -- from Boursin cheese to apple, cranberries and brie, to caramelized onion and Swiss. Focus on the technique.

Jarred Roasted Red Peppers vs. Homemade

I used store-bought roasted red peppers in my chicken stuffing for one main reason. It is a lot easier and quicker to buy roasted red peppers than to roast them at home. There is very little difference in taste between the store-bought ones and the homemade ones. If you want to roast the peppers yourself, go for it, I often do, but it is okay to use jarred ones as well.

Cutting the Chicken Breast for Stuffing

To prepare the chicken for stuffing, you first have to remove the little flap of meat on the bottom of the chicken breast, known as the tender. If you buy breaded chicken tenders at the store or the pub, what you are getting is that little piece of meat on the underside of the breast. Whenever I take the tender off of a chicken breast, I freeze it, then when I have enough, I bread and fry them. The tender has to come off the breast because it tends to affect how the breast cooks. Often there will be a small patch of raw chicken under the tender. So, it is best to remove it.

To make the pocket for the stuffing, use a knife (you might prefer a paring knife for this job) to cut a two-inch opening in the side of the chicken that goes about two-thirds of the way through the breast. Try your best not to cut through the other side or the bottom of the breast. If you are looking to build your knife skills, understanding how to handle different cuts of meat is a great place to start.

How to Wrap Chicken in Prosciutto

Now that you have a pocket in your chicken breasts, you can fill them with the stuffing. Use a spoon to push the stuffing into the breast. Don't push the stuffing into the chicken with too much force, as you may split the breasts.

To wrap the chicken, lay a twelve-inch length of plastic wrap on your cutting board. Put two overlapping pieces of prosciutto down on the board, then place the chicken on the prosciutto. Use the plastic wrap to pull up on the prosciutto and roll it tightly around the chicken breast. Repeat with the second breast.

How to Cook Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken

Cooking the prosciutto-wrapped chicken happens in two stages. The first stage is to sear the chicken in a hot pan. This will seal the prosciutto around the chicken and help make the prosciutto crispy. The last thing you want is soggy prosciutto. The second stage of the cooking process happens in the oven, which will cook the chicken breast through and finish crisping the prosciutto. Make sure to preheat your pan properly for the best sear.

To cook the chicken, heat a medium oven-safe pan over medium-high heat. Add one tablespoon of canola oil into the pan, then place the breasts in the pan with the seam of the prosciutto facing down. Leave the chicken alone for three to four minutes or until it releases from the pan easily. Flip it and leave it alone for another two to three minutes.

Drain the oil out of the pan, then put the pan in the oven at 375°f for 30 to 35 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reaches 165°f. Remove the chicken from the oven, take it out of the pan and let it rest for five to ten minutes before cutting it. Serve with mashed potatoes or rice and vegetables.

Recipe

Conclusion

This is one of my favourite ways to transform a plain chicken breast into something genuinely impressive, and the technique works with just about any stuffing you can dream up. Master the cut, the wrap, and the two-stage cook, and you will never look at a boring chicken breast the same way again.