What to Serve with Chicken Saltimbocca? 10 BEST Side Dishes

Saltimbocca or Saltinbocca is a dish that originated in Rome, Italy.

It consists of veal wrapped in prosciutto and sage and soaked in a suitable marinade before cooking.

However, veal is expensive; therefore, many variants came up with chicken replacing veal.

Chicken saltimbocca is one of the variants, and it's a popular dish in Italy.

It's a delicious and flexible dish, and you can serve many items with it.

If you're wondering what to serve with chicken saltimbocca, you have come to the right place.

10 Top Side Dishes for Chicken Saltimbocca

1. Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Glaze

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How about we begin the list with a delicious veggie dish compatible with chicken saltimbocca - try Brussels sprouts side ideas for pairing?

Roasted Brussels sprouts with balsamic glaze can be an excellent accompaniment to the chicken dish as it's fresh, crunchy, slightly sweet, and sour.

It can improve the saltimbocca's flavors and balance the meal nicely.

You can make a large portion or a small one depending on how many people will attend the event.

When buying the veggie, choose bright-green heads (the smaller the sweeter) with tightly-packed leaves.

You should also choose the same-sized sprouts to cook them evenly at the same time.

2. Lemon and Herb Risotto

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Risotto is an Italian rice dish cooked in fish, meat, or veggie broth.

There are many variants, and you can use different ingredients but always have rice as the main item.

It's traditionally served as a first course, you can also serve it alongside other items.

It complements chicken saltimbocca, so it can be a suitable side dish.

As said earlier, there are several variants.

To pair with chicken saltimbocca, you can make the one with lemon and herbs.

Risotto has to be creamy, so you have to use a suitable variety of rice.

Arborio is traditionally used for risotto because it releases starch when cooking and makes the dish creamy.

If the menu highlights bright citrus notes, complement the risotto with lighter sweet-acid sides such as lemon curd side pairings with bright flavors.

3. Carrot Soup

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Chicken tastes lovely with most foods, so let's add soup to the list.

You can make soup with many items, so the choice is unlimited.

A carrot soup can also be an ideal side dish for chicken saltimbocca.

The soup has a sweet, sour, and spicy flavor with a creamy texture and pungent aroma (from the ginger).

Hence, it can balance pretty well with the crispy and juicy chicken.

It's a little different because you puree the carrots only after roasting them nicely.

You can use a chicken or veggie broth depending on what you like or what is more appropriate for the occasion.

Many consider carrots to be the perfect health food so you can enjoy the taste and receive the nutrients simultaneously - see carrot salad side recipes for healthy pairings.

4. Arugula Caprese Salad

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A tangy and fresh salad is also a good match for chicken saltimbocca.

The combo will round up your meal perfectly without either dish overpowering the other.

What's more, making arugula Caprese salad is simple.

You add a little twist to the traditional salad by adding the greens.

Caprese salad isn't just delicious, but it looks very appealing, too, with white, red, and green colors.

The highlight of the salad is Mozzarella cheese, often eaten fresh within a few hours after it's made.

For more ways to use peppery greens, pair the salad with other arugula-forward dishes like arugula pesto side ideas and serving tips.

5. Parmesan Buttered Noodles

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Noodles are delicious and addictive, and yes, they're also versatile.

They complement chicken saltimbocca, and you can serve them side by side.

It's best to keep the noodles simple, so they don't overwhelm the chicken dish.

You will have a well-balanced meal and feel full but not become overloaded once you finish your meal.

Cooking noodles isn't tricky, but if you let them stay on the heat even a bit longer, the texture can get damaged.

The noodles should be "al dente" and drained at the right time (given on the packet).

Add butter, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and fresh parsley, stir and serve; see, it's that simple - similar simplicity appears in chicken parmesan side pairings with classic flavors.

6. Cheesy Leek Gratin

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Leek is a widely used vegetable in soups and stews.

But it's versatile, and you can incorporate it into many dishes.

Cheesy leek gratin is also an excellent dish to serve alongside chicken saltimbocca - see how it compares to potato gratin side ideas for rich mains.

Leek is related to the onion, and they have similar features.

It has a mild and sweet flavor.

Hence, it won't overpower the chicken dish but will balance your meal.

There are numerous varieties of cheese to choose from, but cheddar is the most widely used cheese for this dish.

So, use it rather than other varieties.

You will see how good it tastes when you serve it beside the saltimbocca because your guests will rush to the side and grab spoonsful.

7. Ratatouille

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Would you like to serve an all-in-one veggie dish that's delicious and compatible with chicken saltimbocca? Consider ratatouille side ideas for vegetable-forward menus.

How about ratatouille? It's a lovely summer vegetable stew dish that originated in France but is now popular in many locations.

The dish contains multiple ingredients with tomato sauce as the base.

The traditional ratatouille consists of zucchini, eggplant, bell pepper, onion, garlic, and herbs.

But you can certainly add more veggies and herbs if you want.

People typically serve ratatouille as a main dish, but you can also serve it as a side dish alongside the saltimbocca.

8. Cheesy Polenta

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Cheesy polenta will be ideal for serving with chicken saltimbocca if you're looking for a filling gluten-free dish.

Cornmeal is the ingredient used for making polenta, and it does not contain gluten, fat, or calories and is fiber rich.

Cheesy polenta is delicious and also an easy dish to make.

However, it would be best to keep a close watch when cooking it to find the right consistency.

You can use cheddar or parmesan cheese to make cheesy polenta.

It's essential to cook the polenta on low flame for the best results.

9. Radish and Cucumber Salad

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Can you believe that only five ingredients can create a delicious dish perfect for serving alongside chicken saltimbocca?

You should because that's what radish and cucumber salads are.

It has five ingredients but tastes outstanding and pairs up nicely with the chicken dish.

Radish is slightly peppery, and cucumber is juicy with a mild flavor.

But when you add the sour cream, it binds the two veggies creating a lovely balance.

You can then have a sour, juicy, crunchy, and creamy salad which you can serve side by side with the chicken saltimbocca.

10. Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice

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Ok, don't because it says Mediterranean cauliflower rice.

It's the same as usual, except that it has Mediterranean flavors, and of course, it complements chicken saltimbocca.

Cauliflower rice is yummy but isn't a complicated dish to make.

Also, you don't need hundreds of ingredients to make it delicious.

Add toasted pine nuts for a crunchy texture and lemon juice for a tangy taste.

The key to having an ideally cooked cauliflower rice is not to overcook it, or you'll have a gooey dish.

Follow the right timing to remove the pan from the flame to cook the veggie dish perfectly.

Many of these dishes work with roasted birds as well - rotisserie chicken side pairings lists 15 compatible options. For grain-forward mains, try chicken fried rice side ideas to round out the menu.