Published November 27, 2024. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This Chicken Braciole Recipe is a surprisingly simple Italian-American dish featuring crispy breaded chicken breasts stuffed with provolone, prosciutto, and fresh spinach. It’s a foolproof 30-minute meal best served for Sunday dinners with homemade pomodoro sauce.
Try my chicken cacciatore or classic chicken cordon bleu recipes if you want similar delicious chicken dishes.
Chicken Braciole
Originating from Southern Italy, traditional braciole refers to thinly sliced meat—often beef or pork—rolled up with a flavorful stuffing in the middle. The meat is seared and then braised in a simple tomato sauce.
This chicken braciole recipe is my Italian-American take on authentic beef braciole, which is authentic Italian involtini (beef roll-ups). This version contains breaded, boneless, and skinless chicken breasts stuffed with provolone, prosciutto, and spinach. From there, the chicken is fried to create a crispy, golden crust before it’s finished in the oven.
Since we aren’t braising the breaded stuffed chicken breasts in sauce, this version is quicker and more convenient while still delivering flavor and comfort.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chicken — For this recipe, you will need three boneless, skinless chicken breasts. They’re easy to slice in half, pound thin, and roll up with the filling. You can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you enjoy a juicier, richer flavor, but you may need to adjust the cooking time slightly.
- Flour – The first layer of the breading that helps the egg stick to the chicken.
- Eggs – The second layer of the breading that surrounds the chicken.
- Breadcrumbs – The final, flavorful, and crispy layer of the breading. If you don’t have Italian breadcrumbs, mix plain breadcrumbs with 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning.
- Cheese – Shredded provolone adds a creamy, melty center. You can also use mozzarella, Swiss, fontina, or white cheddar.
- Prosciutto – Its rich and salty flavor cuts through the decadent cheesy filling. Use thinly sliced ham or pancetta instead if you don’t have prosciutto.
- Spinach – Fresh baby spinach leaves are best, but you can use frozen spinach in a pinch. Just thaw and squeeze out any excess water.
- Oil — For frying, use cooking oil with a high smoking point, such as avocado, olive, canola, or vegetable oil.
- Pomodoro sauce – This simple tomato sauce beautifully complements the rich flavors of braciole. Try my simple pomodoro sauce, or substitute marinara or arrabbiata for a bit of heat.
- Seasonings – You need coarse salt and black pepper to season the chicken and breading.
How to Make Chicken Braciole
Thinly slice the chicken breasts in half widthwise.
Place each sliced chicken breast between two pieces of parchment paper, plastic wrap, or a plastic bag. Use a meat mallet or tenderizer to gently pound the chicken breasts until they are each about ¼ inches thick.
Grab three large shallow bowls or cake tins for your breading station. Whisk the flour with salt and pepper in the first bowl, whisk the eggs with salt and pepper in the second, and add the Italian breadcrumbs to the third bowl.
Season both sides of the flattened chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
Dredge one in the flour, followed by the egg wash and breadcrumbs. Place the coated chicken on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Repeat these steps with the remaining chicken.
Layer provolone cheese, prosciutto, and spinach on the top of each piece of chicken, leaving space around the edges. Roll the chicken up tightly from one end to the other. Repeat until you run out of chicken or stuffing ingredients.
To keep the chicken rolls tight, place the stuffed chicken rolls on plastic wrap, roll them up tightly, twist the ends, and freeze them for 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat enough oil to generously coat the bottom of a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Fry the chicken rolls on each side until golden brown, then transfer them to a baking dish.
Bake the chicken in the oven until the meat is cooked and the cheese is melted.
Remove your chicken braciole from the oven and let it rest before slicing and serving over warm pomodoro sauce with garlic bread, cooked pasta, creamy risotto, or polenta on the side.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: The stuffed chicken can be assembled and kept in the fridge for up to 24 hours before frying. The fried and baked chicken should be served immediately so you can enjoy the melted cheese in the middle, or you can wait until the next day to deepen the flavors.
How to Store: Cover the cooled leftover chicken braciole and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw the leftovers in the fridge overnight before reheating.
How to Reheat: Place the chicken in a baking dish, cover it with foil, and reheat in the oven at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes or until it’s warmed through.
Chef Notes + Tips
- To keep the chicken rolls tight, use the plastic wrap technique in my chicken Kiev recipe. Place the stuffed chicken rolls on a plastic wrap, roll it up tightly, and twist the ends.
- Freeze the wrapped chicken for 15 to 20 minutes before frying to keep the rolls firm and compact.
- If you’re still worried about the rolls coming apart, secure them with toothpicks or kitchen twine. Remember to remove the toothpicks or twine before slicing and serving.
- You can skip the breadcrumb coating and pan-fry the chicken until it’s golden brown.
- Heat the oil to 350ºF before frying the chicken. Use a thermometer to check the temperature, or drop a few breadcrumbs into the hot oil to test it. They should sizzle right away.
- Fry the chicken in batches to maintain the oil temperature. If the chicken starts to brown too quickly, reduce the heat to prevent the breadcrumb coating from burning.
- Warm the pomodoro sauce in a saucepan over medium-low heat before serving it with the chicken.
More Italian-American Recipes
- Chicken Parmigiana
- Classic Lasagna Bolognese
- Italian Chicken Marsala
- Italian Sausage and Peppers
- Spaghetti and Meatballs
Chicken Braciole Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 8-10 ounce boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half widthwise
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups Italian breadcrumbs
- 2 cups shredded provolone cheese
- 4 slices prosciutto ham, julienne
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 2 cups pomodoro sauce
- avocado and/or olive oil for frying
- coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place each sliced chicken breast one at a time between two pieces of parchment paper, plastic wrap, or plastic bag and gently pound them using a meat mallet or tenderizer until they are roughly ¼” of an inch thick.
- Add the flour to a cake tin or a large shallow bowl and whisk together the flour with salt and pepper. Set it to the side.
- In a separate cake tin or large shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt, and pepper. Briefly set it to the side.
- In a separate cake tin add in the Italian breadcrumbs. Set it to the side.
- Gently season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Next, dredge one chicken breast into the flour to coat it. Dust off any extra.
- Transfer it to the egg wash pan, dunk it, and flip it until coated on all sides.
- Next, add it to the bread crumbs and shake the pan to get the crumbs to move over the top of the chicken. Flip the chicken over and press it down to get the crumbs to stick completely to it. Place it on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper or a platter. Repeat the process until all the chicken is breaded.
- Evenly add some cheese, prosciutto ham, and spinach to the top of a breaded piece of chicken leaving about a ½” inch of the breaded chicken exposed around the outside.
- Roll up the chicken from back to front to create a chicken roll. Repeat with all the other pieces of chicken and stuffing ingredients.
- If the filling is falling out a bit, use the same technique in my chicken Kyiv recipe of placing the rolled chicken on a piece of plastic wrap, roll it up tight, and twist the ends to ensure it is a tight chicken roll. Freeze it for 15 to 20 minutes or until firmer. This will help it keep shape.
- Add enough oil to generously coat the bottom of a large nonstick frying pan.
- Fry the chicken braciole for 4 minutes per side or until golden brown. Transfer them to a baking dish and bake on a middle rack in the oven at 350° for 15 to 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese is melted.
- Remove the chicken braciole from the oven, rest for 3 to 4 minutes, slice, and serve over pomodoro sauce.
Chicken Braciole Recipe