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This chicken rollatini recipe is an easy & elegant chicken dinner that tastes like something you’d get at a fancy restaurant. Tender chicken cutlets are filled with prosciutto and creamy ricotta filling, then baked in the oven.

Cut open chicken rollatini on a plate with salad.

Why You’ll Love This Chicken Rollatini Recipe

Easy. If you can use a knife and a meat tenderizer (which is basically a hammer for food), you can make this recipe. The end results are impressive but the actual cooking process is simple.
Flexible. You can easily adjust the filling to use your favorite flavors.
Flavorful. Since the meat is rolled around prosciutto + herbed ricotta you get an incredible combination of flavors in every bite.

Watch How to Make It

Want to see how to make this chicken dinner step-by-step? Check out my video:

What is Chicken Rollatini?

Chicken rollatini is thinly sliced and pounded chicken cutlets that are breaded and rolled around a filling. Once assembled, the rolled-up chicken cutlets are either fried or baked until cooked through. Traditionally ham and cheese are used for the filling, but I prefer using prosciutto and ricotta cheese.

What Is a Chicken Cutlet?

I get this question a lot so I figured it would be helpful to share the answer here. A chicken cutlet is not something you usually buy at the store. A chicken cutlet is a chicken breast that has been cut in half horizontally to make two thinner pieces of chicken. Usually, the pieces are then pounded to make them even thinner. This preparation decreases the amount of cooking time needed for the chicken to cook.

How to Make Chicken Rollatini

Are you ready to make chicken rollatini? Here’s a quick look at how to do it. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions.

Prepare the chicken cutlets:

Prep your tools. Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Panko mixture for breaded chicken cutlets. — Combine the breading ingredients.

Pounding chicken breasts between saran wrap — Combine the breading ingredients.

Make the breading mixture. Mix the breadcrumbs, sea salt, ground black pepper, and pecorino.
Prep the chicken cutlets. Carefully slice the chicken breasts into cutlets.
Pound the chicken. Place the cutlets between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and pound to ¼ inch thickness using a meat mallet. Aim for even thickness throughout each cutlet.

Breading sliced chicken breasts. — Bread the chicken.

Filling ingredients in a steel bowl. — Bread the chicken.

Bread the chicken. Dip a cutlet into the olive oil to coat. Then dip the cutlet in the breadcrumb mixture to coat and lay it flat on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat for the rest of the cutlets.
Make the ricotta filling. Mix the ricotta, olive oil, chopped basil, and lemon zest in a medium bowl.

Breaded chicken topped with prosciutto and ricotta filling. — Fill each cutlet.

Chicken Rollatini ready to bake. — Fill each cutlet.

Fill each cutlet. Lay a slice of prosciutto on each breadcrumb-coated cutlet. On top of the prosciutto, add some ricotta filling.
Roll it up. Roll each cutlet around the filling and secure it with a toothpick.
Bake. Place the rolled-up chicken cutlets on your prepared baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into the largest piece reads 165 degrees F.
Rest. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Cooked Chicken Rollatini served with salad.

Tips & Variation Ideas

Use a sharp knife. It is important to use a very sharp chef’s knife to cut the chicken breasts into cutlets. If you try to use a dull knife you will not only have a difficult time cutting the chicken, but you’ll risk cutting your hands.
Don’t have a meat tenderizer? If you don’t have a meat mallet you can also pound your chicken using a rolling pin or a cast iron skillet. Just pound the chicken the same as you would with a tenderizer. Don’t use an actual hammer (it will destroy your meat) or canned food (you will dent the can.)
Mix up the flavors. You can use fresh sage or rosemary instead of basil. You can also add a thin slice of cheese on top of the prosciutto in addition to the ricotta. I recommend using mozzarella!

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

Store in the fridge: Let the chicken rollatini cool, then transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To reheat: Cut a rollatini in half and place it on a microwave-safe plate. Warm single servings at a time until heated through, which usually takes about 1 minute 30 seconds to 2 minutes.

Chicken Rollatini