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This Chicken Sorrentino recipe is an easy Italian dinner everyone will love! Tender chicken breasts are topped with prosciutto, roasted eggplant, and three kinds of cheese, then cooked in a flavorful marinara sauce.
I love a meal that’s simple to prepare and delivers big on flavor. Don’t you? And that’s exactly what this Chicken Sorrentino recipe is. It’s super cozy, hearty, and topped with lots of melty cheese. Every time I make this for dinner it gets gobbled right up!
To make this saucy, satisfying dish you’ll top tender chicken with layers of prosciutto, smoky roasted eggplant, and three kinds of Italian cheese. Everything is nestled into homemade marinara sauce for extra oomph and tangy flavor, then finished in the oven. Serve Chicken Sorrentino with your favorite loaf of crusty Italian bread and a big green salad.
Also pssst: You can see a reel I made of this cozy recipe on Instagram! 😋
Why You’ll Love This Chicken Sorrentino Recipe
- Comforting. Three kinds of cheese are melted on top of seared chicken breasts and creamy marinara sauce to make a dish that’s the ultimate in comfort food.
- Flavorful. All those layers create tons of flavor in each bite! Tender chicken, salty prosciutto, roasted eggplant, luscious cheese, and hearty tomato sauce – what could be better?
- One pan. The chicken and sauce are cooked separately in the same pan. You’ll finish the dish in the oven using, again, the same pan, making clean-up a breeze!
- Cheesy. Did I mention the cheese? Fresh mozzarella, pecorino, and parmesan are melted on top of the finished dish, making it super decadent.
What is Chicken Sorrentino?
Chicken Sorrentino is a popular Italian recipe that consists of boneless chicken breasts topped with layers of roasted eggplant, prosciutto, a stack of melted Italian cheeses, and marinara sauce. In Italy it’s called “Pollo alla Sorrentina,” which means “Chicken Sorrentino,” and you’ll find it on many restaurant menus. Luckily this dish is easy to make so we can bring a taste of Italy right to your own kitchen!
Recipe Ingredients
Here is a list of all you need to make this Chicken Sorrentino recipe. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for specific amounts.
For the Roasted Eggplant
- Eggplant – Choose a small or medium-sized eggplant for this recipe.
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil
For the Chicken
- Chicken breasts – Smaller boneless and skinless breasts. You’ll need 4 for this recipe.
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil
For the Sauce
Note: You can also use your favorite store-bought sauce.
- Butter
- Onion
- Salt and pepper
- Can of diced tomatoes
- Dried herbs and spices – Garlic powder, oregano, parsley, basil
- Heavy cream
Additional ingredients
- Prosciutto – An Italian, dry-aged ham available at most supermarkets
- Fresh mozzarella
- Parmesan cheese
- Pecorino cheese
How to Make The Best Chicken Sorrentino
Want to make this Chicken Sorrentino for dinner tonight? Here are the step-by-step instructions to get this easy dinner on the table.
Roast the Eggplant
- Prepare eggplant. Slice the eggplant into ¼ inch rounds. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
- Bake. Bake the eggplant for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
Prepare the Chicken
- Season chicken. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.
- Cook chicken. Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and sear on one side for 2 minutes, then flip and finish searing for 2 minutes on the other side. Remove from pan and set aside.
Make the Sauce
- Cook onions. In the same pan that you used to cook the chicken, melt the butter. Add the butter to the pan to melt. Add onions, season with ½ teaspoon salt, and sauté until translucent.
- Add tomatoes. Stir in the diced tomatoes, ½ teaspoon sea salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder, dried oregano, dried parsley, and dried basil to the skillet.
- Cook sauce. Bring sauce to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the cream.
Assemble and Bake
- Add chicken. Add the seared chicken back to the pan and spoon a bit of sauce over each piece. If you are using store-bought sauce, heat the sauce in a large, heavy-bottomed, oven-safe pan and heat over medium-high heat until bubbling. Remove from the heat and continue with the recipe.
- Layer chicken. Top each breast with 1 slice of prosciutto, one slice of eggplant, and 2 slices of fresh mozzarella.
- Add remaining cheese. Distribute the shaved pecorino and shaved parmesan evenly over the chicken pieces.
- Bake. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Serve hot.
Tips & Tricks for Success
Follow these tips to make the best Chicken Sorrentino! I’ve included some time-saving tricks, like using store-bought marinara if you don’t have time to make the homemade sauce (but I definitely recommend trying my recipe!).
- You can use store-bought sauce. Pressed for time? No problem. Swap your favorite store-bought marinara sauce for the homemade sauce in this recipe.
- Use a thermometer to check the chicken for doneness. To make absolutely sure your chicken has cooked through, use an instant read thermometer (affiliate link) after 15 minutes in the oven. The chicken is done when the internal temperature reads 165F on the thermometer.
- Save leftover eggplant for another time. You only need 4 slices of roasted eggplant in this recipe. Slice and roast your entire eggplant, then store the leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3 days so you can use them in another recipe.
Serving Suggestions
What goes with Chicken Sorrentino? Here are some of my favorite ideas:
- Salad. I like to serve Chicken Sorrentino with a green salad since it’s a rich dish that needs some vegetables to balance it out. Just a simple salad of spring greens with sliced cucumber and tomatoes plus your favorite salad dressing will do the trick.
- Vegetable sides. I like roasted broccoli and easy homemade mashed potatoes to complete the meal.
- Bread. You can never go wrong with fresh crusty bread to sop up all that tomato sauce and melted cheese.
- Pasta. Try spaghetti, ziti, or the pasta shape of your choice. Put a piece of chicken on top of a serving of cooked pasta to serve, as shown in the photo above.
How to Store
- Fridge – Let leftover chicken cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an air-tight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To reheat chicken in the oven – Place the chicken on a baking sheet or in an oven-proof baking dish and heat in the oven at 325 degrees Fahrenheit until hot.
- Microwave – You can also reheat leftovers in the microwave. Place the chicken on a microwave-safe plate and cover it with a lid or another plate to prevent splatter from the sauce. Check the chicken halfway through heating to make sure it’s getting hot enough.
Can I Freeze Chicken Sorrentino?
You can freeze leftover Chicken Sorrentino in an air-tight container in the freezer for three months. It’s best reheated in the oven. Defrost the leftovers overnight in the fridge, place in an oven-safe pan, and bake in the oven at 325 degrees Fahrenheit until heated through and the sauce is bubbling. The texture of the eggplant will change after being frozen, but it shouldn’t affect the overall flavor.
More Chicken Dinner Ideas
Chicken Sorrentino
Ingredients
For the roasted eggplant
- 1 eggplant, small to medium-sized
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the seared chicken
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, I prefer to select smaller breasts for this dish
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
For the sauce
- 3 tablespoon butter
- ½ medium onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, divided
- 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ cup cream
To Assemble
- 4 slices prosciutto
- 6 oz fresh mozzarella, cut into 8 slices
- ¼ cup grated parmesan
- ¼ cup grated pecorino
Instructions
For the roasted eggplant
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice the eggplant into ¼ inch slices. You only need 4 slices so you might have some leftovers here.
- Arrange the slices on the prepared baking sheet
- Drizzle both sides of each slice with olive oil and season with sea salt and ground black pepper
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove the roasted eggplant from the oven and keep the heat on. You will bake the chicken at the same temperature.
For the chicken
- Season the chicken with sea salt and ground black pepper
- Heat a large heavy-bottomed, oven-safe skillet to medium-high heat
- Add the olive oil and let it heat up for about 30 seconds.
- Add the chicken to the pan. Sear for 2 minutes on one side before flipping and searing for an additional 2 minutes on the other side.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
For the sauce
- Add the butter to the pan to melt.
- Add the onions, season with ½ teaspoon salt, and sauté until translucent.
- Add the diced tomatoes, ½ teaspoon sea salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder, dried oregano, dried parsley, and dried basil to the skillet and give it all a stir.
- Bring the sauce to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the heat.
- Add the cream and stir to incorporate.
For assembly and baking
- IF USING STORE-BOUGHT SAUCE: Add the sauce to a large, heavy-bottomed, oven-safe pan and heat over medium-high heat until bubbling. Remove from the heat and continue with the recipe.
- Add the seared chicken back to the pan and spoon a bit of sauce over each piece.
- Top each breast with 1 slice of prosciutto, one slice of eggplant, and 2 slices of fresh mozzarella.
- Distribute the shaved pecorino and shaved parmesan evenly over the entire creation.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
Fantastic and easy!
Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Could you use roasted zucchini instead of eggplant?
Yes you could use slices of zucchini instead of egglant. I do something similar in my zucchini parmesan recipe.