This extra cheesy chicken Sorrentino with eggplant and prosciutto recipe is one of my favorite ways to prepare chicken breast. This recipe is packed with Italian flavors and it’s pretty easy to make in less than 30 minutes!
Sorrento is a region in Italy that is pretty famous for its food. They are known for their wine, olive oil, and ways of preparing delicious food with humble ingredients.
I’ve already made gnocchi alla sorrentina and it’s one of my favorite ways to make any store-bought gnocchis shine.
Now, this chicken a la sorrentina is a must if you love mozzarella cheese, prosciutto, and marinara sauce.
One of the first things you need for this recipe is to let the eggplant lose as much water as you can. Sprinkling some salt on top will help to dehydrate it. This way it won’t release too much water during the baking process.
I start this recipe on the stove. Using a cast iron, I sear the chicken breast that I previously seasoned with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. The pan must be hot enough to get a nice brown crust like in the picture. It doesn’t matter if the chicken is slightly raw at the center because it will finish cooking in the oven.
Remove the chicken and in the same pan cook the dehydrated eggplant rounds. Cook for a couple of minutes until the eggplants are brown on both sides.
In the meantime, make a simple tomato sauce. You can also use my san marzano sauce.
Sauce ingredients:
- 1 can peeled tomatoes
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 small onion
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 handful fresh basil leaves
My best tip for any tomato-based sauce is a touch of sugar to balance the acidity of the tomato.
Now, it’s time to stack the chicken Sorrentino. In an oven tray, I place the chicken breast and cover with prosciutto, eggplant, tomato sauce, and top with a slice of fresh mozzarella.
Finally, take to the oven for 20 minutes at 350ºF (180ºC).
Is this chicken Sorrentino keto-friendly?
Yes, eggplants contain a low amount of carbs —4.8 grams per cup— and they have a lot of fiber.
Tomatoes also are low in carbs. Just 3.9 grams for every 100gr.
The rest of this recipe is mainly protein and fat. Also, the oil used is olive oil,which is one of the healthiest oils loaded with good fatty acids.
If you are looking for other keto-friendly dinners you can check my spinach stuffed chicken breast or crack slaw.
I hope you enjoy this recipe and I see you in the next one!
Chicken Sorrentino
Ingredients
- 4 boneless chicken breast
- 1 medium-size eggplant
- 2 fresh mozzarella balls (150 gr each)
- 4 slices prosciutto
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the sauce
- 1 can peeled tomatoes
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 small onion
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 handful fresh basil leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Tomato sauce:
- In a saute pan over medium heat, pour the olive oil and the onion cut into cubes. Cook for a minute.
- Add the garlic cloves minced and stir. Cook for another minute until the garlic is fragrant. Add the sugar and cook for 30 seconds until it melts and starts to caramelize.
- Immediately, toss the smashed peeled tomatoes and the basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Chicken Sorrentino:
- Season the chicken breast with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Cut the eggplant into rounds. Cover with 1 tbsp of salt to promote dehydration. You can use a strainer to let the water out.
- Heat a cast-iron pan over high heat. Add some olive oil and cook the chicken breast and sear it until you get a brown crust on both sides. Remove from the pan.
- In the same pan, cook the eggplant round for 2 minutes each side to get a nice brown color.
- In an oven tray, place the chicken breast, cover each breast with 1 slice of prosciutto, 1 or 2 eggplant rounds, tomato sauce, and fresh mozzarella sliced.
- Bake for 20 minutes at 180ºC (350ºF).
Nutrition
I’m Maria and I love cooking—and mostly EATING—food from all around the world. I’ve been sharing my abuela’s secret Latin-American recipes for the last 7 years with the world on this blog. I’ve been a full-time food blogger for many years and I’m always trying new delicious meals that don’t require a culinary degree or a Michelin-star chef. I also love traveling, cats, and knitting.