Most of you probably know prosciutto as an appetizer – flavorful, salty, and chewy, but have you tried cooking / baking it? Crispy prosciutto is as good as crispy bacon (if not better?) and makes an excellent topping for salads, pasta, eggs, and many other dishes. You have to try these prosciutto crisps if you haven’t already – every bite delivers big flavor.
What is prosciutto?
Prosciutto is an Italian unsmoked dry-cured ham. It has a sweet and salty flavor, it’s really delicious. It’s made from pork leg that is salted and dry-aged. It’s also called Parma ham or Prosciutto di Parma in Italian.
The difference between prosciutto and bacon is that the bacon is usually smoked, is made from pork belly, and it’s fattier. Bacon needs to be cooked while prosciutto is ready to eat without cooking (straight from the package).
Prosciutto is cut really thinly making it ultra crispy after cooking/baking.
Ingredients
You will need prosciutto crudo for this recipe (raw prosciutto) and not prosciutto cotto (cooked prosciutto). This is a type of prosciutto that is darker in color, more dry and chewy.
If you plan on cooking it on the stovetop, you will also need just a small amount of vegetable oil (any kind).
How to make crispy prosciutto step by step
In the oven
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place prosciutto slices on the paper – they can lay side by side but can’t overlap.
Bake at 400°F (200°C) for about 10-12 minutes or until browned and crispy. Transfer from the baking sheet to a plate. The Prosciutto will crisp up more while cooling. The baking time may vary depending on the oven, keep an eye on it at the end of the baking time – be careful not to burn it.
On the stovetop
Heat the oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat.
Place slices of prosciutto in the pan – they shouldn’t overlap.
Cook until browned then turn over and cook until uniformly browned. Be careful not to burn it. Transfer to a plate.
The Prosciutto will crisp up more while cooling.
Oven vs Stovetop method
Pros of baking prosciutto in the oven: more crispy, more uniformly cooked), and hands-off. Cons: you need to turn on and preheat the oven, plus it takes more time.
Stovetop crispy prosciutto is slightly less crispy (but still crispy!) and a little bit chewy, you have to cook it in batches, stand by the stove and turn over each piece when it’s browned and crispy.
Both methods produce delicious and crispy prosciutto.
What to serve it with
You can add crispy Prosciutto to almost anything – anywhere you would add bacon, you can also add Prosciutto.
- pasta – crispy Prosciutto makes a great topping for pasta – try it with this burrata pasta, parsley pesto pasta, or this cheesy tomato broccoli pasta
- salad – crispy Prosciutto is already an ingredient in this pesto potato salad recipe and pesto pasta salad (the recipe is coming soon) or you try to add it to this pear walnut salad, you can also add it to this chicken Caesar salad instead of bacon
- pizza – a great topping for pizza!
- sandwiches or a topping for crostini
- eggs – eat it in place of bacon for breakfast with some eggs or use it as a topping for deviled eggs (for example in this avocado deviled eggs recipe instead of bacon)
- gnocchi – a great topping for saucy gnocchi (for example these mushroom gnocchi)
- topping for vegetables – brussel sprouts, green beans (it would be great in this recipe for green beans almondine)
- crumble it over soups
Storage
It will keep for up to 3-4 days in the fridge, but it will lose some of its crispness. It’s the best on the day it was made.
Reheat in a pan to re-crisp in a 350°F (175°C) oven for about 5 minutes or until warm and crispy again.
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Crispy Prosciutto
Ingredients
- 8 slices prosciutto prosciutto crudo, not cotto
- 1/2 tablespoon oil if you plan on cooking it on the stove
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Instructions
In the oven:
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place prosciutto slices on the paper – they can lay side by side but can’t overlap.
- Bake at 400°F (200°C) for about 10-12 minutes or until browned and crispy. Transfer from the baking sheet to a plate. The Prosciutto will crisp up more while cooling. The baking time may vary depending on the oven, keep an eye on it at the end of the baking time – be careful not to burn it.
On the stovetop:
- Heat the oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Place slices of prosciutto in the pan – they shouldn’t overlap. Cook until browned then turn over and cook until uniformly browned. Be careful not to burn it. Transfer to a plate. The Prosciutto will crisp up more while cooling.
Notes
Pros of baking prosciutto in the oven: more crispy, more uniformly cooked), and hands-off. Cons: you need to turn on and preheat the oven, plus it takes more time. Stovetop crispy prosciutto is slightly less crispy (but still crispy!) and a little bit chewy, you have to cook it in batches, stand by the stove and turn over each piece when it’s browned and crispy. Both methods produce delicious and crispy prosciutto.
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