Chicken Cordon Bleu is such a mouth-watering chicken recipe. It is simple enough to make during the week but perfect for hosting.
One of my favorite things about this job is when I have readers who think that they can’t cook, and I prove them wrong. Sometimes cooking is really intimidating and it is so easy to look at a recipe as a beginner and feel intimidated. I think that chicken cordon bleu is definitely one of those types of recipes, but let me assure you that you can easily make this delicious dish.
When it comes down to it, this dish takes a bit of time to prepare, but it comes with a big wow factor. Not only is the final product absolutely beautiful, it is phenomenally delicious as well. Finally, this great recipe is topped with a glorious sauce that will have your guests singing your praises.
Won’t you please let me prove to you that you can make this amazing dish?
I made this recipe tonight and it was delicious. I’m going to make this on a regular basis. Thank you so much.
What is Chicken Cordon Bleu
A dish that involves chicken wrapped around cheese and sliced ham, breaded, and then baked or pan-fried. It is topped with a delicious creamy sauce. “Cordon bleu” translates to “blue ribbon” in French, as in this is a winner of a dish.
How to Make Chicken Cordon Bleu
Here is a brief overview of how this chicken cordon bleu recipe comes together. For the full recipe including all of the measurements, please scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Pound chicken cutlets. Make sure they are nice and thin. Season with salt and pepper. See the photon on how to do this below.
- Add ham and cheese. Place a piece of ham and some shredded cheese on top of each chicken cutlet.
- Roll the chicken. Wrap them in plastic wrap and let the chicken rest while you prepare the coating.
- Make the coating. Mix the salt and pepper into the flour. Mix the panko breadcrumbs with the thyme, garlic, and melted butter.
- Bread the chicken. Dip each rolled-up chicken cutlet into the seasoned flour, then dip the chicken in the eggs. Then dip the egg-coated chicken roll-ups in the panko mixture. Place in the prepared baking dish.
- Bake and make the sauce. See more on this below.
How to Make Chicken Cordon Bleu Sauce
While the chicken is baking, make your sauce. The sauce for chicken cordon bleu starts with sautéing garlic in butter and forming a roux with flour and white wine. The addition of heavy cream and seasoned with ground mustard results in a creamy sauce that is so delicious with cordon bleu chicken.
- Sauté the garlic. Melt the butter and cook the garlic until fragrant. Season with ground mustard, salt, and pepper.
- Make the roux. Whisk in the flour. Turn the heat up and slowly whisk in the wine. Add a little of the liquid, whisking until it is absorbed by the roux. Add more liquid once what you just added was absorbed. The more liquid you add the more quickly you can add it.
- Add the half and half. Continue stirring as you bring the sauce to a simmer. Serve over the chicken cordon bleu.
Cooking with Wine
I love cooking with wine because it is a really easy way to add a lot of depth of flavor. Additionally, it takes very little wine to accomplish this. In this recipe, we are only using 1/3 cup of white wine in the sauce and it is perfection.
Avoid Cooking Wine
Whenever I call for wine in a recipe, I like to note that it is best to avoid cooking wine. Cooking wine has a higher alcohol content and a number of other ingredients added with the intent of lengthening the shelf life. If you were to take a sip of cooking wine, you would note that its flavor leaves a lot to be desired. This is the reason that I suggest you skip over it. Cooking with wine intensifies the flavor, so you want to go with something that you truly love.
What Wine to Use
In this recipe, I recommend using a dry wine like Pinot Grigio. If you don’t drink wine often, you might want to consider buying a four-pack of small bottles. That way you won’t be opening a whole bottle just for 1/3 cup.
Alternative to Wine
If you are serving someone who is sober, I suggest skipping the wine altogether. In that case, replace it with 1/3 cup of chicken stock and a dash of lemon juice.
Cutting Chicken Cutlets
Since you are rolling the chicken around other ingredients, you want them to be thin. We achieve this by cutting the chicken breasts and pounding them. Use a sharp knife to butterfly the chicken open then finish by cutting it all the way through.
You can purchase cutlets at your local grocery store meat counter, but I prefer to buy a pound of chicken breasts and cut them myself. See the photos above for how I do this.
8" Chef's Knife
Pounding Chicken
We make the cutlets even thinner by pounding them. Once your chicken is cut, place each cutlet on a piece of plastic wrap. Top with another piece of plastic wrap and pound the cutlets thin using a meat mallet or a rolling pin. This will make the chicken the perfect thinness to roll with the other ingredients and bake thoroughly, both key for this recipe for chicken cordon bleu.
Baking Time
You will know your baked chicken cordon bleu is fully cooked when the inside of the roll reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the recommended internal temperature for chicken for food safety purposes. This temperature will ensure that the chicken is fully cooked without being overcooked and prevent it from drying out. The best way to check the temperature is to use a meat thermometer, like the one I shared below.
While I haven’t tried making this chicken cordon bleu recipe in the air fryer, this would be another cooking method. Preheat your air fryer and spray the basket with oil. Cook the chicken at 375 degrees Fahrenheit until the internal temperature of the rollups reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Leave-In Meat Thermometer
Take the Recipe Up a Notch
While this recipe is absolutely delicious as is, there are two things you could do that would make this meal even more elegant.
- Replace the ham with prosciutto. This slightly more expensive meat will bring an elevated flavor to this delicious dinner.
- Replace the Swiss cheese with Gruyere. Gruyere melts beautifully and brings a great and distinct flavor to this recipe.
FAQ
No, the panko contains gluten. To make this recipe gluten-free, use a gluten-free panko.
Half and half is an American product that is literally half heavy cream and half whole milk. In the UK it is known as half cream. But it is easy to make at home by combining those two ingredients in equal measure.
Yes! See how to make this recipe ahead of time below.
Make Ahead and Freezing
Save some time by making your chicken cordon bleu ahead of time. Roll the pounded chicken cutlets with the ham and cheese in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to a day in advance. When you are ready to cook them, coat the rolled-up chicken and bake. Since the sauce is served warm, I don’t recommend making that ahead of time.
To freeze chicken cordon beu, follow the recipe up until wrapping the rolled chicken cutlets. Place the wrapped cutlets in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to three months. When you are ready to make them, let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight and proceed with the recipe as written.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Store any leftover cordon bleu chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat in the oven until heated through.
What to Serve With Chicken Cordon Bleu
These chicken cordon bleu sides pair perfectly and come together with little hands-on time.
- A simple vegetable like Air Fryer Asparagus or Air Fryer Broccoli is a light complement to the richness of the main dish.
- Don’t stop at this amazing showstopper. Make your guests a delicious Caesar Salad to compliment this restaurant-quality meal.
- A light Arugula Salad Recipe comes together quickly while your chicken is baking.
If you try this chicken cordon bleu recipe or any of my other recipes, please leave a comment and let me know what you think. I love hearing from you!
Chicken Cordon Bleu
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into cutlets and pounded thin)
- salt and pepper
- 4 slices deli ham
- 1 cup Swiss cheese shredded (about 4 ounces) (113.398 grams)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (30 grams)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs (50 grams)
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 2 tablespoons melted butter (28.25 grams)
- 2 large eggs beaten
Sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter (21.19 grams)
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 3/4 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- dash of black pepper
- 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (11.25 grams)
- 1/3 cup white wine (read more about cooking with wine here) (78.86 ml)
- 3/4 cup half and half (177.44 ml)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Slice the chicken breasts in half by butterflying them open and then cutting all the way through to cut into two cutlets. Place each cutlet on a piece of plastic wrap. Top with another piece of plastic wrap and pound the cutlets thin using a meat mallet or a rolling pin.1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Remove the top pieces of plastic wrap and season the cutlets with salt and pepper.salt and pepper
- Place a slice of ham on top of each cutlet. Top with 1/4 cup shredded cheese.4 slices deli ham, 1 cup Swiss cheese
- Roll up each chicken breast in the plastic wrap. Twist the sides of the plastic wrap and put them under the rolled-up chicken. Let the chicken rest while you prepare the coating.
- Mix the salt and pepper into the flour. Mix the panko breadcrumbs with the thyme, garlic, and melted butter.1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1 cup panko breadcrumbs, 2 teaspoons dried thyme, 1 garlic clove, 1 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Remove the plastic from the chicken roll-ups. Dip each rolled-up chicken cutlet into the seasoned flour.
- Dip the chicken in the eggs. Then dip the egg-coated chicken roll-ups in the panko mixture. Place same side down in the prepared baking dish.2 large eggs
- Bake for 20 minutes or until the inside of the roll reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a meat thermometer to make sure it is fully cooked.
Sauce
- While the chicken is baking, make the sauce. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Season with ground mustard, salt, and pepper.1 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter, 1 garlic clove, 3/4 teaspoon ground mustard, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, dash of black pepper
- Whisk in the flour. Turn the heat up to medium-low. Then slowly whisk in the wine. Add a little of the liquid, whisking until it is absorbed by the roux (the butter and flour combination). Add more liquid once what you just added was absorbed. The more liquid you add the more quickly you can add it.1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup white wine
- Stir in the half and half. Continue stirring as you bring the sauce to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes over medium-low heat (you should see regular bubbles), stirring regularly.3/4 cup half and half
- Serve with the baked chicken cordon bleu and enjoy!
Patricia says
Lisa, this is my morning ritual. I make my coffee as soon as I wake up, then I check my emails. Yours is the first email I open–I can read it as I enjoy my coffee. Your recipes are simple to make and absolutely yummy! We have chicken for dinner about three times a week, and I’ll be making this recipe a couple of days from now (I need whipping cream) I thought that it was time that I sent you a msge to tell you how much we enjoy your recipes–Thanks again Lisa🥰️🍴
Patricia, I start my days with grabbing some coffee and checking my comments and this morning your comment made mine. Thank you so much. ❤️
Jim says
Hi Lisa,
I made this recipe tonight and it was delicious. I’m going to make this on a regular basis. Thank you so much.
I’m so glad you liked it Jim!