This Chicken Cordon Bleu is a restaurant quality meal, made at home. Chicken is rolled with ham and Swiss cheese, coated in a herb breading mixture, and topped with a white wine sauce. This mouth-watering chicken recipe 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 overwhelmed. Chicken cordon bleu is definitely one of those types of recipes, but let me assure you that you can easily make this mouth-watering dish.
Though this dish takes a little bit of time to prepare, it comes with a big wow factor. Not only is the final product absolutely beautiful, but it is also phenomenally delicious. 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
Chicken cordon bleu is a dish that involves chicken wrapped around cheese and sliced ham, breaded, and then baked or pan-fried to get its crispy coating. 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 The Chicken Cutlets
Use a sharp knife to cut your chicken breasts into cutlets. Place the pieces of chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound them to make sure they are nice and thin. Season with salt and pepper. Placing the chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap not only contains any juice from the raw chicken, it also holds the breast in tact and keeps it from tearing.
Add Ham and Cheese
Place a piece of ham and some shredded cheese on top of each chicken cutlet. Wrap them in plastic wrap and let the chicken rest while you prepare the coating. The plastic wrap compacts the chicken roll. Letting it rest like this before baking prevents the cheese from leaking out during the baking process and keeps you from needing to use toothpicks to hold it all together.
Bread the Chicken
Mix the salt and pepper into the flour. Mix the panko breadcrumbs with the thyme, garlic, and melted butter. Dip each rolled-up chicken cutlet into the seasoned flour, then dip the chicken in the eggs, and then into the panko mixture. Place in the prepared baking dish.
Bake
Bake the chicken cordon bleu until the chicken is fully cooked, about 20 minutes or when it reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. I love using this instant-read thermometer so I can take out the chicken as soon as it is done.
Make the Chicken Cordon Bleu Sauce
Melt the butter and cook the garlic until fragrant. Whisk in the flour, then slowly add the wine. Stir in the heavy cream and allow to simmer until the sauce thickens. The acidity of the wine in this luxurious sauce helps cut through the fat of the cheese in this recipe to make the perfect balance. I like to serve it on the side and allow guests to pour their own sauce over the chicken.
Take this from a Restaurant Meal to a Weeknight Meal
10-Minute Morning Prep: Make this a make ahead chicken cordon bleu and the day you plan on serving this, pound out and roll the chicken in the morning. Roll it up in the plastic wrap and pop it into the refrigerator. This will mean just breading and baking when you get home from work.
Minimize Mess: To one ziplock bag add the flour, salt, and pepper. To another add the panko breadcrumbs, thyme, garlic, and butter. Use these to gently bread the chicken and then toss them when you are done, cutting down on dishes.
Multi-task the Sauce: Making the sauce while the chicken bakes, keeps this dinner fast and efficient while still giving you a dinner that you are totally in love with.
Tips and Tricks
- Cooking with wine: I recommend using a dry wine like Pinot Grigio. Be sure to avoid cooking wines, but no need to buy an expensive bottle. If you don’t drink wine often, you might want to consider buying a four-pack of small bottles.
- Switch out the herbs: One of the things that really elevates this dish without adding time, is adding an herb to the breading. I like adding thyme, but dried oregano or rosemary would also be delicious.
- Using the air fryer: 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.
Chicken Cordon Bleu Substitutions and Variations
- 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. Gruyère melts beautifully and brings a great and distinct flavor to this recipe.
- Make the recipe gluten-free. To make this recipe gluten-free, replace the regular panko breadcrumbs with gluten-free panko and use almond flour in the white wine sauce.
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 it ahead of time.
To freeze chicken cordon bleu, 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 or air fryer until heated through.
What to Serve With Chicken Cordon Bleu to Make it a Five Star Meal
These Chicken Cordon Bleu sides pair perfectly and come together in 25 minutes or less, most with very 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 complement 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 tablespoons 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 (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. (See note.)
- Mix the salt and pepper into the flour in a shallow dish. In a separate shallow dish, 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 tablespoons 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 seam 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 tablespoons 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 is 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 five 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!
Recipe Video
Notes
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!