Chicken Cordon Bleu is a fancy-sounding dish that’s actually easy to make at home.
In this recipe, tender chicken breasts, smoky ham and swiss cheese are rolled jelly roll style and baked in the oven until the chicken is tender and juicy.
To make it extra special, it’s served with a simple creamy Dijon sauce.
What is Chicken Cordon Bleu?
Chicken Cordon Bleu is a fancy-sounding French dish that’s surprisingly easy to make at home. “Cordon Bleu” translates from French to blue ribbon.
This dish is made with chicken breasts filled with ham and Swiss cheese and then breaded and fried or baked.
- It’s easy to make with simple ingredients.
- This recipe is oven-baked to make it easy.
- The Swiss cheese can be replaced with your favorite.
- This chicken cordon bleu recipe can be made ahead of time and baked before serving.
What You’ll Need To Make Cordon Bleu
Chicken: Choose smaller chicken breasts if possible (around 5 to 6 oz) so the rolls don’t get too big. Pound the chicken to ½-inch thick using the flat side of a meat mallet.
Ham: Thin slices of deli ham are the easiest to roll, but leftover baked ham can be used in for cordon bleu as well. If using leftover ham, it can be diced or thinly sliced. Substitute ham for prosciutto or smoked turkey if you’d like.
Cheese: Swiss cheese is the traditional choice for cordon bleu. Swap out the Swiss for provolone (slightly tangy) or even cheddar cheese!
Breadcrumbs: I prefer the finer crumbs of seasoned breadcrumbs for a light, even coating. You can replace it with seasoned Panko breadcrumbs or use a combination.
Chicken Cordon Bleu Sauce
This cordon bleu sauce recipe is an easy homemade Dijon cream sauce. It’s simple to make with of Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and parmesan cheese.
Not only does this sauce pair well with my chicken cordon bleu recipe, it’s also great on veggies.
How to Prepare Chicken for Rolling
- Place a boneless skinless chicken breast on a cutting board and cover it with plastic wrap (to keep the juices from splattering).
- Use the flat side of a meat mallet or tenderizer and gently pound the chicken to ¼-inch thick.
- If the chicken breast is really thick, you can butterfly it open before pounding.
- Be firm but gentle when pounding so the chicken thins out but doesn’t get damaged or fall apart.
How to Make Chicken Cordon Bleu
- Prepare the chicken breasts (above). Layer the ham and Swiss cheese on each breast.
- Roll each chicken breast jelly roll style. Roll the chicken in melted butter and then seasoned breadcrumbs.
- Bake per the recipe below. While the chicken is baking, prepare the sauce.
Voila! A fancy restaurant meal that really is easy to make at home. I love to serve Chicken Cordon Bleu with a fresh side and either mashed potatoes or rice. Add steamed or roasted vegetables like broccoli, green beans, or asparagus.
Make Ahead
This baked chicken cordon bleu recipe can be made ahead of time. Feel free to double the recipe to feed a crowd.
Roll and dredge the chicken breasts according to the recipe below. Place them on a wire rack on top of a baking sheet and lightly cover with plastic wrap. Store the prepared cordon bleu in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Bake as directed, adding 5 minutes to the baking time.
Storage and Leftovers
Store leftover chicken cordon bleu in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheat in the microwave to heat it through and then lightly pan fry it to crisp the outside. Leftover cordon blue can also be reheated in the air fryer at 320°F for 13-18 minutes.
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Did you enjoy this Chicken Cordon Bleu? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Chicken Cordon Bleu
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts 5-6 oz each
- 4 slices deli ham
- 4 ounces Swiss cheese or Gruyere cheese, shredded or sliced
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
For the Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup milk
- ¼ cup white wine
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 cube chicken bouillon
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a baking dish or rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
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Place the chicken breasts in between two pieces of plastic wrap and, using the flat side of a meat tenderizer, pound to ¼-inch thick (*see note). Season with ½ teaspoon of Kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper.
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Top each chicken breast with 1 slice of ham and about 1 oz cheese. Roll the chicken jelly-roll style. Secure with a toothpick.
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Combine melted butter and garlic in a small dish. Mix breadcrumbs and thyme in a separate bowl. Dip each chicken roll in butter and then into the breadcrumb mixture.
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Place in a baking dish and bake 35-40 minutes or until the chicken reaches a internal temperature of 165°F.
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To make the sauce, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute.
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Add in milk and wine a little bit at a time stirring after each addition until the mixture is smooth. Add in Dijon, bouillon and Worcestershire. Bring to a boil while whisking and reduce heat. Simmer for 1 minute.
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Remove from heat and stir in parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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Remove the toothpicks from the chicken. Serve immediately with the sauce.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Chicken, Dinner, Entree, Main Course
Cuisine American, French
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More Cordon Bleu-Inspired Meals
- Cordon Bleu Casserole – No cream of anything soup in this!
- Grilled Chicken Cordon Bleu – Summertime favorite!
- Chicken Cordon Bleu Soup – Easy, dreamy, creamy!
What if you don’t the white wine? Is there a sub you can use or omit it altogether?
Thanks…
It can be replaced with additional chicken broth.
This recipe was easy to follow and very tasty. I used grainy mustard in the sauce.
I love that this is so easy to make and looks so impressive. It was delicious!
This was so GOOD. will BE MAKING AGAIN AND AGAIN…
Excellent taste, easy to make.
I like your recipe, and I prepared it as written. Two nights later I prepared it again, but I substituted a more flavorful Virginia country ham … to rave reviews from my dinner guests.
Thanks for sharing your substitution, Andrew! I am glad it was such a hit.
needs to cook longer to reach temp and brown the bread crumbs.
We found it took 35-40 minutes for the chicken to fully cook but you can increase the time if necessary. If your chicken breasts are a little larger they may take longer to cook fully.
Turned out great!! Will make again!!