Oven Baked Chicken Cordon Bleu

By Editor On Dec 3, 2024

Don’t let the fancy name deter you; Chicken Cordon Bleu is easy to make at home.

Chicken breasts, thin slices of deli ham, and swiss cheese are rolled jelly roll style, dipped in bread crumbs and until tender and juicy.

To make it extra special, I serve it with a quick Dijon sauce.

“Cordon Bleu” translates from French to blue ribbon. Typically, it is a chicken rolled around, ham, and Swiss cheese, then breaded and baked or fried.

This chicken cordon bleu recipe is easy to make.
It uses with simple ingredients you know and love.
I bake cordon blue instead of deep frying.
If can be made ahead of time and baked before serving.

Ingredients for Chicken Cordon Bleu on a grey background

What You’ll Need To Make Cordon Bleu

Chicken: Choose smaller chicken breasts, if possible, about 5 to 6 oz. Larger chicken breasts can be cut in half cross-wise to create thinner cutlets. 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 you can also use leftover baked ham. If using leftovers, dice it or very thinly slice it.
Cheese: Use shredded or thin slices of Swiss 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.

Variations

Ham: Replace ham with prosciutto or smoked turkey.
Cheese: Swap Swiss cheese for provolone (slightly more tangy) or even cheddar cheese!

Sauce for Chicken Cordon Bleu

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 very 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.

process of adding filling and breading Chicken Cordon Bleu

chicken cordon bleu rolled and ready to bake in a white dish

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-style meal that is actually easy to make at home.

Serving Suggestion: Serve Chicken Cordon Bleu with a starch and a fresh vegetable.

Overhead shot of two plates of Chicken Cordon Bleu served with rice and green beans

This baked chicken cordon bleu recipe can be made ahead of time. It can also be doubled to feed a crowd.

Roll and dredge the chicken breasts in crumbs according to the recipe below.
Place them on a wire rack on 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.

More Stuffed Chicken Recipes

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Chicken Cordon Bleu

Chicken Cordon Bleu easy to make with tender chicken breasts stuffed with layers of ham and Swiss cheese.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a baking dish or rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
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.
Top each chicken breast with 1 slice of ham and about 1 oz cheese. Roll the chicken jelly-roll style. Secure with a toothpick.
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.
Place in a baking dish and bake 35-40 minutes or until the chicken reaches a internal temperature of 165°F.
To make the sauce, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute.
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.
Remove from heat and stir in parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Remove the toothpicks from the chicken. Serve immediately with the sauce.

Preparing The Chicken: If the chicken breast is really thick, you can butterfly it open by cutting it in half across the breast to form two smaller cutlets. Be firm but gentle when pounding so the chicken thins out but doesn’t get damaged or fall apart.
Swap out the boneless skinless chicken breasts for chicken cutlets. Cutlets will be smaller than whole chicken breasts so you might like to make a couple of extra rolls.
Double This Recipe: This baked chicken cordon bleu recipe can feed as few as four or double the recipe and have a fancy dinner party for 8.
How to Prepare Ahead: Roll and dredge the chicken breasts per the recipe below. Place them on a rack on top of a baking sheet and lightly cover them with plastic wrap. Prepared cordon bleu can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours. If prepared ahead of time, add 5 minutes to the cooking time.

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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