Chicken Cordon Bleu

Name: Chicken Cordon Bleu
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 4 serving(s)
Ingredients: 4 chicken breasts; 8 slices Swiss cheese; 8 slices deli ham; 1 c. all-purpose flour; 2 large eggs, beaten; 2 c. panko bread crumbs; Kosher salt; Freshly ground black pepper; 4 tbsp. melted butter; 1 tsp. dried oregano; 4 tbsp. butter; 1/4 c. all-purpose flour; 2 c. milk; 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard; 1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan

By Makinze GoreUpdated: Mar 12, 2021

Approved by the Delish Test Kitchen

4.7

31 Ratings

preview for Classic Chicken Cordon Bleu Is The Most Impressive Dish To Make Homemade

Yields:

4 serving(s)

Prep Time:

10 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 10 mins

Cal/Serv:

1238

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Whether the name chicken cordon bleu evokes images of elegant French fine dining, overachieving, meticulous chefs, and impossible feats of deep frying for you, or it’s more of a comfort food, freezer meal staple for you, there’s no denying it—the combo of juicy chicken, smoky ham, and melty Swiss cheese all rolled into a crispy, crunchy exterior is the stuff of decadent dinner dreams. What if I told you that it’s also completely possible to make it at home, from scratch? With a few tips and tricks that help simplify things (see below!), my chicken cordon bleu recipe comes together in just over an hour, including a to-die-for creamy Dijon mustard sauce. Need to impress for a special occasion? Looking for a comforting family-friendly meal that everyone will love? This chicken cordon bleu recipe should be next on your list of must-makes.

What People Are Saying:
"This is a fantastic recipe for chicken cordon bleu. I made it and not only did my wife love it but my mother in law said it's the best she's ever had." - OrangeFish"Made this tonight. Turned out great. Chicken was very juicy...will make it like this every time going forward. Thanks for the recipe!!" - OrangeStrawberry

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Ingredients

For the chicken

4
chicken breasts
8
slices Swiss cheese
8
slices deli ham
1 cup
all-purpose flour
2
large eggs, beaten
2 cups
panko bread crumbs
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 Tbsp.
melted butter
1 tsp.
dried oregano

For the sauce

4 Tbsp.
butter
1/4 cup
all-purpose flour
2 cups
milk
2 Tbsp.
Dijon mustard
1/4 cup
freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

1. Step 1Preheat oven to 400° and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place a chicken breast between two pieces of plastic wrap on a cutting board and flatten to a ¼" thickness with a meat mallet or rolling pin. Top chicken with 2 slices of cheese, then 2 slices of ham. Starting at the top of the breast, roll up tightly and secure with toothpicks. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts.
2. Step 2Place flour, eggs, and panko in three shallow bowls. Season flour with salt and pepper. Add melted butter and oregano to panko and mix until incorporated.
3. Step 3Working with one at a time, roll chicken first in flour, then eggs, then panko mixture, pressing to coat. Place on prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden and cooked through, 30 minutes.
4. Step 4Meanwhile make sauce: In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add flour and stir until golden, 1 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk, then add mustard. Cook until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Add Parmesan and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Step 5Remove toothpicks from chicken and serve with sauce.

Parker feierbach

What Is Chicken Cordon Bleu?

Similar to other breaded chicken recipes like chicken schnitzel or chicken Kiev, chicken cordon bleu is chicken that’s been stuffed with ham and cheese. What makes it stand apart is how it is stuffed. Rather than tucking cheese and ham into a butterflied chicken breast, the breasts are instead pounded thin and rolled around the filling, kind of like an ultra-decadent, pinwheel sandwich.

Then traditionally, the whole thing is breaded and fried. In this recipe, I kept the breading but ditched the frying, instead opting to bake my chicken cordon bleu to avoid a big pot of fryer oil. The taste is very similar, but with much less mess.

There are a number of stories as to when chicken cordon bleu was created and where it got its name—like many recipe origin stories, it’s likely that all the tales are a little bit true, and probably were happening simultaneously, meaning no singular person or recipe can be THE original.

What we do know is that the term “cordon bleu”—blue ribbon in French—is a term signifying quality of the highest degree. Though that sometimes indicates a recipe that involves a lot of steps and work, luckily for you, this one is relatively straightforward. My greatest advice if you’ve never attempted a recipe like this before? Read through the instructions AND my recipe steps until you fully understand the concept, then begin cooking.

How To Make Chicken Cordon Bleu

Ingredients

FOR THE CHICKEN:

Chicken breasts: For best results, look for boneless skinless chicken breasts on the larger side (8oz+). They’ll be easier to pound thinner, and will give you more surface area for rolling.
Swiss cheese: This is traditional, but really, any cheese that can melt will work here. Large slices are preferred here—if yours are on the smaller side, be prepared to use more than 2 per chicken breast.
Ham: Any variety of deli ham will do, just make sure it is thinly sliced.
Flour: All-purpose works best here, but please let me know if you experiment with any other options.
Eggs: Here at Delish, our standard is large eggs, and I personally like to go for ones that have the best combination of qualities I look for (like cage-free, antibiotic-free, etc.) while still being in my price range. Buy which ones work best for you.
Breadcrumbs: Panko breadcrumbs are flakier and less absorbent than regular breadcrumbs, so using them for the breading here results in an extra crispy exterior (even though we’re baking instead of frying!). If you’ve never used them before, get ready—you may never purchase regular again. Can’t find them in your store? Try looking in the Japanese section. White or whole wheat will work, though if you get them seasoned, make sure to adjust and not add as much or any additional seasoning to it.
Salt, pepper, and oregano: I always use kosher salt, which has larger crystals and tastes less salty than regular table salt. If you don’t have it, use a lighter hand when seasoning your panko. I like oregano, but parsley would also be nice.
Butter: This helps add a little flavor and helps the seasonings stick to your breadcrumbs. Feel free to omit if you are using pre-seasoned panko.

FOR THE SAUCE
Butter and flour: These two ingredients will form the base for your sauce by combining into what is known as a “roux”. If you’re unfamiliar, a roux is just equal parts fat and flour, cooked over low heat until toasty. It’s often used to thicken stews like gumbo, but here we’re using it to create a nice mouthfeel for our sauce.
Milk: Any type should work here, so use whatever you already have.
Mustard: A smooth Dijon is classic, though grainy should also work.
Parmesan: This adds a delightful nutty, cheesy flavor to the sauce that helps round out the bite of the mustard.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Start by preheating your oven and lining a sheet pan with parchment paper. Then you’re going to get your chicken breasts thin enough to roll. The way you’ll do this is by pounding them with a meat mallet (or a rolling pin or other similarly-shaped object if you don’t have one) until they’re about the size of a your hand with its fingers extended. Place your chicken breasts on a cutting board, then cover them with plastic wrap. Then pound away!

PHOTO: CHELSEA LUPKIN

Once they’re thin enough, you can add your cheese and ham, covering as much of the chicken breasts as you can.

PHOTO: CHELSEA LUPKIN

Then you’ll roll ‘em up! Start at the top and work your way down, tucking in any cheese or ham that starts to try to escape as you roll. Once you’ve got the entire thing tightly rolled up, secure it with toothpicks (or twine, if you have it). Repeat with the remaining breasts.

PHOTO: CHELSEA LUPKIN

Now, you could go immediately into your breading step, but if you’ve got the time, I highly recommend giving your rolled chicken breasts a little time to chill in the refrigerator first. This will help your chicken, cheese, and ham meld together a bit, and will also put a nice chill on everything, particularly the cheese. This will help guarantee all the cheese stays in your chicken cordon bleu when you bake it, rather than running out the sides (as it is sometimes wont to do).

Next up, you’ll be breading your rolled up chicken breasts. Start by setting up your dredging stations by putting flour, salt, and pepper into one bowl; your beaten eggs in another, and then your seasoned, buttered panko breadcrumbs into a third bowl. Bring your prepared sheet tray nearby too. Working with one rolled chicken breast at a time, start by rolling it into your flour, then eggs, then panko.

The panko is the most important ingredient here, so really try to press it in so it adheres well to your chicken. Place on your prepared sheet, then repeat until all your chicken breasts have been coated. Bake until golden, about 30 minutes.

PHOTO: CHELSEA LUPKIN

While your chicken is baking, you can make your sauce. Start by melting your butter, then sprinkle your flour over the top and whisk it in until completely incorporated. Let them cook together until they take on a light golden color, then slowly whisk in your milk, then mustard. Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent burning, until everything has thickened. Stir in your Parmesan, then season with salt and pepper to taste.

PHOTO: CHELSEA LUPKIN

To serve, pull your toothpicks out of your chicken, then get them on a plate (see below for ideas on what to serve alongside them). Pour your sauce over, and enjoy!

Full list of ingredients and directions can be found in the recipe above.

PARKER FEIERBACH

Recipe Tips

What’s the difference between chicken cordon bleu, chicken Kiev, and chicken schnitzel? The first two are quite similar, but while chicken cordon bleu is filled with ham and cheese, chicken Kiev is filled with an herby compound butter. Chicken schnitzel on the other hand, isn’t filled, but is pounded and breaded similarly to chicken cordon bleu.

Storage

You can store any leftover rolled, breaded, and baked chicken breasts and sauce in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. Though the breading may never live up to its original glory, you should be able to re-crisp it up a bit in a 350° oven for about 15 minutes, or until reheated through. You can reheat your Dijon cream sauce over the stove, adding a little milk if it’s too thick.

You can also roll your chicken the night before, breading and baking right before you intend to serve.