Oven Baked Chicken Cordon Bleu

Chicken Cordon Bleu is a fancy-sounding dish that’s actually easy to make at home.

It’s made with tender chicken breasts, smoky ham and goey swiss cheese all rolled up 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.

Traditionally, it’s made with chicken breasts wrapped around ham and swiss cheese. But don’t be afraid to get creative and mix things up!

Ham – I find thin slices of deli ham to roll the easiest but leftover ham works (and 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 crumb of seasoned breadcrumbs in this recipe. Panko can be substituted.

How to Make Seasoned Bread Crumbs

To make bread crumbs, run dry bread through a food processor

If you have regular bread crumbs, they can be seasoned by adding 1/4 teaspoon each of garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon parsley and a pinch of oregano.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Sauce

This cordon bleu sauce recipe is an easy homemade dijon cream sauce.

It’s simple to make and packs a big flavor with the additions 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.

If you prefer, you can serve this with an easy cheese sauce or even hollandaise. Or, if you’re short on time, you can skip the sauce altogether.

How to Prepare Chicken for Rolling

You’ll be surprised when you see how easy this chicken cordon bleu recipe is to make! Start by preparing the chicken so it can be rolled up.

Place a boneless skinless chicken breast between 2 sheets of plastic wrap (this keeps it from splattering juices everywhere).
Pound the chicken with the flat side of a meat mallet or tenderizer until it is 1/4″ 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.

process of adding filling and breading Chicken Cordon Bleu

How to Make Chicken Cordon Bleu

If you have time, soak the toothpicks in water before securing the chicken to keep them from burning and make them easy to remove. I always put 2 toothpicks per roll so I can account for all of them when I am serving.

Prepare the chicken breasts (above) and layer them with ham and swiss cheese.
Roll in the chicken breasts up, jelly roll style.
Roll them in melted butter with garlic, and then seasoned breadcrumbs! Place them on a baking sheet or in a dish and 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 (but don’t worry, your secret is safe with us)!

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

What to Serve With Chicken Cordon Bleu

Cordon bleu is a rich meal with bold flavors, so light and fresh sides make the perfect complement.

I would suggest steamed or roasted vegetables like broccoli, green beans, or roasted asparagus.
Add in a tossed or Caesar Salad and a side of garlic butter rice for the perfect meal!

How to Prepare Cordon Bleu Ahead of Time

This baked chicken cordon bleu recipe can feed as few as four or double the recipe and have a fancy dinner party for 8!

Roll and dredge the chicken breasts per the recipe below. Place them on rack on top of a baking sheet and lightly cover with plastic wrap. Prepared cordon bleu can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.

How to Store and Reheat Leftover Chicken Cordon Bleu

Keep leftover chicken cordon bleu in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. It can be reheated in the microwave to heat it through and then lightly pan fried, air fried, or broiled to crisp the breadcrumbs.

Savory Stuffed Chicken

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Chicken Cordon Bleu

This Chicken Cordon Bleu is a fancy restaurant meal made easy at home!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a baking dish or pan 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 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.

Sauce

Melt the butter over medium heat in a small saucepan. Add 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 1 minute.
Remove from heat and stir in parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over chicken.

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, Entree, Main Course

Cuisine American, French

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