Chicken Cordon Bleu combines tender chicken breast stuffed with cooked ham and melty Swiss cheese, all wrapped in a crunchy breadcrumb coating. It’s topped off with a creamy sauce for a comforting meal that’s ready in an hour!
Love crispy chicken? Try my The BEST Oven-Fried Chicken, Air Fryer Fried Chicken, and Crispy Sriracha Buttermilk Oven Fried Chicken Recipe!
Table of Contents
This classic Chicken Cordon Bleu is an elegant meal that takes a little extra prep time but is worth it for a date night or family dinner!
It has ham and cheese filled chicken breasts in a crispy coating and a creamy sauce, which isn’t the basic sauce of bygone days with cream of chicken soup. This sauce is made from scratch but comes together quickly!
If you’re craving comfort food that’s both cozy and indulgent, this dish hits the spot!
Why we love this recipe:
- Make-ahead: You can prep the chicken up until the point of breading and pop it in the fridge or freezer for an easy make-ahead meal.
- Comfort food: The salty ham, gooey cheese, and creamy sauce deliver a comforting meal that will stick to your ribs.
- Easy and elegant: It’s easy to make but looks like something you’d order at a fancy restaurant!
Chicken Cordon Bleu Ingredients
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts: These are perfect for stuffing with the ham and cheese mixture!
- Spices: I use a simple combination of salt, black pepper, and garlic powder to season the chicken.
- Cooked ham: Any kind of ham will work for this recipe. If you have leftover ham from dinner, you can use that or thin slices of deli ham.
- Swiss cheese: Use pre-sliced Swiss cheese from the deli section!
Chicken Cordon Bleu Coating:
- Eggs: This helps bind the breadcrumbs to the chicken.
- Bread crumbs: I like to use panko bread crumbs because they are lighter and larger than regular bread crumbs, producing a super crispy coating!
- Parmesan cheese: This is mixed in with the breadcrumbs to add another layer of flavor. You can use grated parmesan or grate your own from a block!
- Dried parsley: Adds a touch of herbal flavor.
- Oil: Use any high-heat cooking oil like vegetable or canola to fry the outside of the chicken.
Parmesan Cream Sauce:
- Butter and garlic: This is the flavorful base for the sauce. Fresh garlic is a must!
- Flour: Thickens the sauce.
- Half and half: Makes the sauce super creamy and rich!
- Parmesan cheese: Adds a salty, tangy flavor and also helps thicken the sauce.
- Fresh parsley: For garnish.
- Dijon mustard (optional): A hint of Dijon mustard adds a bit of sharpness to the sauce!
How to make easy Chicken Cordon Bleu:
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- Butterfly the chicken breasts with a sharp knife and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Add a slice of ham and Swiss cheese to each piece.
- Secure each piece with a toothpick.
- Set up your breading station with a shallow bowl for each station. Coat the chicken in beaten eggs, then in the breadcrumb mixture.
- Coat chicken in egg mixture, then press firmly into the bread crumbs.
- Finish cooking in the oven and prepare your sauce.
Variations and Substitutions
- Breadcrumbs: If you don’t have panko breadcrumbs, you can use crushed cornflakes or Ritz crackers instead for a crunchy coating!
- Gluten-Free Option: Swap regular breadcrumbs for gluten-free breadcrumbs or crushed rice crackers.
- Ham swap: Substitute ham with turkey slices or prosciutto for a lighter or more savory option.
- Cheese: If you’re not a fan of Swiss cheese, use another type of cheese like provolone, mozzarella, or Gruyère cheese!
How to store Chicken Cordon Bleu:
- Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months, but the coating may not be as crispy.
- To reheat, place the leftover chicken in a baking dish, cover with foil, and reheat in the oven at 350ºF for 10-15 minutes, or until the outside of the chicken is nice and crispy!
Make-ahead option:
Prep chicken up until the point of breading, wrap each piece of chicken in plastic wrap, and store it in the fridge for up to one day before cooking.
You can also pop them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just make sure to thaw them in the fridge overnight before completing the recipe.
Serving suggestions:
Chicken Cordon Bleu goes great with pretty much anything! You can serve it with super creamy cream cheese mashed potatoes or roasted potatoes and carrots for a hearty meal.
Garlic Parmesan orzo is another fun option because we can’t get enough of that creamy parmesan goodness!
For something crispy, try air fryer green beans, or if you want something simple and fresh, just add a side salad.
More chicken recipes you’ll love:
- Marry Me Chicken — saucy and flavorful!
- Chicken Parmesan Recipe — another date night dinner
- Baked Tuscan Chicken Breasts — hands off cooking!
- Parmesan Crusted Chicken — for that perfect crunch.
Perfect Chicken Cordon Bleu
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 4 slices cooked ham
- 4 slices Swiss cheese
Chicken Cordon Bleu coating
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon shredded Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons oil
Parmesan cream sauce
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 cups half and half
- 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (optional)
- salt + pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place chicken breasts on a cutting board and butterfly and then cut in half (so you have two thin pieces instead of one thick one).
- Combine salt, pepper and garlic powder and sprinkle over chicken breasts.
- Place one piece of ham and one slice of cheese on top of each chicken breast, then fold in half as tightly as possible and pin shut with toothpicks. (You can stop here and wrap in plastic wrap up to 2 days if you need).
- In one shallow dish, beat the eggs.
- In another shallow dish, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, parsley and salt.
- Coat one chicken piece in egg, then in bread crumb mixture. Repeat until all chicken is coated.
- Heat an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot add the chicken cordon bleu and brown until golden on one side, about 2-3 minutes, then flip.
- Place in the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F (it will continue to rise as it rests).
Parmesan Cream Sauce
- In a medium skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.
- Stir in the flour until no white remains.
- Whisk in the half and half, and cook, stirring often, until thickened.
- Stir in Parmesan, parsley and Dijon mustard (if using). Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve over Chicken Cordon Bleu.
Notes
- Cheese: feel free to use your favorite variety of white cheese: provolone and mozzarella would be great as well.
- Cream sauce: you can skip the sauce if you prefer! It just adds a nice creamy element.
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Pamela Neumann says
I’ll give it a 5 star because it looks and sounds good. But I have a question. I have a new kitchen range and it has air fry option for the oven. I’m not sure what temperature to use to try and brown it as well as cook it. Any suggestions would be helpful.
I do love all your recipes.
Ashley Fehr says
HI Pamela! I removed your rating because you haven’t tried the recipe yet. Unfortunately I don’t have any experience with the air fry setting on an oven!