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Learn how to make restaurant-quality chicken cordon bleu at home with this easy-to-follow recipe.
Tender chicken breasts rolled around savory ham and melty Gruyère cheese, coated in buttery panko, and baked until golden and crisp—that’s chicken cordon bleu. It’s one of those dishes that looks and tastes like something you’d order at a nice restaurant, but it’s totally doable at home with the right technique. The biggest challenge is keeping the cheese from leaking out during baking. I’ve got a simple trick for that: wrap the cheese in ham before rolling it up in the chicken.
While the chicken bakes, I whip up a simple Dijon cream sauce that really takes the dish over the top. This chicken cordon bleu recipe is a wonderful choice for holidays or special occasions, and although it takes a little extra effort, it’s the kind of dinner you’ll be so proud to serve.
“This recipe is outstanding! The sauce is absolutely delicious, a big hit with the entire family!”
What You’ll Need To Make Chicken Cordon Bleu
- Chicken breasts: Use large boneless, skinless breasts that can be sliced in half horizontally and pounded thin. Avoid thin-sliced cutlets, which are usually too small to roll around the filling.
- Black Forest ham: Thin slices are easiest to fold around the cheese and help keep it from leaking out during baking.
- Gruyère cheese: My first choice for its rich, nutty flavor and smooth melt. Emmenthal or Swiss cheese also work well.
- Panko, butter, and Parmesan: The combination creates a flavorful, golden crust without frying.
- Flour, eggs, and Dijon mustard: The flour and egg help the breadcrumbs adhere, while a little mustard adds flavor to the coating.
- For the sauce: Shallots, chicken stock, heavy cream, Dijon mustard, Parmesan, and thyme come together in a quick, creamy sauce you can make while the chicken bakes.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How to Make Chicken Cordon Bleu
Slice and pound the chicken: Halve the chicken breasts horizontally into flat fillets. Place each fillet in a freezer bag and pound to an even ⅛ to ¼-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. This both tenderizes the chicken and makes it easy to roll.
Create the ham and cheese packets: Place a heap of shredded Gruyère in the center of each slice of ham.
Fold the ham over the cheese, starting with the sides and then the top and bottom. This encases the cheese within the ham, forming neat packets that keep the cheese contained as the chicken bakes.
Assemble and roll: Lay each piece of chicken on a piece of plastic wrap and season with salt and pepper. Place a ham and cheese packets on top of the seasoned chicken.
Roll the chicken, enclosing the ham and cheese packet tightly. Wrap the chicken tightly in the plastic wrap, twisting both ends to form a log-like shape. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 day to help the bundles hold their shape.
Bread the chicken: Set up a breading station with three shallow bowls: flour in the first, beaten eggs and mustard in the second, and panko breadcrumbs mixed with butter, Parmesan, and seasoning in the third.
Remove the plastic wrap from the chicken cordon bleu rolls. Gently dredge each roll in the flour, coating evenly all around. Dip in the egg/mustard mixture, then dredge in the panko.
Bake: Place the breaded chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake until lightly golden and cooked through.
Make the sauce: While the chicken bakes, cook the shallots in butter until softened, then stir in the flour. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil, followed by the cream, seasonings, mustard, and Parmigiano Reggiano. Simmer for a few minutes, until thickened, then stir in the thyme.
Serve: Slice the chicken if desired and serve with the sauce.
Make-Ahead, Storage, and Freezing Instructions
Make ahead: You can assemble the chicken rolls up to 1 day in advance. Keep them tightly wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator. If you’d like to bread them ahead, do so no more than 3 hours before baking, and refrigerate uncovered to help keep the coating crisp.
Storage: Refrigerate leftover cooked chicken in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 325°F oven, loosely covered with foil, until heated through. The sauce can be refrigerated separately and gently reheated over low heat, adding a splash of chicken stock or cream if needed.
Freezing: You can freeze the assembled, unbreaded chicken rolls for up to 3 months. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe bag or container. Thaw completely in the refrigerator before breading and baking as directed.
Video Tutorial
Chicken Cordon Bleu
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1½ lbs/680 g)
- ¾ teaspoon salt, divided
- ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 4 thin slices black forest ham
- 1 cup (4 oz) shredded Gruyère, Emmenthal, or Swiss cheese
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- ¼ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
For the Sauce
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons minced shallots, from 1 to 2 shallots
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups chicken stock (or broth)
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- 1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme (or ½ teaspoon dried)
Instructions
For the Chicken
- Slice and pound the chicken: Cut the chicken breasts in half horizontally to make 4 fillets. Working one at a time, place each fillet in a resealable freezer bag and pound with a meat mallet or rolling pin to an even ⅛- to ¼-inch (3- to 6-mm) thickness.
- Season the chicken: Place each fillet smooth side down on a 12 x 16-inch (30 x 41-cm) piece of plastic wrap, positioned horizontally. Season the rough sides with ½ teaspoon each of the salt and pepper, divided evenly among the fillets (you'll use about ⅛ teaspoon salt and pepper for each piece of chicken).
- Make the ham and cheese packets: Place ¼ cup (30 g) shredded cheese in the center of each ham slice. Fold the sides over the cheese, then fold the top and bottom to enclose it completely. Place seam-side down.
- Roll the chicken: Place a ham and cheese packet near the end of each chicken fillet closest to you. Roll the chicken tightly around the filling, tucking in the sides as you go. Wrap each roll snugly in the plastic wrap, twisting the ends to form a compact log. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 day.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Prepare the breading: Set out three large shallow bowls. Place the flour in the first. Beat the eggs and mustard in the second. In the third, combine the panko, melted butter, Parmigiano Reggiano, and the remaining ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
- Bread the chicken: Remove the plastic wrap from the chicken rolls. Dredge each roll in the flour, coating evenly; dip in the egg mixture; then coat with the panko mixture, turning and patting gently to help it adhere. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake: Bake the chicken for about 25 minutes, until lightly golden and cooked through. Allow the chicken to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before serving.
For the Sauce
- While the chicken bakes, melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute.
- Gradually stir in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the cream, salt, pepper, mustard, and Parmigiano Reggiano. Simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the thyme, then taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
- Serve the chicken with the sauce. If slicing into pinwheels, use a serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to avoid disturbing the delicate breading.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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What to Serve with Chicken Cordon Bleu
Since chicken cordon bleu is a bit of a project, I like to keep the rest of the meal easy. For a holiday dinner or special occasion, I’d serve it with creamy make-ahead mashed potatoes and French green beans. Roasted asparagus is another great option, especially in spring. For dessert, something you can make ahead, like chocolate mousse or crème brûlée, would be perfect.
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Really delicious! The chicken was moist and the sauce was yummy. Like another commenter, I did add more Dijon to the sauce. I also would suggest baking the chicken rolls on a wire rack set in the baking sheet so the bottom of the rolls get crispy like the tops do. Would definitely make again!
One of the best recipes I have ever made, excellent!
Really Delicious! Plan to make for next dinner party!
I’m making this for eight on Christmas. I bought everything needed except I forgot the cheese! Would grated Pecorino Romano work instead of Parmigiano Reggiano? I don’t want it to suffer so will run out again if necessary.
Thank you for years of fantastic recipes that have made me look like a good cook and also have honed both my skills and confidence. I’m so grateful. Happy holidays.
Hi Renee, Pecorino Romano will work beautifully here (I’ve actually made it that way). Hope your family enjoys and Merry Christmas! 💕
This was delicious! We made it mostly as written, except I had a “brain stop” moment when making my grocery list and was thinking scallions instead of shallots. The sauce was delicious anyway–we also used spicy brown mustard (because that’s what we had), and added some paprika to the bread crumb mixture. Turned out great and looking forward to trying again with shallots!!
This recipe is exceptional. The instructions are great and assure a successful end result.
The sauce for my liking required a lot more dijon, but a great accompaniment to the chicken.
This recipe was absolutely delicious!! It is definitely a keeper and will be sure to impress my friend who is a chef!
Absolutely amazing!!! Thank you so much Jen!
Hi Jenn. I have made many many of your recipes. I can’t say I’ve ever had a fail. I am making the cordon bleu and wondering if it can be made ahead and frozen. When thawed, breaded etc. and then baked?
So glad you’ve had success with the recipes! Yes, I think you could get away with what you’re suggesting. Please LMK how it turns out!
Hi Jen! What is the best way to make reheat the sauce if you choose to make it ahead of time? Thank you!
Hi Ashley, You can definitely make it ahead and reheat in a skillet on the stovetop. You may need to add a bit more cream if it seems too thick.
This was phenomenal Jen! My first time making it and it was so delicious. I used prosciutto in combination with the ham. The sauce is a showstopper and really brings it together. I think I already know the answer but… I have two leftover, I’d love to freeze… is that possible?
As always, thank you and hope your holidays are bright and filled with warmth of family and friends. Cheers!
Hi Ashlee, so glad you enjoyed it! I think you can get away with freezing it. Hope your holidays are wonderful!
Thank you for an over-the-top-dinner!! There was not even a crumb left over!
This is now on my “company’s coming” menu!
Excellent recipe! My husband is still talking about the sauce that accompanies it. It was very easy to make as the step by step instructions were very clear. This will be a new favourite at our home.