Make Chicken Cordon Bleu at home easier and healthier baked in your oven instead of fried in oil. Wonderfully crispy and moist, this classic dish is easy to make.
A "cordon bleu" is a thin, usually pounded meat wrapped around a cheese filling. It is then usually fried. The French term "cordon bleu" is translated as "blue ribbon." The dish first appeared in the 1940s.
I had done a chicken cordon bleu with a pounded-out chicken breast. It did work but got overly complicated. But this "stuffed" oven-baked method works better for me by not overcooking the coating to get the chicken to a safe 165°.
Serve with Multigrain French Bread or Baked Parmesan Green Beans. And check out some other great Italian recipes like Chicken Parmesan Soup, Italian Grilled Chicken Breasts, Easy Chicken Parmesan, Chicken Baked Ziti and Lower Fat Spicy Chicken Alfredo.
👨🍳How to Make Chicken Cordon Bleu
- Preheat oven to 400° convection or 425° conventional.
- Lightly brown panko breadcrumbs in olive oil over medium heat.
- Dice 2 oz. Swiss cheese and 2 oz. of ham in ⅛ to ¼ inch pieces—mix. Add a minced green onion if you want, but not if you store it before cooking.
- Dry and trim chicken breasts. Cut a slit about 1 ½ inches long and deep into the thick side of the breast. With a finger, expand the pocket to extend into most of the breast.
- Stuff the chicken breasts. You could use a toothpick to close the pocket if needed.
- Make a dredge line with flour and seasonings in the first pan. In a second pan, one whipped egg with some water. In a third pan, place the browned breadcrumbs with shredded parmesan cheese.
- Prepare a baking sheet with foil and a rack.
- Dry the breasts and coat through the dredge line, shaking off excess.
- Place on a rack. Add a few more breadcrumbs if there are bald spots.
- Let set for 5 minutes before moving to oven.
- Place on the center rack of the preheated oven. Cook until 165° internal temperature. It takes about 40-45 minutes.
🐓The Chicken
I suggest medium to larger size skinless boneless chicken breasts. You can use smaller (8 oz or less), but they are hard to find and stuff without going through the side.
If you do the flattened-out chicken breast, you should use slices of ham and cheese, but diced works better for this pocket method.
❓FAQs
Use a knife to make the slit in the chicken breast. Do it on the breast's thicker side and 1 to 1 ½ inches long and initially 1 inch deep. Then I like to use my finger to extend the pocket. You can use the knife, but it tends to go too far.
The breading in all recipes stick better if the meat is very dry before the flour coats. Also, allowing the coating to set for 5 to 10 minutes before cooking will help it sit up and stick better.
Like all chicken and poultry recipes, the meat must reach 165° to be served safely.
Yes, wrap airtight and refrigerate for 2-3 days or freeze for 3 months. If frozen, thaw completely before cooking and cook to 165° internal temperature.
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Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
Note: This is written for 4 breasts, but the images are for three.
Preheat oven to 400° convection or 425° conventional. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add 1 cup of panko breadcrumbs and brown.
Dice 2 oz. Swiss cheese and 2 oz. Ham together in ⅛-1/4 inch pieces. Toss together. Add a minced green onion—optional, and do not add if storing.
Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Trim the fat. Lay a breast on a cutting board. Cut a slit about 1 ½ inches long and deep into the thick side of the breast. With a finger, expand the pocket to extend into most of the breast. BE CAREFUL not to put a hole in your pocket. Stuff the chicken breasts. You could use a toothpick to close the pocket if needed.
Make a dredge line. Mix ½ cup flour, 1 teaspoon onion salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. In a second pan/bowl, one egg and 1 tablespoon of water and whip with a fork. In a third pan/bowl, place the browned breadcrumbs. Add ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese to the breadcrumbs.
Line the pan with aluminum foil and add a rack if you have one. Please give it a heavy spray of PAM.
Dry the breasts well. Dip in the flour mixture. Coat both sides and shake off the excess. Dip in the egg wash, and shake off excess. Then the breadcrumbs.
Place on a rack. Add a few more breadcrumbs if there are bald spots.
Place on the center rack of the preheated oven. Cook until 165° internal temperature. It takes about 40-45 minutes.
📖 Recipe
Easy Oven Baked Chicken Cordon Bleu
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 oz ham - diced
- 2 oz Swiss cheese - diced
- 1 green onion - optional
Tray #1
- ½ cup flour
- 1 teaspoon onion salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Tray #2
- 1 egg - whip with some water
Tray #3
- 1 cup bread crumbs - panko or homemade
- 1 teaspoon olive oil - to brown bread crumbs
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese - shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° convection or 425° conventional. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add 1 cup of panko breadcrumbs and brown.
- Dice 2 oz. Swiss cheese and 2 oz. Ham together in ⅛-1/4 inch pieces. Toss together. Add a minced green onion—optional, and do not add if storing.
- Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Trim the fat. Lay a breast on a cutting board. Cut a slit about 1 ½ inches long and deep into the thick side of the breast. With a finger, expand the pocket to extend into most of the breast. BE CAREFUL not to put a hole in your pocket. Stuff the chicken breasts. You could use a toothpick to close the pocket if needed.
- Make a dredge line. Mix ½ cup flour, 1 teaspoon onion salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. In a second pan/bowl, one egg and 1 tablespoon of water and whip with a fork. In a third pan/bowl, place the browned breadcrumbs. Add ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese to the breadcrumbs.
- Line the baking pan with aluminum foil and add a rack if you have one. Please give it a heavy spray of PAM.
- Dry the breasts well. Dip in the flour mixture. Coat both sides and shake off the excess. Dip in the egg wash, and shake off excess. Then the breadcrumbs.
- Place on a rack. Add a few more breadcrumbs if there are bald spots.
- Place on the center rack of the preheated oven. Cook until 165° internal temperature. It takes about 40-45 minutes.
Your Own Private Notes
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- You can also flatten the chicken roll it if you want.
- I used three large breasts in the pictures, but I wrote this for 4.
- I like the touch of onion, but it is not traditional and omit it if you want. The onion will dominate the taste if stored, so only use it for fresh cooking and serving.
- Use your finger to extend the cut, not the knife.
- The breading sticks better if you are sure to dry the breasts well, and after coating, let them sit for 5-10 minutes before cooking or freezing.
- Good refrigerated for 3 to 4 days. Should freeze well either before or after cooking.
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Editor's Note: This recipe was originally published on January 13, 2010, which was only two weeks into this blog's life. It was updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
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