This Baked Chicken Cordon Bleu Recipe is a hearty weeknight dinner the whole family will love! Layers of tender chicken, cheese, ham, and homemade dijon sauce make every bite more satisfying than the last. It’s an impressive entree that’s easier to make than you may think!
What’s in this Baked Chicken Cordon Bleu Recipe
Rich ham rolled inside a juicy chicken breast with an amazing swiss cheese middle is served with the most amazing homemade dijon cream sauce!
- Chicken Breasts: You’ll need to pound the chicken so it’s easily able to roll to the right consistency. More info on that below!
- Black Forest Ham: You can swap this with your personal favorite type of ham.
- Swiss Cheese: You can use gruyere instead if you’d like.
- Salt and Pepper: Be careful not to go overboard with these simple seasonings!
- Herbes de Provence: This is an optional ingredient, but highly recommended for the herbaceous flavor it lends the whole dish.
- Dijon Mustard: You’ll need this both for brushing on the chicken and for whisking into the dijon cream sauce.
- Mayonnaise: I always recommend making homemade mayo if you have a few extra minutes!
- Panko Breadcrumbs: These give the outside of the chicken the very best crunch.
- Eggs: I recommend using free range organic eggs when you can.
- Butter: Unsalted butter is preferred since we’re adding salt to the sauce.
- All-Purpose Flour: You’ll need this to create the base of the cream sauce.
- White Wine: Use a dry or semi-dry white wine for the sauce recipe.
- Chicken Broth: Use homemade chicken broth when you can!
- Heavy Cream: Don’t replace this with any other dairy product! Heavy cream is needed for the creamiest results.
- Thyme: It can be fresh or dried.
PRO TIP: If you really want the best quality chicken that’s really juicy for this recipe, it’s best to use fresh meat that’s never been frozen.
Can I use plain yellow mustard instead of dijon?
I don’t recommend swapping the dijon mustard with yellow mustard… or anything else, for that matter! Dijon mustard has just the right slightly spicy, tangy flavor that really sends this dish over the top.
The dish typically consists of breaded chicken breasts pounded thin, stuffed with a slice of ham and a slice of Swiss cheese. It can be baked or fried and often has a creamy sauce poured over it.
The name cordon bleu actually goes back to medieval times in France where the term was given to a special order of knights. The term translated to “blue ribbon” meaning those knights were the highest order. It became known as the “blue ribbon” of dishes.
Swiss cheese isn’t your favorite? No worries! Gruyere is a delicious substitute. If you can’t get your hands on that either, you can grab some provolone instead.
How to Store and Reheat
Once cooled to room temperature, you can store your leftover cordon bleu chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for about 2-3 days. Reheat in the microwave or oven until warmed all the way through.
How to Freeze
Freeze leftover baked chicken cordon bleu in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Don’t forget to date and label!
Serving Suggestions
Round out your meal with a side dish! Something like air fryer broccoli or easy mashed potatoes would pair fabulously with this classic chicken entree.
More Baked Chicken Dinner Recipes We Love
- Baked Salsa Chicken
- Baked Chicken and Rice
- Baked Lemon Butter Chicken
- Chicken Alouette
- French Onion Chicken
- Chicken Divan
Baked Chicken Cordon Bleu
Ingredients
For the Chicken Cordon Bleu:
- 4 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless 5-6 ounces each
- 4 slices Black Forest Ham or your favorite thinly sliced
- 4 slices swiss or gruyere cheese thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence optional
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1½ teaspoon mayonnaise
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
For the Dijon Cream Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup white wine semi-dry or dry
- ¾ cup unsalted chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme sprigs or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- S & P to taste
Instructions
For the Chicken Cordon Bleu:
- Lay a chicken breast between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and use a meat mallet to pound the chicken to ¼” thickness. Be careful not to pound any holes in the chicken.
- Remove the top layer of plastic wrap.
- Place one slice of ham and 1 slice of cheese over the pounded breast. Fold over the sides of the breast to make more of a square (it won’t be a perfect square). To roll and wrap the breast, pull up gently on the bottom sheet of the plastic wrap while rolling the breast into a tube-shape. Roll the breast tightly. Now, pick up both side ends of the plastic wrap and carefully spin the breast to tighten each end (as if making sausage links). Fold the twisted ends of the plastic wrap underneath the breast and place it is a dish with the folded plastic ends underneath. This method closes each end of the breast and holds the ham and cheese in place. Repeat with the remaining breasts. Refrigerate the breasts at least 1 hour or up to 2 days ahead.
- Thirty minutes before cooking, remove the breast from the fridge and heat the oven to 375°F. Set the oven rack to middle position.
- Cover a sheet pan with foil and pour the panko breadcrumbs evenly over the foil. Roast the breadcrumbs 5-6 minutes or until golden brown. Shake the pan halfway through browning. Remove from the oven and pour the breadcrumbs onto a small plate to cool.
- Place a metal rack over the same foil-lined sheet pan and spray the rack with nonstick cooking spray (the chicken breast will be placed on this while the chicken cooks).
- Unroll the plastic and season each with kosher salt, black pepper and Herbes de Provence.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the Dijon mustard and mayonnaise, and brush a thin layer of the mixture over each breast.
- Place the eggs in a bowl and whisk lightly.
- Place the breadcrumbs and the eggs next to each other on the work surface next to the foil-lined sheet pan.
- Roll and gently press a chicken breast in the panko breadcrumbs.
- Dip and roll the breast in the beaten eggs.
- Once again, roll the breast in the breadcrumbs being careful to cover any bare spots. Place the breaded breast on the rack-covered baking sheet. Repeat with all breasts.
- The breasts can be cooked immediately, or they can be refrigerated (uncovered) up to an hour to allow the coating to dry out a little. I think it works best to let them dry a little in the fridge, but it isn’t necessary.
- Cook the breast at 375°F for 30-40 minutes. Spin the sheet pan around after 15 minutes.
- The chicken is done when golden brown and the internal temperature registers 160°F on a meat thermometer.
- Serve with the Dijon Wine Cream Sauce and…
- Enjoy!
For the Dijon Cream Sauce:
- While the chicken cooks, make the sauce.
- Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Add 2 tablespoons butter and cook until melted
- Add 2 tablespoons flour and whisk until smooth. Cook the butter/flour mixture until it becomes a little darker, 1-2 minutes.
- While whisking, add wine and continue whisking until smooth.
- Continue whisking and add chicken broth and cream.
- Add mustard and thyme. Whisk until smooth.
- Season to taste with kosher salt & black pepper.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and cook just until sauce thickens to almost-gravy consistency. Remove from the heat and set aside. When the chicken is almost ready, reheat the sauce over low heat to serve with the chicken.
Kellie H says
So easy to make and great for a weekenight dinner! The kids loved this one, too.
Becky Hardin says
That’s the best, thank you!
Debra K Colaluca says
Followed the recipe and dinner turned out great… Cooking the panko bread crumbs is a must!
Becky Hardin says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!!