Air Fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu, Quick and Easy (2024)

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Air Fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu is company worthy and definitely perfect for a date night. It looks impressive, even though it’s simple to prepare.

This air fryer chicken cordon bleu recipe is easier than the classic chicken cordon bleu recipe. And, it air fries (or bakes) in less than 30 minutes!

It’s proof that air fryer chicken can be juicy and tender, as well as being flavorful and utterly delicious.

My air fryer cordon bleu has a crispy outer shell with no actual frying involved. And, you can bake it in the oven if you don’t have an air fryer.

What is Chicken Cordon Bleu?

Classic Chicken Cordon Bleu is a chicken breast that has been pounded to about 1/4″ in thickness, layered with ham and Swiss cheese and then rolled into a roulade (a spiral rolled roll of meat and cheese or cake and filling). The chicken breasts are then breaded in crumbs and herbs and fried.

Cordon Bleu is French, of course, and means “blue cord”. Chicken Cordon Bleu was named after the blue ribbon worn by “L’Ordre des Chevaliers du Saint Esprit”, a special order of knights formed by King Henry III of France.

The image below is from the first time I made this Air Fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu recipe and prepared it in the classic roulade fashion.

What I Changed

After preparing Air Fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu several times to get it right for this post, there are a few things I decided to do differently from the classic preparation. I did try the classic, but prefer the simpler, quicker method.

I think my version is a deliciously simple one and updates classic chicken cordon bleu to be a dish that can easily be prepared by busy people.

1. The first major difference in my air fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu recipe is that I cut a pocket in the side of each chicken breast, rather than pounding it and rolling it as a roulade. All, I had to do was to insert the ham and Swiss cheese into the pocket and close it with toothpicks. This was much quicker than rolling and dredging and then coating, plus it eliminated the need for a 30 minute chill time required before cooking the roulade.
2. I didn’t use an egg wash to adhere the crumbs to my chicken breasts. I chose mayonnaise (mostly eggs, right?) to help hold in moisture, add flavor and still aid in the browning process. I mixed the mayonnaise with stone ground mustard and salt and pepper.
3. I don’t like Dijon mustard. lol So, the other change is that I used stone ground mustard. Use the mustard you like best.
4. And of course, the other difference from the classic is no frying. I air fried my Chicken Cordon Bleu. It can also be baked if you don’t have an air fryer and I’ll tell you how, below.

The Ingredients

Prepare the Chicken Breasts:

• Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
• Swiss Cheese
• Deli Ham
• Mayo
• Stone Ground Mustard
• Italian Seasoned Panko Bread Crumbs My Panko comes already seasoned with Italian herbs and seasonings. If you buy plain Panko, add garlic powder and Italian seasoning to your bread crumbs.

For the Sauce:

• Heavy Cream
• Whole Milk
• Stone Ground Mustard
• Homemade Chicken Bouillon – I used my homemade chicken bouillon powder. If you use commercial bouillon start with only one teaspoon, since it is MUCH saltier than my homemade recipe. Taste and adjust amounts as you go.
• Parmesan Cheese

FAQs

Can I Make this Recipe Gluten Free?

Can I Use Frozen Chicken?

What to Serve With Air Fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu

If you would serve it with any other chicken dish, then it will work as a side with Chicken Cordon Bleu.

I love keeping the sides light, like a House Salad or Air Fryer Green Beans alongside some Perfect Brown Rice.

Air Fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu would also be delicious served with Cranberry Apple Salad, my scrumptious Kale Salad with Apples and Roasted Butternut Squash or even a Broccoli Cauliflower Salad

Try it with Mandarin Orange Salad, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, or even Sweet Potato Casserole. You definitely won’t be disappointed!

How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu

(Full Video Tutorial in the Recipe Card)

Prep the Chicken:

1. Preheat the air fryer (or oven) to 400° F.
2. Cut a pocket into the center of each chicken breast, lengthwise. See the video for a visual demonstration.
3. The easiest way to insert the ham and cheese is to fold a slice of the baby Swiss cheese in half and wrap a slice of deli ham around it as many times as the ham will reach.
4. Place a folded ham and cheese portion into the pocket in each chicken breast.
5. Use toothpicks to “stitch” the pocket closed and hold the ham and cheese in place. (See the video)
6. Whisk together the mayo, stone ground mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
7. Brush each chicken breast generously with the mixture.
8. Sprinkle Italian seasoned Panko over each boneless skinless chicken breast and press the bread crumbs firmly into the mayonnaise mixture. (Remember if you purchased plain Panko, add 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder and 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning to your bread crumbs before applying them to the chicken.)
9. Turn the chicken breasts over and repeat, brushing with the mayo mixture and pressing in the crumbs.

Make the Air Fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu and Prepare Sauce:

1. Spray the air fryer basket with pan spray.
2. Place each chicken roll into the air fryer basket leaving space between them.
3. Spray each prepared chicken breast lightly with pan spray.
4. Air fry at 400° for 18-20 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 160°. (After a brief resting time the temp will have risen to the USDA recommended 165°.)
5. Five minutes before the Air Fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu is done air frying, prepare the sauce by whisking together all ingredients and warming in a saucepan over low heat. Do NOT boil the sauce or you may curdle it. Just keep the heat low.
6. Remove your chicken cordon bleu from the air fryer and allow it to rest for two to three minutes.
7. REMOVE THE TOOTHPICKS.
8. Serve with the prepared sauce and your favorite sides.

I think you’re going to love making chicken cordon bleu in the air fryer. If you do get a chance to make this recipe, I hope you’ll consider coming back to leave a comment and 5 star rating. 5 star ratings help others find this recipe in a Google search. Thank you so much!

The Recipe

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