Cooking Social Club: Chicken Cordon Bleu: Crispy, Cheesy and Worth Making at Home
Chicken Cordon Bleu sounds fancy… and it can look fancy when you slice it open and get that beautiful cheese pull. But at the end of the day, we are working with chicken, cheese,
prosciutto or bacon, and a crispy panko coating. Nothing too scary here.
The important part is the technique. We need an evenly pounded bird, a cold cheese filling, a proper dredge, and enough patience to cook the chicken before we worry about making it golden. We are going to bake it first to set everything, then finish it the old-fashioned way with plenty of bubbling butter.
Yes, plenty of butter. This is a French-inspired dish, after all.
Chicken Cordon Bleu
Ingredients
3 ounces Havarti, Gruyère, or your preferred semi-firm cheese, cut into a piece approximately 3 inches long
3 slices of prosciutto or thin, lightly smoked bacon
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
Salt
Black pepper
For the Dredge
All-purpose flour, as needed
1 large egg
Up to 4 ounces water
Panko breadcrumbs, as needed
One egg mixed with four ounces of water should easily handle about two portions.
For Cooking
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon cooking oil
Instructions
Wrap the Cheese Wrap your cheese in the prosciutto or bacon so it is evenly covered. It does not especially matter which direction you wrap it… we just want the cheese covered so it does not immediately escape once things start getting hot.
If you are using bacon, I recommend baking it about halfway first. We want it lightly browned but still pliable enough to wrap around the cheese. Do not precook the prosciutto.
Place the wrapped cheese in the refrigerator while you prepare the chicken. Cold cheese is our friend here. The colder the filling is when we begin, the more time the chicken has to cook before the cheese starts trying to run away.
POUND YOUR BIRD! Place the chicken breast flat on a cutting board and pound it until it is thin, even, and wide enough to wrap around the cheese you prepared.
This part matters. If one section is thick and another section is paper-thin, they are not going to cook at the same speed. Take your time and create a nice, even “runway” of chicken. Season both sides with salt and black pepper.
Wrap the Bird Lay the chicken flat and place the cold, meaty cheese filling near one end. Roll the chicken around it so the filling is completely covered.
We want coverage, but we do not want to wrap the chicken around itself four times. Too many layers will create a thick center that takes forever to cook. Cover the filling and stop there.
DREDGE THE BIRD! A dredge is simply a coating applied before frying or cooking. It can be wet or dry, but today we are building a dry outer coating with panko.
Set up three shallow containers:
One with flour
One with the egg and water mixture
One with panko breadcrumbs
Start with the flour and shake off the excess. Move the chicken into the egg coating, then transfer it to the panko. Press the panko firmly into place so it actually stays on the chicken.
Flour, egg, panko… in that order. Do not get creative with the order.
Bake the Chicken Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the breaded chicken in a baking dish and bake it to set the chicken and filling.
Use a thermometer to check the thickest section. Chicken needs to reach an internal temperature of 165°F. You can also press the chicken to see if it feels firm, and you may notice the cheese beginning to ooze a little.
When it comes out of the oven, the chicken may look pale. That is okay! We cooked it in the oven, but we are going to make it beautiful in the next step.
Let It Stand Remove the chicken from the oven and let it stand for approximately 10 minutes.
While it rests, place a sauté pan over medium-high heat with three tablespoons of butter and one tablespoon of oil. The oil helps keep the butter from getting all smoky, smoky, burny, burny before we are ready.
Get It Golden Once the butter is melted and bubbling, carefully place the chicken in the pan. Spoon the hot butter over the top while turning the chicken as needed to brown the entire exterior.
This is an old-fashioned way of browning, and it works. We are not trying to recook the chicken for another hour. We are creating that deep golden color, crisping the panko, and adding plenty of buttery flavor.
Rest, Slice, and Serve Remove the chicken from the pan and let it rest briefly before slicing. If you cut into it immediately, the cheese may come running out before it ever reaches the plate.
Slice it into thick rounds so you can see the chicken, meat, and melted cheese layered together.
And do not throw away the butter left in the pan! Use it to brown potatoes, vegetables, or whatever else you are serving with the chicken. There is a lot of flavor sitting in that pan.
A Few Chef Notes Before You Start
Keep the Cheese Cold The refrigerator is buying us time. Cold cheese melts more slowly, giving the chicken a better chance to cook before the filling escapes.
Do Not Skip the Pounding Even chicken means even cooking. If the breast is thick, lumpy, or uneven, you are making the rest of the process much harder than it needs to be.
Do Not Overwrap the Bird Completely cover the filling, but avoid creating multiple thick layers of chicken. We need the heat to reach the center.
Press the Panko Into Place Do not simply roll the chicken through the breadcrumbs and hope for the best. Press the panko onto the surface so you get a complete, crispy coating.
Pale Chicken Is Not a Problem The oven is there to cook the chicken. The butter-basting step is there to make it golden. Let each step do its own job.
Use a Thermometer Stuffed chicken can be difficult to judge from the outside. A thermometer removes the guesswork. Find the thickest part and make sure it reaches 165°F.
What Are We Serving With It?
Chicken Cordon Bleu is rich, cheesy, buttery, and crispy, so keep the sides fairly simple. Some good options include:
Potatoes browned in the leftover butter
Garlic mashed potatoes
Roasted asparagus
Green beans
Roasted carrots
A simple salad with lemon vinaigrette
Lightly sautéed seasonal vegetables
If you use that leftover butter to brown potatoes, you are already making a very good decision.
Bring This Classic Into Your Kitchen
Chicken Cordon Bleu is one of those dishes that looks much harder than it actually is. Break it into steps: chill the cheese, pound the bird, wrap it, dredge it, bake it, and then get it golden.
Take your time with the setup and the cooking becomes much easier. The final result should be tender chicken, melted cheese, savory prosciutto or bacon, and a crisp panko crust with plenty of buttery flavor.
Save the complete recipe and give it a try at home. If the cheese escapes a little, do not panic… melted cheese is still melted cheese, and we are still going to eat it.
Keep exploring the Cooking Social Club for more Recipe of the Week features, expanded instructions, chef tips, and ideas to help you become more confident in your own kitchen.
Want to work on these techniques with a chef nearby? Explore the upcoming hands-on cooking classes at Cooking Skills & Social in Itasca. Come ready to cook, ask questions, and have some fun in the kitchen.
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