Today’s air fryer chicken cordon bleu recipe has all the flavor and texture of the familiar crispy Swiss rolls we all love but without the deep frying. These incredibly tasty rolls are filled with ham and Swiss cheese and covered in a delicious, crunchy breading. They’re golden and crispy on the outside and perfectly cooked on the inside, and the flavor is just divine.
Why Is It Called Chicken Cordon Bleu?
Chicken cordon bleu is a classic Swiss dish made of chicken breast stuffed with cheese and ham then breaded and fried until golden and crispy. It is believed that this stylish delicacy was invented in Switzerland in the 1940s.
“Cordon bleu” is a French phrase meaning “blue ribbon”. It was once used to refer to the blue ribbon worn by members of the highest order of knighthood under the Bourbon kings.
The term “cordon bleu” has since been applied to fancy dishes prepared to high standards by excellent chefs, and chicken cordon bleu is no exception.
Can You Make Chicken Cordon Bleu in the Air Fryer?
Yes, you can. By using the air fryer instead of a deep fryer, you eliminate a large amount of cooking oil, making your chicken cordon bleu healthier.
With this recipe, you’ll only need a tablespoon of olive oil to season the chicken. All the flavors can be infused in just 20 minutes of air-frying.
Air-frying also means mess-free cooking, and you won’t have to worry about splattering oil all over your kitchen. As the breading will adhere to the chicken rolls throughout the air-frying process, little mess or residue will be left in the air fryer basket.
Is This Recipe Healthy?
The answer to this question depends on whether you’re following any specific diets.
Our chicken cordon bleu is made with melted cheese and smoky hot ham, meaning it’s high in both fat and protein. However, we managed to keep their levels aligned with our healthy eating guidelines.
These guidelines are set for an average adult with no specific health issues. We don’t recommend these crispy chicken rolls for those who suffer from diabetes or hypertension.
Main Ingredients for Chicken Cordon Bleu
Sophisticated dishes can sometimes require very simple ingredients — this air fryer chicken cordon bleu recipe is a proof of that. Here’s what you need to make this dish:
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts:
For chicken cordon bleu, bear in mind that you always need to use large, thick fillets of chicken breast because they’ll make butterflying easier.
Remember that pounding chicken is a must-do step for this recipe. Thin and tenderized chicken breasts make rolling easier.
As the chicken breasts are used as wraps to hold the ham and cheese filling inside, try to roll them as tightly as possible. Use toothpicks to hold them together if necessary.
- The breading:
After rolling, the chicken should be dipped successively into three bowls of coating — flour, egg, and a mixture of breadcrumbs and butter.
This breading step is meant to give the rolls a crispy crust when frying. Feel free to get creative and mix in your favorite seasonings.
- Seasonings for the chicken: The combination of ground black pepper, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and olive oil gives the chicken savory and spicy flavor layers.
- Ham and Swiss cheese: The saltiness of the ham and the creaminess of the cheese are the keys to success for this dish. You can use any type of cheese, as long as it melts well and oozes out beautifully when you cut into the rolls.
How to Cook Chicken Cordon Bleu in an Air Fryer
No deep-frying is involved in today’s recipe, but you’ll still get perfectly-crispy chicken rolls by following these simple steps with the help of the air fryer:
Butterfly the chicken breasts open and pound them thin.
Season the chicken breasts with the spice mix.
Place one chicken breast onto a piece of cling film. Then, layer one slice of ham and one slice of Swiss cheese on top.
Roll it up. Repeat with the remaining cutlets until finished, then wrap each tightly with a cling film. Freeze the rolls for 5 minutes.
Dip a chicken roll into flour.
Transfer the floured roll to coat in the beaten egg.
Continue to transfer the coated chicken roll to a mixture of breadcrumbs and butter. Repeat with the remaining rolls until finished.
Air-fry the chicken rolls at 340℉ for 20 minutes.
Remove the chicken rolls from the air fryer and cut them into bite-sized pieces if preferred.
Garnish and serve hot.
Notes:
- You can spray the air frying basket with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- If you’re unsure when the chicken is done, use a meat thermometer to check if it has reached an internal temperature of 165℉.
- Do not overstuff the frying basket. Give the rolls enough space so they can be fried evenly until crispy.
If you love this recipe, this Chicken Cordon Bleu is a traditional version.
How to Store and Reheat Chicken Cordon Bleu
Leftover chicken cordon bleu can last for a maximum of 2-3 days in the fridge. Be sure to store it properly in airtight containers.
When reheating, you can pop the leftover portions into the microwave to heat until they’re warmed through. Please note that by doing this you’ll probably have to sacrifice the crispy crust.
For that reason, we always prefer reheating chicken cordon bleu in the air fryer as you’ll have about a 70% chance of restoring the crunchy exterior.
Unfortunately, freezing isn’t recommended for chicken cordon bleu. It’s best to finish this dish within the mentioned time frame to preserve its optimal texture and flavor.
If this dish is of interest to you, you may also find this air fryer dinner recipes helpful. Or, simply have a look at our Air Fryer Chicken roundup for more chicken ideas.
Side Dish for Air Fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu
Chicken cordon bleu pairs well with just about anything. So we’ll go with a basic set of a green salad and a refreshing juice to accompany today’s tasty chicken rolls.
1. Greek Salad
This Greek salad is simple, healthy, and takes less than 15 minutes to make. Consisting of tomatoes, cucumbers, feta cheese, and olives, and dressed with a simple salt, pepper, and olive oil dressing, it can go well with calorie-packed main dishes, including our chicken cordon bleu.
2. Orange Pineapple Juice
Our five-ingredient orange pineapple juice is an easy, healthy, and kid-friendly summer beverage packed with vitamins and digestion-aiding properties. This tasty fruit juice can freshen your palate with just a few sips, especially when chilled!
More Air Fryer Dinner Ideas
If you’re interested in other air fryer recipes as healthy as this chicken cordon bleu, we’ve got some seriously delectable ones:
- Air Fryer Chicken Breast Recipe
- Air Fryer Marinated Chicken Recipe
- Air Fryer Chicken Patties Recipe
- Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Chicken Recipe
Air Fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu Recipe
Today's air fryer chicken cordon bleu recipe has all the flavor and texture of the familiar crispy Swiss rolls we all love but without the deep frying. These incredibly tasty rolls are filled with ham and Swiss cheese and covered in a delicious, crunchy breading. They're golden and crispy on the outside and perfectly cooked on the inside, and the flavor is just divine.
- cook TIME 20 mins
- prep TIME 30 mins
- total TIME 50 mins
- COURSE Main Course
- CUISINE Swiss
- SERVINGS servings
- CALORIES 458 kcal
INGREDIENTS
- 24 ozskinless boneless chicken breasts (yields 4 medium breasts)
- 0.5 tspground black pepper
- 0.5 tspsalt
- 1 tspgarlic powder
- 1 tsponion powder
- 1 tbspolive oil
- 2 ozham
- 3.5 ozSwiss cheese
- 3.5 tbspall-purpose flour
- 1 medium egg
- 0.3 cupplain Panko breadcrumbs
- 1.5 tbspunsalted butter
- 2 tbspparsley (chopped)
INSTRUCTIONS
Get 24 oz skinless, boneless chicken breasts (4 chicken breast fillets). Butterfly them open and pound them thin using a rolling pin or a meat mallet.
Season the chicken breasts with 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, and 1 tbsp olive oil.
Place one chicken breast onto a piece of cling film. Layer one slice of ham and one slice of Swiss cheese on top. You’ll need a total of 2 oz ham and 3 1/2 oz Swiss cheese for the stuffing.
Roll it up and secure the chicken breasts with toothpicks if necessary. Repeat with the remaining cutlets until finished, wrap each tightly with a cling film, and freeze the rolls for 5 minutes.
Dip a chicken roll into 3.5 tbsp all-purpose flour.
Transfer the floured roll to coat in 1 beaten egg.
Continue to transfer the coated chicken roll to a mixture of 1/3 cup breadcrumbs and 1.5 tbsp unsalted butter. Repeat with the remaining rolls until finished.
Air fry the chicken rolls at 340℉ for 20 minutes.
Remove the chicken rolls from the air fryer. Cut each roll into 4 parts.
Garnish with 2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley and serve hot.
NUTRITION
Tuyet Pham
Chef, Culinary Consultant
Luna Regina
Writer, Author
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN, LD
Nutrition Reviewer