Enjoy a delicious and classic French dish made easy with this incredible Air Fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu recipe!
Tender chicken breasts are filled with ham and Swiss cheese, then breaded and air fried to perfection.
A homemade creamy Dijon sauce makes this meal absolutely amazing!
Air Fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu
Now you can enjoy one of your favorite restaurant chicken dishes at home! It's quick and easy to make Chicken Cordon Bleu in the air fryer with just a handful of fresh ingredients.
I will teach you how to use your air fryer to prepare chicken cordon bleu from scratch. The combination of juicy chicken, savory ham, and melty Swiss cheese is completely irresistible.
Air Fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu is lightly breaded, and "fried" with only a few sprays of olive oil.
While the stuffed chicken breasts cook, whip up an easy and decadent cream sauce flavored with fresh herbs and Dijon mustard.
If you like this recipe, you should also try my Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan. Lightly breaded and air fried chicken cutlets are the star of that dish.
Ingredients In Air Fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu
Chicken - This recipe uses two boneless, skinless chicken breasts. We'll slice them each in half to create 4 thin cutlets.
Ham - Regular deli ham is perfect for cordon bleu. Make sure that it's sliced fairly thin.
Cheese - Swiss cheese is traditional, but you can use other types as well.
Flour, Eggs, Breadcrumbs - To create a crispy outer coating on the chicken.
Olive Oil Spray - This helps the breadcrumbs to crisp up perfectly!
If you have any questions, please leave a comment below and I will get back to you ASAP
How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu
- Prepare the Chicken: Butterfly each chicken breast by cutting it in half lengthwise. Working with one piece of chicken at a time, place the chicken on a large cutting board and cover it with plastic wrap. Use a meat mallet to pound the chicken to ¼” thick. Repeat with the remaining pieces of chicken.
- Add Fillings: Lay out the chicken cutlets and season lightly with salt and pepper. Add one piece of ham and one piece of cheese over each cutlet.
- Roll: Starting from one end, tightly roll the chicken cutlets around the ham and cheese. Secure with toothpicks.
- Make a Breading Station: Place flour in a shallow bowl. In a second bowl, beat eggs with a splash of water. A third bowl should hold the breadcrumbs.
- Add the Coating: Dip each rolled chicken cutlet into the flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs. Make sure to coat the chicken evenly on all sides.
- Air Fry: Spray the air fryer basket with olive oil spray. Add the chicken to the basket, and spray the chicken with the oil as well. Air fry at 350ºF/175ºC for 15 minutes, or until the chicken is golden brown and the internal temperature registers 165ºF/74ºC.
These numbered steps match the numbered photos above and are for illustration purposes. For the complete list of ingredients and instructions for making chicken cordon bleu in the air fryer, please see the recipe below.
Dijon Cream Sauce for Chicken Cordon Bleu
This rich and tangy sauce is one of my favorite parts of the recipe! Dijon sauce is made on the stovetop and takes just a few minutes.
Dijon Sauce Ingredients
Butter and Flour - This French sauce starts with a roux, which is a lightly cooked combination of melted butter and all-purpose flour. This works as a thickener.
Heavy Cream - The key to the richest cream sauces is to use high-fat heavy cream! Don't try to make this with milk or half and half, it just won't work.
Parmesan Cheese and Dijon Mustard - To add tons of amazing flavor to the sauce. I suggest using smooth Dijon for this recipe, but you can use grainy mustard if you prefer a little texture.
How to Make Dijon Parmesan Cream Sauce
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, add the flour and whisk to combine. Cook for 1 minute, whisking often.
- Slowly add the heavy cream, whisking constantly. Continue to whisk until any large lumps of roux are gone. Then reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Remove the cream sauce from the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese and Dijon mustard. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Recipe Tips
- To make this recipe gluten-free, use GF breadcrumbs and all-purpose GF flour for both the chicken and the sauce.
- Chicken cutlets: Slice the chicken breasts into 2 thin cutlets, and use a meat mallet to pound each piece so that they are even in thickness. This way they will all cook at the same rate.
- Instead of Swiss, try provolone or thinly sliced mozzarella cheese.
- In place of deli ham, prosciutto is also delicious in this recipe!
- Customize this recipe any way you like with your favorite cheeses, meats, or even cooked veggies. Use pepperoni and mozzarella to make Pizza Cordon Bleu!
- Season to taste: I don't add any salt to my breadcrumbs because I think that the sauce gives the chicken plenty of flavor. However, you can feel free to add salt and pepper if you like.
What To Serve With Air Fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu
Serve this delicious air fryer chicken dish with a side of steamed or sauteed vegetables and rice pilaf or creamy mashed potatoes.
Fresh greens with a homemade vinaigrette are also a great choice. A healthy salad will balance the richness of the chicken.
FAQs
It's important to ensure that the internal temperature of the chicken is 165ºF/74ºC. Because the chicken is rolled up, be sure that the interior layers are fully cooked as well as the outer ones.
Keep leftover air-fried chicken in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. You can easily reheat it in the air fryer, set at 350°F, for 5-7 minutes.
The classic recipe uses chicken breasts, but it will work with boneless, skinless thighs as well. Be sure to remove any excess fat and pound the thighs so that they are thin and even. Adjust the cooking time if needed.
Pro Tips
- Use Any Air Fryer: This recipe can be made in an air fryer unit with a basket or an air fryer oven. If you're using an air fryer oven, place your food on the middle rack and select the "air fry" function.
- Check your food as it cooks! Since each air fryer runs differently, sometimes air frying is a trial and error process. When cooking a new recipe, be sure to check on your food often. This will help you avoid over or undercooking, and help you learn your air fryer's specific ways!
More Delicious Air Fryer Chicken Recipes
Chicken can't get boring when you have all of our easy Air Fryer Chicken Recipes on hand!
If you're craving Japanese food, make your own homemade Chicken Katsu with a tangy dipping sauce.
For a comforting homestyle dinner, cook a whole chicken in the air fryer! I love serving this with corn and mashed potatoes.
And if you love the tang that mustard brings to chicken, be sure to try my Air Fryer Chicken Legs. They're coated with a delicious sauce made with fresh garlic, mayo, and mustard.
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Air Fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 2 large chicken breasts about ⅔ pound each
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 slices deli ham
- 4 slices swiss cheese
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ¼ cups breadcrumbs
For the Dijon Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- Minced fresh thyme or parsley for garnish
Instructions
For the Chicken:
- Butterfly each chicken breast by cutting it in half lengthwise. Working with one piece of chicken at a time, place the chicken on a large cutting board and cover it with plastic wrap. Use a meat mallet to pound the chicken to ¼” thick. Repeat with the remaining pieces of chicken.
- Lay out the chicken cutlets and season them lightly with salt and pepper. Place one piece of ham and one piece of cheese over each of the cutlets (feel free to trim the ham and cheese so it isn’t too much larger than the chicken if you’d like to). Starting from one end, tightly roll the chicken into a log and secure it with toothpicks.
- Place the flour in a shallow bowl. In another bowl, beat the eggs with a small splash of water. Add the breadcrumbs to a third bowl.
- Dip each piece of chicken in the flour, then eggs, and then breadcrumbs– making sure to coat the chicken evenly on all sides.
- Spray your air fryer basket with olive oil spray and then add the chicken to the air fryer. Spray the chicken lightly with olive oil spray as well.
- Cook at 350ºF/176ºC for 15 minutes, or until the chicken is golden brown and the internal temperature registers 165ºF/74ºC. While the chicken cooks, prepare the sauce (below).
For the Dijon Sauce:
- Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the butter and allow it to melt.
- When the butter is melted, add the flour and whisk to combine. Cook for 1 minute, whisking often.
- Slowly add the cream, whisking constantly. Continue whisking until any large lumps are gone.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and bring the sauce to a simmer. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Don’t worry if the sauce thickens too much, just add a splash of milk to thin it out.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan and dijon. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve over the chicken cordon bleu, garnished with minced parsley or thyme. Enjoy immediately.
Notes
- To make this recipe gluten-free, use GF breadcrumbs and all-purpose GF flour for both the chicken and the sauce.
- Chicken cutlets: Slice the chicken breasts into 2 thin cutlets, and use a meat mallet to pound each piece so that they are even in thickness. This way they will all cook at the same rate.
- Instead of Swiss, try provolone or thinly sliced mozzarella cheese.
- In place of deli ham, prosciutto is also delicious in this recipe!
- Customize this recipe any way you like with your favorite cheeses, meats, or even cooked veggies.
- Season to taste: I don't add any salt to my breadcrumbs because I think that the sauce gives the chicken plenty of flavor. However, you can feel free to add salt and pepper if you like.
- To Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Air Fryers can vary greatly. Please take the time to learn your specific air fryer. You may need to adjust times and temperatures based upon your air fryer. All though this website attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, the information should only be considered an estimate. Varying factors such as different product types, different brands, etc. can change nutritional information. It is your responsibility as a consumer to read all labels to make sure the ingredients fit your dietary needs as well as calculate your own nutritional information as a double check.
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