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    Home » Recipes » Chicken and poultry recipes

    Easy chicken cordon bleu with honey mustard sauce

    Published: Jan 23, 2021 · Modified: Jun 16, 2024 by VJ · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Jump to recipe

    Chicken cordon bleu is a classic dish made from succulent chicken breasts, stuffed with ham and cheese, and coated in crispy breadcrumbs. Smother it with a tasty cheesy honey mustard sauce and you'll have a meal the whole family will love. What's more, it's quick and easy to prepare too.

    Crispy chicken cordon bleu covered with honey mustard sauce.

    I love the crunch as you bite into the crispy breadcrumb coating.

    Jump to:
    • Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu
    • Chicken Cordon Bleu or Chicken Kiev?
    • Ingredients you will need
    • How to make chicken cordon bleu
    • Make the honey mustard sauce
    • What to serve with chicken cordon bleu
    • Can I freeze chicken cordon bleu?
    • Storage and reheating
    • Save for later
    • Related recipes
    • 📋The recipe

    Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu

    Chicken and ham go so well together (if you don't believe me, try this recipe for chicken and ham pie). Add a slice of cheese and a coating of crispy breadcrumbs and smother with a delicious honey mustard sauce and you have an easy chicken cordon bleu supper that the family will be begging you to make time and time again.

    Cordon bleu means 'blue ribbon', and actually derives from French; cordon = ribbon and bleu = blue. The term 'cordon bleu' is used to describe meals of an exceptionally high standard. All it will take is one mouthful of this delicious chicken dish to understand why it is called chicken cordon bleu - this chicken is outstanding!!!

    And the sauce. What can I say about this amazing honey mustard sauce that smothers the chicken? Honestly, this sauce is so good it deserves a recipe of its own. The combination of honey and mustard is a match made in heaven, but pair this with a tub of ricotta cheese and you have a sauce that is so lip-smackingly good that you will be eating it by the spoonful.

    Traditionally, chicken cordon bleu is made by pounding chicken breast fillets with a meat mallet until they are thin enough to roll around slices of ham and cheese. For my easy version, I don't bother doing that. I make a slit in the whole chicken breast and stuff the ham and cheese into that. It tastes just as good but takes half the time to prepare. And let's face it when you've got a hungry family clamouring for their supper, speed is of the essence.

    Chicken Cordon Bleu or Chicken Kiev?

    Some people make the mistake of calling this dish chicken kiev. I've even seen it sold ready-made in supermarkets by this name. Chicken cordon bleu and chicken kiev are both very similar in looks. Both are made from chicken fillets coated in breadcrumbs. It's only when you slice into it that you see that chicken cordon bleu is stuffed with ham and cheese, whereas chicken kiev is stuffed with garlic butter.

    Close up of chicken cordon bleu on a plate with vegetables.

    So let's get on to the recipe and see how to make chicken cordon bleu.

    Ingredients you will need

    ** You can get the complete list of ingredients and full instructions to make chicken cordon bleu on the printable recipe card at the end of this post.

    Chicken breast fillets - a normal helping of chicken breasts is between 3 and 4 ounces (85g to 110g) so you will probably need to use medium-sized fillets. One per person should be sufficient.

    Ham - I used sandwich ham - you can use any thinly sliced ham of your choice.

    Cheese - Swiss cheese (gruyere) is a good choice as it holds its shape and doesn't leak out during cooking. But you can get away with using a good quality sliced cheddar which is what I used here. Don't use slices of processed cheese - it will be guaranteed to leak out all over the place 🙂 .

    Sunflower or canola oil for frying. The amount you need will depend on the size of your frying pan.

    For the crispy breadcrumb coating

    Seasoned flour - this is just plain flour seasoned with a little salt and pepper.

    Egg - lightly beaten - this acts as 'glue' to hold the breadcrumbs onto the chicken.

    Breadcrumbs - I like to use Panko breadcrumbs because they are lovely and crispy. If you don't have Panko you can make your own breadcrumbs by grating a couple of slices of day-old bread on a cheese grater, or by whizzing them around in a food processor.

    For the (amazing) honey mustard sauce

    Ingredients for honey mustard sauce.

    Butter - this has to be butter. Please don't substitute with yellow margarine.

    Milk - There is no cream in the sauce recipe, so I used full-fat milk, but you can use semi-skimmed if you prefer.

    Wholegrain mustard - the grains of mustard provide taste, but also texture to the sauce.

    Honey - for a touch of sweetness.

    Ricotta cheese - gives a creamy cheesy taste.

    Flour - for thickening

    Salt - for seasoning - this is optional but recommended for taste.

    How to make chicken cordon bleu

    Steps for stuffing the chicken with ham and cheese.
    • Pat the chicken with paper towels to remove any moisture. Cut the chicken lengthwise through the middle to butterfly it, and sprinkle lightly with salt (image 1 above). You could also just cut a pocket into the chicken breast if you prefer.
    • Place the ham on a flat surface, top with a slice of cheese and roll into a tube (image 2 above). Rolling the cheese in the ham helps prevent the cheese from leaking as it cooks and melts.
    • Place the ham roll on the chicken, fold the chicken over to enclose the ham and secure it with toothpicks (image 3 above).
    • Make sure you don't bury the toothpick too deeply into the chicken. You need to be able to grab hold of it to remove it before serving.
    Steps for coating and frying the chicken.

    Coat the chicken with breadcrumbs.

    • Get 3 dishes and put the seasoned flour in one, the beaten egg into the second, and the breadcrumbs into the third dish (image 1 above).
    • Coat the chicken with seasoned flour, shaking off the excess. Then dip into the egg, and finally coat with breadcrumbs, making sure to press the breadcrumbs on firmly (image 2 above).
    • Put the chicken into the refrigerator and allow to chill while you make the sauce (see below). Chilling the chicken before cooking it will help the breadcrumbs stick to the chicken. 10 to 15 minutes will be ample time.

    Fry the chicken cordon bleu

    • Heat the oil in a frying pan until a few breadcrumbs dropped into the oil sizzle and turn brown after 15 seconds. You will need enough oil to shallow-fry the chicken, or just enough to cover the bottom of your frying pan. I have quite a large frying pan and I used about half a cup of oil.
    • Place the pieces of crumbed chicken carefully into the oil and fry gently until the breadcrumbs turn golden brown (image 3 above).
    • Take your time over this step and use a low heat. If the heat is too high, the breadcrumbs will brown before the chicken has had a chance to cook through. Turn down the heat if necessary. You will probably need about 5 minutes per side.
    • Remove the toothpicks once the chicken has been cooked.
    • Don't overcrowd the pan. If you can't fit all the chicken into the pan, fry in batches and keep the cooked chicken warm in a low oven (74C/165F).
    • If you have a meat thermometer, the chicken will be cooked when the internal temperature reaches 74C/165F. Otherwise, you can just cut one of the chicken pieces open and check that the inside is perfectly white.

    Make the honey mustard sauce

    You can make this sauce while the chicken is resting in the fridge.

    Steps for making honey mustard sauce.
    • Melt the butter in a saucepan (image 1 above). Do this over low heat so the butter does not brown.
    • Remove from the heat and add the flour. Stir well to make sure all the lumps have been removed.
    • Return to the heat and add the milk. Stir continuously as the milk heats and the sauce thickens (about 4 minutes). The sauce should have a smooth consistency that drops slowly from the spoon - about the consistency of pouring custard (image 2 above). The sauce will thicken further when you add the cheese.
    • Now stir in the mustard, the honey and the ricotta cheese (image 3 above), and season with salt and black pepper to taste.
    Chicken cordon blue covered with honey mustard sauce.

    What to serve with chicken cordon bleu

    I like to serve chicken cordon bleu with a helping of mashed potatoes and green vegetables. You could also serve it on a bed of fluffy white rice (see this post for how to cook rice in the microwave), with a helping of peas.

    Chicken cordon blue also goes well with crispy french fries.

    However you serve it, don't forget to cover the chicken with plenty of the delicious honey mustard sauce!!!

    If you'd like to be notified of new recipes, why not subscribe to my newsletter? To say thank you, you will receive a free recipe e-book containing some of my most popular cakes and desserts.

    Can I freeze chicken cordon bleu?

    Yes, this dish can be frozen.

    To freeze, prepare the chicken up to the stage where it has been coated in breadcrumbs (before frying) and place it on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment (to prevent sticking). Open freeze until solid. Transfer the frozen crumbed chicken pieces to a Ziploc bag and freeze for up to 3 months. You can also freeze each piece individually in smaller bags.

    Defrost in the refrigerator, which will take at least 3 hours, then fry as per the recipe instructions.

    The beauty of freezing the chicken like this is that you can prepare and freeze a large batch of crumbed chicken and just remove the number of chicken pieces you need from the freezer.

    I wouldn't freeze chicken that has been fried as the breadcrumbs would lose their crispiness once defrosted.

    Storage and reheating

    You can prepare the chicken in advance (up to the breadcrumb stage) and then leave, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. When ready to eat, fry as per the recipe instructions.

    Leftover chicken can also be stored in the refrigerator for 2 days.

    To reheat cold, leftover chicken cordon bleu, place on a baking tray in a hot oven for about 8 minutes, or until heated through.

    Save for later

    Why not pin this recipe for chicken cordon bleu to one of your Pinterest boards so you can make it later? Just click the image below.

    Alternatively, you can save the recipe by clicking on the floating heart icon on the right-hand side of the screen.

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    If you enjoyed this chicken cordon bleu, you may also enjoy some of my other easy chicken recipes.

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    📋The recipe

    Crispy chicken cordon bleu covered with honey mustard sauce.

    Chicken cordon bleu with honey mustard sauce

    Juicy chicken breast fillets, stuffed with ham and cheese slices, coated in crispy breadcrumbs and smothered with a delicious honey mustard sauce. This easy version of chicken cordon bleu is sure to become a family favourite.
    Recipe by: Veronica
    Main Course
    British
    Calories 728
    Prep 30 minutes minutes
    Chilling time 15 minutes minutes
    Cook 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time 1 hour hour
    Servings: 4 people
    Print Pin Comment Bookmark Saved!
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    5 from 2 votes

    (Click the stars to rate this recipe)

    Equipment

    • Sharp Knife
    • Saucepan
    • Large frying pan
    • Small dishes
    • Toothpicks

    Ingredients

    Chicken

    • 1 lb (450g) chicken breast fillets 4 fillets
    • 3 ounce (100g) ham 4 slices
    • 3 ounce (100g) Swiss or good quality cheddar cheese 4 slices
    • ½ cup sunflower or canola oil for frying
    • salt to taste

    Breadcrumb coating

    • 2 tablespoons flour seasoned with a little salt
    • 1 large egg lightly beaten
    • 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs allow extra if your chicken breasts are very large

    Honey mustard sauce

    • 2 ounce (60g) butter
    • 1 cup full-fat milk substitute with semi-skimmed if preferred
    • 2 tablespoons wholegrain mustard
    • 1 tablespoon honey
    • 8 ounce (250g) ricotta cheese
    • 1 tablespoon flour for thickening
    • salt to taste

    Instructions

    Prepare the chicken

    • Cut the chicken lengthwise in half and open out into a butterfly shape, or just cut a pocket into the chicken.
    • Sprinkle the chicken lightly with salt (optional).
    • Lay the ham on a flat surface and top each slice of ham with a slice of cheese. Roll up into a tube.
    • Place the ham roll on the chicken and fold over to enclose, or place the ham roll into the pocket. Secure with toothpicks.
    • Prepare 3 small dishes - place the flour in one and season with salt; place the beaten egg in another; place the breadcrumbs in the third.
    • Dip the chicken in flour and shake off any excess. Then dip the chicken into the beaten egg. Finally, dip the chicken into the breadcrumbs, pressing the crumbs down firmly.
    • Transfer the chicken to a plate and leave in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to chill while you prepare the sauce.

    Prepare the sauce

    • Melt the butter in a saucepan on a low heat. Do not allow the butter to brown.
    • Remove from the heat and stir in the flour, taking care to remove any lumps.
    • Return to the heat, add the milk and allow it to come to the boil, stirring continuously until the sauce thickens. This will take about 4 minutes.
    • Stir in the mustard, the honey and the ricotta cheese and bring back to the boil. Season with salt to taste.

    Fry the chicken

    • Heat the oil in a large frying pan. The temperature will be correct when a few breadcrumbs dropped into the oil sizzle and turn brown after about 15 seconds.
    • Carefully lower the chicken into the oil and fry for about 5 minutes per side until the breadcrumbs are golden brown. Do not allow the pan to get too hot or the breadcrumbs will brown before the chicken has cooked through. Turn down the heat if necessary.
    • The chicken will be cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 75°C/165°F, or when it is completely white on the inside (cut a piece in half to test).
    • Remove the toothpicks, and serve immediately, covered in honey mustard sauce, alongside a pile of mashed potatoes and your choice of vegetables.

    Notes

    A normal helping of chicken is between 3 and 4 ounces (85g to 110g) so you will probably need to use medium-sized fillets. One chicken breast person should be sufficient.
    Use Swiss cheese, or a good quality sliced cheddar (or equivalent).  Don't use slices of processed cheese - it will be guaranteed to leak out all over the place.
    If you don't have Panko breadcrumbs you can make your own by grating a couple of slices of day-old bread on a cheese grater, or by whizzing them around in a food processor.
    When frying the chicken:
    • Take care that the oil does not get too hot.  Reduce the heat if necessary.
    • Don't overcrowd the pan. If you can't fit all the chicken into the pan, fry in batches and keep the cooked chicken warm in a low oven (75C/165F).
      Don't forget to remove the toothpicks before serving.
      Because not all the oil will be absorbed by the chicken as it fries, I have left the oil out of the nutrition calculations.

      Nutrition

      Calories - 728kcal | Carbohydrates - 32.4g | Protein - 58g | Fat - 39.6g | Saturated Fat - 20.1g | Cholesterol - 244mg | Sodium - 1200mg | Potassium - 610mg | Fiber - 2.1g | Sugar - 9.2g | Calcium - 656mg | Iron - 3mg

      I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.

      Unless otherwise stated, a cup is the standard US cup containing 240 ml. In all my recipes this cup is assumed to hold 140g of flour. For help converting other ingredients between cups, grams, ounces and other measures, see my recipe conversion calculator.
      All my recipes are developed and tested at sea-level. For tips on adjusting recipes for high altitudes see my post on baking at high altitudes.
      Tried this recipe?If you made this recipe I'd love it if you could leave me a comment and let me know how it went!
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      Before I started my food blog I was an IT Consultant. Now that I've swapped an office for a kitchen I have a lot more time to spend on things that interest me such as trying out new recipes. Most of my cooking is based around quick and easy meals, mostly made from scratch, using everyday pantry ingredients.

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