This Air Fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu is crispy on the outside and juicy in the middle, with a delicious ham and melted Swiss cheese filling. Coated in panko and Parmesan, it cooks quickly in the air fryer for an easy take on the classic recipe.
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Chicken cordon bleu might sound like fancy French food, but the reality is is that this is a super quick and easy weeknight meal that you can serve up any day of the week!
Cooked in the air fryer, this traditional chicken cordon bleu recipe is easy to prep and quick to cook. The chicken is perfectly juicy and tender and the panko breading is extra crispy.
Perfect for a family meal, but tasty enough to serve to company too.
Be sure to try my Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets and Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs, or browse more air fryer recipes or chicken recipes.
Why you will love this recipe!
- Crispy and cheesy: The panko and Parmesan coating gets wonderfully crisp while the ham and Swiss cheese filling stays melty and delicious.
- Make ahead: If you are serving this to guests, you can easily prep the chicken ahead of time and then just quickly cook it when you are ready to serve.
- Quick and easy: Simple to prep and quick to cook, you can be serving these up in less than 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- Chicken: Use large boneless, skinless chicken breasts that are easy to roll. Pound them to an even thickness so they cook evenly.
- Salt and pepper: To season the chicken.
- Mayo and dijon mustard: This adds flavor to the chicken and helps to keep it nice and juicy during cooking.
- Ham: I use thinly sliced Black Forest deli ham.
- Cheese: Swiss cheese is traditional for Chicken Cordon Bleu and melts really well, but other sliced cheeses can also be used.
- Flour and egg: To dredge the chicken breast.
- Panko and parmesan: Panko breadcrumbs makes for a super crispy coating, and I like to add in a little parm for extra flavor.
- Oil: For browning and even cooking. Any high heat neutral oil will work well, like vegetable, canola or avocado.
How to make air fryer chicken cordon bleu
- Cut the chicken breast in half and pound to an even ¼-inch thickness (photo 1).
- Spread with mayo and Dijon mustard, then top with a slice of ham and Swiss cheese (photo 2).
- Roll up the chicken breast, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill (photo 3).
- Dredge the chicken in flour and egg, then coat well in the panko and Parmesan breading (photo 4).
- Place in the air fryer basket in a single layer and cook at 350F / 180c for 18 minutes until golden and crispy and the chicken reaches 165°F / 74°C internally (photo 5).
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. You can bake the Chicken Cordon Bleu in the oven at 350°F / 180°C for around 35 to 40 minutes, until golden brown and the chicken reaches 165°F / 74°C internally.
Roll the chicken tightly around the ham and cheese, making sure the filling is tucked inside. Chilling the rolled chicken before breading helps it hold its shape while it cooks. A little cheese may still escape as it melts, which is totally normal.
Serving Suggestions
This air fryer chicken cordon bleu is great when served with a thick and creamy dijon or white wine sauce. It's great served up with favorite sides like:
- Roasted White Asparagus
- Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
- Red Skinned Mashed Potato
- Creamy Tarragon Mushrooms
Make Ahead, Storage and Reheating
You can roll the chicken with the ham and cheese, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and keep it in the refrigerator for up to a day before cooking. Once breaded, keep it covered in the fridge and cook within a couple of hours.
Leftover Chicken Cordon Bleu will keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat it in the air fryer at 360°F / 180°C for 5 to 8 minutes, until heated through.
If you’ve tried this Air Fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu, be sure to leave a star rating and let me know how it turned out!
Air Fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 large chicken breast
- salt and pepper (for seasoning)
- ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ tablespoon mayonnaise
- 2 slices ham
- 2 slices Swiss cheese (or other sliced cheese)
- ¼ cup flour
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- oil
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breasts in half to make two thinner whole pieces.
- Place a large piece of plastic wrap over a chopping board and place one of the pieces of chicken in the middle. Pull over the plastic wrap over the top of the chicken to cover it.
- Use a mallet or rolling pin to pound the chicken out so that it's thin and even.
- Season both sides with salt and pepper and lay it back on the plastic wrap.
- Mix together the mustard and mayo and spread some of it over one side of teh flattened chicken. Top with a slice of ham and cheese.
- Roll up the chicken breast into a pinwheel and use the clingfilm to wrap it and secure tightly. Repeat with the other bit of chicken.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Add the flour to one bowl, beat an egg in another and add the panko and parmesan to a third.
- Take the chicken out of the fridge and unwrap. If it doesn't hold together you can secure it with a toothpick, but remember to remove before serving!
- Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs, coating well all over on each layer. Set to one side.
- Preheat the air fryer to 350F.
- Once hot, spray the basket with oil and place in the pieces of chicken. Spray the tops again with oil.
- Set to cook at 350F for 18 minutes. Halfway through cooking, spray again with oil to make it extra brown and crispy.
Notes
- For best results and ease, use large chicken breasts. If using smaller ones, you may want to secure them with toothpicks to hold them together.
- When you pound the chicken breasts, cover both sides with a piece of plastic wrap so that it doesn't stick and rip.
- Wrap the stuffed breasts tightly in the plastic wrap so that they hold together.
- Don't be tempted to over do the cheese and ham. If you add more slices they will be difficult to roll.
- Panko breadcrumbs make the coating super crispy, though you can use regular if that's what you have to hand.
- If you don't have an oil spray bottle, pour a little oil into your hands to coat the chicken before cooking.
- If you have an instant read thermometer, when cooked the chicken should register at 165F. The chicken should be an even white color when it is cut into.
- Let the cooked chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving to let the juices redistribute.
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