Chicken Cordon Bleu boasts a classic pairing of chicken, ham, cheese, and a crispy crunch. Typically found either stuffed or rolled together (Roulade). I wanted to make an easier yet still impressive version of this dish. Enter Hasselback Chicken Cordon Bleu!
Classy and classic aren't always found in the same instance, but as far as this easy Hasselback Chicken Cordon Bleu recipe is concerned, it is! The Cordon Bleu chicken recipe dates back to the 1940s, and I think it at least sounds familiar to most folks. It's salty, crunchy, and cheesy! These are all reasons to keep coming back again and again. Except for the process...
Normally, you'd be stuffing the breast or pounding it flat and rolling it up with the ham and cheese. But it doesn't stop there! Next, you'd prepare dishes with flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs to dip, dip, dip until you've got a raw crunch coating before baking in the oven. Lots of steps and messes. Let's simplify that while keeping all the good parts!
Read on for all the loving details to make Hasselback Chicken Cordon Bleu.
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Featured Ingredients
Read below about a few of the ingredients used to make Hasselback Chicken Cordon Bleu.
Chicken breast - There is no substituting thighs in this recipe! The shape of the chicken breast is necessary for this type of Hasselback preparation, and using larger-sized chicken breasts will make them easier to slice.
Ham - For this recipe, I prefer a smoky ham as opposed to a sweeter honey ham. The slices should be fairly thin to be able to tuck them in between the slices in the chicken.
Panko - I like panko over breadcrumbs because they're lighter and crispier, in my opinion. You can substitute breadcrumbs if you'd like.
See recipe card for quantities.
Tools for the job
- Measuring cups and spoons,
- Cutting board and sharp knife (paid link)
- Lined sheet pan or baking dish
- Small skillet
How to make Hasselback Chicken Cordon Bleu
Here are the easy steps for making Hasselback Chicken Cordon Bleu. Instead of rolling the chicken, ham, and cheese together before breading, you will basically top the chicken with the goodies! It still looks impressive without needing the technical skills to make a roulade!
Prepare ahead
- Preheat oven to 400°F, then prepare a lined sheet pan or grease a baking dish. Slice the ham and Swiss cheese into 1 inch wide strips.
- Trim off any hanging pieces from the chicken breast. Then, starting at one end, slice the chicken breast from the top down, leaving the base intact. Repeat these slices in one inch intervals across the entire chicken breast. Lay each piece on your prepared pan or dish and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- NOTE: The chicken breasts I used were much thicker on one end than the other. This can cause it to cook unevenly. To resolve this, I flipped the chicken over (to the ugly side) and carefully sliced off a portion of the thicker end of the breast to even it out a little.
Start cooking!
- Warm a nonstick skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan. When the butter has melted add the panko breadcrumbs and stir to coat in the butter. Cook the panko until it has gotten toasty brown and set aside.
- Wipe out the pan and return it to the stove on medium-low heat. Next, add the remaining butter to the pan. When the butter is fully melted, add the Dijon mustard and quickly whisk to combine. (Be careful to use low heat because the mixture may splatter when you add the mustard.)
- Using a basting brush, paint the tops of the chicken breasts with the Dijon butter, then sprinkle with all of the panko breadcrumbs, pressing to adhere.
- Then, stuff one slice each of the ham and Swiss cheese into each slit you created on top of the chicken breast. I paired up all the slices before stuffing the chicken, which made the process go even quicker!
- Finally, roast the chicken in the oven for 20-25 minutes, ensuring it comes to a final internal temperature of 165°F. You can pull it out of the oven at 160°F and the residual heat will continue to cook the chicken while it rests. You'll want to let it rest at least 5 minutes before serving.
Toast the panko crumbs in butter until browned.
Slice partway through each breast at 1 inch intervals.
Melt butter in a pan and whisk in Dijon mustard.
Paint the mustard butter on the chicken breasts.
Sprinkle the chicken with the toasted panko.
Stuff each slit with ham and Swiss cheese
Hot Tip!
If you accidentally slice all the way through the chicken, no fear! Just piece it back together on the sheet pan with slices of ham and cheese between the break just like all the other (connected) slits. After the chicken roasts in the oven, it will look like one full piece, and the cheese will help hold it all together. No one will be the wiser!
Before roasting
After roasting
Substitutions and variations
- Gluten Free - To make this dish gluten-free, omit the panko crumbs. Traditional Chicken Cordon Bleu is dredged in breadcrumbs of some sort to give it a crispy finish, but the dish is still very tasty without that ingredient. You could also substitute gluten free breadcrumbs.
- Veg it up! - Replace the ham and/or cheese with thin slices of zucchini, tomato, and red onion.
- Cheese - Substitute Emmentaler, Jarlsberg, or Gruyere cheese for the Swiss cheese.
- Simplify it even more - Lay the chicken breast on the baking dish and top it with a slice of ham, then a slice of Swiss cheese. Bake for 5-7 minutes to melt the cheese a bit, then add a sprinkle of toasted panko or breadcrumb and return it to the oven to finish cooking.
Leftovers
- Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 5 days.
- Freeze the unbaked, prepared chicken on a sheet pan until frozen, then seal in a zip top bag. Thaw in the refrigerator before baking.
- To reheat, warm on a sheet pan in a 350°F oven until the chicken has fully warmed through and the panko gets crispy again. 1 full "Hasselbacked" chicken breast should reheat in 10-12 minutes (straight from the refrigerator.)
FAQ
Cordon Bleu translates from French to mean Blue Ribbon. Referring to a blue ribbon worn by the highest order of knighthood in 1500s France, this term has endured over the years to signify the highest standard in food preparation.
Chicken Cordon Bleu is considered a schnitzel and originates from Austria. Read more about what makes a schnitzel a schnitzel!
This is a preparation technique used with potatoes to create crispy layers and an impressive presentation by thinly slicing a whole potato vertically while keeping the bottom intact. After baking, the top of the layered potato is thin and crispy, while the insides and base are creamy, like a baked potato.
Food Safety
- Cook to reach a final temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
More chicken breast recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
Here area few side dishes that would go well with Hasselback Chicken Cordon Bleu:
Print
Hasselback Chicken Cordon Bleu
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings
Description
Make a classic Chicken Cordon Bleu with an impressive twist! Try this easy oven roasted Hasselback Chicken Cordon Bleu recipe with Black forest ham, Swiss cheese, & a crispy panko crunch!
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breast halves, 8-10 ounces each
- 3-5 slices ham
- 3-5 slices Swiss cheese
- ½ cup panko or breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare a lined sheet pan or grease a baking dish.
- Trim off any hanging pieces from the chicken breast. Then, starting at one end, slice the chicken breast from the top down, leaving the base intact. Repeat these slices in one inch intervals across the entire chicken breast. Lay each piece on your prepared pan or dish and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Warm a nonstick skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan. When the butter has melted add the panko breadcrumbs and stir to coat in the butter. Cook the panko until it has gotten toasty brown. Set aside.
- Wipe out the pan and return it to the stove on medium-low heat. Add the remaining butter to the pan. When the butter is fully melted, add the Dijon mustard and quickly whisk to combine. Be careful to use low heat because the mixture may splatter when you add the mustard.
- Using a basting brush, paint the tops of the chicken breasts with the Dijon butter, then sprinkle with all of the panko breadcrumbs, pressing to adhere.
- Then, stuff one slice each of the ham and Swiss cheese into each slit you created on top of the chicken breast.
- Roast the chicken in the oven for 20-25 minutes, ensuring it comes to a final internal temperature of 165°F.
- Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main dish
- Method: Roast
- Cuisine: Austrian
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