Can I make Air Fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu in the oven, instead?

Sure. If you don't have an air fryer, you can definitely bake chicken cordon bleu in your oven. If you have a convection feature on your oven I recommend you use it, for quicker and more even cooking. Preheat the oven to 350°. Place an oven safe cooling/baking rack [affiliate link] on a rimmed baking sheet [affiliate link] . Place the chicken cordon bleu rolls onto the rack, seam side down if you can tell where the seam is. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the internal temperature of each roll reaches 165° F. Serve with prepared sauce.

Can I use regular Italian bread crumbs instead of Italian Panko?

Sure, the classic recipe has always used regular bread crumbs. I haven't tried it with this recipe and my guess is that without frying the air fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu, they aren't going to get as crisp as with Panko. One option that could help would be to toast the regular bread crumbs in a dry skillet on the stove top before sprinkling them on your prepared chicken breasts. Panko is more coarse and has more jagged surface area, so the end result is crisper.

Can I serve the Air Fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu without the sauce?

Absolutely. The sauce does soften the crust a bit. So, for an extra crispy shell, you can simply omit the sauce. Especially since we deviated from the classic and have added the mayo/mustard coating directly on the chicken breast before air frying it. That adds tons of flavor.

Can I make Air Fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu gluten free?

Yes. The only ingredient with gluten in this recipe is the Panko. There are many gluten free Panko varieties [affiliate link]available, nowadays. Substitute your favorite, keeping in mind that my Panko is Italian seasoned. If you buy plain Panko, add garlic powder and Italian seasoning to your bread crumbs.

Can I Use Frozen Chicken to make Air Fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu?

No. The chicken needs to be thawed, so you can cut a pocket and stuff each chicken breast. However, you CAN make your chicken cordon bleu ahead, flash freeze them and store in the freezer until you are ready to cook them. You can cook the frozen chicken cordon bleu using the same instructions in the recipe card. But you will need to add extra time (5 to 10 minutes) to reach an internal temperature of 160°, before the resting period.

Air Fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu, Quick and Easy

Description

Air Fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu is tender chicken breast, coated in crispy Panko that’s been stuffed with smoky ham and melty Swiss cheese. It’s a scrumptious 30-minute-easy air fryer recipe. (Can also be oven baked.)

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the Chicken

2 chicken breasts
2 slices Swiss cheese, I use baby Swiss
2 slices deli-sliced ham
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons stone ground mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2/3 cup Italian Seasoned Panko Bread Crumbs

For the Sauce:

1/4 cup Heavy Cream
2 Tablespoons whole milk
2 teaspoons Homemade Chicken Bouillon
2 teaspoons Stone Ground Mustard
2 Tablespoons Parmesan Cheese

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Instructions

Prep the Chicken:

Preheat the air fryer (or oven) to 400° F.
Cut a pocket into the center of each chicken breast, lengthwise. See the video for a visual demonstration.
The easiest way to insert the ham and cheese is to fold a slice of the baby Swiss cheese in half and wrap a slice of deli ham around it as many times as the ham will reach.
Place a folded ham and cheese portion into the pocket in each chicken breast.
Use toothpicks to “stitch” the pocket closed and hold the ham and cheese in place. (See the video)
Brush each chicken breast generously with the mixture.
Sprinkle Italian seasoned Panko over each boneless skinless chicken breast and press the bread crumbs firmly into the mayonnaise mixture. (Remember if you purchased plain Panko, add 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder and 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning to your bread crumbs before applying them to the chicken.)
Turn the chicken breasts over and repeat, brushing with the mayo mixture and pressing in the crumbs.

Air Fry the Chicken Cordon Bleu and Prepare Sauce:

Spray the air fryer basket with pan spray.
Place each chicken roll into the air fryer basket leaving space between them.
Spray each prepared chicken breast lightly with pan spray.
Air fry at 400° for 18-20 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 160°. (After a brief resting time the temp will have risen to the USDA recommended 165°.)
Five minutes before the Air Fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu is done air frying, prepare the sauce by whisking together all ingredients and warming in a saucepan over low heat. Do NOT boil the sauce or you may curdle it. Just keep the heat low.
Remove your chicken cordon bleu from the air fryer and allow it to rest for two to three minutes.
REMOVE THE TOOTHPICKS.
Serve with the prepared sauce and your favorite sides.

Notes

These are LARGE servings if you use them as two. I recommend cutting each chicken cordon bleu in half to serve it. Then it will make 4 generous servings.

This recipe is made with Italian Seasoned Panko Bread Crumbs (I buy Great Value brand at Walmart.) If you use plain Panko for this recipe, mix 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder and 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning into your bread crumbs.

To Bake in Oven instead of Air Fryer

If you don’t have an air fryer, you can definitely bake chicken cordon bleu in your oven. If you have a convection feature on your oven I recommend you use it, for quicker and more even cooking.

Preheat the oven to 400°.
Place an oven safe cooling/baking rack _{[affiliate link]} on a rimmed baking sheet _{[affiliate link]} and spray it with pan spray.
Place the chicken cordon bleu rolls onto the rack and spray them lightly with pan spray.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the internal temperature of each roll reaches 160° F. They will continue to cook for a bit after being removed from the oven. So, they will reach the USDA recommended safe serving temperature of 165° F after a brief resting period.
Remove from the oven.
Remove tooth picks.
Serve with prepared sauce.

Prep Time: 7 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Category: Main Dish, Chicken
Method: Air Fry or Bake
Cuisine: French-American