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Air Fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu with Ham and Cheese

Air fryer chicken cordon bleu is essentially a ham & cheese Kyiv, breast meat is butterflied & stuffed before being coated in breadcrumbs.

All of the work in this recipe is in the preparation, but this can all be done in advance and then thrown in the air fryer for 15-20 minutes. You can even cook them in the oven!

Chicken cordon bleu cooked in an air fryer served with potatoes and broccoli.

Ham and Cheese Chicken Kyiv

Chicken cordon bleu, a proper slice of retro joy comprised of a chicken stuffed with cheese and ham, coated in breadcrumbs and either fried or baked.

It is essentially a ham and cheese chicken Kyiv, a dish that I remember from my childhood but one that I can’t find on a single menu since returning to the UK.

Living in Hungary it existed on every restaurant menu, although the name was less “catchy”. Sajttal sonkával töltött rántott csirkemell is not exactly the stuff of marketing dreams!

My take on cordon bleu uses chicken breast and has evolved over the years to be cooked in an air fryer, just like my mozzarella stuffed air fryer chicken breast.

But it is easy to cook in the oven using the same technique as I do for my Cornflake chicken recipe. Yes, you read that right!

You could also cook in good quality butter or even lard in the same way that I do with my Wiener Schnitzel recipe.

Close-up golden crumbed chicken cordon bleu cooked in an air fryer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I cook this cordon bleu in the oven?

Yes, definitely. Place it on a baking grid in order to stop the bottom from going soggy, then bake at 180°C or 350°F for 23-28 minutes, maybe longer if you are using a particularly large chicken breast.

Can I fry chicken cordon bleu?

Yes, you can deep fry for 4-5 minutes at 180°C or 350°F, or if you are feeling really indulgent shallow fry it in butter or lard.

Use 125g (1 stick) of butter and 2 tablespoons of neutral cooking oil and melt it all together in a 28cm (11″) frying pan over a medium to high heat.

When the butter begins to foam add the chicken and cook for around 15 minutes basting and turning continuously. If you do this you do not need to toast the breadcrumbs.

Do I really need to toast the breadcrumbs?

No, but it does make the dish better. It adds both flavour and colour to the crumb coating.

I use exactly the same process in my air fryer arancini recipe.

What cheese is best?

Any well-flavoured melting cheese is great in this recipe, I often use smoked cheddar cheese.

But everything from a sweet and nutty Gruyere to Swiss raclette and French Comte works really well!

Avoid mozzarella because it really does not have enough flavour to carry this recipe.

What ham should I use?

I like to use a fairly thick sliced country ham, I would avoid anything too thin because it can get lost in this recipe.

Overhead chicken cordon bleu cooked in an air fryer served with potatoes and broccoli.

Serving Suggestions

I’ve served my Air Fryer chicken cordon bleu here with some buttered parsley potatoes and some “roasted” tenderstem broccoli.

I blanched the broccoli in the potato water and then threw it into the air fryer for 5 minutes whilst the chicken rested. It’s so simple and delicious!

You could also knock up my buttered air fryer asparagus in much the same way.

It would also work exceptionally well with green beans amandine.

If you are cooking your cordon bleu in the oven then something like honey roast carrots and my Parmentier potatoes would be fantastic.

Sliced ham and cheese stiffed chicken breast aka cordon bleu.

Equipment Used

I only name-check brands of equipment if I think they make a material difference to a recipe. If you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

  • Air Fryer.
  • Stovetop.
  • Weighing scales and or measuring cups and spoons.
  • Kitchen knife.
  • Rolling pin.
  • Grater.
  • Kitchen paper.
  • Cling film.
  • Bowls or plates to panne the chicken.
  • Quick read meat thermometer, optional but recommended!
Air fryer chicken cordon bleu served with tenderstem broccoli and parsley potatoes.
Yield: 2 Servings

Air Fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Resting Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Air Fryer chicken cordon bleu, a classic and simple chicken breast stuffed with salty cured ham and smoked cheddar cheese and then "baked" until perfectly cooked.

Ingredients

  • 2 (400-450g total) Skinless Chicken Breasts
  • 2 (60g Total) Slices Ham
  • 75g Smoked Cheddar Cheese
  • 25g (2 Tbsp) Butter
  • 75g (1 Cup) Panko Breadcrumbs
  • 1 Egg
  • 2 Tbsp Flour
  • ½ Tsp Black Pepper
  • 2 Pinches of Salt

Instructions

  1. Grate the cheddar cheese.
  2. Make a cut through the chicken breast from the side making sure that you do not cut all of the way through, then open it like a book.Butterflied chicken breast.
  3. Bash the chicken with a rolling pin to make it lie flat, the idea isn't to make the chicken thinner, just to even it out, this makes it easier to roll.
  4. Season the bashed side of the chicken breasts with the pepper and a pinch of salt. Be careful with the salt because we have lots of salty ingredients to add.Salt and pepper seasoned butterflied chicken breast.
  5. Add the slices of ham, folding them to fit without any overhang, and the grated cheese.Ham and cheese added to a butterflied chicken breast for cordon bleu.
  6. Fold the chicken back over using a little "force" if necessary and season the outside with a little salt.Stiffed and seasoned chicken breast fro cordon bleu.
  7. Place the chicken breast on a sheet of cling film and wrap it around, eliminating as much air as possible.Chicken breast in cling film ready to be rolled.
  8. Then pinch the ends and begin to roll backwards and forwards to form a "Christmas cracker shape. Keep going until you form a nice barrel shape on the chicken breast, then transfer it to the fridge and allow it to sit for at least 30 minutes. Rolling chicken breast to panne for cordon bleu.
  9. While the chicken is resting heat a medium frying pan (~24cm or 10") over a medium heat and when it is hot melt the butter.
  10. When the butter begins to foam add the bread crumbs and cook until golden, this will take between 5-10 minutes depending on how hot your pan is. Take care not to burn them!
  11. Transfer the breadcrumbs to some kitchen paper and allow them to cool.
  12. Add the egg to a bowl and lightly beat it with a fork.
  13. Add the breadcrumbs to a separate bowl.
  14. Sprinkle the rolled and stuffed chicken with the flour and lightly tap off any excess.Floured chicken for cordon bleu dusted with flour.
  15. Roll the chicken through the beaten egg allow any excess to drain and then transfer to the breadcrumbs and again roll to coat completely.Chicken cordon bleu dipped in eggs then into breadcrumbs.
  16. Add the breaded chicken to an air fryer and cook for 15-20 minutes at 170°C or 340°F.
  17. Allow the chicken to rest for 3-5 minutes. Check that the temperature of the meat has reached 73°C or 165°F before serving, you can remove it from the air fryer around 5° before this temperature and it will continue to warm through.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 726Total Fat: 31gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 335mgSodium: 953mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 84g

Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.

Did you make this recipe?

If you made this recipe, I'd love to see what you did and what I can do better, share a picture with me on Instagram and tag me @krumplibrian and tell me how it went!

Laura

Friday 2nd of March 2018

I should be on a diet and I should run away, but I cannot. It looks magnificent and I agree with the Swiss cheese. It is the best for a cordon bleu

Brian Jones

Sunday 4th of March 2018

But but but, butter is diet friendly isn't it? Thank you :)

Ramona

Friday 2nd of March 2018

This recipe would be such a treat!! I have not made a Cordon Bleu for absolute ages. Maybe time for one now. It’s a super delicious dish and yours looks amazing Brian. ??

Brian Jones

Friday 2nd of March 2018

Thanks Ramona.

Elaine Benoit

Friday 2nd of March 2018

Yum. Chicken Cordon Bleu is such a treat for us. I make it every few months or so! I love using chicken thighs with mine, but since yours looks so delicious, I'm going to try your recipe, exactly as is! Melty cheese dripping out of chicken is the best, isn't it? This looks so fantastic Brian!

Brian Jones

Friday 2nd of March 2018

Thanks Elaine... It is the mountain of butter that does it for me in this dish... But I am most definitely a butter makes everything better kinda guy ;)

Marisa Franca @ All Our Way

Monday 1st of August 2016

Hey, Krumpli you're getting mighty fancy. I'll have to get out the table linens and crystal for this dish. The only problem is I don't have crystal but I do have some dish clothes and sheets that would work as table linens.

Brian Jones

Tuesday 2nd of August 2016

Hehe, the name may be fancy but it aint nothing but cheese, ham and chicken, no needs to get all fancy on my behalf ;)

Jeff the Chef

Monday 14th of March 2016

Such a classic! And for good reaaon: it's so delicious. I've had it several times, even though it's not easy to find. But I've never made it. Thanks for the suggestion!

Brian Jones

Tuesday 29th of March 2016

Cheers Jeff, my wife loves stuff like this so have to keep in her good books and make it occasionally, old 'skool' classics are that for a reason, because the are awesome :)

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