Chicken cordon bleu is always good, but what a pain to make. This great recipe is an efficient way to make EASY chicken cordon bleu.
The chicken, the ham, the melted cheese…. yummy!
But what a pain to make. Pound out the chicken. Roll everything up without it falling out. Then keep it rolled up. Bread it. Cook it without it coming apart. Then eat without it coming apart. Whew! I’m exhausted just writing that!
For the longest time, traditional Chicken Cordon Bleu was something I would only get if we were eating out somewhere. I didn’t want to deal with cooking it myself.
One day, I decided I could probably do this myself, but in a much easier way. The first time I worked on this recipe, I started it like my Feta-Topped Chicken since they are similar recipes. But I added the ham and mozzarella instead of feta and tomato.
Chicken Cordon Blue was originally a Swiss recipe called schnitzel. It has since evolved over time. Of course, the traditional cheese is, therefore, melty Swiss Cheese, but I don’t like it. So, we used the next best soft cheese that we all agree on: mozzarella cheese.
This recipe is a great way to make chicken cordon bleu with less work than the classic dish. Seriously, easy. It takes very little time, about 25 minutes, to make and not much of that is active cooking.
You may call this cheating, I call it efficient cooking!
Serving Suggestions & Tips
- If your chicken is thick, use a meat mallet or rolling pin to thin the chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap so they cook more quickly.
- Garnish with parsley and shredded Parmesan cheese.
- Use thin ham slices so you don’t take away from the flavor of the chicken.
- Make sure you cook the chicken to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F until it is golden brown.
- For smaller pieces, try using chicken cutlets instead of boneless skinless chicken breasts.
- This recipe would be a great way to use up leftover ham as long as you cut it into thin pieces of ham.
- For extra flavor, season the chicken with garlic powder and onion powder.
- If you prefer a slightly sweeter flavor, use honey mustard in place of the Dijon mustard.
Chicken Cordon Bleu Step by Step
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinaigrette
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 2 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
- 4 slices ham
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese (shredded)
Preparation
In a large skillet, over medium heat, combine the chicken broth, balsamic vinaigrette, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper.
Lay the whole chicken breast in the liquid. Cook for about 15-20 minutes. Make sure to flip it a few times while it cooks. The chicken needs to be fully cooked.
Reduce the heat to low and layer a slice of ham and cheese on top of the chicken.
Cover the pan and let it heat on low for about 3-5 minutes until the cheese has melted.
Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu Leftovers
Storage: Let the leftover chicken cordon bleu come to room temperature then place it in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Reheating: For the best results, reheat this easy chicken cordon bleu recipe in a skillet over medium heat for about 8-10 minutes, until warm. Add a little bit of chicken broth or melted butter to the pan while it cooks. It can also be reheated in the air fryer at 330F for 5 minutes.
Recipe
Originally Published On: September 1, 2016
Last Updated On: February 17, 2025
Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinaigrette
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 2 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
- 4 slices ham
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese (shredded)
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- In a large skillet, over medium heat, combine the chicken broth, balsamic vinaigrette, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper
- Lay the whole chicken breast in the liquid
- Cook for about 15-20 minutes. Make sure to flip it a few times while it cooks
- Reduce the heat to low
- Top each chicken with two slices of ham and half of the cheese
- Cover the skillet and warm until the cheese melts
Notes
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
Ham Recipes
- Ham Steak and Gnocchi Casserole with Cheese
- Country Ham Hash Breakfast
- Easy Hawaiian Sliders Recipe with Ham and Cheese
- Baked Skillet Ham and Eggs
- Christmas Sandwiches
- 15 Bean Ham Bone Soup
- Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu
- Homemade Kolaches: A Texas Tradition
- Ham and Cheese Hot Pocket
- Ham and Cheese Omelet
- Baked Ham, Egg, and Cheese Quiches
Mozzarella Cheese
- Super Easy Homemade Fried Mozzarella Sticks Recipe
- Fresh Mozzarella-Topped (Not So) Flatbread
- Crispy Fried Mozzarella Cakes Recipe with Fresh Cheese
- Mozzarella-Stuffed Meatloaf
- Super Easy Pizza Dip
- Cheesy Meatball Skillet
- Homemade Pizza Burgers: The Best Combo of Two Recipes
- Five Cheese Pull-Apart Bread
- Chicken and Spinach Alfredo Bake Casserole
- Thai Basil Pesto Flatbread
- Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu
- Super Easy Pizza Flatbread
- Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Shells
- Fresh Caprese Salad
- Spinach and Artichoke Quesadillas
- Easy Chicken Parmesan
- Kreacher’s French Onion Soup
- Hearty Sausage and Kale Pesto Pizza
- Classic Stuffed Shells
- Quick and Easy Homemade Pizza Bagels Recipe
- Baked Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Chicken and Spinach Casserole with Cream Cheese
- Baked Ziti
- BBQ Chicken Melt with Only 5 Ingredients
- Cheesy Garlic Bread
- Stromboli
- Cheesy Baked Crab Casserole
- Pizza Hot Pocket
- Cheesy Chicken and Spinach Stromboli Ring
- Hawaiian Chicken Wraps
- Cheesy Caper-Stuffed Tomatoes
Ooh, I’ve never heard of Chicken Cordon Bleu before – definitely one for my chicken-loving family to try out!
Traditional Chicken Cordon Bleu is wrapped, but that’s not easy to do. That’s why I make the easy version since we are also a chicken-loving family!
I love me some Chicken Cordon Bleu. But I’ve always felt it could be better. This Chicken Cordon Bleu Recipe has some tweaks that take it to the next level!
The balsamic vinaigrette really adds a lot of flavor to this version. I think that’s the best part of it, in my opinion.
Mmm, I am going to have to try this sometime. It DOES look quick and easy, and I bet my kids would love it! 🙂
Oh my gosh, so easy!
I have never made chicken cordon bleu for the exact reason you mention, so many things to keep from falling apart! I love the idea of just placing it on top and letting it melt together!
I’ve never made it the “traditional” way, either. I didn’t even want to try all that. But this one is so easy to do and ends up with about the same flavor.
I love the simplicity of this recipe. I feel like I always shy away from making Chicken Cordon Bleu because its complicated…but I think I can handle this!!
Yep, this is soooo much easier than the rolled-up chicken cordon bleu. And a quick meal to make on a busy night, too.
Would you believe I have never had it before! It sounds amazing though so I would love to try it!
Typically, chicken cordon bleu is rolled and covered with breadcrumbs. This is the much easier, much simpler version, and quicker, too!
yes yes yes…Give me that amazing cordon bleu please, looks delicious and easy to make. Doing it on Saturday for my wife…
Luckily it’s an easy recipe, and so quick, you can have it without much work! I hope you and your wife enjoy it 🙂
I love chicken cordon bleu, but I have never made my own. This recipe looks like the perfect one for me to try!!!
This is the easy, quick version! To me, it has just as much flavor and is probably healthier since it isn’t breaded like traditional chicken cordon bleu.
I haven’t tried this before and It looks delicious. Might give it a try this weekend because we have so many chickens.
It’s a great quick and easy chicken meal. I hope you enjoy it!
I’ve never tried chicken cordon bleu before, but I love anything cheesy so this looks delicious!
This one is definitely cheesy. And you can add more cheese if you want. I tend to go a bit overboard with the cheese, but cheese is one of my favorite foods.
This is my other half’s kind of dish for sure. Love the look of those yummy veggies too xx
I love making veggies with this. They are delicious if you add a bit of the balsamic vinaigrette and melted cheese to them, too!
Craving satisfied! I would love to prepare this dish. Yummy! It looks so tasty!
This definitely satisfies that craving for chicken cordon bleu without all the extra work. It’s pretty simple to make, I hope you get a chance to try it!