Chicken cordon bleu sounds fancy, right? But here’s the secret—it’s super simple, especially when you make it in the air fryer. This version comes out juicy on the inside, crispy on the outside, and has all that cheesy, savory goodness you’d expect from a restaurant… but without deep frying or turning on your oven.
As someone who’s tested air fryer recipes for everything from Air Fryer Little Smokies to Air Fryer Pigs in a Blanket, I can say with confidence—this one’s a keeper. It’s perfect for date night, or even appetizer (which is what my family does), or just when you want something that feels special without a ton of effort.
Whenever I’m planning my next blog posts and recipes one of the things I like to ask myself is can I air fry that? Air fryer recipes are pretty popular on this blog and people love them.
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What Is Chicken Cordon Bleu?
Traditionally, chicken cordon bleu is a breaded chicken breast stuffed with ham and Swiss cheese, then baked or fried until golden and melty. It’s rich, filling, and full of flavor. The air fryer makes it even better by giving you that crispy coating in less time, with way less oil.
Why You’ll Love This Air Fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu
- Golden and crispy with NO deep frying - You don't need much oil at all if you're using your air fryer! Lighter than the classic version
- Melty, savory ham and cheese center
- Great for meal prep or dinner parties
- Ready in under 30 minutes!
Ingredients Needed
- Boneless skinless chicken breast halves - They’re lean and quick-cooking and always come out juicy and tender. Use an instant-read thermometer to make sure that the chicken is not over cooked. When reading labels for chicken breasts try to find ones that say Organic or Free Range.
- Swiss Cheese and Slices of Ham from the Deli section
- Panko breadcrumbs - are a type of breadcrumb commonly used in Japanese cuisine. Panko bread crumbs can be found in most grocery stores and are often used as a substitute for traditional breadcrumbs in recipes.
- Parmesan cheese - Parmesan cheese is a hard, granular cheese that originated in Italy. It is typically made from cow's milk and has a sharp, nutty flavor. Parmesan cheese is often grated and used as a topping for pasta dishes, salads, and other foods.
- Eggs - Always use large eggs
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Additional Seasonings - garlic powder, dijon mustard
- See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
- Note: Not pictured above is parmesan cheese.
To make this low carb use crushed pork rinds for bread crumbs.
How do you make chicken cordon bleu in the air fryer?
Step 1: First, start off with some chicken breast. They have to be thawed. Pound it very thin by placing a piece of plastic saran wrap over the chicken and use a rolling pin to pound it. This makes a lot of noise, but it’s well worth it.
Step 2: Place a slice of cheese and ham in the middle and start the chicken breast up like you would when making a cinnamon roll. Use a toothpick to secure the chicken and keep the ham and cheese from falling out.
Step 3: Dredge the chicken in some egg wash(this is just an egg whisk together with a fork) and the dip the chicken in the bread crumbs.
Step 4: Place the chicken in your air fryer basket and set the timer to 350 for 8 to 12 minutes. When you slice into the chicken roll-up it should no longer be pink in the middle. If there is any leftovers store in airtight container.
Pro Tips
- Use toothpicks to hold the chicken closed—just remember to remove them before serving.
- Add a little paprika or Italian seasoning to the breadcrumbs for extra flavor.
- Want to meal prep? You can freeze them before or after air frying!
- Great paired with air fryer green beans, a side salad, or mashed cauliflower.
What to Serve with Chicken Cordon Bleu
Sides like Roasted veggies like Traeger Smoked Asparagus, Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts with Bacon, or Paula Deen's Green Bean Casserole are great to have with chicken cordon bleu.
Ina Garten's Garlic Roasted Potatoes
Cauliflower rice or a green salad for a lighter option
A creamy mustard or Dijon sauce for dipping
Recipe Faqs
Yes! Prep and roll the chicken in advance, then air fry when ready to serve.
I have two air fryers. The Cosori 4 Qt Air Fryer and Ninja Woodfire Grill which is an outdoor air fryer. It’s pretty awesome! It has 5 different functions on it.
An air fryer is a kitchen appliance that cooks by circulating hot air around the food using the convection mechanism. It is a downsized version of the convection oven.
Absolutely. Freeze before air frying, then cook straight from frozen—just add 5–7 extra minutes.
Other Air Fryer Recipes to Try
If you tried this Air Fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you! Follow along on Tiktok @jennarecipediaries
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Chicken Cordon Bleu
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 12 min
- Total Time: 22 min
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Chicken
- Method: AIR FRY
- Cuisine: AMERICAN
Description
Chicken Cordon Bleu is a classic chicken dish stuffed with cheese and ham and then the chicken gets breaded and cooked in oil. You can make this dish a lot healthier by air frying the chicken.
Ingredients
- 4 skinless, boneless skinless chicken breast halves
- 4 slices of Swiss Cheese
- 4 Slices of Ham, or sliced deli ham
- ⅓ cup of bread crumbs
- ⅓ cup of parmesan cheese
- 2 eggs
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pound out chicken breasts until thin. You can use a rolling pin or meat mallet to do this step. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
- Place one slice of ham and one slice of Swiss cheese on top of the chicken and roll it up into a little bundle.
- Secure the chicken breasts with toothpicks if necessary. Dip the chicken in the egg and then into the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts.
- Place each chicken into your air fryer basket and set the temperature at 350 for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Your chicken is done when it is no longer pink in the middle or when the temperature reaches 165. Serve with a side salad or mashed potatoes on the side.
Notes
myWW points Blue 5; Green 9; Purple 5
y WW Personal Points: 5 Click here to see in recipe builder (will have to log in)
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken breast
- Calories: 319
- Sugar: 1.4g
- Fat: 14.4g
- Saturated Fat: 6.4g
- Carbohydrates: 10.7g
- Fiber: .4g
- Protein: 34.6g
Michele says
Super good! I added spinach to ours only because I’ve done it in previous recipes. It didn’t need it but it sure was good.
KGL Staff says
recipe is great! I made it according to your recipe and the taste is great! Everyone in the family likes it, it makes me happy. thank you
Robert Miller says
Do you spray the basket with oil
Alice Beef says
My son loves to eat chicken so much and that is the reason why meet your site. Thanks to your tips, i make it for him and he eats all. Thank for experience and sharing. Hope to hear more from your site.
Medison From CookwareStuffs says
Hi..Jenna..this looks soo creamy & more crispy...am a big fan of chicken as well..am gonna making this chicken cordon bleu..Thanks for sharing....!