Cheesy, crunchy, and oozing with flavor, this chicken cordon bleu proves you can have a luxurious meal without the unhealthy ingredients! Learn how to make this melt-in-your-mouth recipe that’s light and easy.
For the longest time, I thought Chicken Cordon Bleu was too intricate to make. Probably because of the fancy French name. This belief kept me from cooking it.
Dustin used to make it for us in college (impressive I know) so that's how I got hooked. To the dish, I mean ; )
Do you know what “Chicken Cordon Bleu” means? I didn’t. Apparently, the bleu represents a "blue ribbon." This is a chicken dish legitimately awarded for its excellence.
Excellent taste and experience, yes. But how about the health factor?
Thing is, rich and decadent meals too often come paired with a lot of unhealthy fats and calories (especially when doused with the sauce and all).
So the challenge is obvious: Can I make a Cordon Bleu that skips the excess unhealthy fats and extra calories — without sacrificing the crunch, juiciness, and flavor!
SPOILER ALERT: I did and this is the recipe. Enjoy it for date nights, fancy gatherings, or even as a weeknight dinner!
Is Chicken Cordon Bleu Fattening?
A typical chicken cordon blue recipe is fattening (as it’s breaded with flour and breadcrumbs then fried). This makes the dish add up in calories and unhealthy fat which I’ll share a bit more on below.
Aside from that, chicken cordon bleu is usually served with calorie-rich sauces! In this recipe, we’re skipping the sauce for a lighter and weight loss-friendly meal. (Don’t worry, it can be just as good and satisfying even without the sauce!)
We’re also skipping the unhealthy breading ingredients and substituting them with cleaner alternatives. Yay!
Is Healthy Chicken Cordon Bleu Good For Weight Loss?
If you’re cooking chicken cordon bleu traditionally, then no, it’s not good for weight loss.
But because we’re ditching the frying method and other extra calorie-heavy ingredients (see below), the recipe we’re making is clean, healthier, and weight loss-friendly.
How Do We Make Chicken Cordon Bleu Healthy?
If there’s a will, there’s always a healthy way to revamp this recipe without sacrificing flavor. Here’s how I made it clean eating approved:
- To help reduce the unhealthy saturated fat (and mess): Don’t fry your chicken cordon bleu. Instead, bake it with extra virgin olive oil (or cook it using your air fryer). It will still come out crispy and golden on the outside while staying juicy on the inside.
- To reduce the sodium: Substitute bread crumbs typically used for the crust with almond meal. Store-bought breadcrumbs usually have high amounts of sodium and — yikes — corn syrup.
- To increase nutritional value: Swap your all-purpose white flour with chickpea flour. White flour is practically devoid of nutrients!
Chickpea flour is lower in carbs and calories but rich in fiber and protein. What a win! Research even links it to having antioxidant potential! See more of my fave white flour healthy substitutes here.
What Is In This Recipe?
Here are the ingredients of your healthy chicken cordon bleu. You might have some of the essentials in your kitchen pantry already. Take a look:
- Chicken breasts (boneless and skinless)
- Prosciutto (thin slices)
- Swiss cheese
- Chickpea flour
- Sea salt
- Black pepper (freshly ground)
- Almond meal
- Thyme (fresh leaves)
- Garlic (minced)
- Eggs
- Extra-virgin olive oil (see why it’s the healthiest oil here)
How Do You Keep Cheese From Running Out Of Chicken Cordon Bleu?
To keep the cheese intact in chicken cordon blue, I make sure to roll it into the chicken wrap really, really tight. Doing so allows it to stay together. In fact, I never needed to use toothpicks with this method.
Before rolling, make sure to tuck in the ends and any stray pieces in. Don’t use too much stuffing and avoid spreading it all the way to the outer edges. You’ll want to leave a clear border (around half an inch margin) to keep it sealed and tight.
Remember to squeeze the log gently and twist both ends of the saran wrap to seal your chicken well.
How Many Calories Does Cordon Bleu Have?
According to the USDA, one breast is identified as a standard serving of chicken cordon bleu. With the cheese, butter, and cream sauce, I typically find a serving to range from 500 to 800 calories (much of which comes from fat).
That's a little too high for me so I've worked to knock down the calories quite a bit. The usual sauce contains approximately 120 calories per serving. In this version, we’re skipping the sauce but not the flavor, don’t worry!
Ultimately my healthy chicken cordon bleu comes to just 367 calories per serving (one roll)!
What Is The Nutritional Value Of Healthy Chicken Cordon Bleu?
No doubt, chicken cordon bleu is a sumptuous and mouth-watering dish that’s been around for ages. Its creamy, rich, oh-so-juicy, and tender goodness place it up there with even the fanciest dinners! But before we get ahead of ourselves, let's talk calories.
This healthy version of chicken cordon bleu per serving (1 out of 2 rolls) has:
- Calories: 367
- Fat: 20g
- Cholesterol: 159mg
- Sodium: 519mg
- Potassium: 618mg
- Carbohydrates: 13g
- Fiber: 4g
- Sugar: 2g
- Protein: 34g
- Vitamin A: 350IU
- Vitamin C: 5mg
- Calcium: 67mg
- Iron: 3mg
How To Store?
For leftovers, simply place your delicious cordon bleu in an airtight container and store it in your fridge for 3-4 days.
It would be best to reheat it in the oven to maximize the juiciness and crispiness of the chicken. Preheat your oven to around 350F and bake for 10-15 minutes or until it’s heated through.
You can even make this recipe ahead! To keep a bake later version, just prepare it as directed and don’t bake. Then, cover it tightly with foil and you can freeze it for up to 3 months! When you’re ready to enjoy it, put it in the fridge for 24 hours or until thawed.
More Healthy Chicken Recipes
Looking to enjoy more of this healthy protein? Try these other insanely easy and delicious chicken recipes!
- Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Meal Prep
- Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
- Goat Cheese Chicken Pasta | Creamy And Flavorful
- Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Healthy Chicken Cacciatore
- Nashville Hot Chicken
- Healthy Chicken Parmesan
This post contains affiliate links for products I use regularly and highly recommend.
Chicken Cordon Bleu
Equipment
*This post may contain affiliate links for products I use often and highly recommend.
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
- 4-6 thin Prosciutto slices
- 6-8 slices Swiss
- ¼ cup chickpea flour
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup almond meal
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme leaves only
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Lay the chicken between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, gently pound the chicken to ¼-inch thickness. Take care not to pound too hard because the meat may tear or create holes.
- Lay 2 slices of Swiss on each breast, followed by 2 slices of prosciutto and then 2 more of cheese. Try to leave a ½-inch margin on all sides to help seal the roll. Tuck in the sides of the breast and roll up tightly like a jellyroll inside the plastic wrap. Squeeze the log gently to seal and twist both ends tight. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
- Season the chickpea flour with sea salt and pepper and spread in a flat dish.
- Mix the almond meal with thyme, garlic, sea salt and pepper in a separate dish.
- Beat together the eggs and season with sea salt and pepper in a third dish.
- Remove the chicken from the plastic wrap. Lightly dust the chicken with chickpea flour, then dip in the egg mixture and then gently coat in the almond meal mixture. Lightly coat a baking pan or dish with olive oil and carefully transfer the roulades. Bake until browned and cooked through, about 25-35 minutes.
- Cut into pinwheels before serving.
Dustin
We use to love this. Need to make it again.
Stephanie
Lacey, thank you so much for this recipe. It was very easy to put together and it turned out beautifully. My sweetheart was so impressed! I fully intend to share this link far and wide. Many, many thanks!
Linda W
Have made chicken cordon bleu many times but I dip in butter, then bread crumbs with Parmesan cheese...everyone raves. It isn't real crusty because of it but a lot more moist...probably not the true recipe but a little twist
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Well, you can't really go wrong dipping in butter and cheese 😉
Lexi
How do you keep them together without toothpicks? And do you tuck the ends in first before rolling?
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Lexi, when I'm rolling them into the saran wrap, I make sure to do it really, really tight so it stays together. I've never needed to use toothpicks. Before, rolling, I do tuck in the ends and any stray pieces to make them as uniform as possible. Thanks for clarifying!
Harvey
Those that have or have had problems with dry chicken and pork should do a search for "brining chicken" or "brining pork" and you will not believe how such a simple thing can make chicken and pork so moist and flavorful
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Thanks for the tip, Harvey!
Paul
I prepared this recipe with a mix of Oaxaca and Muenster cheeses. I also added some roasted rosemary, tarragon and garlic. Was absolutely delicious!
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Yum! Love the additions you used. Thanks for sharing.
Jules
Oh, it also took an hour to cook the chicken all the way through but I had 7 breasts in the oven.
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Good to know! Thanks for letting me know. I'm going to make this again and see how it goes for me with cooking time. I haven't had it in a while and it sounds tasty anyways 🙂
Jules
Thank you so much! I came across your website while in search for a chicken cordon bleu recipe and I am in love! We had a dinner party with 10 guests last night and this was the most perfect entre. I prepared the chicken the night before and then just before everyone arrived I did the egg/flour/bread crumbs. I also made your bruchetta and I'll be forwarding a number of our guests links to your recipes because they loved it so much. Thank you - you were a huge help to making the party a success!!
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Wow, Jules, thanks so much for your feedback and great review! I'm so glad (1) you chose my recipes to share with your guests and (2) you all enjoyed it! Yay!!! You're so very welcome 🙂
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Hmmm...that is weird. I'm sorry to hear you had trouble with the recipe, Anthony. For how long did you need to bake them?
Anthony Policci
How in the world do you ever get these to bake thoroughly in only 25 minutes? Mine were barely at 150 degrees internally after 25 min. 🙂
Sabrina
Thanks For the Recipe, I cook my boyfriend dinner a fairly good amount. It was good to come across something that was so simple but the end resualt looked like it took hours to make. It was very good!!! Thanks again.
lacey - a sweet pea chef
I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Sabrina! Gotta love an easy, impressive meal 🙂
Donald
i have attempted this dish a couple of times before. I have ended up with dry chicken or serious trouble breading. yours looks soooooo appetizing. i will have to give it ago once more!
great pix.
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Hey Donald! I hope you do give it another try. This dish usually comes out nice and moist, but I've had trouble with other cordon bleu recipes in the past being too dry also. Good luck and thanks for commenting!
Emi
this looks great! Will definitely have to add it to my menu next week.
Sweet Pea Chef
Hi Emi! So happy to hear from you! I hope your trip went/is going well. Are you back now?
Joanne
My mom used to serve us a frozen cordon bleu that she bought in the supermarket. I never loved it but knew that it held such promise. I haven't made it yet but your version looks delicious!
Sweet Pea Chef
Hi Joanne, I hope you like this one! 🙂
Chef Dennis
what a perfect cordon bleu! your images are outstanding....I am so happy to have found your blog!
Sweet Pea Chef
Hi Chef Dennis! Welcome and thank you!
Tara
I used to think the bleu was for blue cheese...but I didn't realize that it has no blue cheese in it until the 3rd time I made it. lol Thanks for the lesson!!
Sweet Pea Chef
Hi Tara! Hilarious. I fight that all the time too. It just sounds like it should have bleu cheese IN it, right? Thanks for sharing!
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Betty @ scrambled hen fruit
Wow- I always thought it was much more complicated than that. Thanks for your excellent instructions. We eat a lot of chicken, and it's always great to learn new ways to prepare it!
Sweet Pea Chef
Betty, so did I! Glad to help de-mystify the recipe 🙂