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!
What Typically Makes This Meal Unhealthy
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!
Ingredient Substitutions
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 refined carbs: 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. Chickpea flour is lower in carbs and calories but rich in fiber and protein.
See more of my fave white flour healthy substitutes.
How To Keep The Cheese From Running Out
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 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
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.
Nutrition
This post contains affiliate links for products I use regularly and highly recommend.
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!