Martha Stewart Chicken Cordon Bleu Recipe

Some recipes do not need updating. Martha Stewart’s Chicken Cordon Bleu is the classic done right: butterflied chicken breasts pounded thin, filled with Swiss cheese and ham, breaded in seasoned panko, and pan-fried until the outside is golden and crunchy and the cheese is melted and stretchy inside, all in 40 minutes.

This chicken cordon bleu recipe is one of Martha Stewart’s best pan-fried chicken recipes and I make it in the winter when I want something crispy and indulgent that feels like a real sit-down dinner. There is a reason this dish has been around forever. The combination of crunchy panko, salty ham, and melted Swiss inside a juicy chicken breast is one of those things that nobody in the history of food has ever gotten tired of.

Try More Chicken Recipes:

• Cordon Bleu Roll-Ups
• Chicken Parmesan
• Chicken Schnitzel

Why You Will Love This Chicken Cordon Bleu:

• Pan-fried, not baked: This is the real thing. The chicken fries in oil until the panko is deeply golden and crunchy in a way that baking never gets. I know baking is easier but pan-frying is what makes this cordon bleu and not just chicken with cheese inside. The crunch is the whole point.
• The cheese melts while the chicken fries: 14 to 16 minutes over medium heat is enough time for the Swiss to go completely melted and stretchy inside while the outside gets golden. When you cut into it, the cheese pulls apart and you know you timed it right. I cut one open too early once and the cheese was still solid. Patience matters.
• Martha seasons EVERYTHING: The flour, the egg wash, and the panko all get salt and pepper. Most recipes only season the chicken itself. Martha seasons every layer and that is why every bite tastes seasoned all the way through instead of just on the surface. I did not notice this detail the first time and the second time was a completely different experience.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Ingredients

• 4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts (6 ounces each), tenderloins removed
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 6 ounces thinly sliced Swiss cheese
• 6 ounces thinly sliced ham
• 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups panko breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup safflower or other neutral oil

How To Make Martha Stewart Chicken Cordon Bleu

1. Butterfly and pound the chicken: Take a sharp knife and slice each breast horizontally, starting at the thickest part and cutting almost but not all the way through. Open it like a book so it lies flat. Put it between plastic wrap and pound to an even 1/4-inch thick. Season with salt and pepper. Do the same with the rest.
2. Fill and fold: Lay 1 1/2 ounces of Swiss cheese and 1 1/2 ounces of ham on each opened breast. Fold it in half to close the filling inside.
3. Set up the breading station: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees to keep the first batch warm. Put the flour in one shallow dish, beat the eggs with 2 tablespoons water in another, and put the panko in a third. Season all three with salt and pepper.
4. Bread and fry: Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium. Dredge each stuffed breast in flour, shake off the extra, dip in the egg, then press into the panko. Fry 2 at a time, turning once halfway, until golden brown and cooked through with the cheese melted inside, 14 to 16 minutes. Put them on a wire rack over a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven.
5. Fry the rest and serve: Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and cook the second batch the same way. Serve right away.

Recipe Tips

• Do not cut all the way through: You are butterflying, not splitting. The breast should open like a book with one side still attached. If you cut it in two pieces the cheese leaks out while frying. I cut through once and spent the whole time watching Swiss cheese ooze into the oil.
• Season every single layer: Martha says season the flour, season the eggs, season the panko. It sounds like a lot of salt but most of it falls off with the excess flour and crumbs. What stays is a coating that tastes good in every bite, not just where the chicken was seasoned.
• Keep the heat at medium, not higher: 14 to 16 minutes sounds long for pan-frying but you need that time for the heat to reach the cheese inside. Crank it to high and the panko burns while the chicken is still raw in the middle. I learned this the hard way on my first try.
• Fry in batches of 2: Four stuffed breasts crowd the skillet and the oil temperature drops. Cold oil means soggy coating. Two at a time in 2 tablespoons oil each batch.

How This Compares To The Roll-Up Version

I already made Martha’s cordon bleu roll-ups and these two recipes share a name but almost nothing else. The roll-ups use goat cheese, prosciutto, and Corn Chex, and they bake in the oven. This one uses Swiss, ham, and panko, and it fries in a skillet. The roll-ups are lighter and more modern. This one is richer and more classic.

• I make the roll-ups when I want something creative and gluten-free. I make this one when I want the real thing with the crunch and the melted Swiss cheese pull when you cut into it. Different cravings, different recipes.
• If you have never made cordon bleu before, start with this version. It teaches you the technique. Then try the roll-ups when you want to play around with it.

Both are good. But when someone says “chicken cordon bleu” this is the one they picture.

What Goes Well With This Cordon Bleu

I tried mashed potatoes once and my stomach regretted it by 9 pm. Now I stick with green beans or a cucumber salad. Something green and crunchy is all this needs.

My family grabs pickles straight from the jar while these fry and honestly the vinegar thing works. Martha says serve with winter chicories and she was right, but pickles are faster.

How To Store Leftovers

The panko soaks up cheese moisture overnight and goes from crunchy to chewy. Do not microwave it. The cheese exploded out the side and the coating turned into a wet blanket. Reheat on a wire rack at 375 for 10 minutes if you want crunch back.

But my favorite move is slicing it cold on a sandwich with mustard and pickles. The cold Swiss stays firm and it is honestly better as a sandwich than reheated. I have made extra on purpose just to have the sandwich the next day.

FAQs

• What does butterflying mean? You cut the chicken breast horizontally from the thick side almost to the thin side, but you stop before you cut through. Then you open it flat like a book. It gives you one big thin piece instead of two separate pieces, and the connected side keeps the filling from falling out while you fry.
• Can I bake this instead of frying? You can, but the coating will not be as crunchy. If you want baked, try Martha’s roll-up version which is designed for the oven. This recipe is meant for the skillet and the pan-frying is what makes it taste like real cordon bleu.
• Why does the cheese leak out? Usually because the breast was not sealed properly. Make sure you fold it tightly and press the edges together before breading. The flour and egg act as glue. If you butterflied correctly and did not cut all the way through, the connected side helps hold everything in.
• Can I use a different cheese? Swiss is traditional and melts the way cordon bleu needs. Gruyere works great and is nuttier. I would not use cheddar because it gets oily when it melts. Provolone is another option that melts well. Martha uses Swiss and I think it is the right choice for the classic version.

More Chicken Recipes:

• Chicken Milanese
• Chicken Saltimbocca
• Chicken Piccata

Nutrition Facts

(1 serving, serves 4)

• Calories: 650
• Total Fat: 30g
• Saturated Fat: 10g
• Cholesterol: 160mg
• Sodium: 800mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 25g
• Protein: 52g