This gluten free chicken cordon bleu is a delicious recipe you can make in under 30 minutes in your air fryer! The sliced ham, Swiss cheese, and juicy chicken breast make this kid-friendly recipe a family favorite. If you don’t have an air fryer, I include an oven-baked option.
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❤️ Sandi’s Recipe Summary
The Quick Bite: Everyone in the family, even picky eaters, will eat this dinner. It is quick and easy to make in just 30 minutes. It includes simple ingredients like thinly sliced chicken, ham, Swiss cheese, egg, and gluten free bread crumbs.
Mr. Fearless Dining and I used to love chicken cordon bleu before going gluten-free. I don’t know why I have not made a gluten free version, but is is definitely time I did. I trialed a few different methods, and I truly think the air fryer was the best way to cook them. The air fryer keeps the inside of the chicken nice and juicy while the outer coating is crispy.
I have lots of easy gluten free chicken recipes on the blog. If you love using the air fryer, try my juicy air-fried gluten free chicken nuggets, too!
This was really easy to use. I only had cheddar cheese on hand, and it still turned out great.”
bethany t., Pinterest comment
Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Thinly sliced fresh chicken breasts – You can usually buy chicken breasts sliced thinly. If not, buy regular chicken breasts and thinly slice them horizontally into cutlets.
- Ham – Use thinly sliced ham, which will make these rolls easier.
- Swiss cheese – I use thinly sliced cheese during recipe testing because it rolled easier.
- Gluten free panko or bread crumbs – Use store-bought or make your own gluten free bread crumbs!
If you are trying to decide on what air fryer to get, I have a great list of the best air fryers for gluten free. If you have a mixed household (some gluten free and others are not), the Ninja Foodi dual zone is the only safe air fryer. It has separate fans on each side, which prevents cross-contamination. You may also love using Air Fryer Foil Packets to make your meals. I love this for cooking chicken breast to keep it extra moist.
How to Make Gluten-Free Chicken Cordon Bleu (Step-By-Step)
Step 1: Lay the thinly sliced chicken on a plate or dishwasher-safe cutting board. These days, you can purchase chicken breasts thinly sliced. If you can’t find it, you can use a knife to thinly slice regular chicken breasts or a meat pounder to pound your chicken flat.
You want your chicken breast to be about 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Add ham and Swiss cheese on top.
Step 2: Carefully roll your chicken breasts over the ham and Swiss cheese to make a roll. Use toothpicks to hold the rolls in place.
Step 3: Dip the chicken roll in the mixed egg and roll to coat the chicken. Next, roll the chicken in the breadcrumb mixture.
Air Fryer Instructions:
Step 4: Spray the inside of the air fryer with oil, then gently place the chicken in the fryer basket. Spray the top of each chicken roll with oil. This will help the outside breading get nice and crispy. I love to use this oil mister, so the oil is finely sprayed.
Step 5: Preheat the air fryer to 360°F for 5 minutes, then cook the chicken rolls for 12-13 minutes. The cooking time will vary depending on how thick your chicken rolls are.
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Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature in the center of the rolls. You want your chicken to have an internal temperature of 165ºF.
Step 6: Remove the toothpicks. Serve hot with one of the delicious side dishes below.
Oven Instructions:
If you don’t have an air fryer, no problem! To bake these in the oven, preheat your oven to 350º F. Place the chicken in a greased 8×8 pan. Spray oil over the chicken rolls and bake for 30 minutes.
Check the internal temperature to make sure it is 165ºF. The exact baking time will depend on how thick your chicken is sliced and how large the rolls are.
What To Serve With Chicken Cordon Bleu:
If you are like me, you enjoy a complete meal at least once in a while. There are so many delicious sides to serve with chicken cordon bleu. Try out a few of these side dish ideas.
- Mashed Potatoes – The creaminess of the potatoes adds a delightful flavor and texture with the chicken.
- Kale Salad – You can choose a fresh vegetable salad or go big with a gourmet-style salad. Either way, it works!
- Roasted Vegetables – Brussels sprouts, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, radish, or anything else you think sounds good is worth a try.
- These Cinnamon Brown Sugar Carrots are very popular, especially with kids and teens.
- This Italian Air Fryer Green Beans recipe is another delicious side that tastes incredible with chicken cordon bleu.
Cooked chicken breast should be firm to the touch but break apart easily when you try to shred it. Avoid overcooking the chicken, or it will be dry and flavorless.
Storage/Reheating:
You can easily store the leftover gluten free chicken cordon bleu in an air-tight container in your refrigerator. Store the chicken in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To reheat the leftovers in the microwave, place a towel over the chicken before heating so it doesn’t make a mess. The outer breaded coating will not stay crisp when you reheat the chicken.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Although the classic recipe uses Swiss cheese, you can use any cheese you like. Many types of cheese taste delicious paired with ham. One reader commented that they used cheddar cheese.
You can use frozen chicken breasts, but you must thaw them before rolling them in the breadcrumb mixture.
Don’t forget to check out my easy Gluten Free Air Fryer Recipes for even more dinner ideas!
Love This Recipe?
If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. Please specify which panko or breadcrumbs you used. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
Easy Gluten Free Chicken Cordon Bleu – Two Ways!
Ingredients
- 1 pound thinly sliced chicken * see notes
- 4 slices deli ham
- 4 slices Swiss cheese
- 1 ½ cups gluten free panko or bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- In a bowl, add 1 large egg and mix well.
- In a second bowl, add 1 1/2 cups gluten free panko, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper and whisk to mix.
- Take 1 pound thinly sliced chicken and lay them on a plate. Add a slice of ham and Swiss cheese on top.
- Slowly roll the chicken breast around and secure it with toothpicks.
- Repeat with the rest of the chicken.
- Dip each roll into the egg mixture, then roll it around the panko mixture.
- Preheat your air fryer for 5 minutes to 350º F. To cook in your air fryer, spray the fryer lightly with oil. Add your chicken rolls and spray the oil mist onto the chicken. Cook for 12 minutes at 360º F. Open the air fryer and turn the chicken over. Cook an additional 5 minutes. Check the internal temperature of the rolls to ensure it is 165º F.
- To cook in the oven, preheat your oven to 350º F. Add your chicken rolls to a greased 8×8 pan. Mist oil over the chicken and bake for 30 minutes. Check the internal temperature like above. (*see note)
Notes
- These days you can buy chicken breasts sliced thinly. If you can’t find them at your local grocery store, you can use a meat pounder to flatten your chicken breasts.
- Cooking time will vary depending on how thick your chicken is sliced, and how large each roll is.
- You can use gluten free panko, bread crumbs, or even Trader Joe’s rice crumbs.
- Make homemade gluten free bread crumbs, which are so much less expensive than store-bought.
- This chicken will keep up to 4 days in an airtight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
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SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, my rule of thumb is to add more flour if your dough or batter is wet and add more liquid if the dough or batter is too dry!
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
I truly hope you enjoy this recipe. I have been testing and creating gluten-free recipes for over 15 years. Creating gluten-free recipes that do not taste gluten-free is my goal for every recipe. Sometimes I only have to test a new recipe a couple of times, and others it takes multiple times. I do this so you get reliable, delicious results every time!
Made in oven with spiral ham slice, swiss cheese slice, GF panko & 4 toothpicks. Excellent!
I am so glad you loved this recipe, Mary. I bet the spiral ham added a lot of sweet flavors!