Keto Chicken Cordon Bleu Recipe

Chicken cordon bleu is one of the most popular chicken dishes out there and, believe it or not, it dates way back. According to Daily Delish, chicken cordon bleu has been around in the United States since the 1940s, though Julee Ho notes that it likely came from a dish called veal kiev, which someone created in Paris in the 1800s. Now, people worldwide enjoy this wonderful chicken you roll with Swiss cheese and ham, not only making it incredibly delicious but also making it incredibly filling. 

Recipe developer Catherine Brookes came up with this keto version of the classic. "This recipe may take a little more effort than your usual dinner but the result feels like something really special," Brookes says. "This is great to make on a weekend when you have a little more time to spend cooking. Chicken, ham and cheese compliment each other so well and the creamy sauce just tops it off perfectly." Even if you don't follow a keto diet, there's much to love about this savory dish, so follow along to learn how to make it.

Before you can hop into this recipe, you'll want to make sure you have the right ingredients. You'll need almond flour, Parmesan cheese, onion powder, Italian herbs, four large chicken breasts, ham, swiss cheese, eggs, vegetable oil, butter, garlic, heavy cream, Dijon mustard, chicken stock, salt, and pepper.

Are you wondering what exactly makes this a keto recipe? "Using Parmesan and almond flour is a fun twist on your standard breadcrumb coating that makes this friendly for those following a keto or gluten-free diet," Brookes explains.

Grab a large bowl and toss in the almond flour, a cup of Parmesan cheese, onion powder, and Italian herbs. Mix them to combine and there you have your coating for the chicken. 

On a chopping board, lay a piece of plastic wrap down and place one of the chicken breasts on top. Add another piece of plastic wrap over the chicken breast to cover it. Using either a rolling pin or meat mallet, pound the breast until it's about ¼-inch thick.

Once you finish smashing the chicken, remove the top layer of plastic wrap, then place two pieces of Swiss cheese on top of the breast. On top of the Swiss cheese, layer two slices of ham.

Roll the chicken with the cheese and ham from the shortest side into a sausage-like shape. Repeat these same steps with the remainder of the chicken breasts, so you have four rolled pieces. 

By now, all of your chicken breasts should be ready to go. Unwrap each one and roll them in the beaten egg. Next, dredge the chicken in the almond flour mixture to coat.

Since you will need to use your oven for this recipe, go ahead and preheat to 350 F. While you wait for the oven to get nice and toasty, take out a large frying pan and place it on your stove. Drizzle in olive oil and set the heat to medium. Add the chicken to the pan and fry it for a few minutes on each side. Make sure it browns all over. "You just want to get it golden brown on all parts of the crust — this usually requires four turns in the pan," Brookes notes. Don't worry about the chicken cooking through in this step, as it will have plenty of time to do that in the oven.

Remove the chicken from the frying pan and carefully transfer it to a baking sheet. Pop it in the oven and cook for about 20 minutes, or until cooked through. To check doneness, cut into the chicken and make sure there's no pink in the center. 

As you wait for the chicken to bake, make the sauce. In a saucepan, add the butter and turn the heat to medium. Once the butter melts, add the garlic and cook for a minute. Be sure to stir the mixture constantly. Then, add the cream, mustard, and remaining ½ cup of Parmesan cheese, in addition to salt and pepper to taste. Stir well and let the sauce simmer for about five minutes until slightly thickened. Please note that the sauce will thicken more as it cools. "It's rich, creamy and cheesy with a slight tang from the mustard," Brookes says of the sauce. 

Now that your chicken has finished cooking and your sauce is thick and delicious, go ahead and drizzle the sauce on top of the chicken. Then, you can either serve the chicken whole or slice it into rounds. This would be filling on its own, but Brookes suggests serving it "with broccoli, green beans, corn, mashed potato, [or a] side salad," to round out the meal.

If you have anything left, it would make a great second meal! "You can keep leftovers in the fridge for 2 days and reheat in the oven," Brookes notes.