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Make the best Air Fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu with this easy and delicious recipe. A flavorful homemade Parmesan sauce pairs well with the crispy and tender chicken.

4 air fryer chicken cordon bleu cutlets on a plate topped with parsley.

This chicken cordon bleu in the air fryer looks like a fancy meal, but it’s actually ready in under 30 minutes. And did I mention you can meal prep the heck out of this?

The chicken is filled with Swiss cheese and ham, lightly breaded and it’s so crispy while using only 2 tbsp of oil. Even better, the Parmesan Dijon sauce is packed with flavor.

What Side Dishes Go With Chicken Cordon Bleu?

Given the creaminess of the sauce, I love to go hard on vegetable sides for this dish. Not only does it add something healthy to the dinner, but you then get to dip the veggies in leftover Parmesan cream sauce. Yes, please!

I recommend Air Fryer Asparagus, Roasted Frozen Broccoli, Air Fryer Carrots, or Instant Pot Cauliflower.

Want to add some starches on the side? Instant Pot Asparagus Risotto, Gluten-Free Scalloped Potatoes, Garlic Butter Rice, and Mashed Potatoes With Wasabi are all delicious options.

chicken, breadcrumbs, an egg and other ingredients on a white board

Variations

I used sliced smoked deli ham, but leftover thinly sliced Instant Pot Ham will work great as well!
My friend’s family loves to use salami in place of ham.
This recipe calls for Swiss cheese, but provolone is absolutely fantastic as well. Mozzarella also works but will definitely be a bit messier while cooking as it melts in the air fryer.
Add a handful of raw baby spinach on top of the Swiss cheese before rolling the chicken.
We use boneless skinless chicken breasts from Butcher Box, but chicken thighs will work as well. Thighs will make smaller individual portions.
Want to make mini chicken cordon bleu in the air fryer? Start with boneless skinless chicken tenders instead of chicken breasts.

Fun nerd fact, cordon bleu means “of the highest class”, as in a blue ribbon. It doesn’t refer to bleu cheese being used in the recipe.

How to Make Chicken Cordon Bleu in the Air Fryer

I’m going to briefly walk you through it here with photos, and you’ll find detailed instructions as well as measurements for the ingredients in the printable recipe card below.

First, we’re going to set up “dredging” station for breading the chicken. You’ll want a bowl with all-purpose flour, another with a beaten egg and milk, another with breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan.

Then, we’re going to butterfly the chicken breasts. We want four total chicken fillets for this recipe, so depending on the size of your chicken, you may be using two chicken breasts.

Use a sharp knife and slice horizontally into one side of the chicken and cut all the way through to the other side. Have questions? You can see this demonstrated in the recipe video above.

Next up, place the chicken on plastic wrap (I have also used parchment) with another piece on top. Use a meat mallet/tenderizer or a rolling pin and pound the chicken to flatten the chicken fillets. You don’t want them paper-thin, but you do want them thin enough to cook evenly in the air fryer.

Now, we’re going to season the chicken with a dry spice mixture (see details in the recipe card) on both sides. Then, place a piece of ham and then Swiss cheese on top of the flattened chicken. Fold them in half from top to bottom.

Next, dredge the chicken in all-purpose flour, then the egg mixture, and finally the breadcrumb mixture, making sure to coat all sides.

Spray the breaded chicken with olive oil spray (I used my Misto) and secure those delicious little packets with toothpicks. And now, we air fry them! This is the air fryer I have.

6 photos showing how to make chicken cordon bleu in air fryer

While the chicken is in the air fryer, we’re going to make the delicious Parmesan sauce. It’s super easy and it’s so good you’re going to want to punch the wall.

You’re going to melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Now, sprinkle the flour in and you’re going to whisk it while it cooks down and turns into a lovely little caramel color.

Slowly pour in the warmed milk, chicken stock, and garlic powder, whisking constantly and cooking it down. Add the Parmesan and stir gently until melted and then the Dijon mustard.

Cook that deliciousness down for another minute or so and then drizzle it over the cooked chicken. Life is good.

2 photos showing how to make Parmesan sauce

Meal Prepping Chicken Cordon Bleu in the Air Fryer

Life gets busy, and it’s nice to have meals prepped and ready to go. I’m so passionate about meal prep that I wrote a whole book about it! And yes, this air fryer cordon bleu can be meal-prepped.

You can cut, pound, season, and roll the chicken up to 24 hours ahead of time. Wrap them in plastic wrap and store them in an air-tight container in the fridge. Roll in flour, breadcrumbs/parm, and air fry right when you’re ready to cook.

Even better, the Parmesan sauce can be made ahead of time too! To reheat: cook in a saucepan over low heat, stirring slowly with a whisk to make sure the sauce doesn’t curdle or break. Or microwave in 15-second increments, stirring each time.

Pro Tips/Recipe Notes

For the Parmesan that is mixed with breadcrumbs, you’ll want to use finely grated cheese. Yes, you can use the stuff in the green can if needed.
For the Parmesan sauce, you’ll want to use grated/shredded cheese. Nothing powdered for the sauce!
Test the chicken with an instant-read meat thermometer. The safe cooking temp of chicken is 165F.
This is a great recipe to bust out some air fryer parchment to prevent the breading from sticking to the basket.
The recipe card looks like a lot of steps. Don’t be overwhelmed. I kept things detailed to make sure you are successful in making this recipe. Deep breaths!

More Delicious Chicken Recipes You’ll Love

chicken cordon bleu on a plate with a bowl of sauce.

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