Chicken cordon bleu is a delicious dish that combines chicken, ham, and cheese into one mouthwatering meal. The chicken is pounded flat, stuffed with ham and cheese, then breaded and fried or baked. While you can make chicken cordon bleu completely from scratch, using a premade version can save a lot of time and effort. However, one question many home cooks have is – how long should you cook premade chicken cordon bleu? Let’s take a closer look.
Factors That Affect Cooking Time
There are a few key factors that will impact the cooking time for premade chicken cordon bleu
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Size and thickness – A larger, thicker cut of chicken will take longer to cook than a smaller, thinner piece Most premade chicken cordon bleu uses chicken breast fillets, but the size can vary.
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Frozen vs. refrigerated – Frozen chicken cordon bleu will take longer to cook thoroughly than refrigerated. Frozen needs time to defrost while cooking.
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Oven temperature – The higher the oven temperature, the less time needed to cook the chicken cordon bleu. Preheating the oven is important.
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Cooking method – Frying, baking, or grilling will require different cook times. Frying is fastest while baking is slower but more hands-off.
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Brand instructions – Check the product packaging as cook times can vary between brands. Follow their recommendations.
So the exact cook time will depend on the specifics of the premade chicken cordon bleu you purchased. But there are general guidelines you can follow.
Oven Baking Times and Temperatures
For frozen chicken cordon bleu fillets about 1 inch thick, bake at 400°F for approximately 35-40 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through.
For refrigerated chicken cordon bleu of the same size, decrease cook time to 25-30 minutes at 400°F, flipping halfway.
These times are for boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets. A higher temperature like 425°F may slightly shorten the baking time. Always check for doneness at the minimum time.
How to Tell When It’s Done
Chicken cordon bleu is fully cooked when:
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The internal temperature reaches 165°F on a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part.
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The chicken flesh is no longer pink and the juices run clear.
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The breading or crust is golden brown.
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The cheese filling is fully melted.
If the chicken cordon bleu is not done after the recommended time, continue cooking and checking the temperature every 5 minutes or so until it reaches 165°F.
Never eat undercooked chicken due to food safety concerns. Overcooking will lead to dry, tough meat so aim for 165°F.
Cooking Frozen vs. Refrigerated
As mentioned above, frozen chicken cordon bleu requires more time in the oven, usually around 35-40 minutes baked at 400°F.
Refrigerated chicken cordon bleu only needs 25-30 minutes total time since it’s already thawed.
You can also thaw frozen chicken cordon bleu in the refrigerator overnight before cooking to decrease the baking time like refrigerated. Just make sure thawed chicken cordon bleu is cooked within 1-2 days.
Quick Frying Method
While baking allows the most even, hands-off cooking, you can also pan-fry refrigerated or thawed chicken cordon bleu to speed things up.
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Heat 1⁄4 inch of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
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Cook chicken cordon bleu for 4-5 minutes per side until golden brown and 165°F.
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Drain on a paper towel-lined plate and serve warm.
Frying gives the chicken a delicious crispy crust while keeping the interior tender and juicy. Just watch the heat to avoid burning.
Extra Tips
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Use a meat thermometer for best accuracy on doneness.
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Let chicken cordon bleu rest 5 minutes before cutting to allow juices to redistribute.
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Add any extra sauce or toppings after cooking so they don’t burn.
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Prevent the cheese from oozing out during cooking by chilling cordon bleu before cooking.
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Bake refrigerated and thawed chicken cordon bleu straight from the fridge for juiciest meat.
With the proper oven baking time and temperature, your premade chicken cordon bleu will turn out perfectly cooked. Refer to the brand instructions but 25-40 minutes at 400°F is a good general target, checking frequently at the end until the minimum 165°F internal temperature is reached. Enjoy this classic chicken dish!
Making Chicken Cordon Bleu
We made our chicken cordon bleu based on New York Times’ recipe, but made a few adjustments, such as doubling the ham. We also recommend doubling the cheese (something we wish we did — this is reflected below).
Ingredients:
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 8 slices of smoked ham or 8 slices of smoked bacon*
- 4 ounces of sliced swiss cheese or gruyere*
- ¼ cup flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup bread crumbs
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup chicken stock
- ¾ cup white wine
*Traditionally chicken cordon bleu uses ham and swiss cheese, but for the sake of experimentation and trying new things, we also wanted to try bacon (which is superior to ham) and gruyere (a non-processed cheese, but similar flavour profile) to see how they compare.
To start, take a large chicken breast and slice it in half horizontally. This is called butterflying the chicken breast. After you have your chicken breast opened up, the next step is to flatten it so it’s easy to roll everything up. For this you have a few options:
- Use a meat tenderizer. Place some plastic wrap or parchment paper over the chicken breast and start hammering down. Ideally you want to hammer at a bit of an angle to help the chicken breast spread out.
- Use a rolling pin. You can either use the rolling pin like a meat tenderizer, or you can press down and roll out the chicken breast like it’s protein dough. This is a good method to ensure that you have a nice and even thickness.
- Use your hands. Put your hands together and press down on the chicken breast like you’re performing the weirdest CPR ever. This an easy (and Trevor’s preferred) method of flattening chicken breast. It’s just chicken meat, not steel, it’ll flatten just fine with your body weight.
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If you’ve reached this step, congrats! You’ve just created an escalope of chicken which is a very fancy and very pretentious way of saying a thin, flat piece of chicken with no bone.
The next step is to place your ham and cheese on the flattened breast and roll it up. This can be a little tricky if you overstuff the chicken breast, or if the breast isn’t flat enough. So just be careful and pound out the breast some more if you need to and rearrange the fillings as necessary.
To make sure that this salmonella roll stays shut until it’s time to cook, go ahead and pierce it with a few toothpicks. The final step before cooking your chicken cordon bleu is to bread it! As with any other time that you need to bread chicken, start by coating the rolls in some flour that’s been seasoned with salt and pepper, then coat with some beaten eggs, and finally coat it in bread crumbs.
Trying to get these to stay shut and hold their shape is the hardest part.
Once the stuffed chicken breast rolls have been breaded, you’re ready to cook them! We experimented with two different cooking methods for both variations of our chicken cordon bleu: pan-fry and simmer vs bake.
Mediocre Tip: This may seem like a lot of steps, but each step has a purpose. Breadcrumbs on their own don’t stick very well to chicken meat. However, breadcrumbs do stick very well to egg. Egg sticks really well to flour, and flour sticks really well to chicken meat. So there you go, breading de-mystified.
Pan-Frying & Simmering Chicken Cordon Bleu
Typically chicken cordon bleu is cooked in the oven — so when NYT’s recipe recommended to pan fry it in butter and then simmer it in liquid (chicken stock), we were intrigued.
For their method, you heat butter in a skillet over medium heat and add your chicken. For the sake of our experiment we cooked a chicken with swiss and ham and one with bacon and gruyere. Cook your chicken until it’s nice and brown on all sides, about 8-10 minutes, then add ½ cup of chicken stock to the skillet, cover, and simmer the chicken (about 10-15 minutes).
That nice crispy crust you just made? Yeah, you’re going to lose some of it during this step, but we think the thought process is that the trapped steam will help the cheese melt and cook the chicken through.
Mediocre Tip: Don’t guess with your chicken! Use a meat thermometer to check that your chicken is cooked to the required temperature (165°F).
NYT’s recipe also included making a sauce after, but we wanted to judge just the cooking method and not over-complicate things with a sauce. (We’ve never seen chicken cordon bleu come with a sauce, anyway!)
This was taken right before the one on the right unraveled. Woops.
Classic Chicken Cordon Bleu (Baked or Fried)
FAQ
How long does cordon bleu take in the oven?
Bake 1-2 pieces for 31 to 33 minutes and 3-6 pieces for 36 to 39 minutes.
How long do you cook thawed chicken cordon bleu from Safeway?
Bake until chicken is cooked through and golden brown, about 20 min.
How can you tell when chicken cordon bleu is done?
Once the chicken is a beautiful golden brown, we transfer it to the oven and cook it at 375°F (191°C) until it reaches an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C).Mar 31, 2023
How long to bake chicken cordon bleu from Albertsons?
Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes until lightly browned and bubbly.
How long do you cook chicken Cordon Bleu?
Bake the chicken cordon bleu for 25-30 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). 4. Once cooked, remove the chicken cordon bleu from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes before serving. Here are some frequently asked questions about cooking Safeway chicken cordon bleu:
How long do you bake a cordon bleu?
1. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. Place the cordon bleu on the prepared baking sheet, leaving some space between each piece. 3. Bake the cordon bleu for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).
Can you cook Safeway chicken Cordon Bleu in the oven?
Safeway chicken cordon bleu is typically baked in the oven. While you can try cooking it on the stovetop, it may not result in the same crispy texture. 3. Can I microwave Safeway chicken cordon bleu? It is not recommended to microwave Safeway chicken cordon bleu as it may result in uneven cooking and a soggy texture. 4.
How do you cook chicken Cordon Bleu in an air fryer?
Pan-frying: Heat a small amount of oil or butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken cordon bleu and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until heated through and the coating is crispy. 3. Air fryer: Preheat your air fryer to 375°F (190°C).
How do you know if Chicken Cordon Bleu is cooked?
Use a meat thermometer to accurately measure the temperature at the thickest part of the chicken. In addition to relying on a meat thermometer, observe the following signs to determine if your Chicken Cordon Bleu is cooked through: Juices run clear: When pierced with a fork, the juices should run clear, not pink.
Can you cook Safeway chicken Cordon Bleu in an air fryer?
Yes, you can cook Safeway chicken cordon bleu in an air fryer. Preheat the air fryer to 375°F (190°C) and cook for approximately 15-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). 2. Can I cook Safeway chicken cordon bleu on the stovetop? Safeway chicken cordon bleu is typically baked in the oven.