# Chicken Cordon Bleu

> The secret to cordon bleu is that **the edges of the breast are folded over the filling** before rolling, and the roll **rests in the fridge for half an hour** wrapped in plastic before coating. Then it is fried in medium oil at **160 degrees** until golden, and finishes **15 minutes in a 180-degree oven** — high oil burns the crust while the inside is still raw, and the cheese escapes.

**Egyptian Cuisine · 90 min · 4 servings · 620 kcal per serving**

Homemade cordon bleu in Egypt is a pounded chicken breast rolled with **beef or turkey luncheon meat** and stretchy cheese, coated with a crispy breadcrumb crust — a halal version instead of the smoked meat in the European original. It can be prepared in advance and frozen, making it ready for a dinner party or the kids' lunchbox in half an hour.

## Ingredients

- 750 g — chicken breasts, 4 large breast halves
- 8 slice — beef or turkey luncheon meat
- 8 slice — mozzarella, romi, or cheddar cheese
- 1 tsp — salt
- 0.5 tsp — black pepper
- 1 tsp — garlic powder
- 1 tsp — paprika
- 1 tbsp — mustard, optional
- 0.5 cup — flour
- 2 — eggs
- 2 tbsp — milk
- 1.5 cup — fine breadcrumbs
- 3 cup — oil for frying

## Method

1. **Opening the Breasts** — Place half a breast on the counter and slice it horizontally with a sharp knife **without separating the two halves**, opening it like a book. This gives you a wide surface big enough for the filling without heavy pounding that tears the meat.
2. **Pounding to an Even Thickness** — Cover each breast with a plastic bag and pound it with a mallet until it is **an even half centimeter** all over. Even thickness rolls up without tearing, and the ends and center cook at the same time.
3. **Light Seasoning** — Sprinkle the inner side with **light salt**, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika, and spread a thin layer of mustard if you like it. Reduce the salt compared to usual because **the luncheon meat and cheese are already salty**.
4. **Filling and Sealing the Edges** — Arrange **two slices of luncheon meat and two slices of cheese**, leaving **2 cm empty** on each side. Fold the long sides over the filling first, then roll tightly from the short end. The folded edges are what trap the cheese inside as it melts.
5. **Setting in the Fridge** — Wrap each roll tightly in plastic wrap like candy and twist the ends, then place them in the fridge for **half an hour** (or the freezer for 15 minutes). The chill sets the shape so the roll won't fall apart in your hands while coating it.
6. **Double Coating** — Whisk the eggs with the milk. Coat the roll in **flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs**, and then **egg and breadcrumbs once again** while pressing with your hand. The second layer seals any small openings that would let the cheese escape in the oil.
7. **Frying Over Medium Heat** — Heat oil **3–4 cm** deep to **160 degrees** (a piece of bread browns in about a minute). Fry two rolls at a time for **5–6 minutes** and turn them every two minutes until golden on all sides. Hotter oil burns the crust before the heat reaches the center.
8. **Finishing in the Oven** — Arrange the rolls on a wire rack over a baking sheet, and place them in a **180-degree oven for 15 minutes** until the center is cooked — or if you have a thermometer, **74 degrees** in the heart of the roll. The oven finishes cooking without the crust soaking up extra oil.
9. **Resting and Slicing** — Let the roll **rest for 5 minutes** and then slice it into rings with a serrated knife. Slicing it right out of the oven makes the cheese run out onto the plate instead of staying in the middle of the ring.

## Tips

- Turkey luncheon, beef luncheon, or pastrami all work — the important thing is that the slices are thin so the roll closes without tearing.
- Want a crunchier crust? Use coarse breadcrumbs instead of fine, or half and half.
- If you are preparing it for freezing, freeze it after coating and before frying — what has been fried and frozen gets a soggy crust when reheated.
- Serve it in slices with mashed potatoes or vegetable rice and white cheese sauce, and it also goes into the kids' lunchbox cold.

## FAQ

### Why does the cheese escape from the cordon bleu while frying?
Because the edges were not folded over the filling, or the roll didn't rest in the fridge, or the coating was a single layer with gaps. Fold the two sides before rolling, chill it for half an hour, double coat it, and fry it at 160 degrees, not higher.

### Can I make cordon bleu in the oven without frying?
Yes: toast the breadcrumbs first in a tablespoon of oil in a pan until golden, coat with them, arrange the rolls on a rack, spray with oil, and bake at 200 degrees for 30–35 minutes, turning halfway through. Pre-toasting gives it the fried color.

### Can I freeze chicken cordon bleu?
Yes, after coating and before frying: arrange on a tray in the freezer until solid, then store in bags for up to two months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before frying, because if fried frozen, the crust will brown while the center stays cold.

### Which cheese and luncheon are best for cordon bleu?
The cheese must melt and stretch: sliced mozzarella, romi, or cheddar. Avoid white cheese because it releases water, and triangle cheese because it melts away. The luncheon should be plain beef or turkey, and pastrami or smoked chicken breasts also work.

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Source: https://hanakoleah.com/en/egyptian-cuisine/chicken-cordon-bleu-recipe
Edited by: Marwa Mohamed
Last updated: 2026-10-26