Green Chile Chicken Cordon Bleu

Monterey jack cheese, Black Forest ham and spicy green chile are rolled up in boneless, skinless chicken breasts and baked to tender, flavorful perfection in this fun new (and easy!) twist on cordon bleu. This is what chicken cordon bleu would be like after a tour of the American Southwest!

Chicken Cordon Bleu is a classic of French cuisine that became a staple of American restaurants in the 1960s. Before long, home cooks realized how easy it was to make at home and started adding it to their rotation, too.

My family has long loved variations on the theme, including this chicken cordon bleu with creamy white sauce. But, this recipe for green chile chicken cordon bleu is my own Southwestern take, inspired by the classic. And, it’s the version I keep coming back to.

Green Chile Chicken Cordon Bleu

Having grown up in New Mexico and Arizona, I can confidently say that I am more familiar with the flavor profiles of Southwestern cooking than any other. It is absolutely my comfort zone.

So, if I have the opportunity to tuck my beloved green chiles into a dish, you can bet I’m going to try it. In many cases, they are a welcome addition, but here? They create pure magic.

The gentle, smoky spice of green chiles is the perfect foil for the creamy Monterey jack cheese, salty ham, and mild chicken. It is a match made in the land of enchantment. If you’ve been hunting for a new chicken recipe with real Southwestern kick, this is the one.

A close up of the sliced chicken cordon bleu with green chile on a plate with a striped towel visible in the background.

Ingredients and Substitutions

The Meat – You’ll need boneless, skinless chicken breasts and sliced Black Forest ham for this recipe.

The Cheese – I use both Monterey jack (for creaminess) and Parmesan cheese (to give the panko some extra flavor) for our cordon bleu.

Green Chile – I’ve had readers reach out from time to time to report that they can’t find any green chiles at their local grocery store. Don’t sweat it. Because 505 Green Chile is my go-to choice, and Amazon pretty much always has it in stock.

The Seasonings – Grab your garlic powder, kosher salt, and cracked black pepper.

The Crust – Panko panko bread crumbs and olive oil cooking spray help to give this cordon bleu it’s signature crust.

A raw chicken cutlet has been laid out on a plate beside the other ingredients for cordon bleu.

Notes on Equipment

A 9×13 baking dish, or any medium baking dish of similar size. It’s one of those kitchen staples that makes baking easier. It’s sturdy and durable (I’ve had some of mine almost 20 years). And, I love that it comes with a tight-fitting lid.
A meat mallet or rolling pin
Plastic wrap or parchment paper
Toothpicks or thin skewers
An instant read thermometer – I heard rave reviews about the Thermapen for years before finally giving in and buying one. Just, wow. Lightning fast (and accurate) temperature readings from any angle? Call me a lifelong fan.

The assembled cordon blue with green chile on top is ready to roll and pin.

How to Make Green Chile Chicken Cordon Bleu

Preheating the Oven: Set your oven to 350°F.

Preparing Your Pan: I start by lightly spraying a 9-inch by 13-inch (or other medium sized casserole dish) with olive oil cooking spray and set it aside.

Pounding Out the Chicken: You’re going to need to place your chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper and gently pound them out into an even ½” thickness. I use a meat mallet for this, but you can also use a rolling pin.

Making the Rolls: Sprinkle both sides of the pounded out chicken breasts with garlic, salt and pepper. Then, I just top each piece of chicken with sliced cheese, then ham, and then more cheese.

A green chile chicken cordon bleu is pinned, ready for the pan.

Adding the Green Chile: I spread a tablespoon or two of green chile evenly over the cheese.

Pinning the Rolls: Roll the chicken up and pin each roll closed with toothpicks or thin skewers. It doesn’t have to be surgically sewn shut, but do your best to close off any avenues of escape for the melted cheese.

Topping the Chicken: I arrange the chicken rolls in the pan so that there is space around each roll to allow the hot air to circulate. Then, I just mix together the panko and parmesan cheese and sprinkle it over the top of the chicken.

Baking: Pop the pan into the oven and let it cook for 35-40 minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. The required time will vary a bit based on the thickness of the chicken.

Letting it Rest: Before serving, I always let the chicken rolls rest for 5 minutes. It helps keep everything cohesive when you cut them open, so it’s worth the wait!

Four chicken cutlets prepared and ready to bake are in the white baking dish.

Expert Tip

Have you noticed that boneless, skinless chicken breasts are often huge these days? For that reason, this recipe specifies using 2 pounds of chicken breasts instead of saying “four chicken breasts”. You are far more likely to find gigantic ones at the store than uniform, thin chicken breasts.

To prepare them for cooking, do a quick assessment. Are they pretty thick? You’ll want to cut them in half horizontally to create two smaller chicken breast halves. Are they already pretty uniformly thin? Excellent; less work for you!

Whether you had to slice them in half, pound them out a bit, or they came already thin, you’ll proceed with preparing them the same way in the recipe.

Spicy/Not Spicy!: Spice tolerance is a highly individual thing, and thankfully, green chiles are sold in a wide variety of spice levels to accommodate nearly everyone. Mild chiles are truly mild… a step or two above bell peppers. Hot ones are just that, so choose wisely based on your own preferences.

Put a Pin in It: Be sure to “pin” your rolled chicken breasts shut with a couple toothpicks or a thin skewer. This helps maintain the shape and keep them from unraveling while they cook as well as helping them retain the fillings.

Not to be Cheesy, but…: I like to let the green chiles shine as the sole spicy element in this recipe, but if you want to amp up the heat, you can use pepperjack cheese in place of the Monterey jack cheese. You can even hit them with a drizzle of hot sauce, too.

The Green Chile Chicken Cordon Bleu have been topped with panko and parmesan.

Serving Suggestions

When something that feels this fancy comes out of my oven, I like to keep the sides simple. That means, I’m likely to serve this with just a perfect baked potato or a scoop of herb mashed potatoes and some garlic butter roasted carrots or these green beans au gratin.

And, if I’m feeling the need for something light and fresh? That’s when my trusty orange parsley salad or a classic Caesar salad come to the table. Both of those salads are go-to dinner options for me.

Make Ahead & Storage

Make Ahead: You can make these chicken cordon bleu rolls up to 2 days in advance of when you’d like to serve them.

Alternatively, you can freeze the cordon bleu rolls after they’re assembled, before they’ve been baked. This gives you the option to have them freshly baked at a later date.

How to Store: Let the baked chicken rolls cool at room temperature for 20 minutes before transferring to an airtight container. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To freeze this chicken cordon bleu with green chile for leftovers or meal prep, I just tightly wrap each cooled roll in a double layer of plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn and put these in a resealable plastic bag before labeling and freezing. This allows you to thaw and reheat as few or as many servings as you’d like at once.

How to Reheat: If frozen, place the desired number of rolls in the refrigerator until thoroughly thawed (about 12 to 24 hours). Bake as instructed in the recipe.

If you’re heating up refrigerated leftovers, just wrap loosely in foil and place in a preheated 350°F oven or air fryer for 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is hot all the way through and the cheese is melted. If you want to re-crisp the crumb topping, open the foil for the last 5 minutes of cooking.

The finished cordon bleu with green chile have come out of the oven, with browned crust and ready to eat!

More Green Chile Chicken Recipes

How do I keep the filling from leaking out?

Using toothpicks to pin your roll closed is essential. Some cheese is bound to escape and that’s fine, we just want to keep most of it in there.

Can I make this recipe gluten-free?

Oh absolutely! Just be sure to use certified gluten-free varieties of panko crumbs, ham, and cheese for a gluten free version.

How can I tell when the chicken is completely cooked?

An instant read thermometer or dedicated meat thermometer is your best friend here. Be sure to measure the temperature in the center of the thickest part of the chicken and when it hits 165°F, you’re ready to roll. Pun intended.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Use a sharp knife to cut each of the large chicken breasts in half horizontally to create two chicken breast halves. Place between two sheets of plastic wrap and use a meat mallet or rolling pin to gently pound them to approximately ½-inch thickness. If using 4 smaller sized breasts, simply pound them out without slicing them first.
Sprinkle each side of the chicken pieces generously with garlic, salt and pepper. Top each piece of chicken with sliced cheese, then ham, then more cheese and a tablespoon or two of green chile spread across the cheese. Roll the chicken up and pin each roll with toothpicks.
Add the pinned chicken breasts to a baking dish. Then, mix together the Parmesan and the panko crumbs and sprinkle generously over the chicken.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through (165℉ internal). The required time will vary based on the thickness of the chicken.

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Use a sharp knife to cut each of the large chicken breasts in half horizontally to create two chicken breast halves. Place between two sheets of plastic wrap and use a meat mallet or rolling pin to gently pound them to approximately ½-inch thickness. If using 4 smaller sized breasts, simply pound them out without slicing them first.
Sprinkle each side of the chicken pieces generously with garlic, salt and pepper. Top each piece of chicken with sliced cheese, then ham, then more cheese and a tablespoon or two of green chile spread across the cheese. Roll the chicken up and pin each roll with toothpicks.
Add the pinned chicken breasts to a baking dish. Then, mix together the Parmesan and the panko crumbs and sprinkle generously over the chicken.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through (165℉ internal). The required time will vary based on the thickness of the chicken.