Chicken roulade sounds like something you'd order at a restaurant and never attempt at home. It's not. It's butterflied chicken breast, flattened, layered with ham and cheese, and rolled into a tight log that slices into those satisfying cross-sections every time.
If you've made chicken embutido before, this will feel familiar, same rolling concept, different flavor profile. It's close to Chicken Cordon Bleu, minus the breading: ham, melted cheese, a golden crust from a light flour dusting, and a creamy sauce on top instead of a fried coating.
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What Is Chicken Roulade?
Roulade comes from the French word for "to roll," rouler. A chicken roulade is a butterflied chicken breast pounded flat, filled with whatever you like, rolled tightly, and cooked until golden. Slice it and you get clean spirals of chicken and filling in every piece.
It follows the same technique as Chicken Cordon Bleu, ham and cheese rolled into butterflied chicken, but this version skips the breaded coating for a quick creamy lemon butter sauce instead.
What You'll Need
- Chicken breasts: Boneless, skinless breasts, butterflied and pounded thin. Size matters less than getting them even and flat. Larger breasts just give you more surface area to work with.
- Ham and cheese: Thin deli ham and shredded cheese that melts well (mozzarella, Swiss, or similar). Layer cheese, then ham, then cheese again. The cheese on both sides melts and acts like glue, which is what keeps the filling from sliding out when you roll.
- Flour: A light dusting before pan-frying gives the outside a thin crust that holds the roll together and browns nicely.
- Kitchen twine: Non-negotiable for pan-frying. Without it, the rolls open up as they cook. Cut it off before slicing. Toothpicks work in a pinch if you don't have twine on hand.
- Butter, half and half, garlic powder, and chicken powder (or a bouillon cube): The base of the sauce.
- Cornstarch: Thickens the sauce so it coats the back of a spoon instead of running off the chicken.
- Fresh lemon juice: Stirred in at the end, off the heat, so the sauce comes together in about 5 minutes.
See recipe card for quantities.
Before You Start: One Technique Tip
After you roll and tie the roulade, refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes if you have time. It's optional, but the chill firms up the roll so it holds its shape better in the pan, keeps the filling from sliding around, and gives you cleaner slices once it's cooked. Overnight works too, which is what makes this a solid make-ahead dish for a dinner party.
How To Make Chicken Roulade
- Flatten the Chicken – Place the butterflied chicken breast between plastic wrap and pound it to an even thickness using a meat mallet.
- Add the Filling – Lay the chicken flat and arrange a layer of cheese, followed by ham, and another layer of cheese on one side.
- Roll and Secure – Carefully roll up the chicken tightly and secure it with kitchen twine (or toothpicks) to hold its shape.
- Coat with Flour – Lightly roll the chicken roulade in flour, ensuring an even coating.
- Pan-Fry – Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the roulade until golden brown on all sides and cooked through, 165°F at the thickest point.
- Rest – Let the roulade rest for a few minutes before slicing to keep it juicy.
- Remove Kitchen Twine – Carefully cut and remove the twine before slicing.
- Add the Sauce – Drizzle the creamy lemon butter sauce over the sliced roulade.
How to Make Creamy Lemon Butter Sauce
- Melt the butter – In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter until it starts to bubble.
- Bloom the seasonings – Stir in the chicken powder and garlic powder, and cook for about 30 seconds, just enough to wake up the garlic without burning it.
- Add the half and half – Pour it in slowly, stirring the whole time so it doesn't separate.
- Thicken the sauce – In a small bowl, stir the cornstarch into the water until dissolved, then pour it into the saucepan while stirring. Simmer on low for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until it coats the back of a spoon.
- Finish with lemon – Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Taste and adjust. If the sauce is too thick, a splash of half and half loosens it back up.
Variations
- Spinach and Feta: Swaps the ham and mozzarella for wilted spinach and tangy feta.
- Mushroom and Swiss: Sautéed mushrooms in place of ham, with Swiss instead of mozzarella.
- Buffalo Chicken: Buffalo sauce mixed into the filling with blue cheese in place of the ham and cheese combo.
- Ham and Gruyère: Closer to the classic Cordon Bleu flavor, gruyère melts a little sharper than mozzarella.
- Pesto and Mozzarella: Basil pesto spread thin under the mozzarella instead of ham.
- Sun-Dried Tomato and Goat Cheese: Goat cheese and chopped sun-dried tomatoes in place of the usual filling.
What To Serve With This
Mashed potatoes are the natural pairing - creamy base, the sauce pools in nicely. Garlic green beans add the contrast you need. Buttery garlic noodles work too if you want something a little more substantial. A simple Caesar salad keeps it light if you're serving this for a dinner party.
How to Store, Reheat, and Make Ahead
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven until warmed through, about 10 to 12 minutes. Skip the microwave, it turns the outside rubbery and the filling can go watery.
For make-ahead: assemble and tie the roulade, then refrigerate it uncooked for up to 2 days, or freeze it raw in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw completely in the fridge before cooking.
Rose's Tips
- Smooth side down. When you lay the butterflied chicken flat to fill it, place the smoother side facing down. It becomes the outside of the roll, which gives you a cleaner finish once it's sliced.
- Use a meat thermometer. The outside can look done while the inside still needs more time. 165°F at the thickest point is the target, don't guess.
- Don't overstuff. A heaping quarter cup of filling per roll is plenty. Any more and the roll won't close cleanly.
- Rest before slicing. Ten minutes makes the difference between clean spirals and filling that falls out everywhere. Don't skip it.
Recipe FAQs
It's French for "to roll." A roulade is any dish where a flat piece of meat, or a thin sponge cake in the dessert version, gets filled and rolled up. The chicken is pounded flat so there's enough surface area to stuff and roll, and slicing it gives you the spiral cross-section.
Cordon Bleu is a type of chicken roulade, same concept, ham and cheese inside butterflied chicken. The difference is that traditional Cordon Bleu is breaded and deep-fried or baked with a crumb coating, while chicken roulade more broadly covers any rolled, stuffed chicken breast, breaded or not.
Yes. Roll and tie the roulades, then refrigerate uncooked for up to 2 days. The cold actually helps them hold their shape better during cooking. Cook directly from the fridge, adding a few extra minutes if needed.
165°F internal temperature, measured at the thickest part of the roll. Use an instant-read thermometer since the outside can look done before the inside actually is
Yes. Sear in a hot pan for 3 to 4 minutes per side to get color, then transfer to a 375°F oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until it reaches 165°F internally. The sear gives you the crust, the oven finishes it evenly.
Three things help: don't overfill, roll tightly with even tension from the start, and secure it with kitchen twine or toothpicks at 2 to 3 points. The double cheese layer (cheese, ham, cheese) also helps, since the cheese melts and acts like an adhesive on both sides.
Yes. Thighs are juicier and more forgiving if slightly overcooked. They're trickier to pound to an even thickness, but with a little patience at the flattening step, they work fine.
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Chicken Roulade with Lemon Butter Sauce
Ingredients
Chicken Roulade
- 1 chicken breast split into 2 portions, each sliced in half (for a total of 4 thin pieces)
- ¼ cup All purpose flour
- 4 large slices of Thin Ham
- 2 cups Cheese cheese shredded
- salt and pepper
For Creamy Lemon Butter Sauce
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup half and half
- 1 teaspoon chicken or beef powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Mixture of ¼ cup water and 3 teaspoon cornstarch
- Juice of half of lemon
Instructions
- Flatten the Chicken – Place the butterflied chicken breast between plastic wrap and pound it to an even thickness using a meat mallet. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the Filling – Lay the chicken flat and arrange a layer of cheese, followed by ham, and another layer of cheese on one side.
- Roll and Secure – Carefully roll up the chicken tightly and secure it with kitchen twine to hold its shape.
- Coat with Flour – Lightly roll the chicken roulade in flour, ensuring an even coating.
- Pan-Fry – Heat oil in a pan and fry the roulade until golden brown on all sides and cooked through.
- Rest and Serve – Let the roulade rest for a few minutes before slicing to keep it juicy. Enjoy!
- Remove Kitchen Twine – Carefully cut and remove the kitchen twine before slicing.
- Add the Sauce – Drizzle the creamy lemon butter sauce over the roulade for extra flavor. Enjoy!
For Creamy Lemon Butter Sauce
- Melt the Butter – In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter until slightly bubbly.
- Add Seasonings – Stir in 1 teaspoon chicken or beef powder and garlic powder, mixing well to infuse the flavors.
- Pour in the Half & Half – Slowly add half and half, stirring continuously to prevent curdling.
- Thicken the Sauce – In a small bowl, mix ¼ cup water with 3 teaspoons cornstarch until smooth. Gradually pour this into the saucepan while stirring. Let it simmer until the sauce thickens.
- Add Lemon Juice – Turn off the heat and stir in the juice of 1 small lemon. Mix well to balance the creamy and tangy flavors.
- Adjust Consistency – If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of water or half and half. If too thin, let it simmer a bit longer.
- Serve – Drizzle over the sliced chicken roulade and enjoy!
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Notes
- Chill the tied roulade for at least 30 minutes before cooking if you have time. It firms up the roll and gives you cleaner slices later. Overnight works too.
- Smooth side down when you lay the chicken flat to fill it. It becomes the outside of the roll and gives you a cleaner finish once sliced.
- Don't overstuff. A heaping quarter cup of filling per roll is plenty, more than that and it won't close cleanly.
- Use an instant-read thermometer. 165°F at the thickest point is the target, the outside can look done before the inside is.
- Rest for a few minutes before slicing. Skipping this is the most common reason the filling falls out.
- No kitchen twine? Toothpicks work too, just remove them before serving.
- Leftovers keep for up to 3 days in the fridge. Reheat in a 350°F oven, not the microwave, which makes the outside rubbery.
Rose says
This chicken roulade is one of my favorite go-to recipes! The cheesy, bacon-filled goodness inside juicy butterflied chicken breast is just irresistible. I hope you all enjoy it just as much—let me know if you try it!