These chicken roll ups bring a French flair to your weeknight dinner routine. Stuffed with prosciutto, roasted red pepper pesto, and provolone, they’re a bold, flavorful nod to classic cordon bleu—perfect for when you want something just as comforting as chicken parmesan but with a twist.

What is cordon bleu?

Cordon bleu is a classic dish often associated with French cuisine. Traditionally, it features a thin cutlet of meat—usually chicken, veal, or pork—layered with ham and cheese, rolled up, breaded, and fried or baked until golden and melty inside. While cordon bleu is recognized internationally as a symbol of refined French cooking, in France it’s considered more of an everyday comfort food, readily available in most supermarkets and butcher shops.

My chicken roll-ups are a fresh take on this classic, featuring provolone, prosciutto, and a quick homemade roasted red pepper pesto that’s so good, you’ll want to put it on everything.

A Closer Look at the Ingredients

• Thinly pounded chicken breast: This recipe calls for 2 chicken breasts, each cut horizontally in half and then pounded with a meat mallet, giving you 4 thin slices in total. If you buy your chicken at the butcher, they can often do this for you, saving time in the kitchen. Pounding the chicken is essential for successful rolling and ensures the chicken cooks quickly and evenly.
• Homemade red pepper pesto: This pesto is the star of my chicken roll up recipe. Ready in just 5 minutes using a food processor, it combines jarred roasted red peppers, almonds, garlic, smoked paprika, basil, parmesan, olive oil, salt, and pepper. You only need about half of the batch for the chicken, but I recommend making the full recipe; reserve the rest for pasta, sandwiches, or freeze for later.
• Sliced provolone: This cheese melts beautifully and has a mild, slightly tangy flavor that complements the prosciutto and roasted red pepper pesto.
• Prosciutto: Adds saltiness and depth of flavor that elevates the dish. It’s thinly sliced and very rollable.
• Olive oil, avocado oil, or grapeseed oil: These oils are for pan-frying the chicken. Olive oil adds a flavor I personally love, while avocado or grapeseed oil have higher smoke points, letting you pan fry the chicken roll ups a little longer without burning.

How to Make My Chicken Roll Ups (Plus Tips and Tricks)

Preheat your oven

375°F (190°C) conventional heat or 350°F (175°C) fan heat.

Prepare the roasted red pepper pesto

Cut and pound the chicken

Start with 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

Place one chicken breast flat on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, slice horizontally through the thickest part of the breast, opening it like a book. Repeat with the second breast. You should now have 4 pieces in total.

Place one chicken piece between two sheets of plastic wrap or in a large zip-top bag to prevent splattering. Using a meat mallet, gently pound the chicken until it’s as thin as possible without creating holes (1/4 inch thick). Start from the center and work outward, keeping the thickness even. Repeat with the remaining pieces.

Layer the prosciutto, pesto, and cheese

Place a slice of prosciutto over each chicken piece, covering the entire surface in a single layer.

Spread a thin, even layer of your pesto on top of the prosciutto, leaving a small border to prevent it from spilling out when rolled. Avoid double-dipping your spoon into the pesto, since you’ll likely have some extra and don’t want raw chicken juices contaminating it.

Break the provolone as needed and arrange evenly over the pesto in a single layer.

Roll and bread the chicken

Starting at one short end, carefully and tightly roll each chicken piece around the filling. Keep the roll snug so the filling stays inside.

In a shallow bowl, mix about ½ cup of plain breadcrumbs with 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning, herbes de Provence, or your favorite dried herb blend.

Coat all sides of the roll with the breadcrumb mixture, gently pressing the crumbs on for a light, even breading (like in my photos).

For a thicker crust, whisk one egg in a small bowl. Brush or dip each roll in the egg wash, letting any excess drip off, then coat with the breadcrumb mixture

To make handling easier and prevent the filling from spilling out, tie each roll with kitchen twine in a criss-cross shape. This also helps the roll ups hold their shape while cooking.

Pan-fry the chicken

Over medium heat, coat the bottom of an oven-proof skillet with olive oil (or avocado/grapeseed oil). Once the oil is hot, carefully place the chicken roll ups in the pan. Cook for 2–3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. The rolls should release from the pan naturally when ready to turn. Use kitchen tongs and handle carefully.

Finish off in the oven

Transfer the skillet to the oven (or move the chicken roll ups to a baking dish if your pan isn’t oven-safe). Bake for about 10-minutes or until the chicken is white and fully cooked (internal temperature of 165°F / 74°C). Because the chicken is thinly pounded and wrapped around the filling, it stays moist and tender – aka a low risk of overcooking!

Remove from the oven, let the rolls rest for a few minutes, then carefully remove the kitchen twine before serving.

Cut into these delicious chicken roll ups and try not to drool!

Did you make this recipe?

Please let me know how these chicken roll ups turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @jessicahomekitchen on Instagram.