My Malibu Chicken combines crispy fried chicken with smoky ham and Swiss cheese, creating a super-flavorful variation of fried chicken you can’t stop eating.
This copycat recipe is a variation of chicken cordon bleu served by the West Coast restaurant chain, Sizzler. Like my chicken cordon bleu bites and chicken bites with ham and cheese, this variation on the French classic is just as flavorful but easier to make.
For a full, tasty meal, pair these with fluffy mashed potatoes and veggies like bacon green beans or lemon Parmesan baked asparagus.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: All you need are a few kitchen staples.
- Easy to Make: This is an easy recipe that even beginners can make.
- Classic Flavor Done Differently: This recipe has all the flavor of classic chicken cordon bleu but with far less work.
- Great for Weeknight Dinner: The flavor, ease, and quick cooking of this recipe make it perfect for a busy weeknight.
Key Ingredients
I’ve listed the most important ingredients to the recipe here, but you’ll find a complete list and their exact amounts in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: The easiest way to make fried chicken, especially for a recipe like this.
- Sliced Ham: Any deli-sliced ham will work.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk’s acidity creates a wonderful coating for the chicken.
- Seasonings: A blend of Cajun seasoning, onion powder, garlic salt, and black pepper gives the fried chicken a bold flavor.
- Swiss Cheese: The classic chicken cordon bleu cheese!
- Mayo and Mustard: A simple blend of mayo and mustard creates a creamy, tangy sauce for serving.
Variations
- Chicken Thighs: Get all the classic flavor of chicken cordon bleu with the richness of tender, juicy chicken thighs.
- Malibu Chicken Nuggets: Top my homemade chicken nuggets with ham and Swiss for a bite-sized version.
- Ham: Any ham will work well for this recipe, but I recommend a smoky, savory variety rather than a sweeter one.
- Semi-Homemade: If you’re pressed for time, use frozen fried chicken breasts for a similar flavor. Choose a high-quality brand to avoid that grainy texture you sometimes find in cheaper brands.
How to Make Malibu Chicken
I’ve included a brief overview of the recipe right here, but you’ll find the exact directions in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Pound the chicken until thin. Then, make a dredge station with flour in one bowl, buttermilk and egg in another, and seasoned breadcrumbs in a third.
- Dip the breasts in the flour, buttermilk, and breadcrumbs.
- Fry in hot oil until golden brown and cooked through, placing the cooked chicken on a plate lined with paper towels as you go.
- Place the breasts on a baking sheet, top with ham and cheese, and bake at 350°F until the cheese is melted.
- Mix the mayo and mustard and serve.
Expert Tips
- Be sure the oil is nice and hot before frying the chicken, and work in batches to ensure the oil remains hot.
- Don’t skip pounding the chicken. Getting it thin is what allows it to fully cook by the time the coating is nice and crunchy.
- To easily pound your chicken, place it in a resealable baggie and pound it with the flat side of a mallet. This eliminates tons of cleanup and bacterial spread.
- I don’t recommend using regular milk for this breading. If you don’t have buttermilk, mix 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice with a cup of milk and let it sit for five minutes to create your own.
Malibu Chicken FAQs
Malibu Chicken is a simplified take on chicken cordon bleu popularized by Sizzler. Rather than stuffing the chicken breast with ham and cheese, a fried chicken breast is topped with ham slices and cheese, then baked until melty.
Mashed potatoes or rice, along with your favorite vegetables or a simple side salad, are great pairings for this recipe.
I’m a big fan of freezing dishes for later, and while you could technically freeze this dish, I don’t recommend it. You can never get the same texture.
More Tasty Chicken Recipes
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Malibu Chicken
Ingredients
- 6 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
- 6 slices ham
- 12 slices Swiss cheese
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 1-2 cups fine breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon Slap Ya Mama® seasoning
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons yellow mustard, (can use half yellow, half Dijon)
Instructions
- Pound each piece of chicken until thin (can place in a large baggie before pounding to keep the workstation clean).
- Heat oil and butter in a cast iron skillet, or in a frying pan, over medium heat.
For The Chicken
- Using 3 separate bowls, or shallow containers, add flour to one bowl,
- Buttermilk and egg mixture to the second bowl.
- Bread crumbs and seasonings to the third bowl.
- Pat dry each piece of chicken and dip into flour, then into buttermilk mixture and lastly, into the breadcrumb mixture.
- Add chicken (3 at a time) into hot skillet.
- Fry for approximately 4-5 minutes per side until golden brown.
- Remove and place on plate lined with paper towels.
- Repeat process and continue cooking the remaining 3 pieces of chicken.
- Place cooked chicken on a baking sheet.
- Top each piece of chicken with a slice of Swiss
- Next, top with a slice of ham and then followed by another slice of Swiss cheese.
- Bake at 350° until cheese has melted, approximately 5 minutes.
- Carefully remove from oven.
- In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise and mustard together.
Notes
- Be sure the oil is nice and hot before frying the chicken, and work in batches to ensure the oil remains hot.
- Don’t skip pounding the chicken. Getting it thin is what allows it to fully cook by the time the coating is nice and crunchy.
- To easily pound your chicken, place it in a resealable baggie and pound it with the flat side of a mallet. This eliminates tons of cleanup and bacterial spread.
- I don’t recommend using regular milk for this breading. If you don’t have buttermilk, mix 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice with a cup of milk and let it sit for five minutes to create your own.
Nutrition
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So it’s pretty much Chicken cordon bleu
Sounded good even to the grouch(my husband) thought it was a good recipe, but the proof is in the tasting.
Hi Janet, I hope you and your hubby enjoys this recipe. :)