Chicken Roulade

This Chicken Roulade recipe has a delicious broccoli cheese stuffing with crispy bacon! This is a restaurant quality meal that's easy to make with everyday ingredients.

Prep Time35

Cook Time40

Total Time1 10

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, French

Servings: people

Calories: 349kcal

Author: Stephanie

Ingredients

4 strips bacon drippings reserved
2 large boneless/skinless chicken breasts or 4 small. See notes
Salt/Pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
¼ teaspoon EACH: garlic powder, paprika
¼ cup flour optional
1 cup broccoli steamed and finely diced.
1 ¼ cups cheddar cheese shredded
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese grated

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375° F.
Cook the bacon slowly over low heat until crispy. Reserve the drippings and set aside. Roughly chop once cooled. Steam or boil the broccoli for 5-7 minutes, until desired doneness is obtained, and dice it finely.
Cut the chicken in half lengthwise to create 2 thinner slices. Cover with saran wrap and pound it to an even thickness of ¼-inch. Do this gently to avoid tearing the chicken. Note that the chicken plumps more when cooked.
Ensure that the smoothest side of the chicken is facing down, this way it has the smoothest surface when it’s rolled.
Evenly distribute the cheese over the middle of the chicken, followed by the broccoli, then the bacon.
With the narrow side of the chicken facing you, slowly roll the chicken upwards, tucking the stuffing in as you go. Place it seam-side-down.
Season the chicken with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and paprika. Optional: Sprinkle the chicken with flour, this will help give it a browner color when seared. It also helps it not stick to the skillet.
Use kitchen twine to tie the chicken rolls in place.
Heat 1 tablespoon of bacon drippings in a large skillet over medium-high heat. (Olive oil can be used instead of drippings if needed, or a combination of both.)
Add the chicken and sear on all sides until a golden crust forms, about 4-5 minutes total. The middle will still be uncooked. (This is when I typically cut off the kitchen twine.)
Transfer to a lightly greased baking dish, seam-side-down. Cover and bake for 15 minutes. Remove cover and bake for 15 more minutes.
Remove and let rest for 5-8 minutes. Ensure the thickest part of the meat has reached 165° F prior to serving. Serve with mashed potatoes and green beans!

Notes

If using smaller breasts, use 4 instead of 2. Butterfly the breasts but don’t cut the seam. Then pound and roll.

Pro Tips:

It's important to pound the chicken thin, (no thicker than 1/4-inch), because it plumps up more when cooked. This is the most time-consuming part and it takes some patience to avoid tearing the chicken.
Use the smooth side of a meat mallet and protect the chicken with a freezer bag or saran wrap.
The tenderloin may want to separate from the breast. (See a visual here.) It's okay to cut the tenderloin off and pound the rest thin. It can be saved for a future meal or frozen for soup, etc.
See blog post for additional stuffing combination options!
📘 Find this recipe on page 117 of my 2nd cookbook, Let’s Eat!

Make-Ahead Method:

Cook stuffing ingredients (if applicable), pound the chicken, stuff, and roll.
Roll each one tightly in saran wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw completely before searing/baking.
Don't sear or bake until ready to serve.

Storage:

Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Leftovers do freeze and reheat well!

Nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. This recipe makes 4 servings.

Nutrition