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.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 349kcal
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
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:
Make-Ahead Method:
Storage:
Nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. This recipe makes 4 servings.
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
Calories: 349kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 88mg | Sodium: 494mg | Potassium: 371mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 546IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 295mg | Iron: 1mg