These chicken roulades combines roast chicken breasts with caramelized onions, sage, and Gruyere cheese. Sage, onions, and chicken are the traditional combination. In this recipe we have upgraded it to caramelized onions. Caramelizing the onions brings out a sweetness in the onion and adds a bit of a richness. This richer flavor balances with the earthy peppery notes of the sage.
We also added Gruyere cheese. It has a salty nutty flavor that, while distinctive, is not overpowering. The cheese melts inside the roulade creating an inviting interior. The top of the roulade is deliciously gooey. Its salty crispy crust gives just the right crunch.
The word roulade means “rolled” in French. It sounds fancy and looks elegant, but is quite simple. You butterfly the chicken breasts and pound them until they are thin and even. The filling is then spread over the breasts. Finally, you must roll the chicken up like a cinnamon bun and secure before roasting. You will need a meat tenderizing mallet and some kitchen twine or toothpicks. If you don’t have a meat mallet then a heavy duty rolling pin can work in a pinch.
When the roulades finish cooking, be sure to slice them cross-wise before serving. This shows the swirls of filling and provides an elegant presentation. What an easy way to impress your friends!
Yields 4 servings of Chicken Roulade with Sage and Gruyere.
The Preparation
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1 Tbsp. butter
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
- 3 oz. Gruyere cheese, finely grated
- 2 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. fresh sage, finely chopped
- Salt and Pepper to taste
The Execution
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 11X13 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
2. Butterfly each chicken breast. Place your knife along the side of the breast and use a sawing motion to carefully slice through the side, like opening a bagel. Be careful not to slice completely through the other side. Open the breast and lay flat.
3. Sandwich each chicken breast between two pieces of plastic wrap. Using a meat tenderizing mallet, pound each breast until it is flat and about ¼ inch thick. Sprinkle each side lightly with salt and pepper.
4. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add butter.
5. When butter stops foaming, add onions to the skillet. Cook onions over medium low heat until they caramelize, stirring frequently.
6. Add the white wine vinegar and stir, scraping up the browned bits. When the vinegar becomes syrupy, remove your pan from the heat. Add 2 TBSP of the sage and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
7. Lay out three pieces of twine and place the flattened chicken breast on top.
8. Keeping the filling away from the edges, spread ½ of the onion sage mixture on each chicken breast. Sprinkle 2 oz. of grated cheese over each breast, reserving 1 oz. for later.
9. Roll each breast and secure tightly with twine or toothpicks.
10. Place in your baking pan and make sure they do not touch. Sprinkle reserved cheese and sage over the roulades.
11. Bake in preheated oven for about 35 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. If the top is not sufficiently brown, place chicken under the broiler for a few minutes at the end of cooking. Watch carefully as the cheese will brown quickly.
12. Remove from oven and allow to cool about 5 minutes before slicing. Remove twine or toothpicks from the roulades. Carefully slice in a crosswise fashion and serve.
This makes a total of 4 servings of Chicken Roulade with Sage and Gruyere. Each serving comes out to be 315 Calories, 14g Fats, 2g Net Carbs, and 42g Protein.
Chicken Roulade with Sage and Gruyere | Calories | Fats (g) | Carbs (g) | Fiber (g) | Net Carbs (g) | Protein (g) |
2 chicken breasts (1 lb.) | 754 | 16.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 141.7 |
1 Tbsp. butter | 100 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
1 medium yellow onion | 40 | 0.1 | 9.3 | 1.7 | 7.6 | 1.1 |
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
3 oz. Gruyere cheese | 351 | 27.5 | 0.3 | 0 | 0.3 | 25.4 |
2 .3 Tbsp. fresh sage | 11 | 0.2 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.3 |
Totals | 1259 | 55.3 | 11.4 | 2.8 | 8.6 | 168.5 |
Per Serving (/4) | 315 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 42 |
Chicken Roulades with Sage and Gruyere
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1 Tbsp. butter
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
- 3 oz. Gruyere cheese finely grated
- 2 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. fresh sage finely chopped
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 11X13 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Butterfly each chicken breast. Place your knife along the side of the breast and use a sawing motion to carefully slice through the side, like opening a bagel. Be careful not to slice completely through the other side. Open the breast and lay flat.
- Sandwich each chicken breast between two pieces of plastic wrap. Using a meat tenderizing mallet, pound each breast until it is flat and about ¼ inch thick. Sprinkle each side lightly with salt and pepper.
- Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add butter.
- When butter stops foaming, add onions to the skillet. Cook onions over medium low heat until they caramelize, stirring frequently.
- Add the white wine vinegar and stir, scraping up the browned bits. When the vinegar becomes syrupy, remove your pan from the heat. Add 2 TBSP of the sage and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Lay out three pieces of twine and place the flattened chicken breast on top.
- Keeping the filling away from the edges, spread ½ of the onion sage mixture on each chicken breast. Sprinkle 2 oz. of grated cheese over each breast, reserving 1 oz. for later.
- Roll each breast and secure tightly with twine or toothpicks.
- Place in your baking pan and make sure they do not touch. Sprinkle reserved cheese and sage over the roulades.
- Bake in preheated oven for about 35 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. If the top is not sufficiently brown, place chicken under the broiler for a few minutes at the end of cooking. Watch carefully as the cheese will brown quickly.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool about 5 minutes before slicing. Remove twine or toothpicks from the roulades. Carefully slice in a crosswise fashion and serve.