Cubano Chicken – These pickle, ham and Swiss Chicken roll ups came to me after having a serious pickle craving!
I wanted to make a hot dish utilizing dill pickles in some way and decided to stuff a chicken breast with everything you’d normally find in a Cuban Sandwich. But I took it a step further and brined the cutlets overnight in pickle juice for extra flavor, the results were outstanding!!! Bake them in the oven or make them in the air fryer!
Some days I have ideas and I have to test them several times to get them perfect, this dish was a winner from the first round! So much flavor in the chicken, you def need to try this!! Brining chicken in pickle juice gives you the most flavorful, juicy meat as you may have tried in these Pickle-Brined Chicken Tenders! If you don’t eat pork, turkey ham would work great here too.
Pickle Ham and Swiss Chicken Roll Ups (Cuban Chicken)
Ingredients
- 4 1 lb thin boneless chicken cutlets
- 1 1/4 cups pickle juice, enough to cover chicken
- 4 teaspoons deli mustard
- 2 oz thin sliced reduced sodium deli ham
- 2 oz shredded Swiss cheese
- 1-2 dill pickles, sliced very thin lengthwise, dried on paper towel (I used a mandolin)
- olive oil spray
For the breading:
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1/3 cup seasoned wheat or gluten-free breadcrumbs*
- 1/3 cup seasoned wheat or gluten-free panko*
- cooking spray
Instructions
Oven Method:
- Place chicken in a shallow bowl and cover with pickle juice (enough to cover completely). Marinate in the refrigerator 8 hours.
- After 8 hours, drain and dry the chicken completely on paper towels; discard marinade.
- Preheat oven to 425F. Spray a baking sheet with oil.
- Spread 1 teaspoon of mustard over each piece of chicken. Layer the ham on top, then the Swiss cheese and pickles along the center and roll.
- Place egg in a medium bowl. In a shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs and panko. Dip chicken in the egg wash, then into the breadcrumb mixture and shake off excess.
- Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and spray the top generously with oil. Bake 25 minutes, until golden outside and cooked through.
Air Fryer Method:
- Follow steps 1-5.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400F. Transfer to the air fryer basket in two batches until golden outside and cooked through in the center, about 12 minutes, turning half way.
Last Step:
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This was SO GOOD! Our plans had changed and the chicken ended up marinating for two overnights. So much amazing pickle flavor and nice and tender. I started to run out of time at the end, so instead of egg wash and coating the rolls, I just sprinkled the bread crumbs over the top with a little drizzle of melted butter. They still crisped up nicely. I can’t wait for lunch to have the leftovers. 🙂
I’m not a pickle fan. They always remain on my plate at a restaurant. But this r we cope, omg, so tasty. Just enough of everything. My husband loved them too. Thanks for sharing.
Very nice recipe, my husband and I love it!
This is a family favorite! Pounding out the chicken breast makes them easier to roll. I utilize the air fryer method.
We are big fans of Cuban sandwiches so I couldn’t wait to try this recipe. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve made these! Cooking them in the air fryer is the best! ❤️
What a wonderful dinner. Chicken was excellent. Will definitely make again. So very moist and flavorful. Marinated for about 8 hours. I give it a 5 star.
Thanks Carol!
Made this for Sunday dinner with friends. So good. Will definitely make again.
Loved this and it was easier to prepare than I thought it would be.
Well I gave them a try. Didn’t added the panko crumbs and no crackers. Sauted them in some oil and white wine so they got steamed. I also did your Cuban rice and black beans. Everything turned out very tasty. Although I think will flatten the chicken more. Thanks for a good and healthy dinner. Lisa J. H
Thinking of making this for dinner. Q? I don’t have a air fryer, can it be done in a toaster oven.?? As my regular oven is broke.
These are delicious! Is there a way to note in the prep time that they need to marinate for 8 hours? I had forgotten that part when I was meal planning with less than 8 hours to dinner 🙂
I’m dying to make this but can someone please explain:
“4 1 lb thin boneless chicken cutlets”
So would it be safe to assume that it means one pound of chicken cut into 4 thin cutlets? Because four one-pound chicken cutlets would serve more than 4 people!
Thanks
Yes, 4 cutlets totaling one pound. Sorry for any confusion. 🙂
Thanks, Gina 🙂
I figured as much but wanted to be 100% certain! Making this today!
I’ve made this sooo many times and every time honestly feels like the first time! It’s THAT good!!!!
This was delicious! We’ve been trying a lot of new recipes during these crazy times and this has been our absolute favorite. Can’t wait to make it again!
Great!
This recipe is delicious, I’m sure, as printed, HOWEVER I did omit the breading and its delicious like that and reduces some of that calorie and fat count.
Thanks for adding the air fryer tips. Made this yesterday, was delish! Paired with Cuban rice and beans. First recipe I wasn’t really thrilled with but since I’m not a big black bean lover, it makes sense. Loving my Skinny Taste air fryer though!!
Soooo amazing. One of my favourites. I used 1/2 panko, 1/2 cornflakes. Was so great!
I absolutely LOVE these. I made them again on Sunday night and changed up a few things that made it easier so wanted to share.
1. Used toothpicks to keep them together. Really helps keep them neat and pretty. Just be sure to tell your hubby about them before he stuffs them into his face 🙂
2. I lined my cooking sheet with foil. Makes clean up easier and you can use less oil.
3. I did not have any shredded Swiss cheese on hand but did have Sargento Ulta thin Swiss slices so used 1/2 of each slice on each roll up. Was yummy and did not have the shredded cheese everywhere.
4. I used the sandwich pickle slices so no fussing around with slicing pickles.
5. I’m lazy (can you tell???) so I asked the butcher for the thinnest chicken pieces possible and that saved more work.
Love this dish for the 2 of us and for company too!! Thank you Gina!
🙂 You’re welcome Debi!
Can these be brined for more than 8 hours? Maybe even overnight (20 hours in the brine)?
I brined mine for ~24 hrs and they were able to still be rolled. They were much more delicate and tender so they were tearing easily, but the flavor was great and they did ultimately hold together just fine. I just used toothpicks (several) to hold them together while they were in the air fryer! Overall, I would probably stick to a shorter brining time in the future!
Life interrupted and mine spent 36 hours in the brine and they turned out excellent!
How long would you cook in an Air Fryer?
Made this tonight – DELICIOUS!!!
This recipe was amazing!!! Did anyone end up freezing? Interested to see how they came out?
Delicious!! My guys said it’s their new favorite chicken dish.
A few tweaks: I pounded thin cut breasts, used
deli stackers thin sliced dills, I used half Italian seasoned
and half plain bread crumbs (no panko), I used original
Pam not Evoo spray, and most important, the second time
I made it, I egg washed just one side of the breast, then put
that side in the crumbs, then piled on the layers and rolled.
Much easier!
I grocery shop and cook in 2 week increments. My kids are at their dads every other week for 6 hours on Sunday, so I use that time to grocery shop and meal prep. I use the Paprika3 App to multiply my recipes by 1.5 so we have enough leftovers for lunch.
The 2nd week’s food always comes from the freezer. I begin thawing 2 days in advance. (Every night I go pull something else)
With that said….
I was thinking of marinating the chicken and then assembling the “rollups” and then freezing for the 2nd week. Do you think that would work? I wouldn’t put the bread crumbs on until I’m ready to cook them.
Yes that should work
Curious how the freezer worked on these? Was going to freeze with the crumbs as I am making meals for my sister as she has her new baby
This is sooooooooooo good and easy! I can’t say enough about this recipe! It makes me want to have a dinner party because it seems so fancy! Lol! I mixed half Dijon and half yello mustard bc i didn’t have the mustard that this recipe calls for. I also used sargento thin sliced Swiss.
The taste was delicious I only had an issue getting the chicken to “roll up” without falling apart . I even filed the breasts and pounded slightly. Super yummy though! Any ideas welcomed
Kelli, I used a toothpick to h old everything together! Once thee food was done cooking I took the toothpicks out and they stayed perfectly.
These are so amazing and on our regular rotation. I’ve made them a several times now and have tried brined and unbrined when we dont plan ahead and both are great. I use the thin sliced swiss from Sargento because that’s what I usually have on hand. I serve with salad that has a little chopped ham and swiss tossed in Italian dressing and black beans and yellow rice. I’m making again tonight for company coming over, Its that good!!
Awesome recipe–so tasty! Everyone loved the roll ups!
Made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! I only had the time to brine for an hour and it still turned out great. Next time I will have to prep further ahead. Trying to get back on the WW wagon to lose a few pounds before my wedding this winter 🙂 Thank you, Gina!
Had these tonight for supper. Moist and delicious.
My husband and I made this tonight. This was amazing! We do skinnytaste recipes nightly and this is on our top list of favorites. This is amazing you should try it!!!
Thanks Alecia!
My husband I have made these a couple times and they are now a regular part of our dinner rotation. We’ve yet to actually brine the chicken (we aren’t much for planning ahead) and it’s still delicious. We buy the pre-cut pickles from Trader Joe’s to make it even easier. This last time, we subbed out the bread crumbs for half parmesan/half almond flour and it was delicious for a low-carb meal! Now, we just need to figure out the right thickness to get the chicken down to so we don’t have to use toothpicks to hold the rolls together!
This was really, really good! I was so skeptical since it just seemed like an odd combo (even though I’ve had similar with pork), but it was great! Also, very easy to make. I accidentally left my chicken in the brine for two days and it still worked perfectly. I’ll definitely make this again. 🙂
great!
This was so good. Toddler approved also. I wish I followed the directions and used low sodium ham b/c mine was little too salty but very delicious. This is definitely a repeat!
So good. My husband is a fan of Cubano sandwiches and I made this for him, thinking I would find it just “ok”, Wow, more than OK. We both loved the flavor and the rolls came together nicely. I had my doubts before I started, but such a treat. I’ll be making this a lot!
Hi Gina – love your site so much! Question- these say 4 SP but when I put the nutritional info into the website it’s showing me 6 SP. Are you sure they’re 4? Either way…they were delicious!
Are you using the recipe builder?
OMG! My husband and I recently began following WW Freestyle and I’m looking for tasty and interesting meals to make so he doesn’t get bored. Again, O-M-G! I made this for dinner tonight, IT WAS AMAZING!!!!! The only 2 things I did differently was to 1) marinate the chicken breasts for only about 30 minutes in pickle juice, which was more than enough for flavor and tenderness for us, and 2) pound the breasts very thin after marinating them. My husband says this recipe is definitely a keeper, and I wholeheartedly agree!!! Thanks so much!!!
You’re welcome!
This was outstanding and I can’t wait to make it again! I only marinated my chicken for 2 hours, I poked the chicken with a fork to help it absorb. Still delicious! I also flattened the cutlets with a meat mallet before attempting assembly and was glad I did.
Gina ! My boys slurped this up . I used my air fryer and they turn out moist and crispy. Will be making this again . Thank you .
These were absolutely delicious – tasted so decadent and really hit the spot!! Thanks for another great recipe, Gina.
First of all, I haven’t met a Skinny Taste recipe that I didn’t LOVE but this one blew me away! My whole family ( Hubby and 2 teenagers) were in heaven! Of course as always, my husband executed it to perfection! Highly, highly recommend!!!
This recipe was spot on! Take the time to marinate the chicken in the pickle juice, it’s delicious and definitely worth the planning ahead.
I make your recipes all the time and this one is on the favorites list for sure! My husband keeps raving about it. Thanks!
I made this recipe for the first time last night and it was amazing! I did sub bacon for the ham and used milk instead of the egg wash (it’s what we had on hand) and it still turned out incredible, this will be added into our regular rotation (bonus points – hubby loved it!)
I have several go-to Skinnytaste recipes. This is one of them. Sometimes I have to skip the marinate in pickle juice step because I am picking up groceries after work, and it is just as good.
This may be my new favorite!! My husband and I are always a fan of the Chicken Cordon Bleu roll-ups and I just knew he would love these. I was right – he even took leftovers into work today! I loved them just as much – brining the chicken in the pickle juice injects this with SO much flavor, and the whole flavor combo is a WIN! Thanks Gina as always – I don’t know how you come up with all these winners!!
Would it be possible to do this without the breadcrumbs?
Oops. I just put the chicken in the brine which means they will be in it for almost 24 hours instead of 8. Is this a problem??
This was delicious ! It literally taste like a Cuban sandwich without the bread. My Husband even enjoyed it!
Loved the pickle ham chicken roll-up
I made these in half sized rolls for appetizers this Christmas. Everyone LOVED them.
I’ve got to admit that this recipe just sounded weird to me…pickles and ham and swiss and mustard?? But my husband really wanted me to make it. In the end, it was AMAZING. I wasn’t able to roll the chicken, I more folded it in half, but nobody argued. Definitely a keeper!
I made this yesterday for dinner and it was delicious!!! Unfortunately I didn’t have time to marinate the chicken but it still tasted great. It’s going on the meal plan again for next week.
These were amazing!!
They have sooooo much flavor. The second time I made them I added jalapeno slices & banana peppers.
These were very tasty and easy to make! Going to make them again tomorrow but was wondering of suggestions for some side dishes. Any thoughts?
These were so perfect! Thank you so so much for sharing this with us! I used sandwich stacker pickles. I think cutting my own may have been better as they were a little thick but I LOVED all the flavors rolled in chicken. I also didn’t do the egg wash/ Cruz topping. I crunched up a bag of weigh watcher honey Dijon pretzels and sprinkled on top. I so want seconds but will have to wait for lunch tomorrow since I’m trying to slim down! ????
Glad you liked them!
I’m learning to use my air fryer. How would it work for these?
How would you cook this in the air fryer?
I made this tonight and loved it! Totally had the taste of a pressed Cubano sandwich. Big hit with my husband. I think it was quite a few steps but worth the effort.
Made this tonight with steamed broccoli! It was incredible! Thank you for all your delicious recipes, Gina!
This was fantastic!!! The pickle brine made the chicken so moist! I used Frenchs Yellow mustard and it was just right. My husband loved it and was so disappointed that I only made 2. Thank Gina! I’m going to make this for company next time – it is so good!!! I have been to do 6 next time – lol!
I’ve been cooking off Skinnytaste for about three years now. I love Cuban sandwiches so this caught my eye and I wasn’t disappointed. Even my picky husband— who commented over my shoulder, “I don’t like pickles”— loved them and asked when I was going to make them again and said the pickles added great flavor. Thanks again for a fantastic recipe!
This goes on my list for another favorite recipe from skinnytaste.com. The brining really added an extra level of flavor and the deli mustard provided some “zip”. I am doing the low carb thing and having really tasty food to eat makes me feel I am not dieting at all.
I skipped the pickle marinade due to time constraints. Seasoned it instead. Followed the rest of the direction as written. It was delicious! This will be a staple in our home!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Has anybody ever frozen the leftovers? I’m wondering if it’ll still be good once thawed and reheated
I have this in the I’ve now but I made a few slight adjustments. I do not like mustard so that was the first to go. I am from Tampa where the Cuban sandwich is King so I added a slice of roasted Cuban pork. I also nixed the bread and panko crumbs. I used crushed up pork rinds instead. I hope it turns out well. Thanks for the inspiration!
How could I make this more keto friendly?
What could I use in place of the bread crumbs and Panko?
Could I use parmesan instead?
My family love pickles and I think this would be a hit.
I am trying it with crushed up pork rinds now. I will let you know how it turns out.
Have you made these in the air fryer?
Amazing, quick & easy. Just remembered to marinate the chicken & the assembly is quick & easy. Very juicy. Family approved.
I made this the other night and it was absolutely delicious! Quick and easy, and my husband loved it too! I can’t wait to make it again. Thanks for the recipe!
This recipe was fantastic! Stuck the script, minus the pickle juice marinade (but that would have made it even tastier). It is incredibly easy to make, and the taste is a knockout. Great job!
I was raving about this recipe to my friends doing Weight Watchers, too. My husband loved it and I know we’ll be making it again. YUM! Our family loves your blog and cookbooks, Gina.
I just made these and I am in love!
Delicious and easy to make! I ran low on ham and made some of the roll-ups with Genoa salami. The salami gave it a Reuben flavor. We liked them more than the ham. Thank you for the recipe! I will definitely make it again. My husband thought they looked strange because of the pickles,, but went back for seconds.
This recipe is absolutely wonderful! A keeper for sure! We did not have time to marinate so I put dill seed on the inside of the chicken before we rolled it up and it was perfect!
Just made this for dinner, everyone loved it! Had my parents and brother and sister in law over and it was a huge hit! Delicious! Can’t wait to
Make it again ????
I never comment but I made this tonight and oh my God. . Not only was it delicious but wasn’t complicated either . I had to omit the brining part (didn’t realize it was 8 hours and had prepped all ingredients already) if it tasted that dang good without the brine I can’t imagine what it would have tasted like with the brine! Total score!!!
Delicious! So glad I made extra, leftovers for lunch 🙂 Some crushed pork rinds made this Keto Friendly.
WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER!! So easy- came together in no time and so delicious! Definitely goes on the repeat list!!P.S. Decided on roasted asparagus on the side- perfect!
Great!
Just made this!! 5 stars easily. So yummy and simple. Big winner!
What would joy recommend serving this with? I’m
Making it next week and would imagine there’s a lot of
Flavor.
These were sooooooo good! My fiance and I made these and we are definitely adding this to our rotation!
Awesome
What would use use as a side dish with this? Trying to think of a veggie that woul work.
What would you recommend for sides to this? Thanks ????
I had it with a salad, but you could put it with anything you like!
This was fantastic! Reheated well too!
These came out exactly as pictured and were wonderful. I followed the recipe exactly but could see customizing if needed ( leave off pickles, if you have a non-pickle eater., etc)
Gina, another hit! We love Cuban sandwiches and this is a great, healthier alternative. We love the pickle-brined chicken strips as well and are excited to find another way to use our LOADS of pickle juice. Thanks again!
Great! You’re welcome! 🙂
This was amazing!
These were amazing! Perfect combo.
Thank you!
I had a hard time getting the roll ups to stay together so I just folded in half. I made them in the air fryer! Omg! Sooooo good! Thanks!
This recipe is delicious! I was getting sick of plain chicken and this solved all of my problems! Thanks!
🙂
This was absolutely fantastic!!! Thank you Gina- So delicious 🙂
WOW this was yummy! My boyfriend cleaned his plate and then picked all the crumbs out of the pan! I ended up chopping the pickles and the ham to make it a little easier to roll.
Made these last night! They were so yummy. I would have never thought to brine the chicken in pickle juice, it was so yummy! Definitely will be making again. Thanks Gina!!
Delicious!! Great combination and super easy!! Thank you!
I am making this right now and my kitchen smells amazing! Can’t wait to bite in to it!
I think I’ll try this open faced like you’re skillet chicken cordon bleu.
I like this idea!
I didn’t have the time or the brine to marinate but this was still yummy. Will definitely make again!
Huge pickle fan here, so had to try this right away – it is DEELISH!
Absolutely yummy and super easy to fix.
I think using Crispas Parmesan chips…crumbled in a magic bullet…would take off a lot of the carbs…and tasty too!
I just tried this one, it was delicious, next time I’ll just put more pickles!
So glad you liked it!!
Tried this tonight and it was delicious! I did not marinate the chicken in pickle juice, as my husband can’t stand pickles. I’m going to try a different mustard next time. Super tasty and a quick meal to assemble!
Made this for supper and was amazed at the blend of flavors! My husband couldn’t say enough about how delicious it was! So pleased with recipes from skinnytaste????
Yay!!!!
This looks so good. I’m going to try it very soon! Thank you. 🙂
This looks amazing!! I don’t eat breadcrumbs so I was wondering if a combination of parmesan cheese and crushed pork rinds would do as a coating? I love how you use pickle juice to brine!! Genius!
Sure!!
Just made for our Sunday lunch. Soooooo good. The two changes. I made were I used corn flakes instead of the bread crumbs and panko as I can’t eat gluten and I used a spicy pickles.
Awesome!
Wow! How different! Cannot wait to try this! When is the next cookbook coming out?
I’d like to know what brand of mustard you used and also what side did you eat with this? I’m adding this to next week’s dinner menu!
Is that 2 oz per cutlet or for the whole recipe?
Its a 4 oz cutlet per person before you stuff it
This was delicious! I cut a corner and rolled the outside in mustard instead of egg and then rolled the chicken in Shake n Bake’s Panko coating instead of the breadcrumb/ panko mix. Baked as directed. Will definately make again. Love the use of pickle juice!
You used. no egg at all in the recipe? My daughter is allergic so that sounds great.
Made this tonight, it was a huge success. Thank you Gina!
You’re welcome! 🙂
Thanks for the amazing recipe, Gina! My six year old loved it so much, she asked for seconds! #score
Awesome!
These sound delicious! Right up my street!!! Definitely going to give these a try. Yanks for sharing.
What did you use to tie the chicken breast together after rolling them? This looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it.
Nothing! 🙂
How do I save a recipe to my recipe box?
Hi Gina! What kind of pickles do you use, dill or bread and butter? This sounds so yummy.
Way to go, Gina! I’ve been craving a Cubano sandwich, and this will satisfy that craving but still keep me within my points for the day! Thank you!
OMG! SO excited to try this recipe! YUM!!! You are awesome Gina!
I’m going to make this tomorrow for a brunch meal … did you tie the roll ups with string to keep them together?
Nope!
Really? In the pictures i totally thought i sawsting and was looking for that step in the directions.
I used toothpicks, and they worked well. And the rollups keep their shape after cooking, so just remove them before serving.
OMG!! I love chicken paired w/pickles!!! Can’t wait to try it.
I can’t wait to try this!! I LOVE all things pickle! Going on the menu for next week!!
What type of mustard is considered deli mustard? This looks amazing!
Yellow mustard worked for me, and is what’s generally used in a real Cubano sandwich.
Gina, this looks AMAZING!! What a great idea!! I can’t wait to try it!!
Do you make your own pickles? Or store bought? If so what brand do you like?
Thanks Gina!
I have 3 jars of pickle juice saved specifically for brining chicken. I can’t wait to use it for this!
This is going on my menu for next week!!!
My daughter is going to flip out over this! Her diet consists of chicken and pickles.