Looking for an easy chicken roulade with sauce included in the recipe? This chicken roulade with sauce is the best way to turn a boring chicken breast into a show stopper. This chicken roulade is stuffed with a Mediterranean style tapenade made from sundried tomatoes, olives, and kale.
I know this fancy looking chicken roulade with sauce looks hard but it’s actually deceptively simple. Learn how to make fine dining style chicken roulade from scratch with this step-by-step guide. Some other topics we’ll cover in this post are:
Stick around, kick up your feet and prepare to blow your loved ones away with this 20 minute chicken roulade with sauce recipe. We’ll kick off this post with the important stuff: The Roulade Technique.
Roulade Technique
The best chicken roulade recipe is one that’s easy. This stuffed chicken roulade includes a step by step guide to help you roulade almost any kind of meat. There are 4 main steps when it comes to making chicken roulade with sauce:
- Butterfly chicken breast
- Flatten chicken
- Roll it up
- Tighten
Let’s have a closer look at each step:
Butterflying Chicken Breast
Butterfly chicken breast or anything basically means cutting it horizontally in half but not all the way through, and then opening it like a book. Start by lining your cutting board with a large sheet or cling film/saran wrap.
Place your chicken breast on it and start making the cut. Make long slicing motions while gently pulling the chicken breast apart. It should look like this:
Place an additional piece of cling film/saran wrap on top of the chicken breast and move on to the next step: flattening the chicken breast.
Flatten Chicken
Flattening the chicken breast will allow the roulade to cook more evenly and give more surface area to fill and roll the chicken roulade.
Grab something heavy like a pan, meat cleaver, or a rolling pin and start flattening your chicken breast out as evenly as possible. It should be under half an inch (1cm) thick.
Tip: You can use an empty bottle as a makeshift rolling pin.
Remove the first layer of cling film/saran wrap and place the filling on top of the chicken breast. After that we can move on to rolling the chicken roulade up.
Roll It Up
Use the bottom layer of cling film/saran wrap to start rolling the chicken breast into a log. It doesn’t have to be tight or perfect.
Twist both ends of the cling film/saran wrap to secure the chicken roulade. The next step will magically transform the shape of your chicken roulade.
Tighten it
Grab both ends of the cling film/saran wrap and start rolling the chicken log towards you in a sliding motion against your counter top. The chicken log should tighten and start to form a perfect sausage shape.
Do this 3-4 times until you’re satisfied with the shape of the chicken roulade and secure the ends into a knot.
The most common way to cook a roulade is in the oven but that can take a while and you can never be sure if it’s cooked through without a meat thermometer or slicing it open. And there’s nothing worse than cutting into a half cooked or overcooked chicken roulade.
The next section will remove all those doubts and teach you how to make chicken roulade like a pro and have it perfectly cooked each time.
How To Make Mediterranean Tapenade Chicken Roulade With Sauce
Tip: make chicken roulade fillings first so it has time to cool.
We are using tapenade as a filling for this roulade. Tapenade is a type of spread made from puréed or finely chopped olives and other things like anchovies and capers. This mediterranean style tapenade is made with olives and sundried tomatoes.
Prepare The Filling
Place sundried tomatoes and olives in the blender and blitz it until smooth. Chop the kale into bite sized pieces.
Add the kale to a pan on medium heat with some olive oil. Cook the kale for 2 minutes and then add some chopped garlic. Saute this for a minute.
Mix the cooked kale with the tapenade.
Set it aside to cool and prepare the chicken according to the steps above. If you skipped it, simply butterfly the chicken breast, flatten it, place the filling in the middle, roll it up and tighten the chicken roulade by rolling it a few times.
When the chicken roulade is ready, bring a pot of water to a gentle simmer on low heat. Place the chicken roulade in a ziplock bag and close it tightly, leaving a small part open. Slip a straw through that gap or use a vacuum on low and suck out as much air as possible.
Voila, a DIY vacuum sealed bag (this trip is great for packing liquids for a trip too). Place the vacuum sealed chicken roulade into the simmering water and cook it on a very low heat for 10-11 minutes.
Remove the chicken roulade from the water and set it aside to cool.
When it’s cool enough, remove it from the ziplock bag and cut off one of the ends and slide the chicken roulade out.
Place a pan on medium high heat and add some oil into the pan. Sear the chicken roulade on each side for 30 seconds to a minute or until golden brown.
While the chicken roulade rests or cooks, you can make the sauce.
Make The Sauce
You’re almost through with this recipe of chicken roulade. All there’s left to do is make the sauce. This easy and flavorful sauce starts off with butter, chopped garlic, and a sprig of thyme in a saucepan.
Saute this for about a minute. Add the mustard and cook for another minute. Next, pour in the beef stock and cooking cream. Stir the sauce and continue to cook it for 5 minutes to reduce and thicken it. When it’s ready, it should stick to the back of the spoon.
All About Mustard, 9 Other Condiments & FODMAPs
You can now make any kind of filled roulade with this new found chicken roulade technique. Have some questions about this dish? Take a look at the FAQ section for the internets most asked questions related to chicken roulade.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is The Meaning Of Chicken Roulade?
Roulade is a type of cooking style which involves a process of filling a thin piece of meat with vegetables, meats or cheese and then rolling it into a log to cook.
This recipe for chicken roulade is made from chicken breast that is butterflied (cut in half), flattened, filled, rolled into a log, and cooked, steamed, or braised. Now you know what rolled chicken is called: roulade!
Roulade can be made with any meat. Switch out the chicken and turn this into a recipe for turkey roulade. We love this recipe because everything from the filling, sauce, and roulade can be made and cooked in advance.
Tip: Save some time and stress by asking your butcher to butterfly and flatten the chicken breast for you.
What Is Chicken Roulade Made Of?
Chicken roulade is a dish where chicken breast is cut open like a book (butterflied), pounded flat, stuffed with vegetables, cheese or meats and rolled tightly into a log. Think of it like a savory version of a swiss roll.
Roulades are served with a variety of sauces.
Can You Freeze Chicken Roulade?
Yes, you can freeze chicken roulade. It’s best to freeze a chicken roulade whole. Place it in a freezer bag and seal it tightly. Thaw it in the fridge overnight before cooking.
I recommend freezing it after it’s cooked with the water bath so all you have to do is sear it or freeze it completely raw.
What Is Sous Vide Cooking?
Sous vide cooking is a the process of placing food in a vacuum sealed bag and cooking it in a water bath. This cooking technique is a french term and produces perfectly cooked and juicy meats.
Sous vide meats do come out looking a little sad and grey but that is fixed by quickly searing the sous vide meat in a pan with some oil or butter.
You can easily make a baked chicken roulade but why not try something new? Besides, baking chicken roulades can take up to 40 minutes. This cooking technique gives you perfect chicken roulade with sauce in under 15 minutes.
This dish is very versatile. You can make it with different meats and fillings. The next section will cover different chicken roulade filling ideas.
Chicken Roulade Filling Ideas
You can make this chicken roulade with sauce recipe and change up the fillings based on your preferences. We have a chicken spinach roulade that’s just as easy and delicious.
Here are some chicken roulade filling ideas for you to try:
- Kale and bacon
- Mushroom and thyme
- Cheese and creamed spinach
- Sundried tomatoes and basil
- Roasted bell peppers, spinach, and feta
- Olives, capers, and oregano
Any flavor combination that is tried and true will work as a chicken roulade filling. You can switch out the sundried tomatoes with olives and make a mediterranean chicken with olive tapenade. You can even wrap your chicken roulade in bacon or slather it with mustard.
Serve this delicious roulade with a side of creamy scalloped potatoes or loaded potatoes!
That’s the end of this step-by-step chicken roulade with sauce recipe guide. What are some chicken roulade recipes you’ve tried that you absolutely loved? Let us know in the comments below if you’re going to try sous viding your chicken roulade with sauce for this recipe.
Mediterranean Tapenade Chicken Roulade With Mustard Sauce
This chicken roulade with sauce is simple and delicious. Chicken is butterflied, flattened, and stuffed with a mediterranean style tapenade made from olives and sundried tomatoes. It's served with an easy
Ingredients
- 2 Chicken breasts (1 breast serves two people) ours were about 200g each
- Tapenade Filling:
- 1/2 cup olives (green or black)
- 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes
- 1/2 clove garlic or 1 tbsp garlic infused oil
- 1 cup of kale
- Sauce:
- 1 tsb butter
- 1/2 clove chopped garlic or 1 tbs garlic infused oil
- 1 sprig of thyme
- 1 tbs mustard (we used dijon)
- 1 cup beef stock
- 1/2 cup cooking cream (regular or lactose free is okay)
Instructions
TAPENADE FILLING:
Add the sundried tomatoes and olives into a blender and mix until smooth.
Chop the kale into bite sized chunks.
In a pan, add a little bit of olive oil and cook the kale for 2 minutes on medium high heat.
Add the garlic and saute for another minute.
Mix the cooked kale with the tapenade (blended sundried tomatoes and olives).
Set it aside to cool and prepare the chicken.
PREPARE THE CHICKEN:
You can ask your butcher to butterfly and flatten the chicken breast for you to save time.
Line the cutting board with a layer of cling film/saran wrap. Place the chicken breast on it.
Slice the chicken breast down the center (see blog for picture guide and instructions).
Place another piece of cling film/saran wrap over the butterflied chicken breast.
Grab a rolling pin/meat cleaver/ or heavy pan and flatten the chicken breast. Try to get it as flat/uniformed as possible. It should be under half an inch (1cm) thick.
Remove the first layer of cling film/saran wrap and place the filling on top of the chicken breast.
Use the bottom layer of cling film/saran wrap to start rolling the chicken breast into a log.
Twists both sides closed and start rolling/sliding the chicken log towards you.
The chicken log should tighten and start to form a perfect sausage shape.
Secure the ends into a knot.
Repeat this step for the other chicken breast.
Place this chicken lock in a ziplock bag and remove as much air as you can from the bag.
COOKING THE CHICKEN ROULADE: Sous vide method at home
*see notes for baked chicken roulade instructions
Bring a large pot of water to a simmer (Not a rolling boil).
Place the ziplock bag with the chicken roulade into the simmering water for 10-11 minutes.
After 10 minutes, remove the roulade from the water and let it cool slightly.
Remove the chicken roulade from the ziplock bag and cut off one end of the cling film/saran wrap knots and slip the chicken roulade out onto a cutting board.
Heat a pan with some olive oil on medium high heat. Add the chicken roulade to the pan when it's smoking hot. Sear each side for 30 seconds or until browned.
Let the chicken roulade rest on the board while you prepare the sauce.
SAUCE:
Add the butter, garlic, and thyme to a sauce pan on medium low heat.
Cook for about a minute.
Add the mustard and saute for a minute.
Pour in the beef stock and cooking cream.
Cook this sauce for 5 minutes to reduce and thicken it.
SERVE CHICKEN ROULADE WITH SAUCE:
Serve with rice, on a bed of mashed potatoes, or green beans.
Slice the chicken roulade into 4 pieces (half first and then quarters) and drizzle some sauce over it.
Enjoy!
Notes
- Ask your butcher to butterfly and flatten the chicken breast to save time.
- Tapenade can be made at home or bought ready made in stores
- To make this recipe in the oven, chill the chicken roulade in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour before baking. Bake chicken breasts that weigh about 4 oz or 113grams 20-30 minutes in an oven at 350f or 176c.
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