Known as Melt-in-Your-Mouth Chicken, Mayo Parmesan Chicken is oven-baked, skinless boneless chicken breasts coated with garlic, Parmesan, mayonnaise, and a sprinkle of Panko bread crumbs. A fast and easy-to-make recipe that's crunchy, moist, and tender baked mayo chicken breasts for a perfect weeknight dinner.
🐓Ingredients
Chicken breasts
Mayonnaise
Parmesan cheese
Italian Panko bread crumbs
Pantry ingredients—seasoning salt, garlic powder, black pepper
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Featured comment from Katherine:
"Five-stars. This recipe has been a go-to since you first posted it. Comes out melt-in-your-mouth perfect every time!"
You can never have too many great chicken recipes; this one has everything. It's extraordinarily moist, has a great taste of Parmesan, and a slight crunchiness. Plus, it has a skill level of 2/10. Anybody can handle this easy dinner recipe.
Sometimes called "melt-in-your-mouth" chicken, this baked garlic Parmesan chicken is perfect for a healthy low-calorie. And since it is a lightly breaded, it is also a great low-carb chicken recipe.
👨🍳How to Make Mayo Parmesan Chicken
Preheat the oven to 375° convection or 400° for a regular oven. Trim and pat dry skinless boneless chicken breasts. If thick, thin it to ¾ inch with a meat mallet.
Mix mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese (freshly shredded or grated preferred), seasoning salt, garlic powder, and black pepper.
Prepare a cooking sheet with aluminum foil (to help clean up) and a rack (not required).
Dry the chicken with paper towels. Dip the chicken in the mayonnaise Parmesan mixture.
Lightly sprinkle with some Italian bread crumbs on both sides.
Bake until an internal temp of 165°—about 40 minutes. At 20 minutes into baking, flip the breasts with a fork.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
Baked Chicken Recipes
Check out some of my favorite chicken breast recipes, like How to Bake Chicken Breasts in a Convection Oven, Baked Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breasts, and Pan Seared Oven Baked Chicken Breast.
🐓Ingredients options and variations
Chicken options
This recipe uses skinless boneless chicken breasts. You can use skinless chicken thighs, chicken cutlets, or tenders, but the cooking time varies.
TIPS: Try to use breasts of about the same size and thin if over ¾ inches thick. For other forms of chicken, cook to 180° for thighs for tenderness, but 165° for other chicken.
Mayonnaise options
Use good quality since cheaper versions may be more watery and not stick as well.
Other possible bases for the coating are Miracle Whip®️, Greek yogurt, sour cream, or even cream cheese. People worry about the mayonnaise taste, but even the "mayo haters" love it in this recipe—see the comments.
TIP: DO NOT apply the mayo layer too thick. It will lead to the coating not sticking well and "melting" off. A light coat only, please.
Cheese options
Parmesan cheese is the most commonly recommended cheese. Other cheeses like Ramono, cheddar, or Asiago may be used.
TIP: Grated cheese is usually used, but I prefer shredded cheese for added texture.
Bread crumb options
Panko-type bread crumbs will add some crunch. I prefer the Italian spiced bread crumbs, but use what you want.
TIP: Keep the bread crumbs light. You are not making "Panko chicken."
Seasoning options
Seasoning salt, garlic powder, and black pepper, but modify to your taste.
↕️How to make this a "for two" or "family size " recipe
The recipe is now set for two chicken breasts. But this is a very easy recipe to scale to any size. Make it for one, two, or a crowd.
- Use the recipe card and adjust the number of servings to the number of breasts you are cooking.
- Use the amount of ingredients in the ingredient list, not the instructions—those do not adjust.
- Cooking instructions remain the same.
🍴Serving
Serve with rice, potatoes, or noodles as a starch—hot vegetables like broccoli, brussels sprouts, or asparagus. A side salad and some crusty bread will round out a complete meal.
Check out these recipes for ideas: Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan, Oven Roasted Baby Potatoes, and Easy Dinner Rolls.
👨🍳How to get the coating to stick better
- Nothing sticks well to wet chicken, so dry the chicken before coating.
- The mayonnaise needs to be of good quality. Cheap mayo will have more liquid.
- The mayonnaise coating must be thin—too heavy of a coat will melt off the chicken.
- If the chicken is still partly frozen, it will release fluid, and the coat will fall off.
- Never pick up coated or breaded meat with tongs—it will rip off the coating.
❄️How to store leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container for 4 days refrigerated or 4 months frozen, but the crunchiness will suffer.
Reheat in a convection oven or an air fryer for best results.
❓FAQs and Tips
I'm adding a suggested flip of the chicken halfway through the cooking. Some (not me nor many others) have problems with a soggy bottom.
A couple of possibilities occur to me. First, previously frozen chicken or older chicken can release more fluid. Also, too much or thinner mayo could contribute. Or nothing they did.
Either way, the flip should help those cases and won't hurt. Use a fork for the flip. Tongs may remove some coating.
You can cook directly on PAM-covered foil, but it will have a soggy bottom. A rack will help prevent this.
I love cooking my chicken on a rack. You really need to get a rack. For a few dollars, you will become a much better cook. But get one that is "oven-safe." Some racks are cooling racks only and have a coating.
If your local store does not have them, Amazon will. I list a few in Cooking for Two Shop, but others will work.
If you have time, brining it will make the chicken more moist and tender.
The ratio for a brine is 2 cups of water and one tablespoon of table salt. Some people will add some brown sugar equal to the salt. Remember that all salt is not identical, and 1 teaspoon table salt = 1 ¼ teaspoon Morton kosher salt = 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
As little as 15 minutes makes a big difference. But you can brine for up to 2 hours if you want. This is a "heavy brine" in the amount of salt and matches the Cooks Illustrated suggestions. You may see longer brine times suggested, but please limit it to 2 hours maximum.
If you brine, be sure to wash off the salt gently. Also, instead of seasoning salt, use paprika in the coating.
Food safety
Raw chicken and other poultry should be considered contaminated and handled with care. Wash your hands carefully before and after touching raw chicken.
We do NOT wash raw chicken routinely due to water splatter. See Chicken... To Rinse or Not To Rinse? for more information.
You must cook chicken to an internal temperature of 165° for safety—see the USDA for more information. You need to check this with an instant-read thermometer.
Most recipes (including this one) include estimated cooking times. These are provided for planning purposes. You can not cook safely by time—you must use a thermometer.
📖 Recipe
Mayo Parmesan Chicken
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Ingredients
- 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts trimmed
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese - grated - fresh preferred
- ¼ teaspoon seasoning salt - Lawry’s
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup Italian Panko bread crumbs - Very light coat
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375° convection or 400° for a regular oven. Trim and pat dry 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts. If thick, thin it to ¾ inch with a meat mallet.
- Mix ½ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese (freshly shredded or grated preferred), ¼ teaspoon seasoning salt (I used Lawry's), ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
- Prepare a cooking sheet with aluminum foil (to help clean up) and a rack. The rack will help crispness all around. You can do without the rack, but the bottom will not be crispy. Give the rack a good spray of PAM. If you don't have a rack, they can go directly on PAM sprayed foil.
- Dry the chicken with paper towels. Dip the chicken in the mayonnaise Parmesan mixture. Be sure to get all surfaces coated. Finger use is allowed, but wash well before and after. Note: keep the coating light.
- Lightly sprinkle with some Italian bread crumbs on both sides. You are not coating them but just adding some crispy flavor—about ¼ cup for two breasts.
- Bake until an internal temp of 165°. This will vary by oven but mainly by the size of the chicken. At 20 minutes into baking, flip the breasts with a fork. The total cooking time of about 40 minutes for medium to large. 45 minutes for huge. Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- Try to use chicken of about the same size. If over ¾ inch thick, flatten it out a bit with a meat mallet.
- Be sure to pat dry the chicken. Very dry. The coating will stick better.
- Keep the coating light and bread crumbs light. You may not need all the coating.
- I added a flip in the middle of the recipes. Some appear to need it. Use a fork, please. Not mandatory.
- Miracle Whip, Greek yogurt, sour cream, or even cream cheese may be used.
- Obviously, an easy recipe to adjust.
- Common problems: Not drying enough, too much coating, too many bread crumbs, cheap mayonnaise, previously frozen chicken will release more fluid.
- Be sure to cook to the final internal temperature of 165°. Or cook to 180° if using chicken thighs for tenderness.
- Storage for 4 days refrigerated or 4 months frozen, but the crunchiness will suffer.
- Reheat leftovers in a convection oven or air fryer.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
© 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors. While we appreciate your sharing our recipes, please realize copying, pasting, or duplicating full recipes to any social media, website, or electronic/printed media is strictly prohibited and a violation of our copyrights.
The "inspired by" for today goes to Melt in Your Mouth Chicken Breast at Food.com.
Editor's Note: Originally published December 12, 2012, it has been buried on the blog for a while and needs to see the light of day. The pictures are re-edited. The text is rewritten and buffed up.
Dorothy says
Great recipe except the chicken doesn't get crispy on both sides, just one side.
Mary says
It's cooking now, chicken looks delicious!
DrDan says
Hi Mary,
It is one of my top recipes and I love it. Thanks for the note.
Dan
Michele says
I followed this recipe exactly and although I thought the taste was great, my chicken turned out really dry! They were thick breasts so 375 degress for 45 mins. Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Michele
DrDan says
Hi Michele,
What was the internal temperature of the chicken if you checked?
Dan
Elizabeth says
Did you tenderize the chicken before baking? I've noticed when I don't, mine turns out dry, especially the thicker pieces. I was wondering if this recipe requires tenderizing or if the mayo takes care of it.
DrDan says
Hi Elizabeth,
Almost any chicken breast recipe can benefit from brining so not a bad idea if you have time. With this recipe, I have never had a problem with drying. The mayo seems to help.
Most of the time people have dry chicken, it is over cooked (that is why I always use a thermometer) or the chicken was previously frozen and lost moisture there.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Shannon says
Wow this was amazing just made it tonight for dinner and everyone loved it! It was nice and moist and just delicious thanks so much for sharing! Will definitely make again😀
Kristine says
Thank you for a great recipe! Easy and delicious! This will be a favorite.
Andea says
I used Miracle Whip instead of mayo or God forbid Greek yogurt. Was delicious.
DrDan says
Hi Andea,
Thanks for the note. I wondered how it would be. It seemed like the added spices might not be a good combo to me.
Dan
Lois Button says
In the words of Guy Fieri, "winner, winner, chicken dinner" This recipe is a definite keeper. Thank you. Love it just as written. I wouldn't change a thing.
DrDan says
Hi Lois,
I was wondering who's uses that saying. My wife does't like him so he doesn't appear at our house. Thanks for the note.
Dan
Dennis says
I was a bit disappointed in this chicken. I followed the recipe exactly, and placed the chicken on a rack inside a foil-lined pan. When I took the pan out of the oven all of the mayonnaise and breadcrumbs from the bottom of the breast had fallen through the rack onto the bottom of the pan. The chicken was essentially bare on the bottom.
DrDan says
Hi Dennis,
Sorry it didn't work well for you. I have not had that issue. The only suggestions I can give are to be sure to dry the chicken with a paper towel well before applying. Be sure the rack has a good coat of PAM. Maybe a different brand of Mayo. I use standard (not low fat) Kraft.
Dan
Ashley Skillman says
This is the best chicken even made it on Christmas Eve when me neither n mom we're over with my husband myself and my one year old. All ages LOVED this! My hubby raved saying it was his new favorite and he normally does not like chicken. I completely agree. We will be making this often! Make sure to use at least foil if not also the rack cuz if not clean up can be tuff. But worth it!
Ashley Skillman says
My brother not my neither!
Mary says
Hello, love this recipe but could I substitute sour cream for the mayo?
DrDan says
It would probably "work" but I'm not sure the taste profile would be good. Plain yogurt is suggested by many.
Dina Mukhtar says
Loved it. It was so simple and nice!
Sara Bufford says
Hi. I was just wondering if you could use Miracle Whip in this recipe instead of Mayo?
DrDan says
I wouldn't because Miracle Whip has some sweetness and spicing added that I don't want here. So it would "work" but I suspect a significant taste issue may be present.
Unfortunately, many people believe Miracle Whip and mayonnaise are the same.
They are definitely not the same thing.
GSG says
I made this last night and followed all the instructions. crispy yes, but horribly bland and You couldn't taste the Parmesan cheese. I hate Mayo and I tasted the mayo in it. Whole family upset. I seen the reviews and thought it may be good. *Also this made my house smell for several hours afterwards. If you dont like mayo this is definitely not for you.
Monica Guthrie says
I think maybe you could try this again with less mayo & more parmesean cheese. Do 1/2 cup mayo & full cup of parmesean cheese. Sounds like your household likes cheese and not mayo as much! Just a suggestion, Good Luck & Happy Cooking😄
DrDan says
Hi Monica,
I think that is a reasonable suggestion. I use a very light coating of the mayo mixture and have not had much of an issue. Maybe I don't expect the bottom to be as crispy as the top.
Dan
Dana says
I make this recipe all the time sans the bread crumbs because I'm gluten free. Makes the juiciest chix breast you've ever had in your life!
Jeanette F.-L. says
Dan,
So I stumbled across your recipe when I looked up chicken breast recipes. I have a hard time following recipes. I am always making my own changes then end up eventually just throwing the recipe aside and winging it from there lol. I have always had a natural talent for cooking and am amazing at expanding on recipes to make them better. However, I intend to make this chicken tonight without making many changes. The pictures look awesome and I am quite excited about it (I've tried similar recipes and they were great so I know the chicken will be great). I have a vet husband, a 16 year old nephew, and an 8 month old son that will all be trying this meal tonight. I am quite excited and cannot wait to report back to you with outcome. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe and if your looking to hire to add to your site let me know 😉(lol).
Sincerely,
Jeanette F.L
Lisa T. says
This was so easy to make and my husband raved about it! We are going to make it again for a dinner party with our good friends. All I had on hand the first time was grated parmesan in the can, but this time I’ll use fresh parmesan. Thanks for the recipe!