Mayo Parmesan chicken is the most moist and delicious chicken you will ever eat. With only a handful of ingredients and the easiest ever prep, this Parmesan crusted chicken with mayo will become your go to dinner any night of the week!
I have some recipes that I think of as my back pocket recipes.
They are all easy recipes that save me time and time again with their simple ingredients.
Especially ingredients I almost always have on hand, for easy prep and yummy results.
This mayo Parmesan chicken bake is one of those recipes.
It only needs 6 ingredients and is so simple I could put it together in no time at all.
Ingredients
You probably have most of the ingredients on hand to make this simple chicken dinner recipe.
To make it you need:
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts – make sure to trim the chicken of any fat before using
- Mayonnaise – brand doesn’t matter, but make sure it is REAL mayo- our favorite is Hellman’s
- Shredded Parmesan cheese – not the powdery stuff in the green can, you need real shredded Parmesan cheese for this recipe to turn out properly
- Seasonings – A blend of Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt & pepper
That’s it!
Nothing that you don’t regularly keep on hand or buy in your weekly shop.
Can I Use Other Cuts Of Chicken In This Recipe?
The short answer is yes, you absolutely can!
While the recipe calls for boneless, skinless chicken breasts- you could also use boneless chicken thighs (trimmed of fat), cutlets (they will cook more quickly), and even chicken tenderloins.
Any of these will work, although you may need to adjust your cook times. If in doubt, cook to temperature.
Can I Add A Vegetable To Make This Dish Healthier?
Yes, add greens!
Stir fresh baby spinach leaves into the mayo mixture.
The spinach will cook with the chicken, and adds both vitamins & nutrients.
Alternatively, you could thickly slice both sweet onions and tomatoes and lay them out on your baking sheet. Then place the chicken on top and bake.
How to Make
Making this Parmesan crusted chicken with mayo is a snap!
To do it, spray a 9×13″ baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Then season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and place them in the prepared dish.
Set it aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder until evenly combined.
Dollop the mayo mixture onto the chicken.
Then use a spatula to spread the mixture out evenly so it covers chicken completely.
Then bake the chicken in 400° oven for 20-25 minutes.
Remove the baking dish from the oven and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!
Can This Be Air Fried?
Yes! Mayo Parmesan Chicken is a perfect recipe to make in your air fryer.
Prepare the chicken as instructed, then transfer the coated chicken to your air fryer basket, but don’t overcrowd.
You can cook in batches if necessary.
Set your air fryer to 375F and cook for 16-19 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through but still juicy and tender.
Use a meat thermometer to check that it’s cooked to 165F temperature before serving.
Can I Add Bread Crumbs?
Adding breadcrumbs will give this recipe more texture.
If desired, I suggest using roughly 3/4 cup of panko bread crumbs.
Sprinkle them evenly out over the mayonnaise coated chicken before baking.
What to Serve With Mayo Parmesan Chicken
This chicken bake pairs well with so many things!
I personally like to pair it with mashed potatoes, green beans, and crescent rolls.
Other delicious pairings could include steamed broccoli, asparagus, a small side salad or even rice pilaf.
Storing Leftovers
While this chicken is super delicious, unfortunately it is one dish that does not freeze well so I don’t recommend freezing leftovers.
If you have any leftovers, store them in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat them by placing leftovers in the oven at 225 and cooking until the chicken reaches 165 degrees.
Tips and Tricks
- Whatever your usual preference, DO NOT attempt this recipe with miracle whip. It’s far too tangy, and in the end it won’t crisp up with the Parmesan cheese to form the desired crust.
- If using very thick chicken breasts, you may want to pound them thinner with a meat mallet to adhere to these cooking times. To do this, just place the chicken between two sheets of wax paper and gently hit it with a meat mallet until it’s the desired thickness.
You could also butterfly the breasts and then cut them in half in order to thin them out. - Experiment with you cheeses! Fiesta blend, Italian blend, pepper jack, etc! Whatever you like! However, DO NOT use powdered/store shelf grated Parmesan. It doesn’t melt properly. Shredded cheese is a must for this recipe.
- If the cheesy crust is browning too much before the meat’s done, loosely tent with aluminum foil.
- I haven’t tried it myself, but have heard you can substitute Greek yogurt for the mayo if fat is an issue.
Other Easy Chicken Dinners You’ll Love
This mayo Parmesan chicken is one our family’s favorite meals and a surefire winner any busy night.
Make it today and enjoy!
Looking for other easy chicken recipes?
Try these:
- Onion Crusted Herbed Chicken Breasts
- Healthy Slow Cooker Greek Chicken
- Slow Cooker Chicken Caesar Sandwiches
- Pepper Jack & Spinach Stuffed Cajun Chicken Breasts
If you’ve tried this PARMESAN CRUSTED MAYO CHICKEN, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Parmesan Crusted Mayo Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts trimmed of fat
- salt & pepper
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Lightly grease a 9x13" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Arrange the chicken breasts evenly out in the prepared dish. Salt & pepper them.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder until evenly combined.
- Add the mayo mixture in dollops evenly out over the chicken, then use a spatula to spread as necessary to cover the chicken completely.
- Bake the chicken at 400° for 20-25 minutes, or until an a meat thermometer reads 165°. If the cheesy crust is browning too much before the meat's done, loosely tent with aluminum foil.
- Remove the baking dish from the oven, and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Whatever your usual preference, DO NOT attempt this recipe with miracle whip. It’s far too tangy, and in the end it won’t crisp up with the Parmesan cheese to form the desired crust.
- If using very thick chicken breasts, you may want to pound them thinner with a meat mallet to adhere to these cooking times. To do this, just place the chicken between two sheets of wax paper and gently hit it with a meat mallet until it’s the desired thickness.
You could also butterfly the breasts and then cut them in half in order to thin them out. - Experiment with you cheeses! Fiesta blend, Italian blend, pepper jack, etc! Whatever you like! However, DO NOT use powdered/store shelf grated Parmesan. It doesn't melt properly. Shredded cheese is a must for this recipe.
- If the cheesy crust is browning too much before the meat’s done, loosely tent with aluminum foil.
- I haven’t tried it myself, but have heard you can substitute Greek yogurt for the mayo if fat is an issue.
Jacqueline Novak says
Very good and very moist.
Auntie M says
Very delicious way to bake chicken! Moist and flavorful!
Bernadette says
This chicken is really delicious but I baked only ten to 12 minutes. 16 minutes was way to long.
Debbie says
And for me 16 wasn’t enough. It all depends on the size of your chicken breast. The ones I used tonight were bigger, and thicker. I probably baked for 20-25. I kept checking with thermometer and they were perfect.
4sonsrus says
Thank you for pointing this out, Debbie. Oven’s can vary and the size of the chicken can affect the cook time. We always advise cooking to temperature for the best (and safest!) results.
Venette says
I had not read your warning about NOT using Miracle whip before 1st time trying this recipe. it was delicious anyway.
Tara says
This was delicious. I marinated my chicken in buttermilk before baking it and added more garlic because our house loves garlic. It juicy and everyone loved it!
VALERIE says
I took the chance and made this for a party of 9 tripling the recipe. I used flattened boneless chicken thighs and used the same cooking time. It was an absolute sensation.
Bobbi says
Delicious
Cynthia says
It turned out great, was delicious!
Kim Bly says
So good
Shirl says
It is my go to recipe for moist, juicy chicken breasts. Air fried, or oven baked, super easy, very tasty!
Ron Betzler says
I add bread crumbs for texture. Great easy recipe that produces a moist chicken breast every time. I suggest you get a meat therm. Getting the temp right on is key so I pull mine at 160 degrees then rest for five, it then hits 165.
Kristy says
I absolutely love how moist and flavorful these chicken breast turn out!
Debbie says
I absolutely love this recipe! I’ve used it several times now and it’s always a hit! I followed exactly and super good!!
Juli says
I use the powdered parm and the recipe is great!
Dawn says
You need to up your cooking time to closer to 40 minutes
4sonsrus says
I’ve never cooked it longer than instructed in the post, but ovens can vary from model to model and even the thickness of the chicken breasts can effect the cook time. This is why I mention cooking to temp vs just time.
Debbie says
Delicious! The chicken melted in our mouths.
Judith says
So easy! Moist and delicious! A family favorite.