Mayo Parmesan Chicken
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.
Looks delicious!
I’ve made this several times and it’s absolutely fantastic. My husband says it’s one of the best things that I make and it’s so easy
It is easy, one of the reasons I love it so much!
I made this with the Italian blend cheese. Also, used the small chicken tenderloin fillets and they turned out very good.\
I make this and love it, so does my family. The only downfall is it is so much grease in the pan. Do you use a drip pan or anything to keep yours from just bathing in the grease?
I don’t think I’ve ever noticed it being super greasy, but I tend to bake mine on a large rimmed baking sheet. If they’ve been sitting in grease, then I’d transfer the cooked chicken to a layer of paper towels before platting to let them absorb any excess amount.
I haven’t officially made this recipe yet, but I recently had it. Your recipe is exactly what I was thinking of on seasonings. It was absolutely amazing!
My picky kids loved it
How is protein 58 for 1 chicken breast?
I just made this for the first time and OMG so good.
I would put it on a dip rack just before it was done so it would crisp up more but so tasty.
Awesome!!!!!
I don’t understand why this chicken is 54g fat & 58g protein. How is this possible?
Mayo and cheese have a fair amount of fat…
Are calories and fat for the whole recipe rather than a serving?
We have made Parm Chicken many times, this by far is the best we have ever made. I think the key is the shredded parm instead of the “powder”. Thank you – a new go to recipe.
This is my go to recipe that when I’m short on time. In my version I place pounded chicken breasts snuggly together on a cooling rack over a foil wrapped cookie sheet. I then mix the cheese and mayo, spread over top of chicken breasts, then sprinkle a mix of Italian seasonings, panko and a bit more cheese over the mayo. The panko gives a nice texture to the dish. Everyone in my family loves it!!
My picky eater’s FAV! So easy.
This was so easy! My family loved it!
I hate measuring mayo so I bought an 8oz jar:) Definitely will make again.
This is a very simple and delicious recipe. I made it for the fist time tonight and the only difference to the recipe is that I added probably 3/4 cup of panko crumbs just before putting it in the oven and I used chicken thighs instead of breast.Everyone including the grandkids loved it.
I make this alot. My family loves it!
Warmed sliced leftover chicken over Caesar salad is perfect food!
My husband said this was hands down THE BEST chicken dish I have ever made! Both my sons says it was a 10/10! I don’t cook that much because seems like nothing turns out. I expected the same this time. But after I took one bite I about fell on the floor in mouth heaven. This is a MUST have on my short list of dinners everyone in the family loves!!! Thank you!
Thank you so much Amy for taking the time to leave your review! It’s a favorite in our house too, and so easy it’s a great last minute meal. Hopefully you’ll find many more of our tried & true recipes to enjoy 🙂
So good! Easy, crispy, & delicious! I cooked mine on convection for 40 min and loved how crispy and flavorful the skin came out and We are also offering online meat delivery Services. please visit: https://www.beckandbulow.com
I have made this several times but I use thighs.I made 2 cake pans with about thirty thighs in each for a church potluck. They were all gone and was asked for the recipe by many. Know it by heart. These were so moist and great taste. Thank You
Just made this for the second time and added baby spinach and some lemon pepper to the mayo mix! It was amazing! So incredibly good! Paired it with mashed potatoes!
Made this for my godmother and my boyfriend….
It’s a Hit!!!
I tried the parmesan chicken. It was really good I tried but I think I put to much mayonnaise. I am always afraid that I over cook the chicken.
I made this tonight and it is soooo good! I was looking for keto friendly recipes and this hit the mark! Thanks!
Wow! This is the best baked chicken I have ever had! The only change I made was substituting shredded cheddar cheese because I was out of Parmesan. U can’t believe how tender & juicy this was. The flavors blended so well. This is definitely one chicken recipe I will be sharing with everyone I know & will add it to my list of favorite recipes.
I put it on a bed of onion and tomatoes while cooking. Absolutely amazing!