Mayo Parmesan Chicken is an internet classic—often called Melt in Your Mouth Chicken. Coat chicken breasts with seasoned mayonnaise and Parmesan cheese, then bake until juicy and tender.
I add a light sprinkle of Panko for golden edges and a little crunch without turning it into breaded chicken.
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- 🧾 TL;DR — Recipe Summary
- 🐓 Ingredients
- 👨🍳 Quick Overview: Baked Chicken Breasts with Mayo and Parmesan
- ⏱️ How Long to Bake Mayo Parmesan Chicken
- 🐓 Ingredient Options and Variations
- 👨🍳 Troubleshooting the Mayo Coating
- 🍴 Serving Suggestions
- ❄️ Storage and Reheating
- 🍽 Related Chicken Breast Recipes
- ❓ FAQs
- 📖The Recipe Card
Featured Comment by Katherine:
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"This recipe has been a go-to since you first posted it. Comes out melt-in-your-mouth perfect every time!"
🧾 TL;DR — Recipe Summary
- What: Baked chicken breasts coated with seasoned mayo and Parmesan, with a light Panko topping.
- Why: The coating keeps the chicken juicy; Panko adds golden edges and a little crunch.
- How: Coat the chicken, sprinkle with Panko, and bake at 400°F (375°F convection) until it reaches 165°F internally—about 35–40 minutes.
🐓 Ingredients
- Chicken breasts: Boneless and skinless. Pound to an even thickness for consistent cooking.
- Mayonnaise: Use regular mayo; light or fat-free versions can make the coating watery.
- Parmesan cheese: Grated or shredded both work.
- Panko breadcrumbs: For a little crunch.
- Seasoning: Garlic powder, seasoning salt (such as Lawry’s), and black pepper.
👨🍳 Quick Overview: Baked Chicken Breasts with Mayo and Parmesan
1. Trim and pound chicken breasts to about ¾ inch thick. Pat completely dry.
✅ Pro Tip: For safety, cover the chicken with plastic wrap or place it in a food storage bag before pounding to avoid splatter.
2. Mix the coating: mayonnaise, Parmesan (shredded or grated), and seasonings.
3. Coat the chicken lightly with the mayo mixture and place it on a prepared tray. Sprinkle both sides with a little Italian Panko breadcrumbs for extra crunch.
4. Bake at 375°F convection (400°F regular) until the internal temperature reaches 165°F — about 40 minutes, measured in the thickest part per USDA guidelines.
📌 For full instructions and amounts, see the printable recipe card below.
⏱️ How Long to Bake Mayo Parmesan Chicken
Bake at 400°F (375°F convection) for about 35–40 minutes, until the thickest part reaches 165°F. Thin breasts may take 25–30 minutes; thick ones may take up to 45 minutes. Use a thermometer—the thickness matters more than the clock.
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🐓 Ingredient Options and Variations
- Chicken: Boneless thighs, tenders, or cutlets also work. Adjust the baking time and cook to 165°F.
- Mayo: Miracle Whip, Greek yogurt, or sour cream can be used, but the coating and flavor will differ.
- Cheese: Romano or Asiago can replace Parmesan.
- Breadcrumbs: Use plain Panko if you don’t have Italian Panko.
- Seasoning: Add paprika or cayenne if you want a little heat.
👨🍳 Troubleshooting the Mayo Coating
- Coating slides off: Pat the chicken dry and use a thin, even layer of the mayo mixture. A thick coating tends to slip.
- Topping is soggy: Thaw the chicken completely before coating it, and use a light sprinkle of Panko.
- Crust sticks when turning: Lift gently with a fork to avoid pulling off the coating.
🍴 Serving Suggestions
Serve with rice, noodles, or roasted potatoes and a green vegetable. Leftovers are good sliced over a salad or tucked into a sandwich.
Try it with:
❄️ Storage and Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge or 4 months in the freezer. The Panko topping will soften during storage.
Reheat in a convection oven or air fryer to bring back some crunch. The microwave works, but the topping will stay soft.
🍽 Related Chicken Breast Recipes
❓ FAQs
A rack helps the bottom stay crisp. Without one, bake on foil sprayed with cooking spray and gently flip the chicken halfway through with a fork near the edge of the breast.
It’s optional. For a quick brine, soak for 15 minutes in 2 cups of water with 1 tablespoon of salt. Rinse, pat dry, and skip the seasoning salt. Don’t brine longer than 2 hours.
📖The Recipe Card
Baked Mayo Parmesan Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts trimmed
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese—grated or shredded - fresh preferred
- ¼ teaspoon seasoning salt - Lawry’s or similar
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup Italian Panko bread crumbs - Very light coat
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prepare the tray and preheat
- Preheat the oven to 375°F convection or 400°F conventional.
- Line a baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup and place a rack on top (optional). Spray with cooking spray.
Prepare chicken breasts
- Trim and pat dry boneless, skinless chicken breasts. If they’re thick, pound to about ¾ inch with a meat mallet for even cooking. For safety, cover the chicken with plastic wrap or place it in a food storage bag before pounding to avoid splatter.
Prepare the coating
- In a bowl, combine 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.
Apply mayonnaise coating and breadcrumbs
- Pat the chicken breasts dry again. Lightly coat all sides with the mayo mixture, then place on the tray.
- Sprinkle both sides with Italian Panko. You are not breading them, just adding some crispy flavor (about ¼ cup for two breasts).
Bake the chicken
- Bake in the preheated oven. Halfway through baking, gently flip the chicken with a fork near the edge of the breast. Flip if baking without a rack; with a rack, flipping is optional. Cook until the thickest part reaches 165°F.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- Use breasts of similar size and thickness. Flatten to ¾ inch if needed.
- Pat the chicken dry—really dry—before coating.
- Keep both the mayo and breadcrumb layers light.
- Flipping is optional if using a rack, but it helps keep the bottom from getting soggy.
- You can use Miracle Whip, Greek yogurt, or sour cream instead of mayonnaise.
- Common problems: Wet chicken, too much mayo mixture or Panko, and previously frozen chicken releasing extra moisture can leave the topping soggy.
- Cook to the final internal temperature of 165°. If using chicken thighs, cook to an internal temperature of 180°F for tenderness.
- Store for 4 days refrigerated or 4 months frozen—reheat in a convection oven or air fryer to revive some crunch.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Editor's Note: Originally published December 12, 2012. Updated with refreshed photos, added options, and edited for better navigation.
Dea Varner says
Oh my gosh this was SOO GOOD!!! I pounded my chicken breasts pretty thin and they cooked in about 25 minutes-flipped them at the 15 minute mark. The flavor was amazing and the chicken was so tender it cut like butter!! I served it over Orzo and had a spinach salad as well. This is definitely a keeper!!!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Dea, This one of my favorites but I need to do it more. Thanks for the note and rating.
Dan
Mary Schaefer says
This is a tasty and easy-to-prepare meal. The mayonnaise and parmesan give it a delightful tang and also keep it moist while in the oven. I will be making this a regular in our dinner rotation.
Windy says
What do you think is a good mayo?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Windy,
Generally, for mayonnaises: Hellmann’s and Duke’s are the best reviewed and Kraft's is always close. So, I buy any of those three. I 100% avoid generic mayos that are guaranteed to have cheap ingredients.
I should metion that Duke's has a bit more of vinegar twang that many love. I think if it as southern and Carolina BBQish. So, it may be the best on a chicken sandwich but for cooking dishes, I tend to the other two.
Dan
Shannon says
Hi! Can this be prepared one evening, refrigerated overnight
and baked the next?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Shannon,
Welcome to the blog.
Make up the coating, trim and even out the chicken, the store. Bring it together the next day. I would not coat the chicken until time to cook.
Dan
Racheal says
I'm not a fan of mayo but I've been seeing this recipe all over online lately so I decided to give it a try. Overall.... my family and I loved it! We didn't use a rack so the crust was alittle soggy on the bottom. But the taste was delicious! We also didn't flip the chicken, we just cooked it until it was 165°. Definitely going to make this more often. Super easy and yummy!
KRK says
Hi, Dr. Dan! Have been making this recipe often for years and loving the result! Today, though, I find myself with chicken tenders instead of whole breasts. Please advise on baking time for tenders.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Welcome to the blog.
Cooking time to the minimum safe 165° is mostly dependent on thickness. Tenders usually will take only 15-18 minutes at 400° oven. You don't want to overcook the meat but need the surface browned some. So see https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/spicy-baked-chicken-strips/#recipe to see some discussion about baking tenders. You may need to just turn on a broiler at the end to brown the surface some. I'm not too hopeful it will end up as well as the whole breasts.
Dan
Kathleen says
Exactly...it was awful. Not one person in my family enjoyed it at all
Was hoping for a good chicken recipe as we eat a lot of it. Won't be making this one again 😣
Darlene says
I tried this last night and I was sad. The coating came off at the flip. Then when I went to serve, the coating that was now on the bottom also came off. Naked chicken. Sad. It was still pretty moist, just no coating. I scraped some of the coating off the bottom of the pan/foil/rack and placed it on top to serve. The coating was delicious! I used a well-oiled rack, Hellmans Mayo, fresh chicken carefully dried, and fresh grated parm. The coating was too thick to "dip" so I had to spread it on. I will make this again, use foil, and put the coating only on the top with no flip.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Darlene,
Welcome to the blog. Sorry you had a problem.
A few hints on getting the coating to stick. Most important is dry meat. Nothing sticks well to wet chicken. If the chicken was previously frozen then be sure it is totally thawed—if not it will release fluid.
The coating layer needs to be light. You should be able to see the chicken through it. Lastly, use a good quality real mayo.
Hope that helps.
Dan