Mayo Parmesan Chicken is an internet classic — often called Melt in Your Mouth Chicken. It’s made by coating chicken breasts with seasoned mayonnaise and Parmesan cheese, then baking until juicy and tender.
I added a light sprinkle of Panko for gentle crunch and golden edges without turning this into breaded chicken — a small upgrade that makes this version stand out.
Jump To (scroll for more)
- 🧾 TL;DR (Quick Answer Box)
- 🐓 Ingredients
- 👨🍳 Overview: How to Make Mayo Parmesan Chicken
- ⏱️ How Long to Bake Mayo Parmesan Chicken
- 🐓 Ingredient Options and Variations
- 👨🍳 Troubleshooting: Mayo Chicken Coating Tips
- 🍴 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 (Quick Answer Box)
What is it: Mayo Parmesan Chicken is baked chicken breast coated with seasoned mayonnaise and Parmesan cheese for a juicy, tender result.
Why you’ll love it: Creamy, cheesy comfort food with a light Panko crunch — beginner-friendly and ready in under an hour.
How to make it: Mix mayo, Parmesan, and seasonings; coat the chicken; sprinkle lightly with Panko; and bake until tender and lightly crisp.
Jump to the Recipe Card or continue reading for step-by-step photos, tips, and flavor options.
🐓 Ingredients
- Chicken breasts – Boneless, skinless, about ¾ inch thick. Pound to an even thickness for consistent cooking.
- Mayonnaise – Real mayo (not light or fat-free). Keeps the chicken moist and helps the coating stick.
- Parmesan cheese – Grated or shredded, your choice. It adds that salty, cheesy flavor that makes this recipe work.
- Panko breadcrumbs (optional but recommended) – Adds light crunch and golden color without turning it into breaded chicken.
- Seasoning – Garlic powder, seasoning salt (like Lawry’s), and black pepper. Simple, balanced, and classic.
👨🍳 Overview: How to Make Mayo Parmesan Chicken
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 chicken lightly with the mayo mixture and place on a prepared tray.
Optional: Sprinkle both sides with a little Italian Panko 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 complete step-by-step instructions, scroll down to the printable recipe card or keep reading for tips, flavor options, and serving ideas.
⏱️ How Long to Bake Mayo Parmesan Chicken
Bake at 375°F convection (400°F regular) for about 35–40 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F in the thickest part. Time is only a guide—always check doneness with an instant-read thermometer.
Thinner pieces may finish closer to 25–30 minutes, and thicker ones may need up to 45 minutes.
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🐓 Ingredient Options and Variations
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless breasts are standard, but thighs, tenders, or cutlets work—just adjust the cooking time.
- Mayonnaise: Use real mayo for the best flavor. Miracle Whip, Greek yogurt, or sour cream can substitute.
- Cheese: Parmesan is classic; Romano or Asiago are easy swaps.
- Breadcrumbs: Italian Panko adds light crunch without heavy breading; other flavored varieties may be used.
- Seasoning: Start with seasoning salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Add paprika or cayenne for extra kick.
👨🍳 Troubleshooting: Mayo Chicken Coating Tips
- Start dry: Moisture keeps the coating from sticking. Pat chicken completely dry before coating.
- Use real mayo: Low-fat versions are watery and slide off instead of crisping.
- Thin layer: Too much mayo slides off; a light coat stays put.
- Thawed chicken only: Frozen spots cause soggy coating.
- Flip gently: A fork works better than tongs to keep the crust intact.
🍴 Serving Suggestions
Pair with simple sides like rice, noodles, or roasted potatoes, plus a green vegetable such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, or asparagus. Leftovers are great sliced over 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 coating will soften a bit after storing.
Reheat in a convection oven or air fryer for the best texture; the microwave works in a pinch but you loss crispiness and the chicken texture may suffer.
🍽 Related Chicken Breast Recipes
If you liked these baked mayo chicken breasts, try one of these easy favorites:
❓ FAQs
Yes, once halfway through helps the bottom stay crisp—especially if you’re not using a rack.
Yes. Bake directly on foil sprayed with cooking spray, but flip halfway with a fork for the best texture.
Optional. Even a quick 15-minute brine (2 cups water + 1 tablespoon salt) can make it extra juicy. Rinse, pat dry, and skip the seasoning salt if you do. Brine for up to 2 hours maximum for the best texture.
📖The Recipe Card
Mayo Parmesan Chicken (Easy Baked 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
- 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 until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. At around 20 minutes, you can flip the breasts with a fork to help keep the bottom from getting soggy. Depending on the size, the total cooking time is about 40 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
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, but it helps keep the bottom from getting soggy.
- Miracle Whip, Greek yogurt, sour cream, or cream cheese may be used instead of mayonnaise.
- Common problems: Not drying enough, too much coating, too many bread crumbs, cheap mayonnaise, and previously frozen chicken will release more fluid.
- 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.
Brandi says
This is in the oven as we speak, what type of fish would this go on?
DrDan says
Assuming you mean wine and got done in by spell check. I like a nice Sauvignon blanc.
Linda L. says
This recipe was easy and delicious!! Mayo and chicken go really well together.
DrDan says
Hi Linda,
Thanks for the note. It is one of our favorites.
Dan
Justin says
Would suggest flipping chicken atleast once even with rack it did not crisp up on bottom it was very soggy
DrDan says
Hi Justin,
With the mayo, the coating doesn't stick the best so if you flip, use a fork and be careful.
Dan
David says
Funny I just saw the no mirical wip comment. I have made it 15 times now with it and love it.
DrDan says
Hi David,
Thanks for the note and test driving Miricle Whip for us.
Dan
Warrior_mouse says
I realized that I bought chicken breast strips. Didn't have seasoning salt so used some dried savory and basil as substitute. (We try to avoid too much salt) Baked on foil covered baking pan and flipped with tongs carefully about halfway through. Because the chicken pieces were smaller I baked them for less time. Ohhh sooooo goood and moist! Thanks for a delightful new way of cooking chicken breast meat. Mr Rat is kind of a picky eater but rates this at 5 stars :)
DrDan says
Hi Warrior_mouse, great handle.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Jx says
Just baked and cooked mine! I am now a believer and follower of this site! this is officially my new recipe...T
hat cooking rack 👍. Family loved it.
Daphne says
I agree that it is easy. However, I have made it twice and it is definitely something I will not make again.
Maybe I am not a chicken breast fan, but the chicken was NOT tender, either time I prepared it. There was not enough coating or wetness to make the chicken interesting. So it was just another big tough chicken breast. Perhaps it would have worked better if the instructions were to flatten the breast to about 3/8" or less, but they weren't, and I'm not going to try it again. See next point!
I set my oven to 400F as instructed and the smell and mess in my oven and kitchen were just horrible. Burnt oil smell lasting again the next day. I literally had to clean my oven because of baking this recipe. The smoke wasn't only near the end of the cooking process, it was from early on, so it wasn't as if I overcooked the mayonaise mixture.
Laura says
Some people just can't cook
Another Cooking Dad says
Hi, Daphne:
Chicken breasts can be tricky to not turn out dry (especially boneless skinless). Whenever I end up with tough and dry chicken breasts the culprit is always overcooking. The trick I've learned with any chicken dish is to not let the internal temperature of the meat exceed 170 degrees (F). 165 is the sweet spot. I purchased an inexpensive digital instant-read thermometer and it has made all the difference in my cooking skills.
3/8 inch-thick breasts will definitely require much less cooking time. I'd guess as little as 15 to 20 minutes. I'm also thinking you might want to check the temperature of your oven--it might be running too hot.
Also, the Mayo sauce shouldn't be placed on the chicken in a thick layer. A very thin layer will do. It sounds like there was so much sauce that it boiled off and spattered all over the inside of your oven.
Give it another try. With some changes in technique my bet is you will create a perfect dish.
Good luck!
Rodney Hobbs says
Excellent and extremely easy:)
Kristi Huckabee says
This recipe looked so good I had to try it right away. It is in the oven right now with 30 minutes to go. I can't wait to try it. Thank you for an idea of something a little different.
Brandon says
Thank you so much for this recipe! I followed it to a tee and it came out amazing. I made it for a second time last night and my wife and children can't get enough of it.
DrDan says
Hi Brandon,
I still do this recipe frequently.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Twila says
I replaced the Lawry's Seasoning Salt with Adobo (because we're a spanish household lol) and it was absolutely divine.
A good shake up from always making porkchops or ham or our usual chicken recipe.
Served with some Puerto Rican style rice and beans- my gradma's recipe- and pan fried yucca root with a little olive oil drizzled on top.
Got demands to make more!!
Suzanne says
I made this last night and it was so yummy! After I finished getting the chicken ready to go in the oven, I tossed about 3/4 cup of quartered baby bella mushrooms in a tablespoon of the mayo/parm mixture I set aside, then baked them in a little foil boat on the side of my baking rack. Good heavens, the whole thing was ridiculously good!
Larry says
Roger that,
Thanks DrDan !
Larry says
Will cooking the breasts at 400 for 40 mins be too long? I normally bake them at 400 for 22 mins.
DrDan says
Hi Larry,
Exact cooking time varies. The endpoint is a safe internal temperature of 165. If your chicken breast is smaller and thinner plus your oven runs a bit hot, then 22 minutes might be right for you but it seems very short. I have done this recipe with smaller (about 8 oz) breast and they still took a little over 30 minutes in my oven which is right on for temperature.
So to sum up, internal temperature not time is the important number.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Patty gustafson says
Love the recipe. But you didn't mentioned in the recipe, if you should turn the chicken over half way through cooking.
DrDan says
Hi Patty,
I don't flip but I suggested to De that it might crisp up the bottom some. I think I would lose coating and not affect it much. I use a very light coat of mayo and don't think it is much of an issue. Monica has a suggestion that sounds reasonable.
Dan
De says
Just made this and it was AWESOME! I used a rack but it didnt get crispy on the bottom but it didnt matter. I used a spatula to place the mayo mix on each side and then sprinkled the parmesan and bread crumbs. AWESOME! Thank you for sharing.
DrDan says
Hi De,
Thanks for the note. I don't think it is possible to get the bottom equal to the top. We could try flip halfway through but I think I would lose some coating.
I do love the flavor of this one and it is so easy.
Thanks for the note.
Dan