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.
Cj says
Doesn't say to turn midway but mine was soggy on downward facing side. I used the grate. I used Slap your mama to break up the bland. Ok is the best I can say.
DrDan says
Hi CJ,
Welcome to the blog and sorry it didn't work well for you. I was rewriting this recipe post for tomorrow already so I have added a flip in the middle as an option. A few others have had issues also.
________________
I'm adding a suggest flip of the chicken half way through the cooking. Some (not me nor many others) are having problems with 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 be contribute.
Either way, the flip should help and won't hurt. Use a fork for the flip. Tongs may remove some coating.
_____________
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Elaine says
Delicious chicken! My kids love spicy so I use half mayo and half Sriracha mustard. Yum!
DrDan says
Hi Elaine,
Welcome to the blog. This is an unusual combo but glad it works for you.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
N. Johnson says
OMG...I tried this with every ingrediant and the baking racks. Absolutely "AWSOME". Quick, simple and extremely tasty. Making more this weekend...simply delicious...I love it!
Julie says
Making this now. The only thing I would change is to use half the parm in the Mayo batter then half later to sprinkle with breadcrumbs.
Another Cooking Dad says
I had only about one-half of the required parmesan cheese so I rummaged around the fridge and found some seasoned crumbled feta and substituted that for the remainder. It really made an EXCELLENT addition. I will always use some feta when making this dish (I wouldn't suggest using more than 1/4 cup though, as the sharp flavor might be overpowering). With a couple of gluten-free eaters, I couldn't use the Italian bread crumbs. Not being able to locate any Panko in the cupboard, I sprinkled on some corn flake crumbs to get a little crunch. This is clearly one of those fun recipies where some substitution and creativity won't run the meal.
BTW, the whole family (even our finicky 13-year-old) loves it. This recipe has won a spot in my coveted 'Favorite Recipe' bookmark folder.
Chris says
I used miracle whip and it was an absolute orgasm in my mouth.
Meghan says
Yum! Made this tonight for the family, and it was delicious! I cut my chicken breasts into halves and used the rack from my toaster oven over a cookie sheet. It baked perfectly crisp. Definitely going into my regular menu rotation!
DrDan says
Hi Meghan,
The rack does make this recipe. I have rack of every size for my sheet pans.
Glad it worked well for you and thanks for the note.
Dan
Kasey Ng says
I just finished making this recipe tonight. This was the first time I’ve cooked a homecooked meal, and I am SO glad I chose this chicken recipe. As with everyone else, my boyfriend and I hate Mayo. I trusted what everyone said about not tasting it, but my boyfriend was skeptical. I’ve never seen him so happy :) Thank you a million times Dan!!! If it’s okay with you, this will be going in my personal cookbook!
Savannah Magowan says
If you hate mayo, please don't let this recipe turn you off! Half of my family hates mayo and I made this without telling them about the mayo and everyone wanted seconds! Only after they ate it did I tell them and they don't believe me. Try it out, you won't be sorry.
Maureen Kmieciak says
I wish I went with my gut and made half of the mayo coating. Why use 1 cup of mayo for a light coating when I can use 1/2 a cup and save waste. They are in the oven now. Hope they live up to the hype.
Sue K says
I made this last night. I did use Miracle Whip because that is what I had. While the chicken was good and moist, I felt that the chicken was pretty bland. I would have liked to have a little more crisp on it as well. So for a base recipe this is good. I will add more spices, maybe some paprika, more pepper and seasoning salt for starters. I put garlic salt on them when I ate them which amped them up a little.
Amy says
This is a family fav - juicy and tender every time without standing at the range all night. A delicious substitution we use is Chosen Foods Avacado mayo. You'd never know the difference and so much better for you!
DrDan says
Hi Amy,
First, sorry for the delayed reply.
I like the idea, I will pick some of that up.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Mitsuko sato says
I’ve made the recipe from Hellmann’s/best foods. (It’s basically just mayo, Parmesan, and Italian bread crumbs piled on top of the chicken breast and then baked). I figured this recipe had to be better, since it had the mayo mixture on both sides and extra spices and utilized a rack. Unfortunately, I was wrong. The rack and to double sided coating did not make both sides crisp up. In fact, I would say the bottom side was even more soggy. For reference, I used a rack and hellmanns, best foods mayonnaise, and Panko bread crumbs with Italian seasoning mixed in. I had rather large chicken breasts and an oven without convection, so I baked them in a 400 degree oven for 45minutes. Nonetheless, the bottoms of my breast were grossly soggy-more so than the original recipe I’ve done before (which I used all the same items and did all the same steps, minus coating them on both sides and using a rack). I’m sorry to say, I would not make this recipe again.
Jessica says
Making this tonight super excited thank you!
Sweet Bee says
Absolute new favorite*
Sweet Bee says
Great recipe! Abolished new favorite! I substituted the breadcrumbs for crushed Hot Fries and the flavors were explosive. Looking forward to making this over and over.