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.
Maureen says
This is my favorite recipe! So very good and so easy to make. Delicious.
Becky says
I’m curious about the carb count. I’ve made without the breadcrumbs before and there’s not really any carbs in it. I don’t believe there’s 22 carbs in the full 1/3 cup of breadcrumbs.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Becky,
Good eye. The nutrition calculations are done by a plugin and I just replaced it this morning (they calculate only once when published). I ran it again and go a more reasonable 13. About half from the bread crumbs and half from the mayo. And only a few from other things. A different brand mayo may be less. These are estimates based on all the ingredients being used. In reality only about half the mayo gets used and you control the bread crumbs.
Hope that helps.
Thanks for note.
Dan
Vickie Donovan says
I have made this using Panko pork rind crumbs! Delicious!
Sybil says
I made this tonight. I didn’t deviate from your recipe. It was moist and delicious! Thank you!
Jill M says
Hi:
This turned out great; very juicy and tender. It didn’t have the nice golden brown volir but was pretty much perfect. Thanks.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Jill,
Glad you enjoyed the recipe.
I have two convection ovens. One will brown wonderfully, the other not nearly as good only on the browning. The cooking times are identical and both measure to be accurate on temperature. Guess which one I use for blog pictures.
Don't be afraid to hit something with a bit of broiler if your oven is like my #2.
Dan
Angie says
Dr. Dan,
I'm making this tonight! This sounds too easy! I'm trying Asiago/Parmesan/Romano blend, it's what I had on hand.
Heather says
Hello dan I plan on trying this recipe out tonight. I have everything I need except the Italian bread crumbs. I do have Shake n Bake though, do you think that sprinkling some shake n bake on top would be a good alternative? Thanks in advance dan.
DrDan says
Hi Heather,
Welcome to the blog.
I haven't seen Shake n Bake for years but I believe it is more just fancied up flour for "oven frying" things. So not close to bread crumbs.
You can use non-Italian Panko bread crumbs or make your own by running a slice of bread through a blender the brown in a little oil over medium-high heat.
Hope that helps.
Dan
Brian1960 says
Thanks so much for posting this unbelievably succulent delicious recipe. I am kind of new to cooking and never would have bought boneless skinless chicken breasts until I noticed all the positive reviews. I wouldn’t change a thing it’s perfect! I’m excited to browse and learn even if it’s trial n error. I will be sure to make this for friends and family. They’ll be so impressed.
DrDan says
Hi Brian,
Welcome to the blog.
Thanks for the compliment and glad it worked well for you.
Let me know if you have questions of recipe. I have most well documented with step by step photo that help newer cooks.
Dan
Sarah Gibson says
I am not a big fan of chicken breast due to them always being on the dry side, but I bought a pack of chicken breast the other day they were on sale, and figured I would look online to find a recipe to see if I could find a way to cook them that was good. I found this recipe, and decided to give it a try, and OH MY GOSH!!! I absolutely love how this chicken tastes, and the breasts were so juicy and tender, it was life changing in a chicken cooking way. Next time my family has a big get together I'm going to cook and I'm going to make this. my 4 year old is a very picky eater, and when he tasted it he let out a big "mmmm! Its delicious!!" Haha. Thank you so much for this recipe, it is awesome!!!!!!
DrDan says
Hi Sarah,
Welcome to the blog.
I do love this recipe, simple and reliable. We use it for family meals and semi-special meals.
Glad it worked for you and thanks for the note.
Dan
Dawna says
Hi I was wondering about maybe adding some brown sugar to the mix, just wondering what you think.
DrDan says
Hi Dawna,
Welcome to the blog.
I think a touch of brown sugar would be a great addition. Like all recipes, this is just guidelines. See https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/so-how-is-recipe-like-pirate-code/
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Joan Diloreto says
I take 1 breast and slice it into 4-6 smaller pieces, then spread mayo mixture on them, top w/crumbs and bake at 425 for about 15 minutes..I use about 1/2 c. mayo, some cheese, sprinkle of Italian seasoning and garlic powder...mix and spread...delicious..
DrDan says
Hi Joan,
Welcome to the blog.
I'm always in favor of for surface area for flavor. Sounds great.
Thanks for the note and variation.
Dan
Gene says
I just made this with an additional 1/2 c shredded cheddar because who doesn't like more cheese! Came out moist and delicious and cant wait to attempt again. I did the flip but will bypass next time as it baked well on the rack. Presentation made me look like a pro.
Sam says
What sidedishes would you pair it with?
DrDan says
Hi Sam,
Welcome to the blog.
Nothing specific. We like the green beans with bacon.https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/baked-bacon-green-beans/ or a side salad.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Shannon says
Wondering if off the shelf parmesan cheese could be used?
DrDan says
Hi Shannon,
Welcome to the blog.
Any parmesan will work. But the better the quality, the better the results.
Dan
Carol Dworkin says
Love this recipe. So quick, easy, and delightful!
I had a knee replaced and can’t stand too long yet and this works for me. Thank you Dan
Jan Bucanelli says
I made this mayo parm chicken my family loved it I did use the 20 minute flip. It is Amazing 😀 Mine didn't get crusted a lot guess I didn't use enough bread crumbs but it was still Amazing I have made it 2 times in 2 weeks our new favorite chicken 😀❤️. Thank You 😊
Leann says
Trying this for dinner today. Do I cover the chicken with foil?
DrDan says
Hi Leann.
Welcome to the blog.
Uncovered. We want it to crisp some. The foil will trap moisture and also prolong cooking time.
Dan