This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Mayo Chicken uses only a handful of easy ingredients, is super quick to make (no chopping required), and the results are moist, tender, and flavorful.
Boneless chicken breasts are smothered in mayo, parmesan, cheese, and panko breadcrumbs before baking in the oven.
This Mayo Chicken recipe is super versatile and ready for a busy weeknight dinner! Serve with your favorite veggies and some Easy Drop Biscuits for a simple dinner your family will love.
Table of Contents
Why We Love This Recipe
- Just A Few Simple Ingredients – You only need 4 ingredients (plus a few easy spices) to make flavorful mayonnaise chicken.
- Moist and Tender – The mayo on top helps to seal in the juices and makes the finished chicken tender and juicy.
- Crispy Topping – That crispy Parmesan breadcrumb topping gets nice and crunchy in the oven.
- 30 Minute Recipe – Only 10 minutes of prep and 20 minutes in the oven make this a great busy weeknight dinner option!
Ingredients For Mayo Chicken
Just a few simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand!
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts – It’s best to pound them to an even thickness.
- Mayonnaise – Feel free to use a dairy free or light mayo.
- Grated Parmesan Cheese – Usually I recommend using freshly grated off the block, but for this recipe, the canned stuff works fine.
- Panko Breadcrumbs – Vital for a crispy topping.
- Spices – Salt, Pepper, Italian Seasoning.
- Fresh Parsley – Optional, for serving (and really helps give a nice color contrast).
How To Make Mayo Parmesan Chicken
See recipe card below for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
I mean it when I say this recipe is about as easy as it gets! It’s even a great one to get the kids involved – they can help mix up the mayo or even spread it on the chicken.
- Prep – Start by preheating the oven and greasing a 9×13” baking dish with cooking spray.
- Add Chicken – Pat dry the chicken breast and season with salt and pepper on both sides before adding to the greased baking dish.
- Mayo Mixture – Mix together the mayo and parmesan in a small bowl and spread evenly over the chicken breasts. Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and Italian seasoning.
- Bake – Bake the chicken in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165 degrees F.
- Serve – Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before serving, garnished with fresh parsley.
FAQs
Using mayo when cooking chicken not only adds flavor, but it helps produce tender and juicy chicken. It helps lock in the juices to super moist results!
Pounding the chicken breasts helps the meat cook evenly instead of some parts of the chicken breast cooking faster than others.
You can use a meat mallet or even a rolling pin to do this. The key is to cover the chicken breasts in plastic wrap first so the chicken juices don’t spray all over.
Serving Suggestions
I love how versatile this recipe is! You can serve it with almost any side for a full meal. Some of my favorite sides to pair with chicken breasts are Garlic Green Beans, Easy Baked Potato Wedges, Oven Roasted Broccoli, or Roasted Red Potatoes.
Variations
- Ranch Chicken – Try adding a tablespoon or so of Ranch seasoning powder to the mayo mixture.
- Garlic – Try adding minced garlic to the mayo for even more flavor!
- Chicken Tenders – If you’re serving to kids, or want smaller pieces you can make this recipe using chicken tenders. The bake time will be reduced to about 10 minutes.
Storage and Reheating
Storage – Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheating – For best results, reheat in a 350 degree F oven for about 10 minutes or until warmed. This will help crisp up the topping again. If the top of the chicken is getting too brown you can loosely tent with foil.
- Pound Chicken – Pounding the chicken breasts before using helps them bake evenly.
- Make Ahead – This is a great recipe to prep earlier in the day! Store the baking dish, covered in plastic wrap, in the fridge for up to 24 hours before baking.
- Browning – Every oven is different, so if the topping is browning enough, you can switch to broil for the last 1-2 minutes. Just be sure to watch closely so it doesn’t burn. If the top of your chicken is browning too fast, you can loosely tent the baking dish with foil.
- Rest Before Serving – Waiting 5 minutes before serving helps the juices redistribute so they don’t run out when you cut it. This is a good rule of thumb for any meat!
More Easy Chicken Recipes
- Copycat Cracker Barrel Chicken Tenders
- Baked Chicken Tenders
- Teriyaki Chicken Bowl
- Grilled Chicken Sandwich
- Easy French Onion Chicken
Crispy Mayo Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 medium sized chicken breasts about 2 pounds
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
- Fresh parsley, optional for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease a 3-quart (13×9) casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- Pat chicken dry with paper towels. If needed, lightly pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness. Arrange in the baking dish. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- In a small bowl, combine mayo and Parmesan cheese. Spread evenly over the chicken. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and Italian seasoning.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, or until juices run clear and the internal temp registers 165 degrees.
- Remove from the oven and rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh minced parsley before serving.
This mayo chicken recipe is baked at 425. I will be baking potatoes at same time at 375. Would the baking at 375 for chicken dry it out and how much longer would I add to cooking time to ensure chicken fully cooked?
Hi Marlene, I would cook the baked potatoes at 425, which is what I always cook mine at. Try this recipe: Perfect Baked Potatoes. They take about 50 minutes. Then add the chicken when the potatoes have about 20 minutes left.
Made the crispy mayo chicken, it was easy to make and delicious
Nice! Thanks for stopping by Bernice.