Julie Clark
Updated:
Mayo Chicken with Parmesan Cheese
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This old fashioned mayo chicken has been served in homes for decades. This easy weeknight dinner has a rich flavor and is ready in about 30 minutes.
When we were first married, I made a lot of baked chicken. Sometimes I’d get creative with seasonings and cooking methods (like chicken marsala), but other times I pulled out my old church cookbooks and looked for a “grandma recipe” to try, like oven baked chicken and gravy and chicken divan casserole.
This mayo chicken is one of those old fashioned recipes. It’s been around for years and for good reason. It’s easy, the chicken is tender and the parmesan topping is full of creamy rich flavor. This is another one of those comfort food recipes you’re going to want to pop into your weeknight dinner rotation.
About this Mayo Chicken Recipe:
- Flavor: This is mayo chicken, so I would not recommend making this if you don’t like mayo. The mayo flavor is enhanced with garlic, ground mustard and parmesan cheese. It’s a rich, melt in your mouth chicken dinner!
- Texture: The chicken is tender and moist and the topping is creamy.
- Method: This chicken bakes in the oven in about 20 minutes in a baking pan. A minute or two under the broiler gives the tops a pretty golden brown.
Why does mayonnaise keep chicken moist?
Why do people put mayonnaise on chicken before cooking? It may seem strange, but if you think about it, mayo is essentially egg and oil. The egg and oil keep the chicken moist and tender as it cooks. And it adds a rich flavor and taste that you’ll love.
What is chicken mayo made of?
There are only 8 ingredients in this mayo parmesan chicken recipe:
- Parmesan cheese: Use shredded parmesan rather than the powdery kind in the canister. You’ll get much better flavor and results.
- Chicken breasts. If you’d like something other than boneless chicken breasts, try boneless chicken thighs or chicken tenders.
- Mayo. Use real mayonnaise for the best flavor. Not Miracle Whip or light mayo. And I don’t love olive oil mayo for this chicken. I recommend traditional mayo. Hellmann’s is a great brand.
- Spices: Paprika, ground mustard, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Garlic powder works also. About ¾ teaspoon will do the trick.
✨For full ingredients and amounts, see the recipe card below. ✨
How to Make Mayo Chicken
- Preheat. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Spray a 9×13” baking dish with cooking spray.
- Prepare the chicken. Pound the chicken breasts to be the same thickness throughout to promote even baking. (Chicken breasts are often very large. To make them thinner, you can slice them in half horizontally to get 2 thin chicken breasts out of 1.) Place chicken breasts in the prepared pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Mayo mixture. In a medium bowl, mix together the mayonnaise and ¾ cup of the parmesan cheese. Add in the minced garlic, ground mustard, salt, paprika and pepper. Mix well.
- Assemble the chicken. Spoon the mayo mixture evenly over the 4 chicken breasts. Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan cheese.
- Bake (and broil). Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF on a meat thermometer. To get the tops a little browned, turn the broiler on low and broil for 2 minutes. Watch the chicken closely!
Add breadcrumbs to make it crispier
If you’d like the topping a little more “crispy”, sprinkle bread crumbs (Panko breadcrumbs work well) over the mayo mixture. Then sprinkle with cheese and bake. It gives a little extra crunch.
Make it a meal.
Serve this mayo chicken with a side of broccoli or green beans. Baked potatoes or roasted red potatoes are a must. They go so well with the creamy mayo topping.
And don’t forget the best dinner rolls ever.
Other Recipes with Mayo
Mayo Chicken with Parmesan
This old fashioned mayo chicken has been served in homes for decades. This easy weeknight dinner has a rich flavor and is ready in about 30 minutes.
Servings 4
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Spray a 9×13” baking dish with cooking spray.
- Pound the chicken breasts to be the same thickness throughout to promote even baking. (Chicken breasts are often very large. To make them thinner, you can slice them in half horizontally to get 2 thin chicken breasts out of 1.) 4 thin boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Place chicken breasts in the prepared pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Salt and pepper for seasoning
- In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise and ¾ cup of the parmesan cheese. Add in the minced garlic, ground mustard, salt, paprika and pepper. Mix well. ½ cup mayonnaise , 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, ½ teaspoon ground mustard, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Spoon the mayonnaise mixture evenly over the 4 chicken breasts. Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF.
- To get the tops a little browned, turn the broiler on low and broil for 2 minutes. Watch the chicken closely!
Notes
Reheat any leftovers in an air fryer for extra crispiness.
If you want a little extra flavor, add ½ to 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning to the mayo mixture. Switch out half of the mayo for sour cream or Greek yogurt if desired.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.
The calories shown are based on the recipe making 4 chicken breasts, with 1 serving being 1 chicken breast. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**
Nutrition
Calories: 494kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 142mg | Sodium: 1104mg | Potassium: 693mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin A: 348IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 236mg | Iron: 1mg
