This delicious recipe for Melt in Your Mouth Chicken is a real winner!
Mayo and parmesan chicken is always a recipe favorite. This extra quick and easy recipe has a creamy parmesan sauce that coats the chicken breasts. Then all that’s left to do is to bake them in the oven to tender & juicy perfection!
Melt In Your Mouth Chicken
©TheShortcutKitchen
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Why We Love This Chicken!
- This is an easy chicken breast recipe that is perfect for all-week meal prep! Bake in one dish and use for healthy and tasty meals all week long!
- It’s versatile, and the sauce can be made ahead of time. Short on time? Use frozen chicken tenders and serve them in a wrap, soups, or use to top a salad!
- Everything goes with this tasty recipe, and it’s ideal for company; try serving it with roasted asparagus and a side of garlic mashed potatoes or risotto. Or, go for an easy broccoli salad and a side of the best cheesy bread ever!
Ingredients and Variations
PROTEIN: Fresh or thawed boneless, skinless chicken breasts make the prep easy, and allow the sauce to bake into the meat. For a more elegant entrée, use a large filet of salmon, the same sauce will work with it just as well!
SAUCE: Mayonnaise had a mild, creamy flavor that works so well with many herbs and seasonings because of its high fat content. But Greek yogurt, sour cream, or even cream cheese will work.
How to Make Melt in Your Mouth Chicken
Everyone loves how easy it is to make the simple sauce, and after that it’s just a matter of picking your favorite cooking method:
- Make the sauce with mayo and parmesan cheese, garlic powder, seasoning salt, and pepper. Whisk it to combine the ingredients thoroughly (per recipe below).
- Brush the parmesan mixture generously over each chicken breast.
In the Oven:
Bake until the chicken reaches 165° F.
In the Air Fryer:
Cook sauced chicken breasts on high until the chicken reaches 165° F.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Choose chicken breasts of about the same size so they cook evenly.
- Rinse & pat them dry with clean paper towels so the sauce adheres to the meat.
- For oven baking, test the temperature of the chicken by inserting the thermometer in the thickest part of the meat, about 38 minutes into the baking process. Pull the chicken when it reaches 162° F, and let it “carryover cook” out of the oven. This prevents overcooking and seals the outside of the chicken, making the meat extra juicy!
- For air fryer cooking, as for any recipe, always preheat the air fryer because the outside immediately cooks, sealing the moisture.
Other Easy Chicken Entree Ideas!
- Spatchcock Chicken – quick roast chicken recipe!
- Chicken Poppyseed Casserole – creamy and delicious.
- Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks – perfectly cooked.
- Chicken Parmesan Meatballs – simple yet full of flavor.
- Bacon Wrapped Sour Cream Chicken– easy crock pot meal!
Melt in Your Mouth Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breasts
- ⅔ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup parmesan cheese shredded
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Mix mayonnaise, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, seasoning salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Place chicken in a baking dish and cover with the parmesan mixture.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until chicken reaches 165°F internally.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
©The Shortcut Kitchen. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
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Is the chicken boneless or bone in?
Hi Donna, this recipe calls for boneless skinless chicken breast.
This was easy and pleasing! Thank you for sharing.
Can u make this dairy free some pp in our family can’t eat dairy?
This sounds so delicious I would love to try it if there is a substitute we can use instead or just leave out the dairy
Hi Leah, you can replace the parmesan with whichever cheese you prefer and I think a vegan mayonnaise should work well in this recipe too. I would love to hear how it turns out for you!
Made it with 1 Lg chicken breast cut into 4 and cooked for 30 minutes. My husband told me he liked it so it has been added to my recipe files. Very easy and ends up with some juice/sauce that was excellent over mashed potatoes.
This was good and easy. I did cut the salt in half as suggested by others. I think 40-45 minutes is way too long for boneless chicken breasts. Mine came out perfect after 25 minutes. I also recommend pounding the chicken a bit; tenderizes and cooks more evenly. My husband is not a chicken fan but he liked this.
I will make this again.
I agree with tweaking the seasoned salt to 1/4 tsp since parmesan cheese is salty. Otherwise, delicious recipe and is a 5 star family favorite.
Way too dry . 45 min at 375 is far too long. I took it out 10 min early based on how long chicken breasts, especially boneless and skinless, usually take to cook and it was still dry. The flavor didn’t thrill me and it most certainly didn’t melt on my mouth.
Sorry to hear that, thanks for trying our recipe.
I did 2X recipe but I would reduce salt to 1/2 teaspoon otherwise very good and very easy! I will make this again! Chicken was very tender and good!
4 Star
Excelente
Everyone in my picky eating family enjoyed this meal, it’s so easy to make and so flavorful, will make a once a month!
Hello, I am glad to hear that even the picky people in your family enjoyed this recipe.
THE BEST!! So tasty and easy to follow. Thank you!!
Glad you enjoyed this chicken recipe, Amanda.
Our family favorite
Hi Stacie. I am so happy that you and your family are enjoying this chicken recipe.
Bake uncovered? Or cover?
We bake this recipe uncovered.
Second time making this because the first time was a huge hit! Easy & delicious.
Looks delicious
Thank you, Claudia!
This recipe was easy to make and as promised, quite pleasing to the tastebuds . Minimal ingredients to make an enticing recipe that will please most of my dinner guests, if not all. I reduced the salt to 1/4 tsp. I served it with long-grain wild rice and frozen broccoli/cauliflower and carrots steamed in bag with cheese sauce.
Very flavorful. I added Dijon mustard to the mix.
My picky grand-daughter asked me to make it again for her next weekend! Easy to make and tasty!
My husband asks for this EVERY WEEK.
We just love this. Char Hauser
Definitely as the title says, melted in my mouth. I used light mayo, a mix of Italian cheeses and more pepper and it was on the Alfredo side but without all the fat and calories of cream. Definitely easy and highly recommend.
Hi! So I realized I only have 3 chicken breast’s thawed out for tonight’s dinner. Any advice for if I was to butterfly them and double the portion? I know the chicken will be thinner.
Hello Jennifer. If you butterfly the chicken it may cook a little quicker. I would keep checking the internal temperature. If you overcook they may not be as juicy and tender. I hope that helps.
Can you freeze after making?
Hello Jodi. The chicken can be frozen after making. However, the mayo topping might become a little watery after thawing. I hope that helps.
OK, so I reeeeaaallly don’t like mayo so I have put off trying this for years until I saw a chef show not to long ago where a competitor used a mayo and herb encrusted chicken dish that the judges seemed to like. So I decided to give this a try. SO Delicious! I would encourage other “no Mayo, please” cooks to give it a try. I doubled the recipe since I had so much chicken breast, so I had a little left over that I stirred into a cabbage and veggie stir fry. It was so good on both! The veggies were flavorful and the chicken was so moist and delicious! I will try this again soon.
I am so happy you gave this recipe a chance, Teena! It is so delicious.
The family loved it
So happy to hear that!
Made this easy and delicious
Trying to make this for dinner tonight. It looks so yummy. All these pop ups and ads are so aggravating. I usually don’t mind them but this is excessive.
Thanks for trying our recipe, Holly!
Can you do this in a crockpot? If so, what would be the cook time/settings?
Hi Kayla, we haven’t tried this recipe in a crock pot yet but would love to hear how it turns out for you!
I made this for the first time.it was delicious!
I recommend not adding salt to this recipe. The mayo and Parmesan cheese has enough salt. For those who don’t like it salty. It’s a delicious recipe!! I put Panko breadcrumbs on top for some crunch. Great recipe!!
I love melt in mouth chicken. I modified this recipe because I didn’t have any seasoning salt. I added paprika and ranch seasoning alone with the rest and used grated Parmesan cheese. I have used a mixture of mayo and shredded cheddar cheese together with ranch seasoning.
absolutely delicious…after reading reviews, I did pound my chicken breasts so same height, eliminated season salt -used fresh grated parmesean baked for 40 mins – husband said restaurant worthy chicken!
Very flavorful but a bit too salty for me. I’ll make again but will reduce seasoning salt to 1/2 tsp and reduce parmesan cheese to 1/4 cup. An easy dish to prepare yet presents nicely.
Thanks for trying our recipe, Grace!
Would I be able to substitute shredded mozzarella for the shredded Parmesan cheese? Trying to avoid a trip to the store.
It will change the flavor, but it should work well!
My husband really liked this one but it wasn’t my favorite – too much mayo taste for me. I think it’s super easy and took no time at all to put together.
Thanks for trying our recipe, Laura!
Do you cook the chicken covered or uncovered?
We bake this recipe uncovered.
Love this recipe
This recipe was simple. I had everything in my kitchen. No trimming to the store. It was simple to make. Just added a side and dinner was done. My husband loved it. Will definitely make it again.
A little salty. I left out the salt. Tender and juicy.
This looks delicious! Has anyone made extra and used it cold and sliced up on a salad for lunch the next day?
I have not tried that, but it sounds delicious!
Ohhh, that sounds like a great idea for the leftover mayo mixture alone for my family. I was trying to think of what to do with the leftovers after I topped the chicken. Instead I mixed it into a veggie stir fry. I’m not a mayo fan even though I loved this chicken, so I didn’t think of that. I bet the leftover chicken on a sandwich is great, too! I wouldn’t hesitate in trying it.
Hi, just wondering if I could use bone in chicken for this recipe??
Hi Lynn, they should work well! You may need to increase the cook time 5-10 minutes but the best way to know if they are cooked through is to use a meat thermometer and make sure they reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
I made this last night. It was delicious and easy to make. I will probably lower the temp. and cooking time next time around.
I currently have this in the oven. I am using chicken tenders instead, so it should be done a little sooner. I happened to find this recipe a few minutes after I got home from work today. This is going to be delicious! Thanks for the great recipe!
That sounds great, Lisa. Enjoy!
Delicious chicken with these flavors all married up !! Pounded the chicken evenly so to get more flavor ~ and baked only 28-30 minutes.. yummy !!
Very similar to one I used to top with a mixture of mayo, bread crumbs & Parmesan cheese .. soooo good and tender !
What would be a good substitution for mayo?
For best results, it is best use mayonnaise. But other readers have swapped it with sour cream or even half the mayo with sour cream and still had great results.
This was crazy easy and extraordinarily tasty. I’m making it twice next week!
This was so delicious, everyone in our family loved it, it’s so juicy. Who would have thought mayonnaise could make something taste sooo good.
Holly, this is the absolutely the best chicken my husband and I have ever eaten. The chicken was nice and tender and loaded with flavor. I have red stars around it in my little recipe folder! Thank you for a great meal.
My family loved it . The name of the recipe fits perfect. So easy to make. Not any I ingredients that’s hard to find, so far one of my favs from Pinterest. Thanks for making my cooking experience so tasty and easy.
The recipe is amazing flavor wise! It’s an everyday go to once we made adjustments and mastered it. For us 375 for 40 minutes kept drying it out really bad. We do 350 for 25 minutes and get perfectly cooked/tender chicken breast with mouth watering flavor. We add breadcrumbs the last 5 minutes. I recommend less cooking time or use chicken thighs to play it safe. Great over Janine rice with green beans.
Could I use grated Parmesan instead of shredded?!
Shredded parmesan cheese works better but grated should be fine too!
My husband and I really liked this recipe. So hard to find a moist and tender boneless, skinless chicken breast recipe. The only change that I made was that I used 1/2 Miracle Whip (only mayo I had on hand) and 1/2 sour cream. Didn’t like the idea of that much Miracle Whip on baked chicken.
That sounds great, thanks for sharing your substitution with us! I am glad it worked so well!
When a recipe calls for mayonnaise, and you use Miracle Whip, don’t expect it to taste the same. Mayo is a fat and melts into the meat as well as keeping the parm: breadcrumbs as some added, on the chicken breasts- MW adds its own tang as well
Melt in your mouth chicken.
It was delicious and so easy.
So happy you enjoyed it, Helen!
Delicious. Made roasted vegetables for a side.
I was looking for a chicken recipe that was quick, easy, and different- this recipe hit all those marks and it was SUPER delicious. MY husband is a pretty picky eater and even he loved it. I will definitely be making this again, thank you for sharing!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Good flavor, and very tender I used Mrs.Dash instead of salt to keep the sodium low.
This chicken dish is one of the best! Easy prep with a huge payoff! Tender and juicy.
The melt in your mouth chicken recipe was really good. My husband loved it. It was easy to make an enjoyed by us.
So happy to hear that, Claudia! Thank you for trying our recipe.
This is excellent recipe. Added an Italian seasoning dry mix to the season with breadcrumbs. Tender chicken and tasty. Substituted some sour cream with less mayo.
It’s going to be regular. So easy to put together and tastes delicious.
I made this recipe tonight for dinner. I roasted diced potatoes in the same pan with only a little butter. Was great!
Delicious! When I make this our guests always say it’s the best chicken ever!
One additional step: We roll into Panko crumbs.
This chicken was so good. I have made it twice. The second time I did not have any Parmesan cheese so I used the Italian blend. It was awesome. Also, I cook my chicken at 425 degrees for 20-25 min and let it rest for 5 min. It came out so moist and juicy.
So glad you enjoyed it, Teresa! Thanks for leaving a comment!
This was so yummy and a hit with the whole family! Wouldn’t change a thing. Made mashed potatoes and peas for the sides.
Do you cook covered or uncovered? I have made before, but honestly, I can’t remember what I did last time. Thank you so much!
We bake this recipe uncovered.
Ohhhh my EVERYONE LOVED THIS QICK AND DELICIOUS CHICKEN
How do you get the browning on top? After 45 minutes…my mixture was still white on top?
Hi Autumn, you can put the chicken under the broiler for 2 minutes or so until the chicken has some color!
I replaced half the mayo with sour cream. YUMMY !!
Looks like a tasty recipe – can you make the mayo/parmesan sauce ahead of time?
Yes, you can! I hope you enjoy it.
Absolutely delicious! Followed the recipe exactly, the chicken was tender, the parmesan mixture was tasty. I’ll definitely make it again.
Thanks for leaving a comment, Judy! So glad you loved it 🙂
We loved this! Didn’t have seasoning salt so just added some salt, onion powder, and paprika. Came out great!
Although this recipe had some flavor, I think the mayonnaise is too much…I used boneless, skinless, chicken thighs and the baking dish was half full of liquid. Seemed like it needed some crunch on top, so I think I’ll cut the mayonnaise to a quarter cup, and add panko with Italian seasoning on top about 15 minutes before coming out of the oven. That should help bring a little more flavor and texture to the dish. Thanks!
Thanks for trying our recipe, Kathy!
Does grated parmesan cheese work with this recipe?
Shredded parmesan cheese works better but grated should be fine too!
Wow! This is by far the BEST chicken recipe ever!
It’s so easy to make.
I’m telling all my friends and family!
Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
Suzanne Gill-Lynn
Hi, are you supposed to cover the chicken with foil prior to baking?
Hi Nikki, we don’t! However if you notice it getting really browned on top you can tent it with foil.
Do you bake uncovered ?
Yes, we bake this recipe uncovered.
Make all the time! I use half sour cream and half mayo. I also cook only 30 mins. Thanks for the recipe!
Sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing.
This is something I make often as a quick dinner with little clean up. Paired with veggies and/or mashed potatoes, it pulls together an end of a long day dish very well.
This recipe won my son over! Easy and delicious!
Can you use feta instead of parm?
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure Tammy. If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!
This is so easy and delicious. We never have leftovers.
Great meal we have made this several times
I liked it but my chicken breasts were really huge so you didn’t catch much flavor in every bite. Next time I will use ones that aren’t so thick, or cut them in half. Also, I broiled the last couple minutes to brown them more. Hubby liked them and he is fussy about his chicken.
Can Miracle Whip be substituted for the mayo in this recipe?
That should work just fine Renee!
Amazing and the kids loved it.
Melt In Your Mouth Chicken has become a favorite for me. It’s fantastic!!! It’s moist & delicious!!! It’s so easy to make!
What can I say. Delicious.
I’m having trouble printing your lovely recipe. Trued it on iPhone, iPad, & Laptop with no success
I don’t know if it you or me. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Sorry you are having issues printing the recipe Chuck. We have tried to replicate the issue with no luck, we are able to print with no issues. I am glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I made this recipe the other night and it was delicious!! Very moist~ Easy prep ~ a little salty, but that can be easily adjusted. I used pecorino/romano cheese instead of parmesan cheese since that’s what we like. Will definitely be a regular in our family.
Do you cover the chicken (Melt in Your Mouth Recipe) while it bakes?
We cooked this uncovered in the oven Mandy. If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!
I’ve made this 3 times and we just love it. I used grated parmigiana cheese in the Mayo mixture and put some shredded parmigiana cheese on top of the chicken at the end. So good.
My husband said that this was delicious and I agree. I > also liked how easy it was to prepare. I will most definitely make this again.
Flavors was great but I would cut the salt to 1/4 teaspoon. I followed the recipe exactly as described but to salty
Absolutely delicious, my hubby loved it as well!
Going to try this! Looks delicious and keto friendly!!
Excellent
This is good but DO NOT ADD SALT! alot of salt is in cheese and mayo. Take salt completely out!
Enjoy the recieps, and I have used so many of them.
Enjoy the recieps
On a adoré cette recette facile et delicieuse de poulet au parmesan. J’adore le gout salé et le poulet est juteux et savoureux. Je coupe ma poitrine en tranche plus mince et je cuit environ 35 min. Ce sera maintenant un classic chez moi. Merci pour cette recette.
What about on a pork tenderloin?
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure Stephanie. If you try it, I would love to hear how it turns out!
Followed the recipe exactly. It was leather tough! What could have gone wrong? Could it have been the chicken?
Could you use Veganese instead of mayo?
I have only tried the recipe as written so I can’t say for sure. But I think it would work just fine Courtney!
Try using air-cooled chicken–it does not contain any added water.
Thank you for the tip Marilyn!
Made this recipe using nonfat yogurt! delicious The chicken was very moist and easy to prepare.
Could you use skin on boneless chicken breast for this?
Definitely, Cherise! That should work well.
If cooked in a preheated air fryer what is the approximate cooking time?
I would preheat the air fryer to 375°F then cook for 16-19 minutes or until it reached a safe internal temperature of 165°F. Enjoy, Cherie!
Can we use thinner slices of chicken breasts instead?
Hi Lily, you can just keep in mind they will cook quickly so you will want to check them sooner and ensure they reach an internal temperature of 165°F before serving.
An excellent recipe. I followed it exactly and I used chicken tenderloins. Delicious and it surely melts in your mouth. My husband loved it! Thank you.
So happy you enjoyed it, Shawnee!
What is the herb you used in photo…parsley?
Yes, it’s garnished with parsley in the photo.
Found this recipe. We. Are trying it tonight. I’m so tired of the same things. Hopefully this will be something to look forward to.
We can’t wait to hear what you think!
I don’t usually like chicken breast but this is the best chicken breast I’ve ever eaten. It was so moist and tasted great. Have you got a suggestion for something besides Parmesan? Would cream cheese work with the mayonnaise or another cheese?
So happy you are enjoying this, Susan! You can sub the parmesan cheese with romano, asiago, or any cheese you prefer.
Wish me luck !!! I’m about to give this a shot !!!!
Let us know how it turns out!!
Yeah some of the mixture falls off but I might have put too much, BUT I love it saucy no matter what! I’ve made this recipe MANY times and love it so so much. Everyone I make it for is like… “Mayo?? Noooo” but they trust me and they’ve all loved it! So thank you! I also add some Panko at the end to add some crunch! Broil for only a couple minutes and that’s also amazing! Thank you again!:)
How long would I cook if I use chicken tenderloins?
Chicken Tenders would probably take 20-25 minutes to cook at 375°F. You might want to check them at around 15 minutes if they are small!
Simple, fast, delicious I made it in the airfryer A+! Thank you
It tasted great! But when it came out of the oven the entire mixture was just floating in the bottom and none was on the chicken. I had to take it out and scoop it up, put it back on the top, and bake again. The mixture still didn’t stay on. I followed the recipe exactly as called for. Any tips? I loved the taste of the mixture.
So sorry to hear that, Ashley. We have not had that problem with this recipe so I am not sure what went wrong. But I am glad you enjoyed the flavor.
Can this recipe be done in Crockpot.
Hi Jackie, we haven’t tried this recipe in a crock pot yet but would love to hear how it turns out for you!
Mmmmm. So simple and so good! I’ll be making this again and again.
So glad you enjoyed it, Wendy!
If using air fryer, is the temp still 375 F ? For medium size breasts , what would you estimate the cooking time? Thanks.
Hi Candice, we like to cook our chicken breasts at 370°F in the air fryer for about 15-20 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F. Make sure you flip them over about 10 minutes into cooking.
This was amazingly delicious! My kids loved it and it was simply for a weeknight dinner. Thank you for the recipe.
Is the cooking time here for bone-in or boneless?
We use boneless chicken breasts in this recipe, Ray.
I tried this last night and it was DELICIOUS!!!!! I added garlic and red pepper flakes. I can’t wait to eat the leftovers today!
That sounds delicious, Jennifer! Great additions.
Delicious and easy! All my family loved it!! Thank you❤️❤️❤️
Glad to hear your family loved it!
I liked it, didn’t love it. Because of the Mayo and grated cheese, I omitted salt. That was fine. It would e been too salty if I did.
Very easy to make, fast and effortless. Not sure I’d make again.
Mayo or miracle whip?
We used mayonnaise for this recipe but Miracle Whip will also work!
So the nutrition info is per 4 FOUR SERVINGS or 1 ONE SERVING?
The nutrition information is for one serving.
what is the serving size in weight?
One serving is approximately 3/4 cup of chicken. Enjoy Katie!
Question….Do you not cover while baking?
We cooked this uncovered in the oven.
We just finished dinner and this was AAAAMAZING!! I think my family licked their plates clean. I’m definitely going to be making more of your recipes from the blog and if they’re as great as this dish then I’m sure they’ll be fantastic as well!!
*doing a happy dance* That is so awesome Patti! Glad everyone loved it that much.