This FAST and EASY baked chicken recipe transforms chicken breasts into a new dinner time FAVORITE! Tender, juicy, saucy chicken with a Parmesan topping that is incredibly flavorful and made with just FIVE main ingredients! This chicken is sure to literally melt in your mouth!
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Cook Time25 minutesmins
Additional Time5 minutesmins
Total Time35 minutesmins
Course: Chicken
Cuisine: American
Keyword: baked chicken with mayonnaise, mayo chicken, mayo Parmesan chicken, mayonnaise baked chicken, mayonnaise chicken, mayonnaise Parmesan chicken, melt in your mouth chicken, melt in your mouth chicken recipe, Parmesan mayo chicken
Servings: 4
Calories: 397kcal
Author: Averie Sunshine
Ingredients
2large chicken breasts about 1 pound eachhalved*
⅔cupreal mayonnaise**
½cupParmesan cheeseshredded
1teaspoongarlic powder
1teaspoononion powder
1teaspoonsaltor to taste
1teaspoonfreshly ground black pepperor to taste
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375F and spray a baking dish with cooking spray and place the chicken in the baking dish. Tips - I recommend a baking dish in the range of 2 to 3 quarts, or an 8x11 or 9x13-inch baking pan. I do not recommend baking this recipe on a sheet pan unless it has a noticeably high raised lip because the juices will likely run off an make a mess of your oven.
To a medium bowl, add all the remaining ingredients, and whisk well to combine.
Using a spoon or rubber spatula, evenly spread the mayonnaise mixture over the chicken.
Bake for about 25 minutes on the center oven rack, or until a digital thermometer reads 160F. Then remove the baking pan from the oven, and allow the chicken to rest in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes during which time the internal temp will raise to 165F, which is the safe temperature needed for poultry.
Optionally - If you want your chicken to have an extra golden browned top, you can turn your broiler to high in the last few minutes of baking, and just keep the baking dish on the center oven rack. The heat intensity from the broiler will still be able to penetrate the chicken, and broil for 2-3 minutes, or as desired. Tips - Remember, this is optional, and if you are not familiar with broiling, you may wish to just skip this step. Always remember to never turn your back on anything while it's broiling because it can go from underdone looking to charred and burnt in one minute flat!
After the chicken has rested, slice and serve. Extra chicken will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days. I have never frozen this recipe so I cannot speak to how it will do in the freezing/thawing/reheating process.
Notes
*I use two large chicken breasts about 1 pound each that I sliced horizontally to halve. Alternatively, you can use 4 more average-sized chicken breasts of about 1/2 pound each to start with. If you're not halving your chicken, I highly recommend pounding it with a meat tenderizer to even thickness to ensure even cooking.**Use real mayonnaise. I like Duke's Real Mayonnaise for this recipe. Hellman's (or Best Foods) Mayonnaise is another great option. Do not use lite or reduced fat, do not sub with Greek yogurt nor sour cream. The success of this recipe is based on the mayo and cannot be omitted or substituted. If you don't care for mayo, this may not be the recipe for you.