Baked Mayo Parmesan Chicken
This Baked Mayo Parmesan Chicken is my version of a low-carb baked chicken dish that’s been popular all over the internet! And if you like the idea of chicken topped with creamy mayo and delicious Parmesan cheese, I bet this is a chicken dinner you’ll make over and over.
PIN the Baked Mayo Parmesan Chicken to try it later!
A few years ago I discovered the inspiring recipe for this Baked Mayo Parmesan Chicken in a Facebook group where people share recipes, and this is chicken recipe that really caught my eye. I loved the idea of using mayonnaise as an ingredient to keep chicken moist in the oven, so I printed the recipe, and then as I always do I tried to find the original source.
What I did end up finding was variations of Mayo Parmesan Chicken with rave reviews all over the internet, some with no attribution at all, but many attributed to another website or blog in an endless loop of internet recipe posting that didn’t seem to start in any particular place! (If anyone sees a site that claims to be the original source, I would love to credit them!)
When I worked on adapting the recipe with Kara, we absolutely loved the version we came up with. We did tweak it to use slightly less mayo and Parmesan and added a little poultry seasoning, but the idea was essentially the same.
And now I’ve made this baked chicken crusted with mayo and Parmesan over and over and I understand why the recipe has been shared far and wide on the internet! I’m featuring it today as my Friday Favorites pick for this week, and I hope this reminder will encourage you make this for an easy dinner some time soon!
What ingredients do you need?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- mayo
- Parmesan cheese (For best results, use coarsely-shredded Parmesan or grate your own.)
- Poultry Seasoning (affiliate link)
- Garlic Powder (affiliate link)
- fresh-ground black pepper to taste
What makes my Baked Mayo Parmesan Chicken recipe extra tasty?
As I mentioned, there are versions of this recipe all over the web. But my version pounds the chicken breasts for more even cooking, and I use poultry seasoning and garlic powder in the topping for some added flavors! That’s why I think my recipe is the internet’s best version of this classic dish!
How did I make sure this is a low-carb dish?
Some versions of this recipe use breadcrumbs in the topping, but trust me when I say no breadcrumbs are needed for this tasty chicken recipe!
Want another idea for the Mayo Parmesan topping?
After I shared this Mayo Parmesan Chicken recipe, it didn’t take long before people started telling me how much they loved the Mayo Parmesan topping on fish! And I eventually decided that idea needed to be a separate recipe, and now Baked Mayo Parmesan Fish is also hugely popular on the site too!
Steps for making Baked Mayo Parmesan Chicken:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- Trim the chicken, removing pieces of fat or ragged edges. I had two breasts that were extra-large, so I cut them in half and made 6 pieces.
- Pound chicken just enough to make each piece an even thickness (or use chicken cutlets and skip this step).
- I used my trick from Juicy Grilled Chicken Breasts and cut small slits crosswise in the chicken.
- Then mix the mayo, poultry seasoning, garlic powder, and pepper and stir in the Parmesan.
- Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray and arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer. (Choose the smallest dish that fits all the chicken.)
- Use a rubber scraper (affiliate link) to spread a layer of the mayo mixture over each piece of chicken.
- Bake in a preheated 375F/190C oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the chicken is firm and cooked through and the mayo-parmesan topping is nicely browned.
- Serve hot, and wait for compliments!
Make it a Low-Carb Meal:
This would be great with a low-carb side dish like Lemony Green Beans, Instant Pot Green Beans with Bacon and Gorgonzola, or Pureed Cauliflower with Garlic, Parmesan, and Goat Cheese for a low-carb meal.
More Tasty Ideas for Chicken:
- Pepperoni Pizza Chicken Bake
- Roasted Lemon Chicken and Green Beans Sheet Pan Meal
- White Barbecue Sauce Chicken
Weekend Food Prep:
This Baked Mayo Parmesan Chicken recipe is even great when it’s re-heated so the recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep to help you find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!
Baked Mayo Parmesan Chicken
Baked Mayo Parmesan Chicken is my version of a super low-carb and delicious chicken dish that's getting rave reviews all over the internet!
Ingredients
- 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 3/4 cup mayo
- 6 T coarsely-grated Parmesan (For best results, use coarsely-shredded Parmesan or grate your own.)
- 3/4 tsp. poultry seasoning
- 3/4 tsp. garlic powder
- fresh-ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F/190C. Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray, choosing a dish just large enough to hold the chicken.
- Trim chicken breasts well, cutting larger ones in half if desired.
- Put each piece of trimmed chicken inside a small Ziploc bag and pound with a meat mallet (affiliate link) (or something heavy), just until the chicken is an even thickness, about 1/2 inch thick. (Don't pound too hard or too long or the chicken breasts will start to shred apart.) Then cut small shallow crosswise slits going down each chicken breast, being careful not to cut through.
- Mix the mayo, poultry seasoning (affiliate link), garlic powder (affiliate link), and black pepper, then stir in the coarsely grated Parmesan.
- Put chicken breasts into the baking dish and use a rubber scraper (affiliate link) to spread the mayo-parmesan coating over the top of each chicken breast, covering the entire surface.
- Bake chicken 35-40 minutes, or until the chicken is firm and the top is nicely browned. (There will be some liquid and congealed cheese in the bottom of the baking dish, but just ignore it and move the chicken breasts to a serving platter. Several other places where I spotted similar recipes also mentioned this, so I'm not sure if there is a way to avoid it.)
- Serve hot, and wait for compliments!
Notes
I saw variations on this Baked Mayo-Parmesan Chicken all over the internet and experimented with Kara to come up with my version you see in this recipe. If anyone knows the original source of the recipe, I would love to credit them!
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 343Total Fat 25gSaturated Fat 5gUnsaturated Fat 19gCholesterol 84mgSodium 324mgCarbohydrates 2gFiber 0gSugar 0gProtein 27g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This tasty Baked Mayo Parmesan Chicken is great for low-carb diet plans, including Keto, and it’s also a low-glycemic dish. For the original South Beach Diet, light mayo would definitely be recommended and the amount of Parmesan would probably make this an occasional treat for South Beach Dieters.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Oven Dinners to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe was posted in 2017 and it’s been hugely popular on the site. It was last updated with more information in 2023.
94 Comments on “Baked Mayo Parmesan Chicken”
Love it but for portion control it would be nice to add the weight of your finished product in grams per serving so i knew how to calculate everything out. The chicken i buy is enormous. 4 breasts for me could equate to 8 for you
I would say the chicken breasts I use are trimmed to be about 8 oz. per serving. I don’t know it any closer than that, but hope that helps.
I’ve made this over 10 years ago from the back of a Hellmann’s (Best Foods out west) mayonnaise jar! I don’t know if it’s the original but it’s pretty old! https://www.hellmanns.com/us/en/recipes/parmesan-crusted-chicken-recipe.html
That recipe has breadcrumbs, so it’s not quite the same. But no doubt the recipe I found in that Facebook group that inspired this one was probably inspired by the one from Best Foods. Interesting!
This recipe is extremely easy to make and always gets rave reviews and requests for the recipe to be shared. Besides chicken breasts, I have added the topping to salmon pieces and the result was amazing.
Are there any other recipes like this……….super easy and with that fabulous combo of mayo and cheese?
I have a recipe on the site for Baked Mayo Parmesan Fish, similar to what you did with the salmon. Haven’t seen any others, but I am glad you’re enjoying it.
Trying it out but i just put mayo with Paprika, black pepper, no salt add lemon pepper. Hopefully it turns out good didnt add Parmesan cuz my grandmother and son are allergic
Let me know how that works. I’d say Parmesan is pretty important in this recipe but maybe it will still be good.
Wow!!! I made this chicken today and it was a great hit!!!! Everyone loved it, it was very juicy and tasty. I was so tempted to add salt, so glad I didn’t, it definitely doesn’t need any added salt. Thank you for sharing this with us all.
So glad you enjoyed it!
thank you for putting this recipe together after looking for the original somewhere, I know the feeling!, Love the idea of mayo as food moisturizer!
Me too, I am definitely on team Mayo all the way!
I make your fish with Mayo recipe all the time, so will also make this chicken dish. The fish recipe calls for broiling for last 3 minutes to achieve a browning to the Mayo top. Is this required for chicken recipe? Didn’t see it in recipe. Thanks. I love your recipes and have forwarded many to my carb avoiding family members.
So glad you’ve enjoyed the Mayo-Parmesan Fish! The chicken takes much longer to cook so it didn’t need the broiling step, but if your chicken seems done and the top isn’t as brown as you’d like it certainly wouldn’t hurt to put it under the broiler for a few minutes.
My family has been making a basic version of this recipe for years. It’s been a staple in our meal rotation especially when my kids were little. The original recipe that we use was printed on a Hellman’s mayonnaise jar. I still have the original clipping. It simply had Mayo, Parmesan and Italian seasoned bread crumbs. We will definitely be trying your version. It sounds delicious.
Hi Barbara, thanks for sharing that! That might be why I can’t find the original version online, because it didn’t originate online! Hope you enjoy my version!
This looks great and would like to try it.
I live in a single household and was hoping you could show me how to reduce the Parmesan/ Mayo chicken recipe to accommodate 1 person, using 1 chicken breast instead of 4 and the remaining ingredients as well.
There is no real secret to it, just divide ingredients by four to make one serving. But this keeps well and is easy to reheat so I would urge you to cut it in half, make two servings, and you’ll have one for dinner a day or two later. Hope you enjoy.
Ahhhh, this, was, delicious!!! Seriously! Definitely making this again, and again and probably again!
So glad to hear you enjoyed it!
i made this using homemade mayo, subbed the poultry seasoning with Italian seasoning and it turned out great.
Glad you enjoyed, and of course you can sub ingredients any way you prefer!
So easy and delicious. All four of my kids ate this up like it was their favorite restaurant chicken.
So glad to hear it was a hit!
This recipe is absolutely delicious. The best way to prepare boneless, skinless breasts yet! For the people wondering if the Parmesan (grated) in the green plastic jar stuff is ok to use, that’s what I used and it worked very well. I made only one breast so cut the recipe down accordingly but I sure wish I’d made two because I would have happily eaten a second one. Other than not using the same Parmesan called for in the recipe, I made no other changes and don’t plan to – perfect as is. I will be making this again and again.
So glad you enjoyed! Thanks for sharing that info.
Just wanted to say that I tried the low carb mayo Parmesan baked chicken last night… it was fantastic! It was so easy to make and took a lot less time in my oven because I used the roast setting set to 350 plus the cutlets were very thin. anyway, the only thing I did notice is that the cheese didn’t really melt it became sort of crunchy after being baked. I used freshly grated Locatelli Romano cheese (because I’m Italian and that’s how we roll) so did i possibly do something wrong? I cannot wait to try the other recipes that I’ve seen so far. thanks for sharing all these wonderful meals!
So glad you enjoyed! I’m not familiar with that cheese so I can’t say for sure why it was more crispy
This was the best chicken I’ve ever had. I put red potatoes and broccoli and cheese with it so good .
So glad you enjoyed it!
This is the best chicken meal I’ve ever made!
So glad you enjoyed it!
I wish there was an easy way for me to get nutritional information. This post talks about my efforts after I switched my blog from Blogger to WordPress and had to edit 2,000+ recipes. I have been working on that for nearly two years now, while trying to keep up with the blog. I am planning to add nutritional information, but not until the editing project is done.
If you look after the recipe itself, I give two links (where it says “Nutritional Information”) for suggestions of two ways to get that information. That’s all I am able to do at this time.
Can I use yogurt in place of the mayo? I am allergic to eggs so mayo is not in my kitchen.
Truthfully I can’t say for sure how that will work since I haven’t tried it. (I’m a mayo lover so I don’t have any experience substituting things for it.) I think the Greek yogurt might separate when it’s cooked in a preparation like this, but I can’t say for sure. Maybe experiment with it on half a recipe and see how it goes.
Im trying with a vegan mayo, let you know!
I’m so glad I found this recipe! My husband loves it, and he’s requested it many times.
Happy to hear it has been a hit!
What’s in poultry seasoning? I dont have it and am wondering if I can make my own.
I buy in bulk so my bottle doesn’t have a label, but i did find a post about what’s in poultry seasoning by googling it. I think sage, and thyme are the most important ones.
I didn’t have poultry seasoning, which I don’t like anyhow, so substituted rosemary, sage and thyme; topped with moz cheese. Served with broc & carrots. Sooo good. It’s a keeper!
Note: I used the parm in the can…
So glad you enjoyed it! And by all means, use any herbs you prefer.
Can you use grated Parmesan?
Are you talking about the grated Parmesan in the green can? To be honest, I’m not sure how that will work. It might be okay, but it’s so finely grated I’m wondering if it will melt a lot more quickly. It would probably still taste good, but the topping might all run off the chicken. Try it and see, that’s all I can say!
This looks so easy and delicious! I wanted to make this for a lunch, but I won’t have much time to prepare – can I prepare this overnight and leave in the baking dish in the fridge?
I haven’t done that with the recipe, and to be honest I question how well it might work.
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I don’t even like chicken normally but my fiance made this for me (he cooks luckily!) OMG. This is the best chicken I’ve ever had, and I’m really picky about chicken. I even ate the leftovers the next day and that’s the first time I’ve eaten leftover chicken! Thanks for this recipe!!!
How fun, so glad you liked it!
I’m glad you enjoyed it. I wish there was an easy way for me to make that happen. This post talks about my efforts after I switched my blog from Blogger to WordPress and had to edit 2,000+ recipes. I have been working on that for nearly two years now, while trying to keep up with the blog. I am planning to add nutritional information, but not until the editing project is done.
If you look after the recipe itself, I give two links (where it says “Nutritional Information”) for suggestions of two ways to get that information. That’s all I am able to do at this time.
Could you use chicken thighs also instead of the breasts? I have some I need to cook so just wondering!
I haven’t made it with thighs, and truthfully I would probably prefer breasts. But the thighs would probably be okay. I’m assuming you mean boneless skinless thighs? The cooking time might be slightly shorter because breasts are thinner. Let me know how it works if you try it.
This was the first result for low carb chicken parm that I came across. I really lucked out because this is really, really good. Thanks!
Thanks Dave; so glad you liked it!
This chicken dish is so yummy! The best chicken recipe and i really enjoyed it! By far the best chicken recipe I’ve had on Keto diet… So tender, flavorful and delicious. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe with us
So glad you enjoyed it!
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My daughter made this for us as we are in the Keto diet. By far the best chicken recipe I’ve had on Keto diet!! So tender, flavorful and delicious! We should of doubled the recipe!
Thanks Joy, so glad you enjoyed it!
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This is absolutely delicious and so easy to make! My only disappointment is there is no nutritional information that I could see. I would rather not have to fuss with yet another calculation, as in thevCalorie Count site.
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe. I wish there was an easy way for me to get nutritional information. This post talks about my efforts after I switched my blog from Blogger to WordPress and had to edit 2,000+ recipes. I have been working on that for nearly two years now, while trying to keep up with the blog. I am planning to add nutritional information, but not until the editing project is done.
If you look after the recipe itself, I give two links (where it says “Nutritional Information”) for suggestions of two ways to get that information. That’s all I am able to do at this time.
Thanks for another great recipe, Kalyn. I first tasted this mayo/parm topping when a friend baked salmon this way. Moist and delicious!
Thank you, too, for your integrity as a blogger. Attribution is a big deal – more than people realize, in my opinion. When citing someone else’s work, re-posting their photos, etc., it is always important to give credit to the original source. Their hard work and commitment to excellence should be recognized. It certainly doesn’t diminish the person who is offering the attribution, either. If anything, it increases my esteem of them because they are demonstrating integrity! Even though you were unable to authenticate the original source of this recipe, you documented that you took great lengths to make the attempt.
This reader appreciates your commitment to ethics and excellence. Thank you for doing that.
Thanks for the nice thoughts! I love the sound of this on salmon too!
I added pesto to mine and it’s in the oven right now…can’t wait to try it!
I like the sound of that!
I made this last night and it was so good. Didnt kniw low carb foods tasted so good.
So glad you enjoyed it!
The best chicken recipe! My husband and teenager loved it!
So glad to hear that Elena; thanks for taking time to let me know!
When I made this again I used cut up boneless, skinless thighs and added a box of thawed chopped spinach squeezed dry. I skipped the poultry seasoning and used oregano, onion powder and garlic powder instead. Then I stirred it all together and baked it for about an hour. Lots of versatility for this yummy recipe.
Very interesting Claire! I love hearing how you switched it up!
so disappointed in the outcome of this recipe. I was so looking forward to it. Now I have two more breasts that are too dry to eat,and not sure what to do w/them…I think a 'must' is to pound it even more than I did..or make sure you have very thin pieces of meat/chicken. too bad,too sad.
Sorry it was not a keeper for you. I've made it a few times and always had good results.
@squid Maybe try to hasselback the chicken breasts? As Kalyn mentions, make some slits across the chicken, careful not to cut all the way through. I put some spread in the slits too, and it came out divine.
Yes, thanks for catching that. If you didn't make slits in the chicken that would make it take longer to cook and potentially make it get dried out.
Made this with vegan mayo, because that what I use. OMG, SO good! Perfect, juicy, easy, uh-mazing. Thank you!!!
So glad you enjoyed it!
I have also added chopped marinated artichokes and instead of poultry seasoning, I add crushed red pepper.
Thank you for all you do – your recipes rock!
Jill
Thanks, so glad you're enjoying the recipes! I love both those ideas!
Miracle Whip is what I use for mayo – does it matter (depends on what blog I'm on whether it does or not, it seems).
Miracle Whip contains sugar and mayo doesn't which is why some people don't want it. But that's up to you!
This is a favorite of ours, too. It's very tasty on fish as well, using an all-purpose seasoning in place of the poultry seasoning.
Great idea to try it on fish; I will remember that!
I am 81 years old and when I was in my late 30's women were doing this. I thing they did it with plain mayo though. I did not try it.
Wow, interesting that it's been around that long! It's delicious; you should try it!
This chicken dish is soooo good! One way to make the cleanup of drippings easier is to line the pan with foil (no greasing needed). I've also used a baking rack over the foil–chicken just as moist but not lying in the extra fatty drippings.
Thanks Kathy, both great ideas! I especially love the idea of using foil to make clean-up easier.
What's not to love? Chicken and mayo and cheese? I've got to try this one.
Lydia, as you might have guessed, it is crazy good!
Good Morning Kalyn —-
So excited to see this recie in my email this morning. Looking forward to making it soon and it sure sounds yummy!!!
I just wanted to thank you for your sight and all your recipes. I have been enjoying this sight for years.
I have joined "the real SBD" in 2003 with up and down results and have managed to keep off 43 lbs. Like you I was distressed at the sale of SBD so was happy to see your comments recently about that.
Looking forward to more new recipes and continued exploring what I have not found yet.
Thanks for all you do and your wonderful sight and delicious recipes.
Happy New Year.
My name is Karen and I AM a real person.
Hi Karen, thanks for the nice thoughts about my site. Glad you are enjoying the recipes and Happy New Year to you too!