The Cookin Chicks

Melt in your Mouth Chicken Bake

by 239 Comments

Oooooo I am SO excited to share this recipe with you. Why you ask?? Because it is a recipe YOU created. Yep, I took all the changes and variations you all suggested on my Parmesan Chicken Casserole, and created this recipe. I must confess, it may be even better than the original. The breadcrumbs on top really enhanced the flavor and my entire family loved it.

From start to finish, I had this on the table in 40 minutes!! I served ours over pasta, but if you prefer it over rice or by itself, no problem, it will be just as yummy!!

I love how this recipe has evolved. It started out by my mom making her melt in your mouth chicken, then I changed it up to the Parmesan chicken casserole, and now it has turned into this melt in your mouth chicken bake. Each and every variation is amazing, so you can’t go wrong!!

Enjoy!!

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4.7 from 13 votes
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Melt In Your Mouth Chicken Bake
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
Total Time
45 mins
 

A flavorful chicken dish that will be a new family favorite! Only a few ingredients needed, most of which you may already have on hand!

Servings: 6
Author: The Cookin' Chicks
Ingredients
  • 1 lb chicken breasts, boneless/diced
  • 3/4 cup mayonnaise or Greek yogurt
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
  • 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
Instructions

  1. Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan and place diced chicken on the bottom.

  2. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise (or yogurt), Parmesan cheese, seasoned salt, pepper, garlic, and red pepper flakes.

  3. Spread mixture evenly on top of chicken.

  4. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top of mayonnaise mixture.

  5. Place pan in preheated oven, 375 degrees, and bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

  6. Remove pan from oven and use a slotted spoon to serve chicken on top of pasta, rice, or by itself. Enjoy!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  5. Dawn

    Love this recipe! I am wondering though, does the yogurt/mayo only go on the top or do you cover the whole chicken breast top and bottom with the yogurt/mayo?

  11. Kristin

    LOL!! Too funny!! You can dice the chicken, cut into strips, or use the chicken whole if preferred, just be sure to adjust cooking time accordingly!!

  13. Trish

    used boneless chicken thighs and added cooked bacon and artichoke hearts….served with thin spaghetti in olive oil with a artichoke portabella dip mix…AWESOME

  20. Becky

    I made this tonight and served it over pasta. It was so good and the flavor was amazing! The only thing I wish is that it made a little sauce for the pasta. I liked it the way it was, but my bf wanted it to have some sauce. Suggestions?

  21. Kristin

    Hmmmm….I typically add some butter and parmesan to my pasta before adding in the chicken. It doesn’t give it a sauce, but it does flavor the pasta up a bit more. You could also add a bit more mayo to the chicken and once cooked, toss in with the pasta so the mayo coats the pasta a bit too. Hope that helps and glad you enjoyed it!!

  22. Laura B

    Ok, I’m making this tonight! I’ve been making the two-timing pasta for years now. It’s a family favorite!! Thank you!!

  26. Mary Bellettiere

    This sounds delish and easy with every day ingredients……..buying chicken breast tomorrow and using this recipe with brown rice. Thank you….please add me.

  28. Mary

    This looks and sounds amazing! Would you say the mayo and Greek yogurt taste equally as good? I’m thinking of making a double recipe of this for a nephew and niece and their brood of seven kids. Thanks so much for the recipe.

  29. Kristin

    My family prefers the mayo because it has a bit more flavor, but if you are watching calories and looking for something more healthy, the Greek yogurt works great too!!

  30. Michelle Kranovich

    Please add me to the the subscription list. I loved this recipe. It was great.

  32. Kristi

    Sounds amazing! I’m thinking I might need to double this recipe. How many would you say it serves? Thanks!

  34. Tammy

    Just curious if you ever tried this in a slow cooker. We’re renovating our kitchen and have to improvise. Thanks!

  36. Jim

    Very good recipe!!! I made it tonight and served it over Tomato Basil Noodles. Thanks for sharing the recipe with us!!!

  39. Kristin

    I haven’t tried this in the slow cooker, but I think that would be a great idea!! Just add a bit of water or chicken broth, maybe 1/4 cup, so the chicken doesn’t dry out!! Keep me posted how it turns out!

  40. Eboni

    I stumbled upon this recipe on Pinterest and will be trying out tonight I can’t wait to have my family enjoy it!! It sound delicious! And one question I know it says Greek yogurt but do you think I could use plain yogurt instead of mayo or Greek yogurt? Thanks for sharing!

  41. Kristin

    Sure, as long as the yogurt isn’t flavored, you should be great! Hope you enjoy the recipe and I am glad you found the page!!! Have a great week!

  43. Trish B

    I tried it with greek yogurt, and was going to add sliced mushrooms, but forgot before I added the sauce. So I sauteed them in butter with some garlic. The chicken over spaghetti squash with the mushrooms on top was delicious. My family (from my mom to picky husband to even pickier 13 year old) all liked it. Home run! Thank you for sharing the recipe! 🙂

  46. Lori

    Trish, I’ve looked everywhere in Houston and I cant find the Portobello artichoke dip mix. Although I found it on line, the shipping charge was very costly. Please l me where you found it.

  47. Marilu Herrera

    Made this today. Cut 2 chicken breasts into thick strips
    Used both mayo and Greek yogurt. I doubled most of the ingredients
    I used golden flax meal instead of the breadcrumbs-because I didn’t have bc on hand, cayenne pepper instead of red pepper flakes….I cooked it in the slow cooker for 5 hours on low
    It turned out so delicious! Everyone really liked it snd I’ll be making it again very soon!
    I served it with quinoa with kale and a spring mix salad

  49. Elsa

    GUYS.
    I place this heavenly chicken over pasta that I’ve tossed with olive oil, lemon juice & minced garlic. We sprinkle feta in there too. I am so thankful for this recipe. It is one of our favorites. THANK YOU!

  50. Kristin

    Oh that sounds wonderful! I am so glad you enjoy it and I love the Feta addition!! I will have to try that next time!! Thanks!

  51. Tonya

    This sounds wonderful! Only thing is what if you can’t get fresh parmesan cheese? Will the grated work?

  53. Sherri

    I made this for dinner last night for my daughter, son in law and 2 very picky g-kids. Well… it must have tasted pretty good to them -they cleaned their plate! I loved this recipe. Thanks for sharing it.

  57. Anonymous

    Chicken was dry and breadcrumbs made it even more so. Adding it to plain pasta….even more dryness!

  61. Ian

    If you plan on using whole breasts, I would suggest brining for 1 hour prior to using, this makes the breast butter soft.

  62. Shelley

    Just made this cuz I had all the ingredients except one. Soooo good! And soooo easy! I didn’t have the pepper flakes so I added extra pepper…that and all the garlic gave it a real kick. Considered using less garlic next time but after a few bites I decided it was perfect. My kitchen smells wonderful! I put it over a bed of elbow macaroni (the only pasta I had) and sprinkled steamed green beans over that before spooning the chicken on it. Complete meal like that. In retrospect I should have done something with the pasta…it was too plain (maybe a bit of butter for flavor?)…but it was great. I’ll definitely do it again!!!

  65. Karen Goodman

    I made this a couple of nights ago. Loved it. I did use 1/2 mayo and sour cream, cut back the Parm cheese a bit and used curry powder instead of red pepper flakes (I love curry powder and hate heat). I served it over brown rice and it was wonderful. Left overs heated up in the oven on the rice were just as good. Saving this one to make again!

  71. Eleni

    I made this today and I must say even the chicken just on its own with the sauce was a hit! I had made it to accompany a baked potato and some veggies. Delicious meal!

  72. Tashina D

    This recipe is so freaking good I don’t usually leave comments but this was just amazing I couldn’t believe I made something that tastes like a restaurant meal. Thank you so much for this recipe definitely a keeper

  77. Mila

    This was so easy and DELICIOUS! Pleaae add me to your mailing list. Can’t wait to try your other recipes!

  79. Carol Kraus

    I absolutely LOVE this recipe. It is so creamy and moist. And very easy to make. I love to serve it to company.

  87. Shellbeee

    I’m so excited to try this! We have a big household- can i triple or quadruple this recipe? And if so would it affect the temp or time? Thanks!!

  88. Yvonne

    I cooked the noodles in chicken broth. After I drained them u added butter, Italian dressing and grated Parmesan. It was delicious. Hubby was wanting a sauce for the noodles but liked the dressing. He wants me add mushrooms next time.

  95. Seija

    I am making this tonight, and I’m so excited-it looks delicious! Question-do you really only use a pound? I cut up about a pound of chicken, and it didn’t even cover half my dish. Thanks!

  96. Kristin

    Lately, I have been doubling this because it is such a hit with the family! One pound does work, but sometimes chicken breasts are different sizes. If it doesn’t look like enough, go ahead and double the recipe! I promise you’ll love it, so you will want the leftovers, hehe!! Enjoy!!

  99. Shelley

    Added Artichoke hearts and made it with Bow Tie Pasta
    mixed it all together when it came out of the oven
    so good!

  105. Julie

    I have made this twice and both times I have ended up with a lot of liquid in the dish. Is that normal? I follow the directions exactly. The chicken pieces are all stuck together and the whole thing is swimming in wateyiry liquid. The flavor is wonderful but can’t figure out why all the watery liquid. Help.

  106. Kristin

    Yes, that does happen to me as well, however, using a slotted spoon allows the liquid to drain out before serving! Another suggestion would be to use a cooling rack in the baking dish, so the liquid drains to the bottom, but the chicken sits on top. Hope that helps!

  115. Samantha

    I didn’t want to use mayo and didnt have unflavored yogurt so I tried a variation. I used cream of mushroom soup, added half of a lipton French onion soup to the mix. Still used the parm… I tossed my chicken in Italian seasoning, paprika, salt and pepper before panning it.

    I it might be too many flavors competing but it does smell delicious. I do plan to try your variation soon ♡

  117. Taylor

    About to try this recipe!

    I’m not a fan of red pepper flakes but my BF and I are in love with garlic so I just added more the mixture! In the oven now!

    Going to try the butter and extra cheese in pasta because I am worried about no sauce but that’s because Ive grown up around Italian food the biggest portion of my life and we we’re spoiled with amazing sauces!

    I’ll let you know how it turns out.

    Oh, also made my own bread crumbs!!

  119. C R Anthony

    I made this today. I used boneless skinless chicken thighs. I used grated parmesan because that’s what I had. Also jar garlic.
    It was served over chicken Rice a Roni.
    It was great. Kids liked it too.

  121. Ginamarie Pedota

    Hubby doesn’t like parmesean… is it essential to the recipe? Is there anything I can put in its place?

  122. Kristin

    Hmmmm, it does add a lot to the flavor of this, however, you can use Romano too! If you omit, it will just be a mayo mixture essentially!

  123. Carol

    Made this tonight and followed the recipe exactly (used Greek yogurt) except I left the chicken breasts whole instead of dicing and unfortunately the bread crumbs never browned. I let it cook about 10 extra minutes hoping it would help but by then the chicken dried out. Good news is my hubs still enjoyed it! The flavor was definitely yummy but wondering what I did wrong so I can correct for next time.

  124. Linda

    I’m curious if it has a strong mayo taste? My son isn’t a big fan of mayo so I’m hesitant to try it if it’s very mayo tasting.

  125. Kristin

    Hmmm, what kind of Parmesan did you use? Grated, shredded, fresh? Also, I have noticed that using Greek Yogurt doesn’t allow it to brown as much as the mayo. Glad it was a hit, but keep me posted on the Parmesan and we’ll see if we can trouble shoot the coloring 🙂

  126. Kristin

    Hmmm, I would say that you can taste the mayo, but its not over powering. Its more Parmesan flavor than mayo. Just to be on the safe side, you could use Greek yogurt though?? Enjoy!

  127. Linda

    Thanks! I did use Greek yogurt and it was a big hit. I served it with spaghetti that I dressed with a lemon butter sauce with basil. Delish!

  131. Lisa

    Came across this recipe as I was on Pinterest looking for an easy chicken recipe, on my way into the grocery store lol. This chicken was amazing! I used Panko instead of breadcrumbs (as well as Duke’s mayo.) Broiled at the end to get Panko browned and crispy. After reading all the comments about bland pasta, I used refrigerated linguine… seasoned it with salt, butter, fresh basil, and lemon juice. Maybe not the healthiest recipe, but absolutely amazing for my “casserole” night. An absolute “make again!”

  132. bridgget

    I’m making this for the second time tonight. The first time It came out amazing but I didn’t make enough because between my father and hubby the pan was finished within a a half hour lol. Also I didn’t use any garlic bc hubby isn’t a big fan of it and I didn’t use the red pepper bc my father hates spicy food but it still tasted delicious.i served it with white rice and mac and cheese from last night’s dinner. Def will be making again in the near future lol

  137. Wanda

    I only used 2 garlic cloves and it took over the whole recipe. I will try just one next time. It was still good but I’m glad I didn’t use 4 cloves. If you love garlic, you will love this recipe.

  139. Amy Mooney

    Just made this tonight with greek yogurt. Very good but a liitle dryer than I feel it should have been. Will make again but not in a 9×13. Maybe a smaller dish will keep it more saucy. Great flavors!

  141. Helene Jolley

    Was just wondering if French Fried Onions would make a good topping instead of bread crumbs? Not diet-friendly, I know, but strictly going for taste here.

  142. Kristin

    Ooooooo now you’re talking! I LOVE French Fried Onions! You could definitely use those in place of the bread crumbs! Let me know how it turns out!

  143. Darlene Root

    5 stars
    This was absolutely delicious. I made a double batch and used 1/2 shredded and 1/2 grated parmesan cheese. I substituted gluten free bread crumbs , still delicious!!

  144. Darlene Root

    5 stars
    This was absolutely delicious. I made a double batch and used 1/2 shredded and 1/2 grated parmesan cheese. I substituted gluten free bread crumbs , still delicious!! There was nothing left!

  151. Dianne Waters

    Made this and it was very good. Used garlic salt instead of garlic cloves. No red pepper flakes. I’ll make again.

  153. Linda

    Is the amount of chicken correct? Doesn’t seem like 1 pound would work out with all the toppings. 1 breast is about 1 pound. Thank you

  154. Kristin

    1lb is good for this, but mine end up being about 2 breasts usually, so you can use up to 2lbs of chicken without increasing other ingredients! Enjoy!!

  155. Shannon

    This was wonderful. Though I forgot to add the garlic, it turned out really good. My boys scarfed it up and wanted more.

  160. Francine

    This sounds delicious! I am reading that some added artichoke hearts to this recipe. Just wondering what kind of artichoke hearts is recommended; jarred in water or oil, or thawed frozen hearts? Thanks! 🙂

  162. Francine

    Thanks Kristen for your reply. My casserole is in the oven right now! I made it with mayo. I’m wondering if I make it with Greek yogurt next time, I’m thinking it should be plain right? What could/would happen if I used vanilla Greek yogurt instead? I have a lot of it on hand, and am wondering if I can use it here! Thanks again! 🙂

  163. Kristin

    Hi! Hope you enjoyed it! Yes, if using yogurt, use Greek plain. I wouldn’t recommend the vanilla due to the fact that the flavoring might make it a bit “off” tasting mixed with the other seasonings and chicken!

  168. Susan Wisecup-Agbedzinu

    I keep cooked, shredded chicken in my freezer. If I adjusted the baking time and maybe covered it to prevent drying out the chicken would that work?

  169. Kristin

    Hmmmmm, I am not sure, but I think that would probably work. Perhaps add a bit chicken broth to the bottom of the pan as cooking to keep moist?

  170. Bridget Akiki

    Ok, so I just got finished cleaning up my kitchen! Just made the best recipe in a long time!!!! “ Melt in your mouth Chicken Bake”! I followed the recipe exactly the way it was written!!! Let me tell you, it was amazing!!! My whole family loved it!!! We have some pretty picky eaters, and they all want me to make it again!!! The chicken really does melt in your mouth! The seasoning was perfect! I used the greek yogurt not the mayonnaise because we are trying to cut back on our mayo addiction!!! I served it over pasta!!! Everyone who reads this try this recipe! You won’t be sorry!!! Enjoy

  173. Kristin

    Each thing you choose not to print, pictures/ads included, simply click on once in the print screen and they will disappear from printing! Enjoy!

  174. Allison Plant

    Wow!! This was delicious! I diced chicken breasts and theighs and added panko bread crumbs with the Parmesan on top! Thank you for sharing and can’t wait for lunch tomorrow when I eat my leftovers!!

  184. Terry

    Just made this last night and it was so tasty. Very moist chicken and full of flavor. BYW I used a 9 by 9 glass dish because the 13 by 9 seemed too big. I also used about half the amount of breadcrumbs.

  186. Meghan

    Wondering if i can prepare ahead, just not add breadcrumbs and leave in fridge until ready to bake?

  187. Kristin

    Absolutely! I typically prepare this in the morning and put in my refrigerator until dinnertime when I have time to bake. Just add some time to cooking since its chilled versus room temp. Enjoy!

  188. Rachel

    5 stars
    I don’t ever take the time to write reviews but this recipe is so delicious and to die for that I have to rave about it! Thank you so much for sharing! This will be forever a family favorite!

  190. Charlene

    5 stars
    Came out soooo good and so simple. Loved it! I recommend for ecertone to try…. doesn’t even taste like mayo in the end!!

  192. Kathy

    5 stars
    This was really good! My husband also liked it and that’s rare. I added a can of artichokes and used Ritz crackers instead of bread crumbs. Will definitely be making again. Thanks!

  196. Mellanie

    I absolutely love this recipe, we served it over Alfredo pasta since the dish itself does have much of a “sauce”
    It is so delicious 🙂

  200. CJ

    I currently do not have shredded but do have grated parmesan cheese…Will that result in same outcome or dry bc dont have shredded cheese?

  206. Beth

    5 stars
    This was delicious!! 5 stars from my family. After reading several comments, I did however double the ingredients on the topping. (So glad I did, yummy) Added some extra garlic. Also, I made my own bread crumbs since I didn’t have any. I served it over pasta. I will definitely be making this again very soon. Thank you for sharing.

  214. Michelle Long

    This was the best ever! I was challenging myself this week to use only what I had on hand. My theory is that I’m actually ‘making’ money when I don’t have to stop at the store…lol. This recipe fit perfectly!!! I had frozen garlic and herb chicken so I figured that would fit the ‘theme’ of the recipe. I also didn’t have Italian bread crumbs so I doctored up some panko with seasonings to make it ‘Italian’. I had many small bits of grated Parmesan, Romano and Asiago in the freezer, so I cleared out and used all of them. I used a 8 by 8 pan, but followed the rest of the directions and served over spaghetti rigati. So, so, so good!!! Thanks for putting this out there, we now have a new family favorite.

  215. Kristin

    Yea!! Love hearing this and YES, I too love that thought process! Making money if you don’t spend it for sure! This is my family’s all time favorite, so glad its a hit in your house too!!

  216. Delilah

    I used Greek yogurt & doubled the sauce. I filled the pan with a flat layer of boneless thighs. I ended up with a lot of juice, so I drained it into a pot & thickened it with some flour. All the yogurt curds blended in with some whisking. I finished rotini in the pot sauce with some fresh baby cooking greens. Really happy with the results. Btw, my bread crumbs didn’t brown well, so it might b the yogurt. But didn’t bother me at all. Ty.

  220. Joy

    5 stars
    Just came across this recipe on Pinterest. I doubled everything, used half Greek yogurt and half mayo, and used a packet of Italian dressing mix instead of the seasonings. I topped it with Italian panko bread crumbs mixed with a little melted butter. It was AMAZING! Served it over brown rice with salad on the side and my husband raved about it. Can’t wait for leftovers!

  222. Sara Marx

    1 star
    I followed the recipe exactly but it seemed like the ingredients were way too small for a 9 x 13 pan.
    The chicken & mixture barely covered the bottom of the pan ending up very dry and it could have used about half of the bread crumbs.
    When the recipe suggested serving it over pasta or rice I assumed it would be a creamy consistency.
    I was very disappointed!

  223. Kristin

    How much chicken did you use? The pan size is only so the chicken can be in a single layer, making cook time shorter. 1lb is typically about 2 chicken breasts. If using more, you would want to increase ingredients. It definitely should have had a creamy sauce on top of the chicken and be moist. If you’re open to it, try doubling ingredients and see what you think. Its quite flavorful. Sorry it wasn’t a hit though!

  227. Kristin

    Honestly, the mayo for sure! But, the I will say the yogurt isn’t bad. It definitely isn’t as rich of a flavor, but much healthier! I typically stick to the mayo because my kids prefer it!

  228. Darlene

    Found this on Pinterest-just put it in the oven! I tasted the sauce before putting it over the chicken-YUMMY! I’m SO excited!
    Thanks!

  230. Elizabeth

    5 stars
    This is delicious! I didn’t have Parmesan so I used fresh shredded fontinella, piave, and aged gouda. Yum! My family loved it! This Italian gal approves! Thank you for this outstanding recipe!

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