Melt in Your Mouth Chicken Bake: A Quick and Easy Family Dinner Idea! Enjoy diced chicken, coated in a creamy Parmesan mayonnaise sauce, baked to perfection. It’s juicy, tender, and ideal for any occasion! Serve over garlic parmesan spaghetti, zoodles, instant pot jasmine rice, or on it’s own!
This simple dinner is not only delicious, but it comes together using simple ingredients! Thanks to the creamy sauce, the chicken literally melts in your mouth!
Why You’ll Love this Chicken Bake
- Easy and Quick to Prepare– this bake can be ready for the oven in under 10 minutes! You can even save on time by preparing ahead of time and keeping in the refrigerator until ready.
- Loaded with Flavor– the creamy Parmesan mayo sauce combined with moist, tender chicken literally melts in your mouth.
- Can be altered to fit tastes and diet– you can use Greek yogurt or Mayo depending on tastes, and also serve this chicken as is, over pasta, zoodles, rice, etc.
- Leftovers are just as delicious– if you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, they reheat perfectly in the microwave and are just as tasty!
Melt in Your Mouth Chicken Bake
This recipe is actually one that I have changed up from my original Melt in Your Mouth Chicken. As comments came in on the original recipe, I made changes and decided to turn this version into more of a casserole bake that could be served over anything versus serving whole chicken breasts. Either recipe, you can’t go wrong, this one just is a bit more kid-friendly, versatile, and can easily be altered.
The mayo-Parmesan mixture turns golden brown once cooked over the chicken and smells incredible. If you love tender, moist, insanely flavor packed chicken, this bake is for you!
Ingredients
See printable recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts and step by step directions.
- Chicken– I use boneless chicken breast. Thighs and drumsticks work too, you may just have to adjust cook time.
- Mayonnaise– this adds incredible flavor and prevents the chicken from drying out. Feel free to substitute Greek yogurt or sour cream.
- Grated Parmesan Cheese– fresh is best versus pre-packaged, Asiago, cheddar, Mozzarella, or Gruyere are all great substitutes.
- Seasoned Salt/Pepper– season to taste.
- Garlic– I used fresh, minced, but dried or powder works too.
- Red Pepper Flakes– this adds a slight kick, but doesn’t add heat, so it still maintains its kid-friendly status.
- Italian Bread Crumbs– a tasty addition to the topping. Adds a slight crunch and flavor boost.
How to make Melt in Your Mouth Chicken Bake
- Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish and place diced chicken on the bottom.
- In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise (or yogurt), Parmesan cheese, seasoned salt, pepper, garlic, and red pepper flakes.
- Spread mixture evenly over chicken.
- Sprinkle bread crumbs on top of mayonnaise mixture.
- Place pan in preheated oven, 375 degrees, and bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
- Remove pan from oven and use a slotted spoon to serve chicken on top of pasta, rice, or by itself.
What to make with Melt in Your Mouth Chicken Bake
This chicken is incredibly versatile and pairs perfectly with so many side options!
- Pasta– keep it simple and make buttered noodles, or have some fun with it and serve Garlic Parmesan Spaghetti with this!
- Veggies– good ol’ garlic and Parmesan roasted asparagus pair perfectly each time!
- Rice– French Onion Rice or Instant Pot Jasmine Rice is our favorite with this chicken served on top!
- Potatoes– whether you mash potatoes, loaded smashed potatoes, or serve baked potatoes; this chicken is a great addition!
How to store leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container once fully cooled.
- Refrigerator– up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave.
- Freezer– up to 3 months. Allow to thaw before reheating in microwave.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Dice chicken into pieces the same size so they cook evenly versus cutting some pieces larger than others.
- Be sure chicken reaches 165 degrees F when meat thermometer is inserted into center of chicken.
- This dish can be prepared ahead of time, up to 24 hours, and wrapped in plastic wrap before placing in the refrigerator.
- Use a slotted spoon to scoop chicken out of pan to drain most of the juices before serving.
- Have fun with seasonings and Herbs in this. Thyme, Paprika, Lemon Seasoning, and more are all great additions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the mayo add to this recipe?
This is the main ingredient in creating the rich, creamy sauce that goes over the chicken. It also prevents the chicken from becoming dry and tough.
Why didn’t my cheese mixture melt evenly?
Hopefully you didn’t use pre-packaged cheese as those packages are coated in an additive that prevents clumping in the bag. This prevents the cheese from melting evenly.
Can I use Rotisserie chicken?
Typically, I am all about shortcuts, but using Rotisserie in this recipe cuts the cook time down significantly and the sauce won’t melt into the chicken as much meaning the chicken won’t be as “melt in your mouth” delicious!
Can I use the sauce mixture on top of other meats?
Absolutely! You can use this mixture for fish such as my Parmesan Crusted Salmon, Cod, or even over pork loin, roast, and different cuts of chicken or turkey!
Can I make this in the slow cooker?
Yes! Here is the recipe for that version! Just as yummy and even easier to make!
More Chicken Recipes to try
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Melt In Your Mouth Chicken Bake
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breasts, boneless/diced
- ¾ cup mayonnaise or Greek yogurt
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
- ½ teaspoon seasoned salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup Italian bread crumbs
Instructions
- Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan and place diced chicken on the bottom.
- In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise (or yogurt), Parmesan cheese, seasoned salt, pepper, garlic, and red pepper flakes.
- Spread mixture evenly on top of chicken.
- Sprinkle bread crumbs on top of mayonnaise mixture.
- Place pan in preheated oven, 375 degrees, and bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
- Remove pan from oven and use a slotted spoon to serve chicken on top of pasta, rice, or by itself. Enjoy!
John says
Made it last night…. delicious!!!!
Kristin says
Yea!! So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Natalie says
Can I freeze this after cooked?
Kristin says
Yep! I have frozen leftovers before and it is yummy!
CJ says
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?
Kristin says
Absolutely! I have substituted grated in place of shredded multiple times and its just as tasty! Enjoy!
Sam says
Only question:!Donincover to bake it or leave it uncovered? I can’t wait to make it!!
Kristin says
Uncovered while baking! Enjoy!
Mellanie says
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 🙂
Kristin says
Oh yum! Great idea! Glad you enjoy it!!!
Ken says
Awesome!
Kristin says
Glad you enjoyed it!!
Kathy says
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!
Kristin says
Yea!! So glad it was a hit! Love the additions you used!!
Charlene says
Came out soooo good and so simple. Loved it! I recommend for ecertone to try…. doesn’t even taste like mayo in the end!!
Kristin says
Yea!! So glad you enjoyed it!!
Rachel says
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!
Kristin says
Awww you made my day! So glad you enjoyed this recipe!!!
Meghan says
Wondering if i can prepare ahead, just not add breadcrumbs and leave in fridge until ready to bake?
Kristin says
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!
Terry says
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.
Kristin says
So glad to hear you enjoyed this!!
Brittany says
Would this taste good over cornbread?
Kristin says
Hmmmm, possibly, but it may make it too moist/soggy
Nancy LaRue says
Made this with breasts before. So yummy! How long would I cook it with thighs?
Kristin says
Great question! If you are making it with thighs, I would recommend about 30-40 minutes, testing if done from there! Enjoy!
Dedria says
This is probably a dumb question, but are you using raw or cooked chicken?
Kristin says
No such thing as a dumb question, hehe! You’re using raw chicken in this and cooking once topping is spread on top.
Cindi Aubrey says
Does the granular Parmesan work ok?
Kristin says
Absolutely!