Your new go-to simple baked chicken recipe will be Melt in Your Mouth Chicken! This simple meal, which only requires a few ingredients, will please everyone.
This is one of those traditional dishes that, in my opinion, we have all had at some point while we were growing up. It’s simple, efficient, and a true classic.
This old recipe has been updated, and I couldn’t be happier with the results! The amount of filling this recipe provides is actually shocking—in the best possible way. Such meals, where the protein goes a long way, are my favourites (hello happy food budget).
Flavor Options
One of the most adaptable simple chicken dishes you’ll ever try is this one, without a doubt!
Enjoy Italian cuisine? Try including some dried basil, additional dried parsley, and Italian seasoning. You may also use freshly shredded mozzarella in place of half the parmesan.
Looking for a dish with a Mexican influence? For a wonderful kick, use Monterey Jack cheese for the parmesan! Additionally, I would substitute ground cumin and ground chilli pepper for the parsley and paprika.
Love Greek cuisine? Replace the parmesan with feta, omit the paprika, season with Mediterranean spice, and drizzle with lemon juice after baking.
There are countless options! This baked chicken will quickly replace your previous favourite easy chicken meal, regardless of the flavour you’re wanting.
How to Make Melt In Your Mouth Chicken
Slice the chicken horizontally to begin. Starting at the thickest end, you should move towards the thinner end. I typically end up with two huge chunks and one small piece each breast because the chicken breasts I purchase typically have a smaller piece on the underside that is only loosely adhered.
The chicken will then be pounded to an equal thickness. To make the chicken incredibly soft and juicy, marinate it in buttermilk for 20 to 25 minutes.
To make the topping, combine the mayonnaise, parmesan, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, paprika, black pepper, dried parsley, and chilli flakes. Alternately, you can omit all the spices (apart from the garlic powder) and substitute some seasoned salt in their place.
If you choose, you can use another cheese in place of the parmesan. The ideal varieties are those with a stronger flavour, such as sharp cheddar or asiago, while mild varieties like mozzarella will also work.
The chicken is cleaned up, then put in a baking dish. The remaining parmesan cheese should be sprinkled on top after adding the mayonnaise mixture.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit, or until the juices run clear and a meat thermometer registers 165 degrees Fahrenheit inside the bird. Depending on the thickness of the chicken, the baking time will change (if you don’t slice the chicken in half, the baking time will be closer to 45 minutes).
Do You Have to Pound the Chicken Breast?
Technically speaking, you are not need to. Must you? Definitely.
The problem with this recipe is this: It’s remarkable when the chicken stays flat. Every mouthful is amazing and the topping doesn’t come off.
The chicken will bake in a mound shape if you don’t pound it. This frequently results in the topping sliding off. Additionally, you’ll get some incredibly thick bites with an improper sauce to meat ratio.
Do You Have to Marinate the Chicken?
You don’t have to marinate it, I’m going to state up front since I try to keep recipes really flexible.
However, marinating it will result in more juicy and tender chicken. Buttermilk’s lactic acid interacts with the protein in chicken to improve and enhance its flavour.
Why is There So Much Liquid in the Baking Dish?
This is entirely natural and typical. When chicken is baked, liquids are released. It stands out more in recipes like this one that don’t need searing the ingredients before baking.
It’s simple to remove the chicken from the baking dish without losing any of the toppings to the liquid in the bottom as long as you pound the chicken beforehand.
Can You Use Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt?
Definitely! I am aware that this dish contains more mayonnaise than some people prefer. If you’re one of them, feel free to use sour cream or Greek yoghurt in place of the mayonnaise.
Additionally, I believe a 50/50 sour cream and mayonnaise combo would be fantastic!
Miracle Whip is the only thing I wouldn’t try. In this dish, I believe it would taste too sweet.
Healthy Melt in Your Mouth Chicken
This truly depends, in my opinion, on how you define health.
This dish is ideal for you as described if you’re on a low-carb or ketogenic diet.
If you’re seeking for a chicken parmesan-inspired recipe that is naturally gluten free, this one is also ideal for you! Seriously, the parmesan crumbs on top taste amazing and remind me a lot of breading.
Sour cream or Greek yoghurt should be used instead of mayonnaise if you’re looking for a recipe with less fat.
What to Serve with MIYM Chicken
Some of my preferred side dishes to serve with this chicken supper are listed below:
Your new go-to simple baked chicken recipe will be Melt In Your Mouth Chicken! This simple meal, which only requires a few ingredients, will please everyone.
PREP TIME: 5 minutes
COOK TIME: 20 minutes
ADDITIONAL TIME: 20 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup buttermilk (optional, I used 1%)
- 1 cup freshly finely grated parmesan (divided)
- 2/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt (depending on taste preference)
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon paprika
- Pinch red chili flakes (optional)
- Pinch dried parsley flakes (optional)
Instructions
1. Chicken breasts should be washed and dried. Onto a cutting board, transfer the chicken breasts. Put your non-dominant hand flat on one of the chicken breasts and cut through the thick side of the bird with your other hand and a sharp knife. Per chicken breast, I usually end up with two large pieces and one small piece. Use the leftover chicken in the same manner.
2. As a second optional step, pour buttermilk over the chicken in a bowl (for me this takes about 1 cup of buttermilk). Toss the chicken to evenly distribute the buttermilk across all of the chunks. In the refrigerator, marinate for 20 to 25 minutes. Although it helps to tenderise the chicken, doing this is entirely optional; the dish will still be great. chicken.
3. Combine the mayonnaise, 1/2 cup of parmesan, garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, black pepper, paprika, red chilli flakes, and parsley flakes in a small bowl while the chicken is marinating. To mingle, blend.
When the chicken is nearing the end of marinating, preheat the oven to 375 F.
5. Take the bowl out of the fridge when the chicken has completed marinating. Dry each piece of chicken and then place it on a baking sheet, discarding the leftover marinade. Although the dish doesn’t have to be too big, the components should be able to lay next to one another rather than on top of one another. I used a casserole dish that was 9″ x 11″.Spread the mayonnaise mixture over the chicken, then sprinkle with the remaining parmesan cheese.
6. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes (or until the juices run clear and a meat thermometer registers an internal temperature of 165 F). The topping should be brown after one minute of broiling in the oven.
7. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes, then serve warm.
Notes
This dish yields either 6 smaller meals or 4 big servings. We saw that since the topping is so filling, we didn’t require as much food as we often would.
Sour cream or Greek yoghurt can be used in place of the mayonnaise, but I believe the mayonnaise has the finest flavour. Both the Costco Kirkland brand and the Hellmann’s brand worked nicely when I tried them. Miracle Whip is not something I’d advise utilising.