Crispy Mayonnaise Chicken Thighs came to me quite by accident. I’d intended to coat some thighs with mustard and breadcrumbs, until I looked and discovered…no mustard in my pantry or fridge. But there was plenty of mayonnaise on hand, so I used that for the breadcrumb “glue.” And thus a fabulous new recipe was born! New to me, anyway. Perhaps you’ve been mayo-ing your chicken this way for years, and just forgot to tell me about it.
Wanna watch me make this crunchy goodness in real time? Click the “play” arrow above. Otherwise, just proceed to the photographic step-by-step below:
To start, put some mayonnaise in a bowl (to avoid contaminating the whole jar).
Next, grab your favorite brand of seasoned breadcrumbs, and put them in a bowl.
I used 4C gluten-free breadcrumbs for this recipe, and, to my surprise, they worked out beautifully. The coarse crumbs produced a ton of crunch. They were perfectly seasoned, too, and not overly salty. I use the same crumbs for gluten-free Black Bean Burgers.
Arrange some small (i.e., free-range) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs on a baking sheet (I lined my sheet with foil for easy clean up)…
And pat them dry with paper towels.
Then put a dollop (a generous tablespoonful) of mayonnaise atop each thigh…
And spread it out with the back of the spoon.
Sprinkle on the breadcrumbs…
And use the back of a spoon to push the crumbs into the mayonnaise.
Bake on the center rack of a preheated 425°F oven until the breadcrumbs brown and the chicken registers 165°F when poked with a digital thermometer — about 30 minutes for free-range thighs. Monster-size thighs from factory farmed chickens may require extra oven time.
Crispy Mayo Chicken Thighs are uber crunchy on the outside, and moist and tender on the inside. Don’t make me beg you to try them!
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Here’s the printable:
Crispy Mayonnaise Chicken Thighs
Equipment
- A baking sheet (lined with aluminum foil, if you wish, for easy clean up)
Ingredients
- Mayonnaise -- a generous tablespoon for each thigh
- Dry, seasoned breadcrumbs (gluten-free works well here) -- a generous tablespoon for each thigh
- Small- to medium-size bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs -- as many as you want
Instructions
- Center the oven rack, and preheat the oven to 425°F. Put the mayonnaise and the breadcrumbs in separate bowls to avoid contaminating their containers.
- Arrange the chicken pieces on the prepared baking sheet. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Spoon a dollop of the mayonnaise on each thigh, and spread it out with the back of the spoon. Sprinkle on the breadcrumbs, and then press them down with the back of a spoon to glue them in place.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the breadcrumbs turn deep golden brown, and the chicken registers 165°F when poked with an instant-read thermometer -- about 30 minutes.
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JoAnne says
Kevin, how long would you bake this using boneless white meat?
Lyn says
This looks delish! I love the fact that you mention monster-sized thighs from farmed chicken – what in the world are they feeding (and doing) to those poor chickens anyway? I only purchase organic chicken. I had never been one to go from store to store to get their weekly specials, etc., but over the past 5-6 years we do travel now to three different markets – as my husband says each one has it’s niche. One is for the organic chicken, another is for beef and pork, and a third is for their exceptional seafood. Food is not only my hobby, but it is also a way to keep us young by planning, preparing and eating and good varied diet.
Marcia Zerance says
Here’s an answer for Joanne! Joanne I have been making Helmann’s Magically moist bonelsess chicken breasts for years at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. Delicious! That recipe calls for regular Italian breadcrumbs. Not sure why I’ve never thought of using Panko, so thank you Kevin!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi JoAnne – I’d say 20 minutes of oven time for boneless chicken breasts. Best to check with an instant-read thermometer — 165°F is ideal!
Hi Lyn – I’m with you on organic chicken.
Hi Marcia – Believe it or not, I thought I invented this recipe. Foiled again!!!
Anne says
I do Salmon portions with mayo spread on top, Panko crumbs and a sprinkle of paprika or Parmesan. Serve in a brioche bun with a few fries and squashed minted peas. Salmon takes about 10 – 12 mins in the oven. Gas7
Suzi Fox says
I tried this the other night. It was divine. I need to find my local “farm store” to get better chicken. I had panko and it did fine but most of us should move to gluten-free stuff everytime we can. The love of my life hated chicken & grew up in the south. Said chicken was always dry. I bet it was cooked for high temp at 1 hr. We believe 30 mins is perfect at that high temp and organic anything is where we all need to be when possible. Good job Kevin….. this and salmon 2 x per week is a saving grace for us. Keep these up as they are carrying us through this hard time. Thank you.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Suzi – I’m so glad! Thank you for the 5-star review!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Anne – I never thought to do salmon this way. Brilliant!
John A Root says
I am going to try these tonight. Looks great. I have been following you, Kevin, for many years, and your recipes are usually really top notch. I was introduced to you by my sister from Massachusetts, who unfortunately passed away a few years ago, and we were both impressed with what you share with the world.
Maraya says
Kevin, I learned to do this many, many years ago as a homemade substitute for one of those shake and bake products. I dare say, however, that you use a LOT of mayo! It’s possible to make this with half as much mayo if you’re watching your fat intake.
I never did use the seasoned bread crumbs because they contained MSG. Don’t know if they still do – but it can hide under “natural flavors.” Besides, it’s nice to vary the seasoning to almost anything that strikes your mood.
I just received an order of whole, air-chilled, pasture-raised chickens. They’re not marked “organic” (which I usually buy), but they are from a group that practices sustainable farming. I haven’t tried these yet, but I can recommend buying air-chilled chicken, which is not washed in chlorine, and does not have any added water. Air-chilled has a far superior taste, no matter what brand you buy.
In any case, I had completely forgotten about that method of making oven-baked “fried” chicken, so thanks, Kevin!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi John – Thank you your kind words. I’m so sorry to hear that you lost your dear sister.
Hi Maraya – Lots of mayo to hold…lots of bread crumbs!
Maraya says
Ha! I do see that you have lots of bread crumbs packed on! Unfortunately, I’ve been “packing it on” myself, so I have to watch the fat AND the carbs.
lise says
hi Kevin! i just made this, it was absolutely quick to make, and easy and tasty!!!!!! i had bread crumbs but not seasoned, so i added Italian seasoning and the breadcrumbs together in a plastic large sandwich plastic bag, and then, shook them all up, and then put it one the cookie sheet on tin foil. Then i added Mayo to each thigh and sure enough at the temperature you suggested, the chicken cooked… This was over the top! With a salad, and asparagus. Yummy, how delicious!!! ;o) thank you for the recipe. Bye for now, and i watch every video that you post by the way!!! Wonderful cooking and i get a lot of compliments on my cooking! thank you for teaching me different ways to cook different foods ….. thank you thank you Lise G.
Michelle Flory says
I make similar with skinless boneless chicken breasts. I usually pound the chicken to tenderize then mix grated parmesan cheese into the mayo, then put on top of chicken then crumbs & bake. Delicious!
Kathy Phillips says
I’ve also added parmesan cheese into the mayo then topped with breadcrumbs. Because I make my own crumbs using the heels of the bread, I will often add freshly dried greek oregano from my garden for some fresh herbal flavor. One of my favorite comfort foods and I use the reduced fat mayo (I prefer miracle whip low fat) and it works really well
Sandra says
Thanks Kevin!
I love your simple, quick and delicious recipes!
This one will become a permanent feature for all three reasons mentioned above!
It’s fabulous not only with chicken, which we like, but also with white fish, which it significantly upgrades.
I also coat the fish with garlic paste, before adding the mayo and breadcrumbs for better flavor.
It’s a keeper!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Lise – I’m so happy the mayo chicken worked out for you. Love your side dishes!
Hi Michelle – The mayo/Parmesan combo sounds awesome. Will try!
Hi Kathy – Sounds divine!
Hi Sandra – So glad you enjoy my recipes — including this one. Music to my ears.
Liz in Maine says
We use mayo and breadcrumbs and seasonings on both sides of baked pork chops. Always moist meat with crunchy on top and moist/creamy goodness on the bottom. Foil makes clean up a breeze.
Michele says
Hi! I just made this chicken. I never follow recipes. I usually just skim and then do what I want to do. I followed this recipe and it was delicious. I needed something quick, and I wanted to use up some mayonnaise I made. This recipe was perfect. Thanks so much!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Michelle – I’m so glad!
Elyse says
This was really delicious. I put Parmesan cheese into the breadcrumbs along with some spices like garlic, salt and pepper. And I dipped the chicken after it was covered in mayo in the breadcrumb mix and then I baked it, and it was just so good. I ended up cooking it at 400° for about 50 minutes and was great.