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This five-ingredient oven Chicken is the weeknight dinner I come back to again and again. You lay raw Chicken tenders in a Casserole dish, spread on a quick mayo-Parmesan mixture, and bake until juicy and golden. That’s it — one pan, no fuss, and it tastes like you actually tried.
Why You’ll Love It
- Only five ingredients — all pantry staples you probably already have on hand
- One pan, minimal cleanup — everything bakes right in the Casserole dish
- No flipping, no basting — just coat and walk away
- Stays incredibly juicy — the mayo coating keeps the chicken moist all the way through
- Easy enough for kids to help — simple assembly, no sharp tools or stovetop required
A Word About the Ingredients
Mayonnaise. I know. People get weird about mayonnaise in cooked dishes, but this one converts skeptics every time. The thing is, when it bakes it doesn’t taste like mayo — it tastes like a creamy, slightly tangy coating that keeps the chicken from drying out. Use whatever brand you normally buy. I use the full-fat kind. I tried it once with the reduced-fat version and it was fine, honestly, but a little watery.
The Parmesan I use is the kind in the green shaker — I’m not going to pretend otherwise. Fresh-grated is probably better and if you have it, great. But the pantry kind melts right into the sauce and you’d never know the difference once it’s out of the oven.
Garlic powder, not garlic salt. I’ve made that mistake. Italian seasoning or just plain mixed herbs — I’ve used both, I’ve used neither and just gone with dried thyme and oregano from the back of the spice cabinet, and it’s all been fine. That’s the thing about this recipe. It forgives.
Ingredients
- About 1½ pounds raw chicken tenders — I usually grab two packages and don’t stress about the exact weight
- ½ cup mayonnaise, full-fat
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan from the shaker (or real, if you have it)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, or just whatever mixed herbs you’ve got
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper — I probably use more than this, I don’t really measure it
- Nonstick spray or a little oil for the dish
How I Make It
Preheat to 400°F. Spray or oil your glass casserole dish — and I do mean glass, I’ve made this in a metal pan and something about it was just off, cooked unevenly and stuck a little on the bottom. The glass one I’ve had since my first apartment somehow still works fine.
Lay the tenders out in a single layer. They can be snug, just don’t pile them on top of each other or the middle ones won’t cook through and you’ll be cutting into pale, underdone chicken at the dinner table, which I have done in front of company and would prefer not to repeat.
Whisk together the mayo, Parmesan, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. It’ll look like a thick, pale cream — not glamorous. Spoon it over the tops of the tenders and spread it around. You want every piece covered. Don’t flip them.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Start checking at 20. I use a meat thermometer now because I bought one at some point and actually use it, which is growth for me — you want 165°F internal, or until the juices run clear when you cut into the thickest piece. The coating on top will look set and just barely golden at the edges.
If you want more color — and I usually do, it looks better on the plate — hit it under the broiler for a minute or two at the end. Watch it. Seriously. I’ve walked away “just for a second” and come back to something that was technically still edible but not something I’d serve to anyone.
Let it rest five minutes before you dig in. This always feels like a waste of time when everyone’s hungry and circling the kitchen, but it genuinely makes a difference. The chicken stays juicier. The sauce settles. Just do it.
Spoon the extra sauce from the dish over everything when you plate it. That’s the good part.
Variations I’ve Tried (and One I Won’t Do Again)
Some people make this with ranch seasoning instead of Italian — a full packet of the dry seasoning mix stirred into the mayo — and honestly it’s really good, it’s just a different dish. Sweet and herby where mine is more savory.
I’ve stirred a small spoon of honey into the mayo mixture for a slightly sweeter version, and that went over well with kids at various stages. A teaspoon, maybe a little more. Don’t tell them it’s in there; they’ll just say they love it.
For a crunch on top, you can sprinkle plain breadcrumbs or crushed Ritz crackers over the sauced chicken before it goes in the oven. This is very good and I should probably do it more often.
I tried it once with light Greek yogurt in place of half the mayo, because I was going through a phase. It was acceptable. Not my preference. The texture was slightly more grainy after baking, and I missed the richness. But if that’s your thing, it works.
Leftovers
They keep in the fridge for a few days. Reheat in a low oven — I do 300°F covered with foil — or slice the cold chicken into strips and use it in a salad or a wrap the next day. I’ve eaten it straight out of the fridge standing over the sink at 7am and have no regrets about that.
This is the kind of recipe I reach for when I can’t face anything complicated and I still want to put something real on the table. It’s not flashy. It doesn’t photograph all that well, which might be why it doesn’t travel around the internet the way fancier things do. But it tastes good, it’s fast, and every single time I make it someone asks me for the recipe.
Serve it over rice or egg noodles — something to soak up the sauce — with green beans or a salad or whatever you have. Add dinner rolls if you want to feel like you really went for it. Or just eat it out of the pan like it is. Some nights that’s enough.
5-Ingredient Oven Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb raw chicken tenders
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise full-fat
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese shaker-style or freshly grated
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning or mixed dried herbs
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper or more to taste
- nonstick spray or oil for greasing the dish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and lightly grease a glass casserole dish with nonstick spray or oil.
- Arrange the chicken tenders in a single layer in the prepared dish, keeping them snug but not stacked.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper.
- Spoon the mayonnaise mixture over the tops of the chicken tenders.
- Spread the coating evenly so each piece is covered.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F internally and the coating is set and lightly golden at the edges.
- For more color, broil for 1–2 minutes at the end, watching carefully.
- Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.
- Spoon extra sauce from the dish over the chicken when plating.