Love it or hate it on its own, mayo is the secret ingredient to the most tender, juicy, and succulent chicken you will ever make. This Mayo-marinated Chicken recipe will lock in moisture and improve browning on the grill taking your grilled chicken breasts to the next level of deliciousness whether you make it indoors or out!
Recently Greg, a neighbor, grilled chicken breasts for a cookout. I did not expect to experience joy in my first bite from what looked like to be just another grilled chicken breast.
Most chicken breasts benefit from a creamy sauce or BBQ sauce to offset the charred grilled outside that is always just on the side of being too dry on the inside. Instead, this mayo-marinaded chicken was flavorful, juicy and tender with perfect charred grill marks on the outside.
It's my mom's recipe - the trick is to use mayo in the marinade
Greg shared as he flipped the breasts wearing his Notre Dame grilling apron (As a Michigan Wolverine household we will forgive him for that!)
Even for mayo lovers like me, the image of smearing mayonnaise all over raw chicken breasts makes me cringe. That’s pure fat and it has a weird jiggly texture. But after tasting Greg’s mayo-marinated chicken, whether I’m grilling outdoors or using my cast iron skillet indoors, I am a convert. Because the mayo locks in moisture it produces a golden-brown sear, you must try it!
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What you'll need
Marinating the chicken in a mayo marinade is one of the best tricks to creating tender, juicy, full flavored chicken breasts. If you can’t spare time in the morning, marinate the chicken for as long as you can before cooking (up to 30 minutes at room temperature; any longer and it should be refrigerated).
Let’s quickly chat about other marinade ingredients and tools you will need when making mayo-marinated chicken for two.
- Mayonnaise – store bought, any brand is just fine for this recipe and using a “light” version works well. If you are a miracle whip lover that is also a great option. The mayo is used to lock in moisture and does not leave behind a mayo flavor.
- Dijon Mustard – while the mayo locks in moisture the Dijon mustard will flavor the meat with a sharp mustard flavor.
- Soy Sauce – will help your chicken breasts taste meatier and add a more savory flavor.
- Garlic Powder – garlic powder improves with time – so to get the most garlic flavor as we marinate our chicken, hopefully overnight, the marinade is the way to go.
- Milk –any percentage of milk fat is just fine (whole, 1%, skim).
See recipe card for quantities.
Equipment
- Cast Iron Skillet – I like using my 10-inch cast iron skillet when making this recipe indoors.
- Instant read meat thermometer – To achieve a tender juicy interior, we don’t want to overcook the chicken. Using an instant read thermometer will help you gauge when the meat is done.
- Basting brush – we are going to brush some of reserved mayo-marinade that was not used with the raw chicken halfway through grilling I like to use this heat resistant basting brush.
How to make this recipe
So, have you got your ingredients and tools ready? Here’s how to reap the benefits of a simple mayo-marinade for chicken.
Marinate the chicken. The magic of mayo is that it helps your other marinade ingredients spread evenly across the surface of the meat, delivering more consistent flavor, while improving browning. Don’t worry, the cooked meat doesn’t taste like mayo.
Whisk together mayonnaise, Dijon, soy sauce, garlic powder and milk in a mixing bowl.
You can poke the breast meat with a fork or score with a knife to allow the marinade to penetrate through the thicker parts of the breast.
Place chicken in a separate bowl or plastic bag. Pour half of the mayo mixture over the breasts and turn to coat.
For better flavor, refrigerate for up to 24 hours. And, refrigerate the other half of mayo mixture in a separate container.
Marinating tip: If you can’t spare any time in the morning, marinate the chicken for as long as you can before cooking (up to 30 minutes at room temperature; any longer and it should be refrigerated).
Grill mayo-marinated chicken indoors or out
If using an outdoor grill, heat a gas or charcoal grill over high heat for 10 minutes. Cook chicken directly over high heat, turning and flipping occasionally, until lightly charred all over and the thickest part is no longer pink when cut into and registers about 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer.
If cooking indoors: Heat a (10-inch) cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until a drop of water immediately balls up and dances across the surface. Because of the fat in the mayo we will not need to need additional oil in the pan. Add chicken breasts in a single layer and cook, flipping them occasionally until browned all over and just cooked through, about 4 minutes.
Serve with reserved mayo mixture. Transfer chicken to a serving plate. Spoon some of the reserved mayo-mixture that what was not used to marinate the raw meat, over the chicken and serve the rest in a small bowl on the side.
Tips to make this recipe
Want to know the secret to making the best grilled chicken? Here are some of my best tips that I’ve learned from Greg and from making this recipe again and again.
Mayo is the trick. The magic of mayo is that it helps your other marinade ingredients spread evenly across the surface of the meat, delivering more consistent flavor, while improving browning.
Use an instant read thermometer! Cook chicken directly over high heat, flipping occasionally, until lightly charred all over, the thickest part is no longer pink when cut into and registers about 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer.
Common questions about this recipe
You've got questions... I've got answers! If you have a question about this recipe that isn't answered below, feel free to leave it in the comments, and I'll jump in there to help you out.
It acts as a glue for spices and seasonings
In this case, mustard is the perfect binder for the soy and garlic powder to adhere to chicken or any meat for that matter. The sharpness tends to dilute during the cooking process and balances out the flavors of the soy and garlic.
Mayo is the trick to the most tender, juicy, and succulent chicken, locking in moisture and improves the browning whether you are cooking it on the grill or indoors in a skillet.
According to USDA.Gov most recipes for marinating poultry recommend six hours up to 24 hours. It is safe to keep the food in the marinade longer, but after two days it is possible that the marinade can start to break down the fibers of the chicken, causing it to become mushy.
Pricking the surface of the chicken with a fork allows the marinade to penetrate the meat as deeply as possible resulting in moister meat, but this is not necessary if you are marinating for more than 2 hours.
Related
Looking for other chicken or poultry dinner recipes when serving two? Try these:
Pairing
You can toss this marinated chicken on top of a bed of romaine, dressed with a Caesar salad dressing or consider one of my favorite side salads to serve with this Mayo-marinated Chicken:
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Mayo-Marinated Chicken
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Ingredients
- ½ cup mayonnaise store bought
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 + ½ teaspoon soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons milk, whole, 1% or skim
- 1 lb boneless chicken breasts
Instructions
- Before you Begin: Allow the Chicken to marinate at least 6 hours. If you are short on time, marinating even for 15 – 30 minutes will impart flavor into the breast. If your chicken breasts are thick, filet lengthwise so that each breast is ¾ of an inch thick. You can poke the breast meat with a fork to allow the marinade to penetrate through the thicker parts of the breast.
- Whisk together mayonnaise, Dijon, soy sauce, garlic powder and milk in a mixing bowl. Place chicken in a separate bowl or plastic bag. Pour half of the mayo mixture over the breasts and turn to coat. Reserve the remaining half “non-marinade” mayo mixture, cover and refrigerate.
- Cook immediately, or for better flavor, transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
- If using an outdoor grill, heat a gas or charcoal grill over high heat for 10 minutes. Cook chicken directly over high heat, flipping occasionally, until lightly charred all over, the thickest part is no longer pink when cut into and registers about 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer. About 6-8 minutes.If cooking indoors: Heat a (10-inch) cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until a drop of water immediately balls up and dances across the surface. Because of the fat in the mayo we will not need to need additional oil in the pan. Add chicken breasts in a single layer and cook, flipping them occasionally until browned all over and just cooked through, about 6-8 minutes.
- Transfer to chicken to a serving plate. Spoon some of the reserved mayo-mixture that (what was not used to marinate the raw meat) over the chicken and serve the rest in a small bowl on the side.
Your Notes, Tips and Tricks
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Richelle says
I was there for that cookout and it took everything in power not to go back for thirds!!!
Delicious,
Thanks for the fabulous recipe!!!!!!!!!
Kim P. says
These were so flavorful!! I used Hellmann's mayo (I'll never ever use any other brand) and prepared the recipe exactly as directed. (I figured they were skinless breasts from the photo.). I marinated for 24 hours (not initially planned) and used my little Weber Go-Anywhere flat charcoal grill. I grilled for 9 minutes to come to 160 temp as they were large chicken breasts. I think it's important to turn them every two minutes as directed. Keeps them from overbrowning. When done I brushed just a little reserved sauce over the top.
Will definitely make again!! Perfect for chicken salads of all kinds too.