This dreamy Olive Garden chicken alfredo is a decadent version that comes together quickly with a super creamy sauce and tender chicken!
This dreamy Olive Garden chicken alfredo is a decadent version that comes together quickly with a creamy robust style that satisfies all the senses. When it comes to Italian chicken recipes, my Olive Garden chicken alfredo tops my list of personal favorites.
This isn’t just one of those pasta recipes with doctored-up jarred alfredo sauce on it! It’s one of those really impressive chicken pasta recipes that taste amazing and it’s very easy to make.
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This is perfect for when you need an easy meal that you can pull together on a busy weeknight without tearing up the kitchen! I LOVE that it’s a meal my entire family loves, and my kids think I’m a total rock star when I make it! Added bonus, it’ll also save you $50 for eating at home and skipping the restaurant!
If you love Olive Garden copycat recipes, I hope you’ll try our five cheese ziti al forno, tortellini al forno, zuppa toscana, and Olive Garden breadsticks, next!
Ingredients You’ll need
- Fettucine: I prefer using Fettuccine pasta because it’s got plenty of valuable real estate to carry that yummy Olive Garden alfredo sauce. It should be cooked al dente with an adequate amount of salt for best results.
- Chicken Breasts: Two boneless, skinless breasts will do the trick here. It makes the ideal amount for this recipe.
- Oil: I use olive oil.
- Butter: I use unsalted.
- Garlic: Mincing your own fresh garlic is best for flavor.
- Flour: All-purpose flour.
- Heavy Cream: This gives the sauce a thick velvety texture.
- Whole Milk: This adds richness to the sauce without making it too heavy.
- Parmesan Cheese: Is the star of the show here so it’s important to use quality cheese. The green container isn’t going to deliver on flavor. I like to use fresh parmesan that I shred myself.
- Parsley: Adds a nice finishing flavor and color to the dish.
Tips
- Chicken: Be sure to let your cooked chicken rest before slicing it up. This is very important! If you cut it too soon, all the juices will run out and you’ll end up with dry rubbery chicken.
- Toast the Flour: You’ll want to sauté the flour in the butter + garlic mixture for just a minute and remove it from the heat. This is another critical step. This helps coat the flour in butter, so it acts the way we want it to, and it gets rid of that flour flavor. Removing it from heat stops it from cooking so you end up with a white roux.
Customize Your Dish
- Some people do like to add mushrooms to their chicken alfredo.
- Add Seafood- it’s really easy to switch out the chicken with shrimp and turn this recipe into shrimp alfredo!
- Other types of pasta- I’ve always preferred fettuccini pasta in this recipe but feel free to use whatever shape you’d like.
Storing + Freezing + Make-Ahead
- Storing Tips: You can toss leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and it’ll keep just fine. Large Ziplocs work well too.
- How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? This will last for up to 4 days in the fridge when stored properly.
- Can You Freeze This? Unfortunately, it’s not a good idea to freeze this. Pasta is notoriously finicky in the freezer and this recipe is just never quite the same when it thaws.
- Make-Ahead Tips: Fettuccine alfredo is always best when it’s fresh but the leftovers are quite yummy too. The pasta will continue to absorb the sauce in the fridge so you may need to thin it out, depending on your preferences. If that’s the case you can add a little milk when you reheat it.
How To Make Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain.
- Pat the chicken breast with paper towel. Season with salt and pepper.
- In a skillet, heat the oil and cook the chicken. Slice the chicken and set aside.
- Melt the butter and saute the garlic. Sprinkle flour over butter and whisk.
- Remove pan from heat and whisk in cream and milk until smooth.
- Return the skillet to heat and stir in Parmesan cheese and white pepper. Simmer gently until the cheese is melted.
- Toss cooked pasta with sauce.
- Arrange the pasta on plates and top with sliced chicken. Sprinkle with parsley and serve parmesan on the side.
***See the full instructions below.
Serving Recommendations
I like to serve this with my favorite garlic bread or Olive Garden breadsticks, both of which are ridiculously delicious along with my Mediterranean salad fully loaded with delicious goodies and dressed with an easy tangy homemade vinaigrette
More Pasta Recipe Favorites
- Creamy Tuscan Sausage Pasta
- Baked Ziti With Ricotta
- Spaghetti And Meatballs
- Lemon Garlic Pasta
- Johnny Marzetti Casserole
- Pasta Alla Norma
- Cacio e Pepe
- Italian Spaghetti
- Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta
- Creamy Rotel Sausage Pasta
- Baked Ziti With Meat
- Baked Ziti With Sausage
- Chicken Riggies
- Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta
Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo
Description
This dreamy Olive Garden chicken alfredo is a decadent version that comes together quickly with a super creamy sauce and tender chicken!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Cook pasta (16 ounces) according to package instructions in well-salted water. Drain.
- Pat chicken breast (2) dry with paper towels. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat the olive oil (2 tablespoons) over medium-high heat, in a 12-inch skillet. Cook chicken breasts in the hot skillet until golden brown, about 5-7 minutes without flipping them or moving them in the pan. Turn breasts over and add 2 tablespoons of butter. Cook the breast for another 5-7 minutes or until an instant thermometer reads 165 °F (74 °C). Do not overcook or the chicken will be dry. Remove to a plate and allow to rest for 7-10 minutes. Slice chicken and cover with aluminum foil; set aside.
- In a clean large, high-sided skillet, melt the remaining 1/2 cup butter over medium-low heat and saute garlic (1 tablespoon) until fragrant, about a minute. Sprinkle flour (2 tablespoons) over butter and cook, whisking constantly for 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and slowly whisk in cream (2 cups) and milk (1 cup) until smooth.
- Return skillet to medium-low heat and stir in 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese and white pepper (1/8 teaspoon) and simmer gently until cheese is melted.
- Toss cooked pasta with sauce. (At first, the pasta may seem soupy but, as it sits, the pasta will quickly absorb more sauce and you will have plenty of sauce to coat the pasta generously and it won’t be dry when you go back for seconds!) Arrange pasta on plates and top with sliced chicken. Sprinkle with parsley (2 tablespoons) and serve extra Parmesan on the side.
Notes
- 1. Chicken – Be sure to let your cooked chicken rest before slicing it up. This is very important! If you cut it too soon, all the juices will run out and you’ll end up with dry rubbery chicken.
2. Toast the Flour: You’ll want to sauté the flour in the butter/garlic mixture for just a minute and remove it from heat. This is another critical step.First, it helps coat the flour in butter, so it acts the way we want it to, and it gets rid of that flour flavor. Removing it from heat stops it from cooking so you end up with a white roux. Here’s a little about the different types of roux, just in case.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/8 of the recipe | Calories: 636kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Cholesterol: 178mg | Sodium: 421mg | Potassium: 361mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1336IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 344mg | Iron: 2mg
