Try this creamy, stunning, and scrumptious copycat Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo the next time you need a quick and easy dinner to impress.
Loaded with creamy, cheesy sauce and succulent chicken, this dish is a delight for the senses.
Is there anything better than cheesy pasta with juicy chicken? I don’t think so!
And now it’s easier than ever to make it at home with this copycat Olive Garden recipe.
It’s just as good, if not better, than the OG. Plus, you don’t even need to get dressed to make it.
So put on your favorite onesie and head to the chicken. This copycat Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo recipe is calling your name!
Olive Garden’s Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe
It’s time to ditch the takeout and make chicken Alfredo at home.
This is a classic dish that never goes out of style. It’s rich, creamy, and oh-so-decadent.
The tender, juicy chicken and cheesy, garlic-infused sauce are guaranteed to tantalize your tastebuds.
And it’s ready in a flash! Well, 30 minutes.
Are you hungry yet? Then let’s get to it!
Ingredients
Believe it or not, this Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo recipe uses just a handful of pantry staples. And yes, that includes the homemade sauce!
- Chicken Breast – I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into strips after cooking. You can use pre-cut strips or chicken tenders, but the edges will be firmer since more of the surface touches the pan.
- Fettuccine Pasta – Cream sauces like Alfredo pair perfectly with the thick texture of fettuccine. It holds up to the richness of the sauce and gives you that signature slurp.
- Olive Oil – Helps to create a silky texture and adds flavor to the sauce. Use a neutral oil if that’s all you have.
- Heavy Cream – Serves as the base for this creamy, velvety sauce. I don’t recommend using any heavy cream substitutes, though. Now’s not the time to be counting calories!
- Parmesan Cheese – Parmesan cheese is a key ingredient to recreate the signature flavor of Olive Garden. And since it’s the star of the show, make sure to use the real deal and grate it yourself!
- Flour – This thickens the sauce, so it sticks to the pasta. If you want, use cornstarch to make it gluten-free (use half the amount).
- Garlic – Brings a mouthwatering aroma and depth of flavor to the dish. It cuts through the rich, creamy sauce and enhances the flavors. Try using roasted garlic if you find regular too strong.
- Butter – Use high-quality butter with a high-fat content if possible. It brings a more flavorful dimension and makes the mixture creamier.
- Salt and Pepper – Optional and add to taste. The cheese is already salty, so you likely won’t need much salt. And if you use salted butter, you won’t need it at all.
- Parsley – For garnish. I also like to add chili flakes.
Tips for The Best Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo Recipe
Recreating Olive Garden’s chicken Alfredo is a breeze, and it never fails to impress.
But if you want to take it up a notch, here are some tips you should try!
- If you really want this lighter, use half-and-half instead of cream. It’s got about half the calories and should still give you a nice, creamy finish.
- Add Romano cheese or incorporate mozzarella, Gruyere, or Gouda into the mixture. Olive Garden has a super creamy and cheesy signature sauce. But you can make it even cheesier by incorporating other cheeses.
- Add herbs and spices to tweak the flavor. To give the sauce more depth of flavor, add fresh herbs like parsley or oregano. You can also add a pinch of red pepper flakes for a kick of heat or even roasted red peppers.
- Use chicken breasts and let them rest before slicing. As mentioned, if you use chicken strips, more of the surface hits the pan, meaning you don’t get the same tender texture.
- Alternatively, make the sauce and serve it with chicken Milanese for an extra crispy finish!
- Bring the cheese and cream to room temperature before you start. This ensures the cheese melts into the sauce better for a creamier consistency.
- Try out different kinds of pasta. If you don’t have fettuccine, try linguine or tagliatelle. Or, if you want to switch things up, use tubular pasta like penne.
- Sprinkle the cheese into the sauce mixture little by little. This keeps it from clumping in the pan.
Oh, and if you’re wondering what to serve with chicken Alfredo, try roasted veggies or garlic bread. Yum!
How to Store and Reheat Chicken Alfredo
Want to make a big batch of Alfredo sauce so you can skip some prep later? It’s possible!
The key is properly storing and reheating it.
So, here are some tips to help you store this Olive Garden chicken Alfredo for later use:
How to Store Chicken Alfredo in The Fridge
If you have leftover Alfredo sauce, first, you need to let it cool. As in, go totally cold.
Then, store the cooled sauce in an airtight container and keep it refrigerated. It’ll stay fresh for up to 4 days.
If you have leftovers from dinner (that are already mixed), I recommend storing everything in an airtight container. That’s the pasta, sauce, and chicken.
Add a splash of water, and reheat in the microwave with the lid on but open at one corner.
The added moisture should keep the pasta from drying out.
How to Store Chicken Alfredo in The Freezer
If you’re planning on making a big batch for meal prepping, it’s best to make freeze the sauce separately, so it lasts longer than a few days.
I don’t recommend making and freezing pasta. Instead, just make it fresh when you need it.
As for the chicken, you can cook and cool the chicken, then wrap and freeze it for later. Use plastic wrap and a freezer-safe bag or box.
For Alfredo sauce, make sure the sauce is cold. Then, portion it into airtight containers and freeze it for up to three months.
If you made a lot, try to gauge how much you’ll need in one sitting. That way, you can freeze just a couple of portions and don’t need to thaw the whole thing.
To thaw, take out what you need, and leave it in the fridge overnight. Then reheat it as instructed below.
How to Reheat Chicken Alfredo
If you don’t reheat leftovers correctly, it can ruin the taste and texture of the dish.
As mentioned, leftover portions with sauce, pasta, and chicken are best reheated in the microwave with a splash of water for moisture.
Here’s how to ensure leftover sauce tastes just as good as it did when it was fresh:
1. Reheat the sauce in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of milk. After reheating, adding milk can help thin the sauce out for a smooth, creamy consistency.
2. Make sure to stir the sauce over medium heat constantly. If you don’t, it will stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.
3. If the sauce is frozen, let it thaw completely before reheating. This step will keep it from curdling.
More Pasta Recipes You’ll Love
Pesto Pasta
Noodles Romanoff
Chicken Riggies
Rotel Chicken Spaghetti
Applebee’s Three Cheese Chicken Penne
Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo Recipe
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servings10
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kcalTry this creamy, stunning, and scrumptious copycat Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo the next time you need a quick and easy dinner to impress.
Ingredients
12 ounce fettuccine pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons butter
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper, divided
3 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup grated Parmesan, add extra for topping if desired
2 tablespoons chopped parsley, garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil with a generous amount of salt. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, per the package instructions. Drain the cooked pasta and set aside.
- While the pasta cooks, add the olive oil to a cast-iron skillet and set it to high heat. Add 2 tablespoons butter, then add the chicken and season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.
- Cook the chicken until golden on one side, then flip to cook the other side. Cover the pan and reduce heat to medium. Cook chicken for about 5 to 7 minutes until it is no longer pink in the center. Remove the chicken from the pan and leave it to rest.
- While the chicken rests, make the sauce. Melt 1/2 cup butter in a large, deep-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until slightly browned and aromatic. Reduce the heat to low and then season with salt and pepper.
- Add the flour to the skillet and stir until it forms a paste. Then, slowly pour in the heavy cream, stirring constantly until smooth.
- Allow the mixture to cook until steaming and slightly thickened. Then add the 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese and stir until smooth. Remove the pan from the heat and cover.
- When ready to serve, slice the chicken into strips and portion the pasta into bowls. Top it with the chicken and sauce.
- Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and sprinkle with additional Parmesan if desired. Serve and enjoy!
Excellent collection of recipes. Love the copycat recipes.
Thank you for posting.
Copycat recipes are some of my favorites, too! ๐
I understand the cooking and a good book BUT can’t get my head
round the running!! I do love good food especially pasta dishes so
thanks for the not so regular recipes.
Hi Janice! Thanks so much! I’m with you on the cooking and reading. I’ll leave the running to Kim ๐
I haven’t received any recipes for several days. Have I been unsubscribed? I so, please resubscribe.
Hi Leslie!
If you’ve previously signed up for the recipe emails, it’s possible that they’re going to your junk box.
I suggest double checking in there, where you can then mark them as “not junk”, so they will then come to your regular inbox.
Hope this helps ๐
This sauce was AMAZING!!! I followed your recipe to a “T” except we decided to add the chicken juices from the pan to the sauce after we cooked the chicken. This recipe is the best alfredo sauce I have ever made. Thank you so much!
So glad you enjoyed it, Anne! <3
How can I save these recipes without printing them out? My husband loves this from Olive Garden. He gets it every time we go there.
Hi, Pauline!
We are working on getting the “save to email” feature back up. In the meantime, jump down to the recipe card at the bottom. In the bottom right-hand corner of the image, you’ll see a print button. Click that, but then instead of printing, change the print settings to “save as pdf.”
Hope that helps! And hopefully, we’ll have the email save feature back soon. We believe it is a glitch.