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.
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!
Looking for more easy chicken dinner ideas? My Chicken Dinner Recipes collection is full of cozy family favorites, from creamy pasta dishes to baked casseroles and skillet dinners.
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 Italian Sausage
- Chicken Riggies
- Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta
- Marry Me Chicken Pasta
- Buffalo Chicken Lasagna
Tried This Recipe?
Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo
This dreamy Olive Garden chicken alfredo is a decadent version that comes together quickly with a super creamy sauce and tender chicken!
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 16 ounces fettucine
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt
- black pepper
- 2 tablespoons, plus 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3/4 cup, plus more for passing grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
- 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
- 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
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.
Fans Also Made:
Notes
- 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 heat. This is another critical step.
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
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Is there a dairy-free substitute for heavy cream? My husband loves chicken Alfredo, but he is lactose intolerant.
I’m sorry Christine I’m not familiar with a good substitute. Many people use coconut cream but that would drastically change the taste and I’m not sure it would be good!
This was delicious! Exactly like Olive Garden’s Alfredo. My husband had another serving despite feeling full ☺️. Thank you for the recipe!
You’re so welcome, Calvina! Im so happy your and your husband enjoyed this dish 🙂
Can this be made in advance?
Hi, Janet. This is best made fresh. For leftovers, add a little milk when you reheat it.
I am excited to try this recipe tomorrow for my grandkids. I just have a question about the cheese. Do you grate fresh Parmesan or use the ready shredded? Also what does it mean when it says ‘plus more for passing”?
Hi, Anne. I grate fresh parmesan. Plus more parmesan for toppings (for serving) 🙂
I have made this copy cat olive garden chicken Alfredo a few times and e ery time I make I just love how it tastes just like olive gardens recipe. It tastes exactly like it. I just love it
I made this tonight with a few changes as I only needed chicken for Two.
I followed the recipe using only 1 large chicken breast and I did not reduce the Sauce amounts, I did reduce the pasta to 8 oz for service two. At the end, I added a package of Thawed Medium size cooked shrimp with the Tails removed to the hot sauce and simmered until they were hot. Then I added the fettucine, tossed, and added the sliced chicken breast at the edges of the pan before serving. As you see in the picture (unable to attach), there is adequate sauce for leftovers. I did not have parsley so that was omitted. Easy to make in short amount of time.
Hi, Linda! Wow, that’s amazing! I love that you put shrimp, that’s so yummy 🙂
I really want to see the photo, sadly comments don’t have it.
Thank you so much for your feedback!
I am not a alfredo person but my family members are so I made this for them and they loved it and said it tasted like Olive Gardens. So I was happy that I tried this one when looking for a copy cat recipe. I recommend it for fans of this restaurant’s version.
Very good!
Jazzmine! So happy you enjoyed! I make this all the time cuz my fam goes crazy for it! <3
This was delicious! I doubled recipe and added 4 oz grated asiago cheese to this. It is superb. Daughter said it was “literally the best alfredo she ever had” … husband concurred! Thank you so much Kathleen, your recipes are truly wonderful !
Wow, Stacy! That’s fantastic! I’m happy you and your family love this alfredo 🙂
Thank you too!
Are you sautéing garlic in the butter before you add in flour to make the rue?
Yes, Ma’am! It makes the best rue you’ll ever taste. I do the same thing in my Chicken Lasagna! <3
This is absolutely fabulous. I wouldn’t change a thing the sauce was so creamy and flavorful. Plus I have enough leftovers for a few days. Thank you so much
Yay! Thank you, Colleen! <3 🙂
Oh. My. Gosh. This was fantastic.
1. It was super easy, with everything done on the stovetop and ready within half an hour.
2. The hubs has been ordering chicken Alfredo at Olive Garden for decades and he swears this tastes EXACTLY the same! Next time I need to make breadsticks and put a little extra sauce in a bowl to dip in, cuz our arteries need to get a little harder.
Seriously, my college kids were practically licking their plates. (In fact, they may have when I wasn’t looking.) I will never look for another Alfredo recipe. Thank you so much!
This is exactly how I make this chicken Alfredo. I would like to see more soups please. My mom was a fantastic cook and our Sunday meal always started with a dish of home made soup. I try to continue the tradition.
Hi Rose! WE’ve got lotsa of soups coming. I hope you enjoy!!