Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo Copycat Recipe (2024)

Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo is full of flavor from fresh aromatics and creamy sauce with perfectly juicy chicken breasts, now you can make it at home. If you love Olive Garden chicken alfredo, you will love it even more when you make this main course cuisine yourself. The classic dish is easy to prepare and is done in minutes. Your taste buds will love it too. Also, you can use our famous Alfredo Sauce recipe to make this dish!

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Also known as chicken fettuccine alfredo, it was the Italians who first made this dish, of course. In fact, it was named after the Italian who invented it, Alfredo di Lelio.

It was 1908 when he was working in a restaurant in Rome and he was trying to entice his wife into eating after giving birth to their son. He mixed extra butter, parmesan cheese, and cream into the sauce and added a bit of seasoning and she loved it!

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Ingredients needed:

  • Boneless, skinless sliced chicken breast
  • Fettuccine pasta
  • Grated parmesan cheese
  • Heavy cream
  • All-purpose flour
  • Minced garlic
  • Salted butter
  • Olive oil
  • Kosher salt: Divided.
  • Fresh ground black pepper: Divided.
  • Chopped fresh parsley: For garnish.
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How to make copycat Olive Garden chicken alfredo from scratch?

  1. Boil the pasta to al dente: First, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Then, add pasta noodles and cook according to the package directions. Drain the cooked pasta and set aside.
  2. Melt the butter: In the meantime, melt 1/4 cup of butter in an oiled cast iron skillet (or any large skillet) on high heat. Add chicken and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Cook chicken breasts: Now, cook the chicken breasts until they are golden brown on one side, and then flip them over before covering the pan. Reduce heat to medium and cook for another five minutes or until it is no longer pink in the middle. Remove the chicken and let it rest.
  4. Let it rest: While the chicken rests, melt another 1/2 cup of butter in a deep-sided skillet on medium heat. Then, add minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until it is slightly brown. Turn the heat down to low and season it with salt and pepper.
  5. Make the sauce: Next, sprinkle flour into the skillet and stir with a wooden spoon until it forms a paste before pouring in the heavy cream. Stir constantly.
  6. Add cheese: After letting it cook until slightly thickened, add the parmesan cheese and stir until smooth. Remove pan from the heat and cover while the cheese melts.
  7. Separate, top, and serve: When you are ready to serve, slice the chicken into strips and add it to the sauce mixture. Divide the cooked pasta into separate serving plates and top with the alfredo sauce and chicken. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and serve.
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Recipe variations:

  • Other cheese: Instead of parmesan, you can use romano cheese if that is what you like.
  • Add veggies: Feel free to add your favorite vegetables like bell peppers, chopped onions, sliced scallions, and chopped mushrooms.
  • Different meat: You can also use a different meat if you like such as turkey, pork, or beef.
  • Other pasta: Similarly, any pasta noodles can be used in this dish from spaghetti to penne.
  • Favorite herbs and spices: Add fresh herbs and spices to give it your own personal touch. Try using oregano, thyme, or smoked paprika.
  • Make it spicy: You could also add a pinch of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper for a bit of heat.

How to serve:

  • Sprinkle some parmesan and romano cheeses on top right before serving.
  • Top your chicken alfredo with black olives, grape tomatoes, and chopped green onions.
  • Any pasta goes great with breadsticks. This recipe for savory homemade breadsticks is perfect.
  • Serve a fresh garden salad as an appetizer or side dish to this copycat Olive Garden chicken alfredo.
  • Are your chicken breasts frozen? To make things easier, use our recipe for how to cook frozen chicken breasts in the instant pot.
  • Use leftover chicken alfredo for a casserole, soup, or salad.
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Frequently asked questions

What noodles are best for chicken alfredo pasta?

While most alfredo recipes call for fettuccine noodles, you can use whichever pasta noodles you prefer. Long flat noodles like fettuccine, tagliatelle, and linguini are the most commonly used but other home cooks prefer to use spaghetti or angel hair pasta. You could also try long tube noodles like bucatini or short tubes like ziti, rigatoni, or penne.

Do I have to use chicken breasts?

You can use any cut of chicken you like for this Olive Garden recipe. Try using chicken tenderloins. They are the most tender part of the chicken, found underneath the breast along the sides of the breastbone. If you like dark meat, try boneless skinless chicken thighs or even drumsticks.

How much salt should I use in my pasta water?

In all of my pasta recipes, I use at least one teaspoon of kosher salt per pound of pasta with one gallon (four quarts) of water. This goes for any kind of pasta from macaroni to fettuccine. However, some people use a little more or a little less and you may like using sea salt or iodized table salt instead of Kosher salt. It really is up to you and your own taste buds.

Why is my pasta sticking together?

First, you should not add the noodles until the water is at a full rolling boil. This keeps them from clumping or getting gummy from just sitting in the water. You will also want to keep stirring the pasta while you cook because the starch will make them stick, especially during the first two minutes.

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How to store leftovers:

  • Store: You can store your leftover alfredo sauce in a jar in the fridge for up to five days. The pasta can also be kept refrigerated in an airtight container in the fridge with or without sauce.
  • Freeze: If you have way too much leftover chicken alfredo, put it in a freezer bag or another freezer-safe container and you can freeze it for three to four months. Be sure to write the date on the bag or container.
  • Thaw: For the best flavor and texture, thaw your leftovers in the fridge overnight before you plan to serve.
  • Reheat: If separate, reheat the sauce in a skillet over medium heat with a dash of milk or cream. After you reheat, you can add more milk to get it to the consistency you like. Reheating pasta and sauce together is simple by microwaving for 30 to 60 seconds, depending on how much you are reheating.

More chicken alfredo recipes to try:

  • Creamy Chicken Alfredo Manicotti Recipe
  • Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo [Video]
  • Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells [Video]
  • Chicken Alfredo Lasagna Recipe

Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo Copycat

  • Prep Time10 MIN
  • Cook Time20 MIN
  • Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 12 ounce fettuccine pasta dry
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 2 chicken breasts boneless and skinless
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt divided
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper divided
  • 4 cloves garlic very finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/3 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese add extra for topping if desired
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley for garnish

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Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add some salt, add the pasta and cook per the package instructions until al dente.

  • Drain the cooked pasta and set aside in a colander. You can add some olive oil to it so it doesn't stick together.

  • While the pasta cooks, place a skillet over high heat and add the olive oil, and 1/4 cup butter. Add the chicken and season with some sale and pepper. Cook the chicken until golden on both sides.

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  • Cover the pan with a lid and reduce heat to medium, continue to cook the chicken for about 5 minutes more, until no longer pink in the center. Remove the chicken from the pan on a plate and cover it with foil.

  • While the chicken rests, work on the sauce, and make sure you don't forget about the pasta, don't overcook it.

  • Melt the remaining 1/2 cup butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Next, add the garlic, cook stirring for 30 seconds. Reduce the heat to low and add a bit of salt and pepper.

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  • After that, add the flour and stir quickly until it forms a paste. Then, VERY SLOWLY while continuing to stir all the time, pour in the heavy cream. Make sure to stir constantly until the sauce is smooth.

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  • Cook the sauce until steaming and thickened. Then add the 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese and stir until melted. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper. Remove the pan from the heat.

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  • When ready to serve, slice the chicken into strips, add pasta to serving bowls, top it with the chicken and pour a good amount of Alfredo sauce on top.

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  • Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and the remaining Parmesan cheese. Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Cooking tips:

  • Make sure you add salt to your pasta water. This is where your flavor begins.
  • You can substitute garlic powder for minced garlic if that is all you have.
  • Be sure to stir your sauce constantly over medium heat so it does not stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.
  • Let the sauce thaw completely before you reheat it to keep it from curdling.
  • If your sauce is too thick, add a bit of reserved pasta water to loosen it up until it gets to the creamy consistency you like.
  • Feel free to use half and half instead of heavy cream for a lighter pasta dish. However, if you want extra rich sauce, you should stick to the heavy cream.
  • It is easier to slice chicken breasts if they are partially frozen.
  • Let your chicken rest after cooking so the juices return to the meat.
  • Use pre-cooked chicken strips and store-bought pasta sauce to shorten prep time.
  • Let your ingredients come to room temperature before using them.
  • Sprinkle the cheese into the sauce a little at a time to keep it from clumping.
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Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo Copycat Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why does Olive Garden alfredo taste so good? ›

As for why Olive Garden's alfredo sauce is so delicious, it likely has to do with how creamy and cheesy it is (though the added garlic certainly helps). The flavorful white sauce makes the ideal comfort food.

What is Olive Garden chicken alfredo made of? ›

Creamy alfredo sauce made from scratch with ingredients like parmesan, cream, garlic and butter, served with fettuccine pasta and topped with sliced grilled chicken.

Does Olive Garden fettuccine Alfredo have garlic in it? ›

Our signature alfredo sauce made fresh in-house every morning with ingredients like parmesan, cream, garlic and butter, served over fettuccine.

What is the secret to smooth alfredo sauce? ›

Fresh parmesan cheese grated off the block is one of those key ingredients. This will create a smooth textured sauce rather than a grainy one. Butter: Both unsalted or salted work for this alfredo sauce recipe. If using salted butter, then just adjust the extra salt you use or omit it entirely.

Why is fettuccine alfredo not popular in Italy? ›

Moreover, Italians are not thrilled that this recipe is so strongly associated with Italy, as it is not a traditional dish and there are recipes much more authentic, more representative and more identifying of the Bel Paese. Indeed, no real Italian restaurant has this pasta on the menu.

Can you use half and half instead of heavy cream for Alfredo? ›

Yes, as a matter of fact, using half and half instead of heavy cream results in a sauce that is equally as thick and creamy. How do you thicken half and half for Alfredo? We've added a couple tablespoons of flour to this sauce recipe to make sure the sauce turns out equivalently thick and creamy using half and half.

What's the difference between chicken alfredo and fettuccine alfredo? ›

The difference is that chicken alfredo is made with a creamy sauce while chicken fettuccine can be made with any kind of sauce, creamy or otherwise.

Has Olive Garden changed their alfredo sauce? ›

Olive Garden's Alfredo sauce is made daily

That's why Olive Garden hasn't changed its Alfredo sauce recipe since the restaurant first opened up shop more than 40 years ago in 1982.

How to make bottled alfredo sauce better? ›

Heartier herbs like thyme or oregano can be added in to simmer with the sauce. Add delicate herbs like parsley, basil, or chervil at the end to maintain their delicate, aromatic flavor. Quick tip: Swirl in a bit of leftover pesto to add another herbaceous twist to your Alfredo sauce.

What oil does Olive Garden use? ›

We use highly refined canola oil or highly refined soy oil in our fryers. Based on information from our suppliers, these oils are highly refined and do not include any soy protein.

Is the alfredo sauce at Olive Garden never ending? ›

Fried mozzarella cheese, served with marinara sauce. Never Ending Dipping Sauces for Breadsticks (V) Homemade marinara, alfredo or five cheese marinara. *CONTAIN (OR MAY CONTAIN) RAW OR UNDERCOOKED INGREDIENTS.

Does Olive Garden serve anything without garlic? ›

Entrées. All of our CYO Pastas do not contain garlic (however, all of our pasta sauces do contain garlic). Choose any pasta and pair it with Olive Oil, or Parmesan Butter sauce. If you'd like a topping, choose Sauteed Shrimp.

Why won't my parmesan cheese melt in my Alfredo sauce? ›

The pre-grated packaged parmesan won't melt into the alfredo sauce nearly as well. Instead, buy a brick of parmesan and use a grater to grate it fresh. Don't bring to a boil. Cooking alfredo sauce over too high of heat can cause the cream to curdle and the sauce to break.

How to enhance your chicken Alfredo? ›

I add dried onion, garlic powder, and a sprinkle of robust Italian herbs like oregano, thyme, and basil for extra flavor. I use nutmeg to enhance the creamy taste of the sauce. The sweet spice balances the savory cheese.

What thickens Alfredo sauce? ›

The key ingredient in Alfredo sauce is cheese—generally Parmigiano Reggiano—and lots of it. To thicken Alfredo sauce, simply add more cheese than the amount called for in a recipe until you achieve the consistency you want.

Is Olive Garden alfredo sauce made fresh? ›

Olive Garden's Alfredo sauce is made daily

The ingredients are simple: a blend of cream, milk, and butter all come together with flour to create the base, then garlic is added along with Parmesan and Romano cheeses to get that hearty Italian flavor that seems to keep customers coming back.

What makes alfredo sauce taste better? ›

Extra seasonings and spices will go a long way in adding flavor to a boring jar of sauce. Some of my personal favorites include salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, dried basil, oregano, onion powder or seasoned salt. Start with small amounts (1/2 teaspoon at a time) and add as needed, in order to avoid over-spicing.

Is Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo good for you? ›

Anything with cheesy alfredo sauce made from butter and cream is loaded with fat and calories. Olive Garden's Chicken Alfredo is no exception. It far exceeds your entire daily recommended intake of fat, much of it saturated fat.

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