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Make Olive Garden’s Chicken Alfredo at home with just a handful of ingredients in under 30 minutes. It’s creamy, decadent, garlicky, and, dare I say, even better than the popular restaurant version!
We all know Olive Garden is a restaurant chain, and although they aren’t exactly authentic, I still enjoy the food. In fact, I always LOVED this place and have great childhood memories here (I could eat the garlic-salted breadsticks until I was sick).
However, in recent years, the locations near me have sadly declined. From cold food to small portion sizes for the price, Aaron and I have stopped going to OG altogether. There are still some great locations, and whenever I return home to Oregon, I get to feast like the good old days.
In the meantime, I’m recreating my Olive Garden favorites right here in my own kitchen, starting with my favorites like chicken scampi, garlic cheese dip, and, of course, chicken alfredo. I hesitate to call this a copycat recipe because the goal is to be familiar enough to Olive Garden’s chicken alfredo, but so deliciously upgraded that you’ll only crave this version from now on.
Table of Contents
Pro Tips from My Kitchen
Here are a few tips to make this chicken alfredo recipe taste just as good (or better) than Olive Garden’s!
- Use fresh garlic. This includes the garlic, parmesan, and pasta. I’ll say this until the end of time – nothing replaces fresh garlic. No jar and no squeeze tube compares.
- Splurge on good cheese. And when it comes to parmesan cheese, that green bottle of shelf-stable Kraft parmesan cheese has in your kitchen is for pizza (at best). For creamy pasta sauces, freshly grated Parmesan should be used, and the higher the quality, the tastier your pasta will be.
- Buy good pasta. I also like to “splurge” on the pasta and skip the store brands for DeCecco, Rummo, or Rao’s.
- Wait to salt the sauce. Before adding more salt, wait until your Parmesan cheese has been added, as the cheese contains a high sodium content.
- Don’t rinse the pasta – The starch on the pasta will help to thicken the sauce even more so don’t rinse it off.
- Eat immediately. Alfredo sauce is best served immediately as it thickens up quickly.
Why This Chicken Alfredo Is Better Than Olive Garden
- Intensely delicious with bold flavors. This version of Olive Garden’s chicken alfredo has some big upgrades, with freshly minced garlic (and lots of it) plus freshly grated quality parmesan. This will certainly be way tastier!
- Quick & easy. Easy recipes are what get us through the week, and I’m happy to share this recipe takes less than 30 minutes! That’s often faster than it would take to order takeout from Olive Garden and certainly faster than dining out!
- The ultimate comfort food. Can we all agree that when there is butter, cream, and pasta, it’s a cozy hug in a bowl?
- Short ingredient list. Part of what makes Olive Garden’s chicken alfredo so easy to recreate at home is that it only takes a handful of ingredients, most of which are likely already in the kitchen. Just be sure to choose quality ingredients! When the list is short, each ingredient matters more.
Ingredients You’ll Need & Why
Here’s an overview of the ingredients needed to make this Olive Garden copycat recipe. The exact measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
- Chicken – Chicken breasts or cutlets are both great options. Either way, you’ll want to pound them into an even thickness so that they seared evenly and no part ends up overcooked.
- Pasta – Fettuccini is typically used in alfredo pasta dishes but spaghetti and linguini also work if that’s what you have.
- Butter – Adds richness to the cream sauce.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic is key to adding flavor to the sauce. I don’t recommend jarred garlic here.
- Half & half and heavy cream – I use both half and half and heavy cream to keep the sauce rich, thick, and creamy. Using all half & half makes the sauce a bit thinner than I like but all heavy cream is too thick.
- Parmesan – Grated fresh off the block is optimal. I like to select a good-quality aged Parmesan.
- Seasonings – I like to season the chicken with salt and pepper and a bit of Cajun seasoning. The Cajun seasoning adds extra flavor but it’s completely optional.
How To Make Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo
Ready to make Olive Garden’s chicken alfredo at home in less than 30 minutes?! Here’s an overview of the steps. (The full printable instructions can be found in the recipe card below.)
- Cook the pasta. Boil the pasta in salted water according to package instructions.
- Cook the chicken. While the the pasta is cooking, rub the chicken with olive oil and add the seasonings to both sides. Cook in the olive oil over medium-low heat. Cook for 5 minutes, reduce the heat to low, and cook for an additional 5 minutes until cooked through. Set aside.
- Saute the garlic. In the same pan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and stir for about a minute, scraping up the brown bits in the pan.
- Make the sauce. Stir in the half-and-half, heavy cream, salt, and pepper. Slowly bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, until it begins to thicken. Add the Parmesan cheese and whisk until the cheese melts and the sauce is smooth.
- Serve. Toss the pasta in the sauce to coat. Top with the chicken and sprinkle with parsley if desired.
How to Prevent Separated Alfredo Sauce
The most common issue I see when recreating Olive Garden’s chicken alfredo, or making any alfredo sauce, is splitting the alfredo sauce by heating it too quickly.
In some cases, it can be repaired by adding a few splashes of cold heavy cream. However, if it is too badly separated, it may be irreparable. That means wasted time and money and no dinner!
To prevent a split alfredo sauce, be sure to bring your sauce to a simmering boil very slowly over low heat. Be careful not to heat it too quickly and be sure to use room temp dairy products. The temperature shocks can cause the dairy to separate resulting in a grainy, unappetizing dish.
What to Serve With Olive Garden’s Chicken Alfredo
To keep with the Olive Garden theme, I like to serve my chicken alfredo with a fresh side salad and some breadsticks. I also love garlic bread with pasta. Steamed or roasted veggies, such as broccoli, would be an easy way to round out the meal too.
Storage and Reheating
- Fridge: Store leftover Olive Garden chicken alfredo in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. I don’t recommend freezing pasta or alfredo sauce.
- Reheat: The alfredo sauce will thicken quite a bit in the fridge, so I recommend adding a splash of broth or milk to the bowl of pasta before microwaving it. This rehydrates the pasta that absorbed a lot of the sauce as it cooled. I also recommend only reheating what you’re going to eat and only until hot, to prevent it from drying out.
Looking for More Pasta Recipes?
Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese
Pumpkin Alfredo with Hot Honey
One-Pan Marry Me Chicken Orzo
Garlic Butter Steak Bites with Parmesan Alfredo
One-Pan Creamy Tuscan Pasta
Cheesy Broccoli Chicken Pasta Bake
Did you love this Better Than Olive Garden’s Chicken Alfredo Recipe? Be sure to comment below with any questions or feedback.
Don’t forget to tag me on IG with any photos; @BadBatchBaking and use #BadBatchBaking
Better Than Olive Garden’s Chicken Alfredo
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds chicken breast or cutlets, pounded to even thickness
- 1 pound fettuccini
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 1.5 cups half-and-half
- 1.5 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup parmesan freshly grated
- salt and pepper
- cajun seasoning optional
- olive oil
Instructions
- Use a large pot to boil the fettuccini according to the package instructions while you prepare the alfredo sauce. Be sure to salt your water.
- Drizzle the chicken with olive oil, rubbing on both sides. Season with salt and pepper, and cajun seasoning if using.
- In a large pan over medium-low heat, add in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Place the chicken breasts in the pan and cook about 5 minutes, flip, reduce heat to low, and continue cooking about 5 more minutes or until cooked through. Set aside.
- In the same pan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add in the minced garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute, scraping up the brown bits in the pan.
- Pour in the half-and-half, heavy cream, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper. Stir to incorporate, and slowly bring it to a simmer until it starts to thicken, about 5 minutes. Add the Parmesan cheese and whisk until smooth, allowing the cheese to melt. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
- Toss the pasta in the sauce until it’s well coated. Don't worry if the sauce seems a little thin; the starch from the pasta will quickly thicken it. Top with the sliced chicken, sprinkle with parsley (optional), and serve immediately.
This is our new go-to chicken alfredo recipe! The chicken cooks perfectly (I keep it warm in a toaster oven while making the sauce) and love the cajun seasoning with the alfredo. The sauce cooks up quickly and is a great consistency!
Made this tonight, super easy, quick & delicious! 🙂