Make this Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo to bring the restaurant favorite to your home!
The Olive Garden Fettuccine Alfredo is well known for being a favorite.
And once I found a way to recreate it, I knew I was in trouble because it was so good!
Since then, I have used that sauce to make many of the restaurant favorites like Olive Garden Steak Gorgonzola Alfredo (my favorite, and also SO popular!) and Olive Garden Shrimp Alfredo.
I love making restaurant favorites at home, and this Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo recipe is one of our favorites.
You can get the same great flavors without leaving the house and for a lower price.
And if you really want to go for the full experience, pair it up wither other Copycat Olive Garden recipes like this Copycat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana! This soup is SO popular, filled with Italian sausage, kale, and potatoes.
The chicken at Olive Garden is lightly breaded, which I recreated here.
All it needs is a light coating in flour before being cooked in a pan. I tested different flouring methods, some with egg, and this was the best recreation.
The restaurant uses full, thin cut chicken breast pieces. You can use any cut or size that you like. My personal preference is chicken tenders because they cook quickly.
Grilled chicken would also be a fantastic substitute!
Kim’s Tips
Alfredo sauce recipes are heavy and very filling, so it goes far!
I love pairing alfredo with a salad or side vegetable like broccoli to cut the heaviness.
Fettuccine alfredo can reheat well with a little TLC.
Just add a dash of water before heating, or fresh cream after, and stir. This helps loosen the sauce and bring it back to life!
That is, if you do have any leftovers!
FAQs
What is the difference between chicken alfredo and chicken fettuccine?
Alfredo refers to a sauce, made of butter, cream, and cheese.
Fettuccine is a pasta shape.
You can have both, as in with this chicken fettuccine alfredo, or just one or the other!
What are all the ingredients in chicken alfredo?
These are the ingredients you need for chicken alfredo: fettuccine pasta (or pasta shape of choice), chicken, flour, butter, cream, Parmesan, nutmeg, salt, black pepper, vegetable oil.
Where does chicken fettuccine come from?
This is considered to be an Italian recipe, although alfredo as we know it in the USA is not an Italian recipe.
Do Italians make chicken alfredo?
No. They do not have alfredo.
The closest they make is a sauce made of cream and butter, but no cheese.
What is chicken fettuccine made of?
Chicken fettuccine refers to chicken mixed with the fettuccine pasta.
It can have any sauce or mix ins.
This recipe uses alfredo sauce, which is made of cream, butter, Parmesan cheese, and nutmeg.
What can I add to chicken alfredo to give it more flavor?
If you think your pasta needs something more, first try adding more cheese.
If you have enough cheese, try a little more salt, then black pepper.
If you still think it needs something, you can try some garlic powder or lemon juice (just a little – not enough to make it lemony, but the acid will bring a balance to the food!).
More Copycat Olive Garden Recipes
Copycat Olive Garden
Copycat recipes from Olive Garden to enjoy at home!
Copycat Olive Garden Steak Gorgonzola Alfredo
This Copycat Olive Garden Steak Gorgonzola Alfredo is one of the most popular recipes on the site every year! Now discontinued, make this favorite recipe at home.
Copycat Olive Garden Capellini Pomodoro
A fresh, vegan pasta recipe, this Copycat Olive Garden Capellini Pomodoro is packed with fresh tomatoes and basil.
Copycat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana
The popular Copycat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana soup is made with sausage, potatoes, cream, and kale.
Copycat Olive Garden Fettuccine Alfredo
The favorite Copycat Olive Garden Fettuccine Alfredo sauce recipe is maybe even better than the restaurant!
Copycat Olive Garden Tuscan Breeze Vodka Cocktail
The popular Copycat Olive Garden Tuscan Breeze Vodka Cocktail recipe is perfect for summer, packed with tropical flavors of orange, pineapple, and banana.
Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Scampi
This Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Scampi tastes JUST like the restaurant version! Tossed with a butter garlic sauce, peppers, and lightly breaded chicken.
Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
Equipment
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 1 pound fettuccine
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil more as needed
- 1 pound chicken
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/4 pound unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan (see note)
- salt
- black pepper
Instructions
- Start the water for the fettuccine pasta. Cook as per package directions until just shy of al dente (it will be added to the sauce later and will continue to cook). If the pasta is done too early, drain and set aside while reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid just in case the sauce is too thick.1 pound fettuccine
- As the pasta is cooking, make the chicken. Heat a large skillet over medium heat with 2 Tablespoons of oil.2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- Place the flour in a small dish or plate and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.1/2 cup flour
- Lightly dredge the chicken in the flour to fully coat. Shake off excess flour.1 pound chicken
- When the skillet and oil are hot, add the chicken. Cook approximately 5 minutes per side until browned and the chicken is cooked through. Set the chicken aside.
- Also while the pasta is cooking, combine the butter and cream in a large pot or a wide skillet with tall edges (like the one in my picture). Heat over medium until the butter is melted into the cream.1/4 pound unsalted butter, 2 cups heavy cream
- Add the nutmeg to the cream and butter mixture. Whisk to combine.1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- Add the Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste (cheese is salty, so make sure you do not salt until after the Parmesan is added). Reduce heat to low.1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan, salt, black pepper
- Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to coat. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes to combine the flavors. If the sauce is too thick, add a little pasta water at a time to loosen the sauce (or cream). If too thin, let it cook a little longer.
- Remove from heat and add the chicken. Serve immediately.
I always did love this dish at the Olive Garden, now I can try it at home. Thank you so much, it looks perfect!
This recipe sounds SupER simple to make.. Kind of nervous as to why nutmegs an ingredient but I’ll try it. Has anyone made this yet?? Did it turn out JUST LIKE OLIVE GARDENS?? That is My ULTIMATE FAVE. DISH EVER. My husband’s going to TRY and make this for me for dinner tonight. WISH US LUCK
Hi Sally,
You should give it a try! Nutmeg is relatively common for alfredo and you just use a little of it. It brings that little extra something! I think it is just like Olive Garden myself, maybe a little thicker. (You could make it thinner by using half whole milk and half heavy cream if desired). Hope you try it!