✔ Updated · new copycat recipe with step photos
This copycat Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo is the classic order at home: golden grilled chicken sliced over fettuccine in a rich, silky Alfredo sauce made from butter, cream, garlic, Parmesan and Romano. It's on the table in 35 minutes and feeds six.
How Do You Make Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo? (Quick Answer)
Season chicken breasts with Italian seasoning and garlic and grill them to 165°F. Melt butter with garlic, add heavy cream and simmer 5 minutes, then whisk in Parmesan and Romano off the heat. Toss with fettuccine and pasta water, and top with the sliced chicken and parsley. Ready in 35 minutes.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Add the cheese off the heat. Boiling cream with Parmesan in it turns the sauce grainy; a hot but not bubbling sauce melts it silky smooth.
Why You'll Love This Chicken Alfredo
- The Olive Garden plate at home grilled chicken on fettuccine in a thick, creamy Alfredo.
- Real Alfredo sauce butter, cream, garlic, Parmesan and Romano. No flour, no jar.
- 35 minutes the sauce simmers while the pasta cooks.
- Juicy grilled chicken thin cutlets cook fast and stay tender.
- Feeds six for a fraction of the restaurant bill.
What Is Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo?
Chicken Alfredo is one of Olive Garden's best known entrees: fettuccine in a rich Parmesan cream sauce, topped with sliced grilled chicken. It's simple, which is why the details matter.
Olive Garden doesn't publish its recipe, so the amounts here are mine. I tested for a sauce thick enough to coat every noodle, chicken that stays juicy, and the salty, nutty cheese flavor you get from Parmesan and Romano together.
Ingredient Notes
Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Chicken breasts: halved into thin cutlets so they grill fast and evenly.
- Butter and heavy cream: the base of a real Alfredo. Use full-fat cream for the thick texture.
- Parmesan and Romano: grated from a wedge. Romano adds a sharper, saltier bite.
- Garlic: fresh, cooked gently so it stays sweet.
- Fettuccine: wide noodles hold the most sauce, just like the restaurant.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Success
- Grate your own cheese. Pre-shredded Parmesan has anti-caking powder that keeps it from melting smoothly.
- Cheese goes in off the heat. A boiling sauce makes Parmesan clump and turn grainy.
- Simmer, don't boil the cream. Gentle bubbles for 5 minutes thicken it without splitting.
- Thin cutlets, juicy chicken. Halving the breasts means they cook in 8 to 10 minutes and don't dry out.
- Save pasta water. A splash loosens the sauce if it tightens up and helps it cling to the noodles.
- Serve it right away. Alfredo thickens as it sits, so toss and plate straight from the pan.
Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo
6
servings10
minutes25
minutes930
kcal35
minutesA copycat Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo: Italian-seasoned chicken breasts grilled golden and sliced over fettuccine tossed in a rich, silky Alfredo sauce of butter, garlic, heavy cream, Parmesan and Romano. Serves 6 in 35 minutes.
Ingredients
- For the Grilled Chicken
1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, halved horizontally into thin cutlets
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- For the Alfredo Sauce
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic cloves, minced
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup Parmesan, finely grated from a wedge
1/2 cup Pecorino Romano, finely grated
1/4 teaspoon white pepper or black pepper
- For the Pasta
1 lb fettuccine
1 tablespoon kosher salt, for the pasta water
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped, to serve
Directions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1 tablespoon salt. Rub the chicken cutlets with the olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for 4 to 5 minutes per side until golden and 165°F in the thickest part. Rest it on a board for 5 minutes, then slice.
- Cook the fettuccine for 1 minute less than the package says. Save 1 cup of pasta water, then drain.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute without browning. Pour in the cream and simmer gently for 5 minutes, until slightly thickened.
- Take the pan off the heat. Whisk in the Parmesan and Romano a handful at a time until smooth, then season with the pepper.
- Add the fettuccine and toss with tongs, adding splashes of pasta water until the sauce coats every strand. Divide among plates, top with the sliced chicken and parsley, and serve right away.
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Variations
Once you've made it the classic way, try one of these.
- Shrimp Alfredo: swap the chicken for 1 lb large shrimp seared for 1 to 2 minutes per side.
- Lighter scampi: for a butter and wine sauce instead of cream, make my Olive Garden chicken scampi.
- Add broccoli: drop florets into the pasta water for the last 2 minutes.
- Cajun chicken Alfredo: season the chicken with Cajun spice instead of Italian seasoning.
What to Serve With Chicken Alfredo
For the full Olive Garden meal, bake a batch of my copycat Olive Garden breadsticks and serve a crisp green salad with Italian dressing to balance the rich sauce.
Storing and Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container within 2 hours for up to 3 days. The pasta soaks up the sauce as it sits.
Reheat in a skillet over low heat with a splash of milk or cream, stirring until hot. I don't freeze cream sauces; they turn grainy once thawed.
More Olive Garden Copycats
There's a whole menu more in my Olive Garden copycat recipes collection, and every restaurant favorite in our copycat recipes roundup.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is in Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo?
Olive Garden serves its Chicken Alfredo as sliced grilled chicken on fettuccine in its homemade Alfredo sauce made with Parmesan, cream and garlic. This copycat uses the same build with butter, heavy cream, garlic, Parmesan and Romano.
How do you keep Alfredo sauce from getting grainy?
Grate the cheese from a wedge, take the pan off the heat before adding it, and whisk it in a handful at a time. Reheat gently, never at a boil.
Can I use milk instead of heavy cream?
Heavy cream gives the thick, restaurant texture. Half-and-half works for a lighter sauce, but simmer it gently and expect a thinner result. Whole milk alone is too thin and can split.
How do I make the chicken taste like Olive Garden?
Season simply with Italian seasoning, garlic, salt and pepper, and grill or sear until golden. Slicing it after a 5 minute rest keeps the juices in.
How do I reheat chicken Alfredo?
Reheat in a skillet over low heat with a splash of milk or cream, stirring until hot. The microwave can make the sauce separate, so use 50% power and stir often.
Can I make the Alfredo sauce on its own?
Yes. My <a href="https://recipefairy.com/olive-garden-alfredo-sauce/">Olive Garden Alfredo sauce</a> recipe covers the sauce by itself for fettuccine Alfredo, dipping or drizzling.
