This classic Olive Garden Grilled Chicken and Alfredo Sauce recipe is made up of a creamy, rich sauce that is not only delicious but easy to make, taking only 30 minutes! The creamy chicken alfredo sauce is one of the main reasons I started making copycat recipes! And I’m glad I did!
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Table of Contents
Why Everyone Loves the Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce
Going to the Olive Garden was always a treat for my family when I was growing up so I understood why so many people asked me to make a copycat recipe for the Olive Garden Grilled Chicken and Alfredo Sauce. This creamy chicken alfredo sauce is one of my favorite Olive Garden copycat recipes.
I still find it one of my favorite recipes to make. The sauce is so creamy and rich and perfectly matches the grilled chicken and pasta. And did I mention how easy it is to make? From start to finish, it takes only 30 minutes to make. You are going to love the flavor!
What is the difference between Alfredo and Carbonara sauce?
Both sauces are to die for but there is a slight difference between the two. Alfredo is a white sauce made with butter, parsley, heavy cream, and garlic. Carbonara, on the other hand, is made with pecorino romano, eggs, black pepper, and guanciale.
Guanciale is an Italian cured meat from a pig. You can substitute Pancetta for it. Alfredo sauce is usually combined with shrimp or chicken.
Ingredients
Olive Garden Grilled Chicken with Alfredo Sauce is the perfect meal. Pair it with a salad or veggies to make it complete.
Here’s what you need:
- Chicken Breast
- Salt & Pepper
- Olive Oil
- Fettuccine noodles
- Heavy Cream
- Butter
- Parmesan Cheese
- Garlic Powder
How to Make Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo
Here are the steps to prepare this chicken alfredo recipe:
- Brush the chicken with olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Grill the chicken on each side until cooked through.
- In the meantime, prepare the pasta in a large pot according to the directions. Cook it to al dente and then drain off the pasta water but do not rinse the pasta.
- In a skillet, combine the heavy cream and butter over medium heat. Stir and heat until small bubbles form but do not let it boil.
- Whisk in the parmesan cheese and the garlic powder. The sauce will begin to thicken up.
- Remove the sauce from the heat and add the reserved pasta. Serve with the chicken on top.
- Garnish with parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley if desired.
Recipe Notes
- I use fettuccine, but you can substitute it with linguini or spaghetti. If you enjoy that pasta, this sauce would also be nice with a penne.
- When cooking the chicken, I like to saute it on the first side for about 5 to 7 minutes. Then flip it for an additional 3-4 minutes. Make sure it’s cooked through before serving.
- If you want to save some of the sauce, remove it from the pan before adding the pasta. Store it in a separate container so you can use it again. Keep it refrigerated.
What can you serve with grilled chicken and alfredo sauce
If you want to do a side dish with the chicken and pasta, I suggest something lighter pairing with this. For example, you may want to start with a fresh, crisp green salad or even some grilled vegetables. My air-fryer asparagus is very easy to prepare.
How to store leftovers
The best way to store chicken alfredo pasta is to place it in an airtight container and refrigerate it. To do this, allow the pasta to cool to room temperature, then transfer it to a container with a tight-fitting lid. Be sure to cover the pasta with the alfredo sauce, as this will help prevent it from drying out.
How to reheat grilled chicken and pasta with alfredo sauce
When you’re ready to reheat the pasta, you can do so in the microwave or on the stove. If using the microwave, cover the container with a lid or plastic wrap to prevent splatters. Heat in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until the pasta is heated through. If using the stove, transfer the pasta to a pan and heat over low to medium heat, frequently stirring, until heated through.
Similar Olive Garden Recipes
- Homemade Chicken Carbonara
- Alfredo with Shrimp
- Gorgonzola Steak Alfredo
- Olive Garden Fettuccine Alfredo
Favorite Italian Recipes
- Cavatini
- Homemade Italian Sausage
- Chicken Scampi Sauce
- Olive Garden Toscana Soup Recipe
- Buca de Peppo Recipe – Lemon Chicken
- Garlic Shrimp Scampi Red Lobster
- Instant Pot Sausage and Pasta
- Mussels Luciano
- California Pizza Salad
Be sure to check out more of the best Italian recipes and easy pasta recipes.
What do you like to serve with Alfredo sauce? Let us know in the comments below. And don’t forget to share your creations by TAGGING ME ON INSTAGRAM. Sign up for my newsletter, so you never miss a copycat recipe!
Olive Garden Grilled Chicken and Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 12 ounces chicken breast
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 4 ounces butter
- 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder if desired
- 8 ounces Fettuccine or other pasta prepared according to package directions
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
- Brush the chicken breasts with oil and season them with salt and pepper. Grill for 5 to 7 minutes on the first side. Flip the chicken breasts and grill for another 3 to 4 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove the chicken from the grill and set aside. Cut the chicken into slices when ready to serve.
- To make the alfredo sauce, warm the cream and butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat until small bubbles begin to form. Do not let the mixture come to a boil. Add the Parmesan cheese and whisk quickly. Add the garlic powder, if desired, and continue to whisk. The sauce will thicken after a minute or two.
- To serve, place half of the prepared pasta on each plate. Then top the pasta with sauce and sliced chicken breast.
Video
Notes
- I use fettuccine but you can substitute with linguini or even spaghetti. This sauce would also be nice with a penne if you enjoy that pasta.
- When cooking the chicken, I like to saute on the first side for about 5-7 minutes. Then flip it for an additional 3-4 minutes. Make sure it’s cooked through before serving.
- If you want to save some of the sauce, take it out of the pan before adding the pasta. Store it in a separate container so you can use it again. Keep it refrigerated.
Michelle De La Cerda-Nash
Looks great! Love chicken alfredo.
stephaniemanley
Thank you very much. It is a very easy dish to make too.
John
Thanks for this recipe the sauce came out great! I do however wish the title wasn’t “Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo” because you didn’t mention how to make the chicken the Olive Garden way, which has some sort of cheese spice mixture on top of the chicken which in my opinion is what separates OG’s Chicken Alfredo from others. I would definitely love to know how they prepare their chicken for a truly authentic experience. Maybe you can add this?
stephaniemanley
I will have to go to a different Olive Garden, I have made this the closest way I could based upon the way that my local Olive Garden made it. I will definitely be anxious to try this at another location.
IdolHanz
Try adding cubed up cream cheese to their cheese combination. It improves taste and texture. With lobster or crab I would use a dash of nutmeg. Just a pinch. With chicken, I would leave the pinch of nutmeg out. I want to try and bake the dish with buttered panko crumbs on top. Broccoli added too.
Steve Smith
Making this tonight for dinner. How much cream cheese did you add?
Stephanie
If you add about 1 to 2 tablespoons that would be enough to help thicken the sauce, but it is not necessary. You can also make the sauce thicker by how you control the heat. Bump the heat up a bit and the sauce will become a little thicker.
Katie
I tried this recipe a couple nights ago. I had a hard time getting the sauce to thicken. The recipe says it serves 2, but the amount of sauce it makes is really enough for about 6! It was just OK for me. Maybe I’ll try it again some time. I’m not the greatest cook!
stephaniemanley
Two things here. Please use the cheese that is not already grated. My next suggestion is turn up your heat just a little more than what you had it, and it should thicken.
Andi G.
I haven’t been to an Olive Garden in years, but now I can have this amazing sauce at home 🙂 Thanks!
stephaniemanley
I think this sauce is awesome!
DessertForTwo
hehe! I’m a Texan, too. I’ve lived in some small towns in Texas where Olive Garden was the only place to eat. I admit–I like it 🙂
stephaniemanley
Hey, I had to drive about an hour to get to an Olive Garden 😉 I like their Alfredo Sauce for sure. Thank you for dropping by.
Jaren
My kids love alfredo and would certainly love this too!
stephaniemanley
I hope they enjoy this!
Toni Dash
Truth be told I have not eaten at the Olive Garden for years, since becoming gluten-free. And lucky me; now I can make it at home thanks to you Stephanie! This is making my mouth water. Delish!
stephaniemanley
Well now you can make some Alfredo sauce and serve it up with Gluten free noodles. Thank you for stopping by!
Kelly @ Mostly Homemade Mom
Oh, this looks absolutely amazing!
stephaniemanley
Thank you Kelly!
Nikki
Delicious!!!! Thank you ma’am!!!!
stephaniemanley
I am glad you enjoyed it Nikki!
Rick
I also grew up in deep East Texas…Lufkin, Diboll, then on to Houston.
stephaniemanley
We have had a very similar path!
begginercook
can you use (half and half) cream, when two different groceries stores and thats all i can find… its Land-O-Lakes half and half.
stephaniemanley
You can, it won’t come out as thick.
JB fairness
tast good!
stephaniemanley
I am glad you enjoyed it.
gmpartsgirl
Didn’t this recipe used to include like 3 T of cream cheese?
stephaniemanley
You can add it if you like to help thicken the sauce. I think I have made Alfredo sauce so many times now, and done videos on it, that I have demonstrated the technique well enough that I have dropped that out of the recipe.
Engineered Reality
For some reason the sauce came out thinner than I’d like. The taste was great, just too thin. Next time I’ll try using a little less heavy cream. I go a bit heavier on the garlic too. It’s hard to have too much garlic.
stephaniemanley
Sometimes I find if I turn the heat up just a little more the sauce will thicken.
Engineered Reality
Thanks for the suggestion, I’ll do that when I reheat my leftover sauce. I ended up with plenty since I’m a bachelor.
stephaniemanley
I totally get this. I actually just make less if you think about this sauce in terms of a ratio you can pretty much make the amount you need.
question?
What’s so bad about the pasta soaking up the sauce? I get storing a bit of the sauce separately if you plan on using that for a white pizza later in the week but not letting the pasta soak up flavor? That doesn’t seem right at all.
Stephanie
I personally don’t like it when pasta gets bloated with sauce. For me, the Alfredo sauce does this in a way I really don’t like. The fats absorb into the pasta and when you reheat it I find that in my microwave that the butter and cream separate, and then you end up with pasty pasta, and the oil in the butter separates and to me, this doesn’t resemble the sauce at all.
stephaniemanley
It is my personal preference not to have the pasta to become bloated with the sauce. I think it makes it mushy and gross to me. This is my personal preference.
Monica Gonzales
What if its a dinner for 6 do i just triple recipe
stephaniemanley
I think even if you double this recipe you will have more than enough. I hope you enjoy the sauce.
goodfoodforme
The Alfredo recipe for olive garden is actually on Olive Garden’s website, which isn’t the same as this, so which one should I go with. I want it to be as close as I can to the restaurants. Thanks
goodfoodforme
http://www.olivegarden.com/Recipes/Sauces/Alfredo-Sauce/
stephaniemanley
One day I am going to do a blog post on comparing that recipe to mine. That recipe is the only one I have ever seen for Alfredo sauce that has eggs in it. I have never seen an alfredo recipe that contains eggs other than that one. Think about it, the yolks would make the sauce look dark. The sauce served at the olive garden is not yellow.
what1233456
10 years ago I used to work for an Olive Garden, we made the sauce in house and the recipe was cream, butter, salt, pepper, and a “secret” 3 cheese blend which I know contained Parmesan, Romano, and a 3rd mystery cheese.
For some time I’ve been wanting to recreate it but have never done so.
I tried your recipe, it’s certainly close.
what1233456
And the bread sticks were Nickles bread sticks baked in an oven for like 10 minutes then brushed with melted butter and finally sprinkled with garlic powder.
laurie
The third mystery cheese is probably cream cheese. I can taste cream cheese in their sauce.
bjn
I wondered about the eggs too! No other recipe has eggs in it.
stephaniemanley
I know, you would think the sauce would look a little yellow with all of the eggs.
Brandi
I think yours was better. Thank you for posting it and my tummy thanks you too
stephaniemanley
Thank you very much. I am glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Granny
well if it is on olive garden’s website—that is a no brainer
Donna
I am looking for Olive Gardens old San Remo dip that they use to have it was either that name or Sam Reno can;t remember which one if you have a recipe please post it
stephaniemanley
Is this it? https://copykat.com/olive-garden-sam-remo-dip/
Joydee Mccorkle
This IS my fave alfredo sauce….I use more garlic powder though.
stephaniemanley
I like a lot of garlic too.
cindy
How much garlic powder?
stephaniemanley
1/2 teaspoon.