This copycat Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo Recipe tastes just like you’re eating at the restaurant – but at a fraction of the price!
Isn’t it wonderful when you discover you can easily whip up one of your restaurant favorites at home?
This copycat recipe for Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo tastes as good as the original, but you can easily make enough for the whole family without breaking the bank.
Is alfredo sauce the same as carbonara?
Many people wrongly assume that these sauces are made with the same ingredients and can be used interchangeably. This is probably because they are both cheesy and creamy! But there are definite differences between the two,
Alfredo is quite a basic sauce, consisting of cream, parmesan and parsley.
Carbonara is a bit more complicated and contains all the 3 ingredients of carbonara, plus onion, pancetta, garlic and egg yolks.
Tips for making the perfect Chicken Alfredo
Add salt to the cooking water for your pasta. It adds a good depth of flavor to your dish.
Use the freshest ingredients to make your sauce – in such a simple recipe, the quality of the ingredients is key!
We always recommend grating your parmesan from the block just before adding it to any recipe, rather than buying pre-grated or powdered parmesan. This is particularly important when making a sauce, as it affects the texture.
Always use heavy cream rather than whippng cream. It may cost you a few extra calories but the richer texture is totally worth it!
Cook the sauce low and slow – this gives it the best possible texture.
Storing the leftovers
Chicken Alfredo is one of those dishes that’s best eaten as soon as it’s made, but if you do have any leftovers then you can keep them in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Another alternative is to freeze them. Just transfer the leftovers to food safe bags or tubs, seal tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. They will still be safe to eat after 3 months, but the flavor won’t be as good.
If possible, try to freeze just the pasta and the chicken, without the sauce, then make a fresh batch of sauce when you’re ready to serve the dish. If you’re cooking your Chicken Alfredo with the intention of freezing it from the outset, it’s a good idea to leave the pasta slightly underdone. It tends to soften up duirng the freezing and thawing process.
You might also like to try this Gluten-Free Chicken Alfredo Recipe, os this delicious Chicken Alfredo made with Blackened Chicken. Yum!
Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 ounces Fettuccine
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1/2 cup Butter plus 2 tablespoons
- 2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Salt divided
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Freshly Ground Black Pepper divided
- 3 cloves Garlic very finely chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
- 2 cups Heavy Cream
- 3/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese plus more for topping, if required
- 2 tablespoons Fresh Chopped Parsley optional
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package and drain well.
- Heat the olive oil in a grill pan over a high heat.
- Add 2 tablespoons of the butter, then the chicken breasts, seasoning them with 1 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper.
- Cook the chicken breasts until golden on one side, then turn over.
- Cover the pan and lower the heat to medium.
- Continue to cook for around 5 to 7 mins more, until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle.
- Slice the chicken, set aside and cover with foil.
- Melt the rest of the butter in a deep-sided skillet over a medium heat.
- Add the garlic, cook for 30 seconds, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Season with the rest of the salt and pepper.
- Carefully whisk the flour into the butter, stirring well until smooth. Whisk the heavy cream in slowly.
- Continue to cook until the sauce is hot through and thickened slightly.
- Whisk the parmesan cheese into sauce, stirring until smooth.
- Put the pasta into serving bowls and top with the sliced chicken. Drizzle the sauce over the top.
- Garnsih with parsley and extra parmesan if desired.