This recipe for Olive Garden Crock Pot Chicken is the perfect weeknight meal.
Apart from being extremely easy to make with pantry staple ingredients, this dish is also packed with Italian-inspired flavors that will surely satisfy your cravings.
Easy slow cooker recipes are always a lifesaver for busy moms like me. So, if you’re ready to have a much-awaited dinner ready in just 10 minutes of prep time, let’s get to cooking!
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Why is this called Olive Garden Chicken?
This crock pot chicken recipe draws its inspiration from the original dish served at the renowned Italian-American restaurant chain called Olive Garden, hence its name.
Olive Garden is known for serving Italian dishes that are adapted to cater to the taste preferences of Americans. So, if you love Italian cuisine but still want to have the comforting flavors of American dinner dishes, this crock pot recipe has your back and meal covered.
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Wanna know why this Olive Garden chicken pasta recipe will become one of your favorites? Well, there are a bunch of reasons, but let’s focus on the top 3.
- This dish is super easy to make. Although it has 4 hours of cooking time, prepping this recipe only takes 10 minutes.
- It’s perfect for picky eaters. The cheesy fusion of chicken breasts, Italian seasoning, and pasta is a flavor combination that even picky kids won’t be able to resist.
- Even leftovers are delicious. This recipe reheats very well, so if you have leftovers, you can always reheat them for lunch the next day.
If you love yummy slow cooker chicken recipes, give this Buffalo Chicken Meatballs recipe a try.
🥘 Ingredients
This copycat recipe for Olive Garden Crock Pot Chicken only requires a few simple ingredients, all of which are easy to find at your local grocery store.
- Chicken breasts: Skinless chicken breasts will serve as the main protein of this recipe.
- Italian seasoning: You’ll need this to add a delightful touch of Italian flavors to your dish.
- Salt and pepper: Of course, you’ll need the classic seasoning duo to season the chicken.
- Italian Dressing: This salad dressing will serve as the liquid base of the recipe, providing your dish with tangy and zesty notes.
- Cream cheese: A block of cream cheese helps the sauce reach the desired creaminess and richness that’s perfect for this pasta recipe.
- Parmesan cheese: This will incorporate a savory and cheesy flavor to every pasta bite you’ll take.
- Cooked pasta: I personally love using penne pasta for this recipe, but feel free to opt for other types if you prefer.
See recipe card for complete list of ingredients and quantities.
🔀 Substitutions
Chicken: Boneless skinless chicken thighs can be used instead of breasts.
Seasoning: Out of Italian seasoning? Use a substitute for Italian seasoning instead.
Chicken Breasts: Boneless skinless chicken thighs can be used instead of breasts.
Italian Seasoning: If you’re out of store-bought Italian seasoning, you can always use a substitute for Italian seasoning instead.
🌈 Variations / Options / Add-Ins
Want to personalize this Olive Garden Chicken recipe? Here are my favorite tried and tested variations.
- Spicy: If you like spicy food, add crushed red pepper flakes to your Olive Garden dressing to give your dish a bit of kick.
- Cheesy: You can make this recipe extra cheesy by adding mozzarella cheese to the crock pot during the last 30 minutes of cooking time.
- Veggie Frenzie: If you want a vegetable-packed pasta dish, consider sauteeing sliced mushrooms and spinach separately, then add them to the slow cooker at the last hour of cooking.
Those who enjoy the spicy variation of this pasta dish will also fall in love with this Buffalo Chicken Pasta recipe.
🥄 Equipment Needed / Helpful Tools
You only need a few kitchen tools to help you make this cheesy pasta recipe.
- Measuring spoons: To achieve the desired flavor of this recipe, it’s best to use measuring spoons to accurately measure your ingredients.
- Slow cooker: The crockpot is essential for slow-cooking this dish.
- Forks: Having a pair of forks will make shredding the cooked chicken easier.
- Large pot: You’ll need this to cook the pasta separately according to the package instructions.
🔪 How to Make Olive Garden Crock Pot Chicken
This Copycat Olive Garden recipe comes together in just a few simple steps. Get ready to indulge in this creamy pasta dish.
Step 1: Add the chicken breasts to the slow cooker
Place chicken breasts in crock pot.
Step 2: Season the chicken
Season the meat to taste with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
Step 3: Add the dressing and cream cheese
Pour the Italian Dressing in the crock pot. Then, add Parmesan cheese and cream cheese on top of the chicken.
Step 4: Cook the chicken
Place the lid on the crock pot and cook for 4 hours on high.
Step 5: Boil the pasta
In a stovetop pot, cook the pasta according to package directions.
Step 6: Shred the chicken
While the pasta is cooking, shred the chicken with two forks. Then, add the shredded chicken back to the crock pot.
Step 7: Assemble the pasta
Drain but do not rinse the pasta. Add to the crock pot and stir well to combine.
Step 8: Plate and enjoy
Once the dish finishes cooking, you can finally savor your creation. Carefully plate this creamy delight on your favorite dinnerware, and relish every delicious bite of this Italian-inspired masterpiece.
If you love cheese as much as our family does, I highly recommend topping each serving with additional Parmesan cheese!
Serving Suggestions
Curious about what to serve with your Olive Garden Chicken Pasta? Here are my favorite side dishes to serve with this creamy meal.
- French bread
- Garlic knots
- Side salad
- Roasted vegetables
👩🍳 Pro Tips
Want to make sure that your crock pot Olive Garden chicken turns out well? Here are some tips to make cooking this easy dinner recipe even easier!
- For easy clean up use a slow cooker liner or spray your slow cooker with cooking spray first.
- Every crock pot cooks differently, so make sure that the tender chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F before shredding.
- Top with additional Parmesan cheese.
❓ Recipe FAQs
Do you have questions about Olive Garden Crock Pot Chicken? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions.
The leftovers of this slow cooker Olive Garden chicken pasta can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
This meal can be reheated in the microwave or in a pot on the stove. Add a little milk when reheating for a creamy texture.
Yes, you can use frozen chicken; you will need to add at least one hour to your cook time.
🙏 Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Olive Garden Crock Pot Chicken:
Ready to get cooking? Print off the recipe card below or toggle on Cook Mode to keep your screen from going dark while you follow along on your phone or tablet.
📋 Recipe
Olive Garden Crock Pot Chicken
Equipment
- Measuring spoon
- Slow cooker
- Forks
- Large pot
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 16 ounces Italian Dressing
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese plus more for serving
- 16 ounces cooked pasta
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts in crockpot.
- Season to taste with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
- Pour in the Italian Dressing, then top with cream cheese and Parmesan cheese.
- Place lid on crockpot and cook for 4 hours on high.
- Cook the pasta according to package directions.
- While the pasta is cooking, shred the chicken with two forks.
- Drain but do not rinse the pasta. Add to the crockpot and stir well to combine.
This was delicious! Family enjoyed it too. I only had 2 chicken breasts to use but I still used full amount of all other ingredients as listed. Would make this again. 👍🏼
I’m glad to hear your family enjoyed it and you were able to make it work with what you had on hand. Thanks for commenting and letting me know.
Is the Italian dressing creamy or regular?
Thanks!
I used the regular Italian dressing.