Tuscan Garlic Chicken {Olive Garden Knockoff}
If you have a craving for tender chicken, pasta and an unbelievably tasty parmesan sauce, this copycat Olive Garden Tuscan Garlic Chicken recipe is for you!
Admittedly, I’ve never actually ordered or eaten the Tuscan Garlic Chicken at Olive Garden.
But this knock-off recipe certainly made me think that if I could make something this delicious at home, there isn’t any reason to pay an arm and a leg for it at the ol’ OG.
The creamy, flavorful sauce decked out with spinach and red bell pepper is the perfect accompaniment to the lightly breaded chicken.
Seriously tasty.
Even though I didn’t set out for this to happen, the end result of this delectable dish happens to be quite lightened up from many recipes online (and most certainly from the original at the restaurant).
While the chicken gets a crisp golden start in piping hot olive oil in a skillet, it finishes up baking in the oven.
This is a significant calorie cut to frying all the pieces of chicken in oil.
The original recipe also calls for a whopping two cups of cream. Yowzers!
While I do love me some heavy cream, I couldn’t help subbing out some of the cream with a combination of lowfat milk, a touch of heavy cream and a bit of cornstarch.
It worked wonders. That sauce is luxurious and creamy and so delicious.
I’d insert a big old “Go Me!” here except for the fact that this meal still is far from calorie free.
Take it for what it is and relish in the few calories that did get nixed, right?
If you have a craving for tender chicken, hearty pasta and an unbelievably tasty creamy Parmesan sauce, this Tuscan Garlic Chicken is the meal for you.
What To Serve With This:
Divine Breadsticks or Cheesy Garlic Bread
Steamed vegetable like broccoli or peas
Simple green salad (or something more fancy like this Gourmet Green Salad)
One Year Ago: The Best Barbecue Sauce
Two Years Ago: Skillet Chicken with Broccoli, Pasta and Parmesan
Three Years Ago: Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
Tuscan Garlic Chicken
Ingredients
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic, about 4-5 cloves
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips or chopped
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 6 ounces fresh spinach
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 cup lowfat milk
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 pound fettuccine
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a shallow pie plate or similar dish, combine the flour, salt, pepper, basil and oregano. Dip each chicken piece in the flour mixture until both sides are well coated.
- In a large 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat until the oil is hot and shimmering. Carefully place the chicken breasts in the pan, cooking them for 2-3 minutes on each side, until they are golden and browned but not cooked all the way through (they’ll finish up in the oven). Don’t scoot the chicken around once you lay it in the hot oil! Let the oil work it’s magic to sear the crust on the chicken. If you get all antsy and try flipping too early and/or moving the chicken around the pan, the breading is lightly to fall off.
- Gently remove the chicken to a foil-lined, lightly greased baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Set aside and tent with foil until ready to use.
- While the chicken is cooking, heat a large pot of water to a boil and add the noodles, cooking until al dente. Also, wipe out the skillet with a couple paper towels and return it to medium heat, adding the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and bell pepper, sauteing for 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in one tablespoon flour and stir constantly while cooking for another minute. Add the chicken broth to the skillet and bring the mixture to a low simmer, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 3-4 minutes. In a small liquid measure, whisk together the cornstarch and cream. Add the spinach, milk and cream mixture to the skillet. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the spinach is wilted and sauce is slightly thickened, about 2-4 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan cheese. Add additional salt and pepper to the sauce, if needed!
- When the pasta has finished cooking, drain and return it to the pot. Toss the pasta with half of the cheese sauce. Place some of the coated pasta on each plate. Top with a breaded chicken breast and spoon some of the sauce over the top of the chicken and pasta. Serve immediately.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted from More of America’s Most Wanted Recipes
120 Comments on “Tuscan Garlic Chicken {Olive Garden Knockoff}”
We loved this!! We did think the sauce needed something more… oregano and basil?
Would it work to use 1 1/2 cups whole milk instead of low fat milk and cream?
Could definitely try (haven’t tried that sub myself).
Yes, I’ve made this. Simpleand delicious.
This is absolutely delicious! My only issue, is like other cream sauces, the volume decreases as the prepared dish sits. I have kids coming in at all times and the last one to eat had very little sauce. Need a suggestion to keep cream sauce volume up and creamy.
I made this dish today for a work potluck. I didn’t bread the chicken and cut up chicken tenders for easier spooning. I received so many compliments and requests for the recipe. Thanks so much for sharing – YUM!
Just made this tonight and my family raved. They didn’t even balk about the spinach. 🙂 It’s a keeper and will definitely become a regular dinner in my home. Thanks, Mel!
Delicious, definitely a do over !
Do not clean out the pan after searing the chicken, it adds goodness!! I did have to add some more broth to just thin out the sauce.
So good !!
Very delicious! I will double the sauce next time.
Has anyone tried this with almond flour? I would think it work but just curious if anybody has tried it.
Almond flour is so difficult to get to use as a thickener. I’ve struggled a lot with almond flour. If you can’t get it to work I would suggest arrowroot powder. I use it as a cornstarch alternative and it works great in place of flour in recipes. Hope that helps! I was searching for someone who has used dairy free alternatives in this recipe and fell across your comment.
Delicious! I didn’t have any peppers so I used 1/4 tsp crushed red peppers. Other than that, the recipe was easy. It tasted so good. I will be making this again!
SO SO SO GOOD. Everyone loved it.
Delicious! My girls said it tasted better than the pasta at the Cheesecake Factory (their favorite restaurant). But be prepared for kitchen clean up
This was an awesome dinner. Several steps, but short time to make. I added a little extra cheese after tasting, and it was perfect.
This was so yummy! My husband and kids loved it! Thanks for sharing!
Very Good- Extremely filling
I followed this as written, with the addition of fresh mushroom sauteed just before I added the red pepper and garlic. Only because they were in my fridge and I wanted to use them up. It was good, but seemed to be lacking something. Maybe capers? Or a squeeze of lemon just before serving? I looked at the recipes on the Olive Garden website and the recipe is very similar, except for your very clever use of low fat milk and corn starch to cut down on the cream. But I did notice that the Olive Garden recipe had white wine in it. I will probably make this again, but I might add something with a little tartness to it; capers, Greek olives,, white wine, lemon juice (fresh) squeezed on top. Chicken was very tender and moist.
This was really yummy. My 13 year old daughter helped me make it and we all really enjoyed it. Subbed a different color peppers because my little kids think red means spicy but orange are great.
Wonderful recipe! I’m glad you had this in your newsletter! Thank you! I left out the spinach and cornstarch. I served broccoli on the side and it was great! We love your recipes so much!!
Thank you!
This was so good. We waited too long to try this one! Came together quickly and easily. Looked beautiful too- love that. Due to your sauce comment, I only cooked 3/4 a pound of pasta, and that was perfect for us. I also used spaghetti noodles- just a preference. Thanks for another quick, delicious and beautiful meal.
Hi Mel!
I am going to make this tonight and go to the grocery store when my law classes get out. Is there a way to nix the cornstarch and use more flour? Let me know, please. 🙂
You could certainly experiment and try it out.
I don’t know what I did wrong since I have made several of your other dishes and loved, but this was super bland and just milky. We threw out the leftovers, which was such a shame since I had doubled the sauce and threw out a lot of expensive ingredients. Followed the recipe exactly, though.
I combined this recipe and another that used roasted potatoes instead of the pasta, and it was delicious. I roasted the potatoes at 450 for about 30-40 minutes before placing the chicken on top. I used fat free half and half and it worked great. I have a bit of sauce left and will make another meal with sautéed shrimp and pasta. Yum!
Made this recipe tonight. It was well loved. My hubby likes lots of sauce, so I just doubled it and it worked out perfectly! Thank you again and again for saving dinner!
I made this last week along with your Divine Breadsticks. It was a fabulous meal! My kids are requesting the breadsticks again, but unfortunately the link is no longer working and I can’t find the recipe anywhere on your site. My kids will be very sad if the recipe is gone.
Hi Roma – the breadstick recipe is offline just for today for some updates. It will be reposted tomorrow!
I made this last night and it was fabulous! It tasted like I had ordered it from a restaurant! Great recipe I will definitely be making again!
Made this for dinner the other night. Delicious! My husband was raving about it. Thanks for the recipe!
This was absolutely delicious and VERY easy to make. My family loved it!
Yum! I only used about half as much pasta and so I didn’t need to double the sauce (hah!). I will play with the seasonings in the breading next time (because there will be a next time) mostly so it tastes better without the sauce – for my picky eater. Thanks for another excellent recipe, Mel!
I made this for lunch this week and it was yummy!! I love how you used milk to make this light….a little cream goes a long way :). I made some changes – I used half chicken breast and half thighs, while the chicken was baking I threw in the peppers to roast (delish!), I added some Cayenne pepper to the flour for the chicken to spicen things up and lastly added mushrooms (I don’t make anything without them!). Looking forward to making this again next week :D.
Mel! I just made this with quinoa instead of pasta and it was amazing! Like knock your socks off good. I stuffed myself with the stuff and my kids gobbled it up. The quinoa with the sauce is just a perfect combination. My one year old cleaned her plate. Since you are always promoting quinoa (we got into it a couple years ago for a min. and haven’t had it again until tonight) I thought I would let you know, so you can try it yourself and at it to your quinoa list.
Holly Tuttle – Yum! Love the idea of serving this over quinoa!
Doubled the sauce and used penne instead of fettuccine and it was AMAZING! Used a box of frozen spinach, well drained, and it was a great way to up the veggie factor without changing the flavor.
I tried it the other day and it was soo good. My mom doesn’t really like italian food but this dish she absolutely loved! We wanna make it again tomorrow for a family gathering for easter 🙂
I made this tonight. Delicious! I found your blog via Pinterest and now I’m hooked! I also love your tips for raising adventurous eaters as I have a very picky one year-old. Thank you!
Great recipe! A bit more complicated than I originally thought, but well worth it. Thanks for sharing!
Amazing! Definitely worth raving about! Had to double the sauce because it just went to fast! Great find! Thank you for sharing!
This looks wonderful! So creamy and delicious! Just perusing your blog and I’m so happy I found it! Can’t wait to read more 🙂
Made this for dinner last night and we just loved it. It is a few steps, but none of them are difficult and it was worth it. I used chicken tenders, half and half, and left out the red pepper because I forgot to pick one up. Phenomenal! This will be my go-to for alfredo sauce. The spinach takes it to another level. Thank you!
A bit more complicated than I was expecting as a novice college student cook, but came out really great! Thanks for the recipe! My boyfriend said it was the best thing he’s eaten in a while!
I made this for dinner tonight. Superb! …and not too difficult.
I made this for dinner today. It was scrumptious! Even the “I’m not big on spinach” guy ate an enormous portion. My 10 year old loved it too. Anytime I can get healthy vegetables into these people I’m thrilled. Thank you for the recipe.
I made this for dinner tonight! It was very delicious. We all loved it. My family said it tasted like “restaurant.” You have wonderful recipes. I use your blog all the time. Thanks for all the great recipes.
This was SOOO delicious! I made it today for lunch! 🙂 Thank you for this quick, easy, and scrumptious recipe.
This was amazing! I wanted to drink the sauce.
I found your recipe on pinterest, and am so glad that I did. Everyone really enjoyed it. My son told me to keep this recipe. 🙂
I didn’t have the heavy cream so I substituted half and half and it worked also, Thanks for sharing.
Made this for dinner and my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed the very mild flavors. I didn’t have any fettuccine so I substituted wide egg noodles which the sauce adhered to beautifully.
This was AMAZING! We did a substitute for heavy cream, and instead of putting the chicken in the oven, just pan fry it with olive oil and chop up the chicken into strips while cooking it. Once I removed the chicken and finished with the sauce, I added back the chicken. It was amazing. I will DEFINITELY cook it again! 🙂
Yum! Made this with the Zucchini Mozzarela Medley for a fantastic Italian meal. Came together really easily.
OMG!! I made this for supper tonight. Best new recipe I have tried in a very long time. My 3 boys…and the hubby ALL went back for seconds.
This one is a must try!!
~Danna
Ok, I almost never follow a recipe exactly unless it’s a bread or cake so I tweaked this one as well. I added some sun dried tomatoes and valdelia onion to the red bell peppers and garlic and just sauté d them together. It was exquisite!
Just made this last night for my husband and I. It was delicious and your directions were so easy. Thanks!
OMG – this is unbelievably good – I highly encourage you to make it.
I made this and everyone LOVED it. The sauce was amazing. I took other commenters’ suggestion of using the dredging flour for the sauce. Even my two daughters who don’t usually like any type of cream sauce or gravy loved it. I’m making this for the second time tonight without the chicken for a fairly quick meal.
I made this last night. The chicken tasted great! The sauce was good too, but it needed more flavor to it. I would add dome salt, pepper and garlic powder. Other than that, I will be sure to make this again. It was fast and easy!
Made it for dinner tonight! It was delicious! 🙂
Just had this tonight and it was very good! Thank you for sharing.
Made this tonight and it was perfect!!! So good!
Mel, you are AMAZING! My husband was blown away by this recipe – it made me feel like a legit chef. The cream sauce was so flavorful, and the bell peppers were the icing on the cake.
A friend recommended your website to me, and I’m hooked. Thanks for the great recipes!
Would you have the nutrional values on this recipe?
To help cut calories, you can substitute all-purpose flour for coconut flour. Also, Dr Oz says to use Safflower oil instead of using EVOO. A lot less carbs and calories. Just a few more ways to keep cutting the calories… This looks wonderful and I’m eager to try it!
Thanks for sharing a wonderful recipe! It’s my new favorite and I’m making it for a 2nd time in 2 weeks!
ooops **how good *blush*
You cannot imagine hot good dinner smells and looks right now! Your blog has changed our life…from boring to gourmet! Thanks a bunch from the whole family! 🙂
Oh, yeah…and I did angel hair instead of fettuccini…as the Chicken Scampi dish is at OG. mmmm….
We finally made this tonight (I have been eying it for a while). The whole family LOVED it! I thought it was a lot like the Chicken Scampi at Olive Garden (never tried Tuscan Garlic Chicken). I doubled the sauce, as recommended (not the garlic, peppers, spinach or parm chz though), and used the leftover flour (seasoned for breading) as the flour for the roux. I would use breaded chicken tenders in the future for smaller chicken portions (or 1/2 the breasts) as it was a hearty meal. It is one meal I will definitely keep, and comes together in about 25 minutes (could be faster if you are good at multitasking while cooking), good for a last minute dinner.
I made this last night and it tasted delicious!!! However, my sauce didn’t quite come together as a sauce…it was kind of separated (especially after I added in the parm cheese). It still tasted good but just didn’t look that great and the sauce was not really smooth/creamy. Any help for when I try it again??
Amanda – cream sauces made with a roux, like this one, can often separate if they are cooked at too high heat, so perhaps next time, err on the side of cooking on medium-low or low to prevent curdling or separating. Also, add the liquid slowly in each step, whisking really quickly. Good luck!
I finally made this tonight and it was amazing! Definitely a keeper! Thanks!
My family (full of picky eaters) all loved this! Its the kind of dinner that makes me feel like a rock star! I
yep, this looks fabulous! There are a lot of steps, maybe too many for me, but I will tuck this one away maybe for a sunday night dinner?
This was so good. I made it tonight. Thanks for another great recipe.
I am always looking for new chicken dishes–yummy!C
I made this tonight and it was so good. Thanks for another great and easy recipe!
I made this dish last night and it was delicious!!!! I’m new to your blog and I love it!
ok, this is my new favourite blog! This is the third thing I’ve made and it’s like the best thing I’ve ever eaten!
I love that I was able to make this whole meal for about $5 to feed 6 people, versus 1 serving at OG for $20. So good!! I made it with some savory herb breadsticks topped with Parmesan cheese and it was fabulous!
Delicious! I just bought chicken breasts that were on sale and was wondering what to do with them – this is the perfect solution! And thanks for the advice on how to cut calories. It’s amazing how easy it is – and as long as you stick to it, you’ll never know the difference!
I made this last night for my hubby’s birthday. It is absolutely delicious! The only thing I will change for next time is use Angel Hair pasta instead of Fettuccine, but that is just personal preference. I also made the Unbelievable Chocolate Cake with Magical Frosting..yummmo! Thanks for the recipes!
I’ve been stalking your site forever and tried so many recipes but never commented. I made this recipe last night for my family and it was awesome. I doubled the sauce and will do that again since it was just the right amount. Next time I’ll season the chicken more though, it was a little bland so I think I’ll add chicken seasoning to the flour mixture. My hubby added red pepper flakes to his plate and it gave it just a little extra kick without being over the top for people that like a little spice. Thanks for this recipe though, totally a keeper
made it! loved it! it’s a winner for sure!
I made this for my family for supper last night and they all loved it! I love these kinds of meals when everybody is eatting and ooing and aaing and the nice thing is my picky 9 year old daughter even went for seconds so this recipe rocks our world! Thank-you!
I can’t wait to give this recipe a try…and soon! We love Olive Garden but love it even more when I came make their dishes at home….
I shared this recipe on Must Try Tuesday…
http://therickettchronicles.blogspot.com/2011/03/must-try-tuesday-march-8-2011_08.html
Thanks for another great recipe!
Wow! Made this yesterday and it was to die for. I had 10 people to dinner and it was a hit with everyone. Served it with an OG salad (bought the dressing from OG and it is soooo my favorite), and some breadsticks and we felt like we were at Olive Garden. My father-in-law even offered to leave a tip. Seriously yummo! A little more time consuming than some recipes so I would never have time to make it on a weekday. My husband liked it so much that he has already requested it for his birthday dinner in a few weeks. Thanks for another great one Mel!!
Made this tonight. This is so yummy! I did have to double the sauce. I am doing weight Watchers and it is only 12 points for a serving. I even thought I was cheating. Thanks!!
so YUM!!! Thanks!!!
I made this a few days ago and it was so delicious! I’ve been enjoying the leftovers all week. I did double the sauce, which I think it a must and I’ll do it every time in the future. Thanks for sharing another great recipe! (I think I used half & half instead of cream, and it was still great.)
Made this tonight…it is awesome! I added some green peppers, too (because I had them), and a little less spinach (because I’ve never fed that to my family before so I didn’t want to ‘overload’ them). Super yummy. I can’t wait to have the leftovers for lunch tomorrow!
Made this last night…but had no milk! So, I HAD to make it the original way, with 2 cups of cream! And also threw in some frozen spinach since we didn’t have any fresh. But it was delicious! Love the flavor, and the red bellpeppers make it just perfect.
OH MEL! If you weren’t so far away I would hug and kiss you right now! This is AMAZING! My favorite recipe of yours so far (even over sweet and sour chicken so that’s saying something). I love it so much I’m trying to think of how to make it into a lasagna so I can have that sauce in 2 meals. 🙂 Really though, amazing!
This sounds soo good! Thanks for helping us out by decreasing the calories, but I am planning to double the sauce so maybe that cancels out! Oh well 😉
I love the Tuscan Garlic Chicken at Olive Garden! I can’t wait to try this at home. There’s nothing like cooking for yourself and your family. It saves tons of money and
always tastes better!
Looks delicious. I can’t wait to try this.
I love that you slimmed this one down with milk. Even just a little cream adds some luxury without being so heavy.
olive garden really has it made–they serve dishes that one can easily make at home and at super-inflated prices. i like your take on this, mel. forget the ol’ o and g. 🙂
Oh my this looks delicious! Love the new site design too!
I’m not a fan of OG…something about their food looks very fake and plastic-like to me…but this dish looks gorgeous. I am certain that your version is waaaay better – and healthier since its not full of preservatives – than the OG version.
I made this tonight and it was a HUGE hit. Plates were licked clean. Thanks for another keeper!
Looks great, and I love the new look of the home page. Very stylish!
This is a new favorite! Thanks for sharing. I like to use the chicken dredging flour for the Tablespoon of flour used for thickening, for a little extra flavor. Can take it out before you dredge the chicken. My fam isn’t big fans of cooked spinach (makes me think of swamp grass), so I chop it finely before cooking and it isn’t so stringy.
Wow! This was amazing – made it for dinner last night – we loved it! My kitchen however, looked like a bomb went off in it by the time I was done cooking – ha! The clean up was worth it though – great meal!
This was AWESOME! A hit with the entire family. I doubled up on the sauce and had plenty. I butterflied my chicken breasts and used a lower carb pasta (Dreamfield pasta) other than that followed the recipe and it was so yummy. This will be making lots more appearances at our dinner table….thanks for the tasty recipe 🙂
YUM! I bet you could lighten it even more by not even doing the lite breading. Maybe marinate the chix (I love using a little bit of Brianna’s Real French Vinagrette to marinate) and then grill…. Just a thought. I am so making this over the upcoming weekend!
I’ve never had the Tuscan Chicken at OG either, but I am making this recipe for dinner tonight! I just happen to have everthing on hand, so “what’s for dinner”? is solved! Thanks, Mel!
Calorie nixing is your greatest gift. Including a healthy dose of spinach in our family’s meals is also appreciated.
Looks deeeeelish! Do you know if this freezes well? I’m thinking about making this into individual portions.
I haven’t made a good hearty pasta dish for quite sometime (read just a few weeks) and I think that it is time I changed that by the look of this recipe!
Is it the basil providing the green in this picture? You mentioned using dried basil, which usually doesn’t look quite this appetizing. That looks like fresh and makes me think it would be worth the extra expense for a great looking dish like this.
The green is the spinach
Just printed this!
This chicken sounds amazing!! I’ll be making it very soon I think;)
Adding this to next weeks menu for sure! Looks fabulous. I love that you cut down the calories. Thanks!
This will be the next thing I make! Thanks for so many delicious dishes!
This looks amazing! I think this would be a great dish for having friends over, I’m saving it until then 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Wow! This dish looks delicious!! Beautiful, mouthwatering pics, too!
A huge hit! My daughter sent me this recipe along with the Mediterranean salad recipe to serve at her birthday dinner party. I doubled the sauce recipe, used 4 very large breasts and sliced them horizontally to make 8. I did not use the red bell pepper. I find the flavor overpowering. Both recipes are keepers!
Donna