This Chicken Margherita recipe is a delicious copycat recipe for the famous Olive Garden meal. It’s super easy to make and is done in just 30 minutes.
I love to boost the flavor of chicken by making these delicious recipes: my Garlic Butter Chicken Tenders and my Provencal Chicken.
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Why this Grilled Chicken Margherita Recipe is a Keeper
This dish checks all the boxes; It’s simple, satisfying, and really easy to customize. My family loves this recipe along with my pesto chicken and my chicken piccata.
- Creamy White Wine Sauce: Garlic, white wine and cream create a savory base that coats every bite of tender chicken.
- Simple Ingredients: Everyday pantry staples make this approachable for weeknight cooks. Add chicken to olive oil and tomatoes.
- Restaurant‑Style Flavor: Inspired by Olive Garden copycat favorites that use white wine sauce to elevate chicken and pasta dinners.
- Serve With: Serve with Iceberg Wedge Salad, Easy No Knead Rolls or Skillet Sweet and Spicy Green Beans.
Do I Need to Cook the Chicken Breast with White Wine?
No. The white wine in this delicious chicken recipe is used to make the delicious sauce for chicken breast and pasta.
Pro Tip for Flavorful Chicken
Finish with Parmesan Off the Heat: Parmesan melts best when the heat is low. Adding it at the end prevents graininess and gives the sauce that savory, velvety finish.
Ingredient Notes for Olive Garden Inspired Chicken Recipe
This weeknight chicken dinner uses easy, fresh ingredients that pack a punch of flavor.
This is an overview of key ingredients. Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Chicken Breasts: Boneless skinless chicken breasts that have been thinly sliced are perfect for making this juicy grilled chicken recipe. You can also pound the chicken to make the cutlets even thinner.
- Fresh Produce: You will need fresh tomatoes, onion, basil and garlic. I prefer to also use fresh lemon juice.
- Angel Hair Pasta: I like angel hair pasta, but you can use whatever you prefer.
Variations for Quick and Easy Chicken Margherita
This easy grilled chicken breast meal recipe is super easy to customize. I like to take it to the next level by using different ingredients or trying different flavors.
➡️ Add Veggies: Sauté bell peppers or mushrooms into the sauce for color and texture.
➡️ Lemon Zest: Brighten the sauce with a hint of lemon zest.
➡️ Pasta Base: Serve over angel hair, spaghetti, or even creamy polenta.
➡️ Topping: Instead of adding basil and chopped tomatoes to top the chicken, add your favorite fresh basil pesto recipe and a slice of mozzarella cheese. You could also top each piece of chicken with a little balsamic vinegar.
➡️ Season the Chicken: Season with an Italian Seasoning and salt and pepper, instead of an All Purpose Seasoning if you wish for the Chicken Margherita.
Kitchen Tools To Make the Chicken Dinner Easier
Most of this juicy chicken breast recipe uses everyday kitchen tools, but a few items make it even easier.
- Large Skillet: You will need a large, non-stick skillet to cook the chicken and sauce.
- Pasta Pot: Use a large pot with a matching strainer to easily cook and drain the pasta.
- Garlic Press, Chef’s Knife & Whisk: All of these tools will come in handy to make this recipe even easier.
- Meat Thermometer: To accurately measure the internal temperature when you grill the chicken, use a meat thermometer.
How to Make Grilled Chicken Margherita
In 5 steps, you can have your very own olive garden chicken pasta. It takes just a little effort but the results are well worth it.
These are just highlights. Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Prep the Chicken: Season chicken with some of the All Purpose Seasoning. Then, add some of the flour to a shallow bowl and dredge the pieces of chicken in it. Shake off the excess.
- Cook the Chicken: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until it’s golden brown and cooked all the way through. Flip the chicken halfway through cooking. Remove from heat and place the chicken on a plate and cover.
- Boil the Pasta: While the chicken is cooking, make the pasta in a large pot of salted, boiling water. Save about a cup of pasta water before draining the rest. Set the cooked pasta aside.
- Make the Sauce: Melt the butter in the chicken skillet and cook the onions. Then add the garlic and stir in the flour. Mix in the white wine, cream and lemon juice, then the All Purpose Seasoning, pepper flakes, parmesan cheese and tomatoes.
- Assemble the Cooked Chicken: Allow the sauce to simmer to thicken slightly. Place the pasta in a bowl, topped with the seared chicken. Pour the sauce over everything and chicken is topped with the rest of the cherry tomatoes and fresh basil.
Prep Ahead and Short Cut Tips for My Easy Chicken Recipe
Prepare some of the steps ahead of time so that your cooking process is super quick.
➡️Veggie Prep: You can prepare the vegetables and tomatoes for this recipe.
➡️ Make Ahead: You can prepare sauce up to a day early and reheat gently before serving.
Alternate Cooking Methods for Olive Garden Chicken Margherita
This olive garden chicken margerita recipe is best on the stove, but here’s how to switch it up.
- Slow Cooker: Cook 4–6 hours on low or 2–3 hours on high. Stir in cream and Parmesan during the last 20 minutes so the sauce stays silky. Serve over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes.
Can I Use Chicken Thighs Instead of Grilled Chicken Breasts for the Chicken Margherita?
Sure! Thinly sliced boneless, skinless chicken thighs are a great substitute for boneless skinless chicken breasts. Make sure to get to the correct internal recipe.
What Kind of White Wine is Best for Margherita Chicken?
Use a white wine that you would enjoy drinking, such as Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or an unoaked Chardonnay.
Store, Reheat and Use Leftover Grilled Chicken Recipe
The chicken tastes like a margherita pizza. You can use the leftovers in so many different ways.
- Store: Let the chicken breast and sauce cool, then transfer everything to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 3 days. The sauce will thicken as it chills.
- Reheat the Chicken Margherita: Warm leftovers gently on the stovetop over low heat, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of chicken broth, cream, or water to loosen the sauce as it warms. You can also microwave in short bursts, stirring between each one.
- Use Leftovers: Leftover Chicken Vino Bianco is basically a built‑in meal prep win. Spoon it over mashed potatoes or roasted veggies, or turn it into a creamy chicken toast situation with crusty bread.
Tips for Making the Best Chicken with Fresh Basil and Tomatoes
➡️ Don’t Overcook Chicken: Sear to a golden brown, then finish in sauce to keep it juicy.
➡️ Deglaze Thoroughly: Use wine (or broth) to lift flavorful browned bits from the pan.
➡️ Sear the Chicken Well: That golden crust is where the flavor starts. A deep sear creates those browned bits on the bottom of the pan, which melt into the wine and broth to build a better sauce for the Chicken Margherita.
➡️ Use Wine You Like: But avoid anything too sweet or heavily oaked.
➡️ Reduce Fully: Don’t rush this step. Let the wine simmer until it’s reduced by at least half. This cooks off the alcohol bite and concentrates the flavor so the sauce tastes balanced, not sharp.
➡️ Bloom the Garlic: Garlic should turn fragrant and lightly golden. Burnt garlic will make the whole sauce bitter, and Vino Bianco is meant to be silky and delicate.
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Chicken Margherita
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Ingredients
- 1 pound Chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, thinly sliced
- ¾ cup Flour, divided
- 2 teaspoons All Purpose Seasoning Blend, divided
- ⅛ cup Olive oil
- 1 pound Angel hair pasta
- 4 Tablespoons Butter
- ½ cup Onion, finely minced
- 5 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 cup Heavy cream
- ¼ cup Lemon juice, about 2 lemons
- 1 cup White wine
- ⅛ teaspoon Crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup Cherry tomatoes, halved, divided
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 2 Tablespoons Chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Season both sides of the chicken with 1 teaspoon of All Purpose Seasoning Blend.
- Add ½ cup of flour to a shallow dish; place seasoned chicken in the flour to coat both sides.
- Shake off any excess flour.
- In large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Cook chicken until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, about 8-10 minutes.
- Remove chicken to a plate and cover.
- While chicken is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add pasta and cook according to package directions.
- Before draining, reserve 1 cup of pasta water and set aside.
- In the same skillet the chicken was cooked in, melt butter.
- Cook onions until translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add remaining flour to the skillet and stir to combine with the butter.
- Add the cream, lemon juice and wine; whisk until smooth.
- Stir in remaining teaspoon of All Purpose Seasoning, red pepper flakes, half of the tomatoes and parmesan cheese; whisk until combined.
- Allow to simmer for a 3-4 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.
- If sauce needs to be thinned, add reserved pasta water until desired consistency.
- Place cooked pasta in a large bowl or platter; top with cooked chicken.
- Pour sauce over top of chicken and pasta.
- Top with remaining tomatoes and chopped basil.
Christina’s Notes
- Warm Plates: Pre-warm your plates before serving. This keeps the scampi hot and prevents the sauce from separating.
- Chicken Broth: Boil the pasta in chicken broth or chicken stock for more flavor.
- Pasta Perfection: While angel hair pasta is classic, other options like linguine or fettuccine work well too. Cook your pasta according to package directions, but aim for al dente, with a slight bite.
- Pasta With Chicken Tenders: You can also make breaded chicken with bread crumbs, flour, egg yolk, and Italian seasoning. Dredge the chicken tenders in flour, egg yolk, and the crumb mixture, then fry.
- Get Creative: Feel free to customize your scampi! Add a pinch of red pepper flakes for heat, chopped sun-dried tomatoes for a Mediterranean twist, or a splash of cream for an extra rich sauce.
- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.