Easy Olive Garden Chicken Scampi Recipe You Must Try

There’s something magical about twirling creamy, garlicky pasta with tender chicken and bell peppersespecially when it tastes just like the Italian chain everyone secretly craves. Olive Garden Chicken Scampi brings that buttery, slightly tangy comfort straight to your kitchen, no reservation required.

I first recreated this back in 2019 after a reader asked if I could crack the recipe using everyday grocery store ingredients. After three rounds of testing in my Texas kitchenadjusting the garlic, tweaking the cream ratio, getting that perfect golden sear on the chickenI landed on a version so spot-on, my neighbor thought I’d ordered takeout. The secret? A splash of white wine and fresh bell peppers that actually taste like vegetables, not soggy afterthoughts.

Yesica Andrews

Easy Olive Garden Chicken Scampi Recipe You Must Try

This Easy Olive Garden Chicken Scampi is a flavorful and vibrant pasta dish featuring tender chicken tenders cooked to perfection, colorful bell peppers, and red onions all tossed in a creamy, herb-infused sauce. Perfect for a quick yet impressive Italian-inspired meal that the whole family will love.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 621

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2 tablespoon olive oil (or cooking oil of choice)
• 2 lbs chicken tenders (or thinly sliced chicken breast or thighs)
• 1 cup flour
• 2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 lb angel hair pasta (cooked al dente)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (or cooking oil of choice)
• 1 red bell pepper (sliced into thin strips)
• 1 yellow bell pepper (sliced into thin strips)
• 1 green bell pepper (sliced into thin strips)
• 1 red onion (sliced into thin strips)
• 3 tablespoon butter
• 5 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 ½ cup chicken broth (store bought or homemade)
• ½ cup dry white wine (or sub with chicken broth)
• ⅔ cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• Parmesan cheese (grated)
• Fresh basil (finely chopped)
• Fresh parsley (finely chopped)

Method

 

1. Combine flour, salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning in a shallow dish and mix well.
2. Dredge the chicken tenders in the flour mixture, shaking off any extra coating.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes per side until nicely browned and fully cooked; then transfer to a plate and cover with foil.
4. While the chicken cooks, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the angel hair pasta according to package instructions until just tender; reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain and set pasta aside.
5. Wipe the skillet clean and heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat; add sliced red, yellow, and green bell peppers along with the red onion and sauté for about 3 to 4 minutes, stirring regularly.
6. Add butter and minced garlic to the skillet, cooking for another 1 to 2 minutes until vegetables are soft.
7. Pour in the white wine, scraping the skillet bottom to lift any browned bits, followed by chicken broth; let simmer on medium heat for 2 minutes.
8. Stir in heavy cream, salt, and Italian seasoning and bring the sauce to a gentle boil, stirring often.
9. Lower the heat and toss in the cooked pasta, mixing thoroughly to coat it with sauce; cook for another 1 to 2 minutes and add reserved pasta water if the sauce needs thickening.
10. Place the cooked chicken on top of the pasta and sauce.
11. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and garnish with fresh basil and parsley before serving.

Notes

• For the best flavor, use fresh herbs and taste the sauce to adjust salt as needed. Substitute chicken thighs for tenders for a juicier result if preferred. Leftovers keep well refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This Olive Garden Chicken Scampi is the kind of dinner that makes everyone stop scrolling on their phones and actually sit down at the table. It’s rich without being heavy, loaded with colorful bell peppers and red onions, and comes together in about 30 minutesfaster than delivery.

• Restaurant flavor at home: Creamy garlic sauce with a splash of white wine tastes like you ordered it from the breadstick palace itself.
• Packed with veggies: Red, yellow, and green bell peppers aren’t just prettythey add sweetness and crunch that balance the richness.
• Flexible and forgiving: Use chicken tenders for speed, or swap in chicken breast or thighs if that’s what you’ve got.
• Family-approved: Even picky eaters go back for seconds when there’s crispy breaded chicken involved.

Key Ingredients You’ll Need

The magic here is in the combination of everyday staples and a few restaurant-style flourishes. You don’t need anything fancyjust good olive oil, fresh garlic, and a bottle of dry white wine that you’d actually drink (or skip it and use extra chicken broth).

The chicken tenders are a shortcut herothey cook fast and stay juicy. If you can only find chicken breast, just slice it thin so it cooks evenly. The angel hair pasta soaks up that buttery, garlicky sauce beautifully, and the trio of bell peppers adds color and a slight sweetness that keeps things interesting bite after bite.

Pro Tip: Don’t skip the fresh basil and parsley at the end. They brighten up the whole dish and make it taste like you spent way more effort than you did.

How to Make Olive Garden Chicken Scampi

Start by coating your chicken tenders in a simple flour mixture seasoned with Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Pan-fry them in a hot skillet with olive oil until they’re golden and cooked throughabout 2 to 3 minutes per side. Set them aside and keep them warm under foil while you build the sauce.

While the chicken cooks, get your pasta going in a big pot of salted boiling water. Cook the angel hair until it’s al dente, then drain and save a cup of that starchy pasta waterit’s your secret weapon for thickening the sauce later.

In the same skillet you used for the chicken, sauté the sliced bell peppers and red onion in a little olive oil until they soften. Add butter and minced garlic, then pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up all those tasty browned bits. Stir in the chicken broth, heavy cream, and a touch more Italian seasoning. Let it bubble gently, then toss in your cooked pasta and let everything mingle for a minute or two. If the sauce feels thin, splash in some of that reserved pasta water and stirit’ll thicken right up. Top with the chicken, shower it all with parmesan, basil, and parsley, and you’re done.

Tips for Success

Don’t crowd the pan: If your skillet isn’t huge, fry the chicken in two batches so it gets crispy instead of steaming. A good sear means flavor.

Taste as you go: The sauce should be garlicky, a little tangy from the wine, and rich from the cream. If it tastes flat, add a pinch more salt or a squeeze of lemon juice at the end.

Pasta water is gold: That starchy liquid helps the sauce cling to every strand of angel hair. Add it a little at a timeyou can always add more, but you can’t take it back.

Simple Swaps and Variations

How to Serve and Store

Serve this straight from the skillet with extra grated parmesan and a sprinkle of fresh herbs on top. It’s perfect with garlic bread or a simple green salad on the sidesomething crisp to balance all that creamy goodness.

Storing leftovers: Keep any extra in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The pasta will soak up some of the sauce as it sits, so when you reheat, add a splash of chicken broth or cream and warm it gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.

Note: This doesn’t freeze well because of the cream, but honestly, leftovers never last long enough to worry about that.

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FAQs (Olive Garden Chicken Scampi)

This Olive Garden Chicken Scampi comes together in about 30 minutes and delivers exactly what you’re cravinggolden chicken, tender pasta, and a garlicky cream sauce that clings to every bite. You’ll love how the bell peppers stay crisp and sweet, balancing all that richness without weighing you down. It’s the kind of dish that makes your kitchen smell like an Italian restaurant, and nobody will believe you didn’t spend hours on it.

If you want to lighten things up a bit, try using half-and-half instead of heavy creamit’s still creamy and delicious, just a touch less indulgent. You can also toss in some fresh spinach or zucchini ribbons during the last minute of cooking for extra veggies. A trick I learned from shopping Texas farmers’ markets: grab whatever bell peppers look brightest that weekthey’ll always taste better than the ones that have been sitting around. And if you’ve got leftover sauce, it’s fantastic spooned over roasted chicken or even tossed with sautéed shrimp the next day.

I’d love to know how this turns out in your kitchentag me if you snap a photo, or leave a comment and tell me if your family devoured it as fast as mine did. Did you grow up ordering this at Olive Garden on special nights, or is this your first time trying it homemade? Either way, I hope it brings a little extra warmth to your dinner table tonight. Save this one for the next time you need comfort food that actually delivers.