This Olive Garden Chicken Scampi is the perfect weeknight meal. It is quick and easy to make, requiring only a handful of ingredients. The combination of juicy chicken and silky scampi sauce give this dish an incredible flavor.
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❤️ Why You'll Want It
- This simple dish is flavorful, colorful and incredibly satisfying.
- The chicken is cooked perfectly in a rich garlic butter sauce with tomatoes, bell peppers and herbs that all come together to create an unforgettable flavor profile.
- Plus, the dish looks great when served up with some freshly cooked pasta or crusty bread.
- Great for people following wine-free and Halal diet.
Best of all, it's a great way to enjoy a restaurant-quality meal without having to go out or spend too much money on takeout. So if you're looking for an easy, delicious and budget-friendly weeknight dinner, this is the recipe for you.
📝 Ingredients
Note: This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
🥄 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Season chicken on each side with the salt mixture.Dredge chicken on both sides in the flour shaking off excess flour and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat saute peppers and onions for about 3 minutes or until lightly softened. Remove vegetables and set aside.
- In the same skillet cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
- Reduce heat to medium low and add the remaining butter then garlic and saute for about 20-30 seconds. Add flour and cook until no longer white pour broth and deglaze the pan then add heavy cream and stir using a whisk until no lumps exist in the sauce. Slowly stir in lemon juice, taste to adjust seasoning.
- Place cooked pasta in a large bowl or pot then pour sauces and vegetable over. Toss spaghetti lightly with sauce and vegetables. Serve pasta in plates topped with chicken. Garnish with parmesan cheese, parsley or red pepper flakes if desired.
👍 Amira's Tips
- Chicken tenders really are the best to use for this recipe, because they tend to not get extremely tough, even if they overcook.
- When you are searing the chicken, make sure that you don't overcrowd the pan so that the chicken cooks evenly and quickly.
- I like to use a stiff rubber spatula when deglazing the pan, so that I can get all of the bits of that bottom of the pan, because those bits are full of flavor.
- When adding the cream, use a whisk to make sure that you don't have any lumps in your sauce.
- If you want an even thicker sauce, you can continue to reduce it on low heat until the desired thickness is reached.
🧺 Storage
Store leftovers of this dish in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
⌛ Make Ahead
This recipe is best enjoyed fresh, however if you do want to save a little time in the kitchen, you can season and dredge the chicken and precook the pasta up to 12 hours before you make it. Just store the dredged chicken on a plate in a single layer wrapped with plastic wrap in the fridge until you are ready to sear.
🍽️ Serve With
This simple dish is great when paired with a side salad like this Keto Greek Salad and bread side such as this Air Fryer Garlic Bread.
👩🍳 Variations
- For an even heartier dish, consider adding 1-2 cups of cooked bacon or Italian sausage.
- You can also add different vegetables like broccoli, mushrooms or spinach to the sauce.
- To make the sauce thinner, you can increase the chicken broth by adding an extra half of cup.
- If your family loves their pasta extra saucy, double the sauce recipe.
- For a spicy sauce, add in crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce while you are cooking it.
💬 FAQs
️Scampi sauce is typically made of butter, garlic, white wine or broth, lemon juice, parsley and sometimes cream. It has a rich, buttery flavor that complements the chicken perfectly in this dish.
Yes, you can technically use thin-sliced chicken breasts for this recipe, however the chicken tenderloins really work best.
In Italian scampi means langoustine which is a small crustacean. But, in America it is a light sauce that is made with butter and wine or broth.
📣 Related Recipes
- This Baked Feta Pasta is creamy, savory and so easy to make. If you family loves pasta this is the next recipe that you want to make.
- Creamy Pasta is a mouthwatering mixture of ground beef, pasta, and a creamy white sauce that is full of comforting and warm spices.
- Tuscan Chicken Pasta is made with a tasty alfredo sauce, that is jazzed up even more by adding sundried tomatoes and spinach. It's a cheesy and creamy pasta dish that the entire family will love.
- Koshari is a delicious Vegetarian Egyptian dish with rice, pasta and lentils all with a spicy garlicky tomato sauce. Learn how to make Koshari like a pro with this easy recipe.
- Try this lasagna recipe without ricotta cheese for a special dinner. This is a delicious and saucy twist to the classic version very popular in the Middle East.
- If you are a fan of this chicken scampi, then next time you will want to make this light and flavorful Shrimp Scampi.
- This no bake key lime pie is a delicious treat to follow this chicken scampi meal. Sweet creamy and refreshing treat that you can also make for a party or family gathering.
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Olive garden chicken scampi
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pound chicken tenders
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt or to your liking
- ½ teaspoon black pepper or to your liking
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 1 small red onion thinly sliced
- ½ red bell pepper thinly sliced
- ½ green bell pepper thinly sliced
- ½ orange bell pepper thinly sliced
- 11/2 Tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 ½ cup chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1 pound angel hair pasta cooked
For garnish:
- Red pepper flakes
- Chopped parsley
- Grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine salt, black pepper and Italian seasoning and mix well.
- Season chicken on each side with the salt mixture.
- Add any remaining seasoning to the flour in a shallow dish or container and mix well.
- Dredge chicken on both sides in the flour shaking off excess flour and set aside. You’ll most likely have leftover flour do not toss that yet.
- In a large skillet over medium heat add 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 tablespoon butter.
- Add peppers and onions and cook for about 3 minutes or until lightly softened.
- Remove vegetables and set aside.
- In the same skillet add the remaining oil and another tablespoon of butter.
- Cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side. Cook in batches if necessary. Do not overcrowd the pan.
- Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
- If your pan is super hot remove from heat for a minute to cool it off a bit.
- Reduce heat to medium low and add the remaining butter and wait for it to melt.
- When butter melts, add garlic and saute for about 20-30 seconds.
- Add 3 tablespoons of the remaining leftover flour mixture ( from step4) to the pan and cook until no longer white.
- Pour chicken broth and deglaze the pan by scrapping anything out of the bottom and sides of the pan with a spatula.
- Pour the heavy cream and stir using a whisk until no lumps exist in the sauce.
- Cook the sauce for about 2-3 minutes or until thickened.
- Slowly stir in lemon juice, taste to adjust seasoning.
- Place cooked pasta in a large bowl or pot then pour sauces and vegetable over.
- Toss spaghetti lightly with sauce and vegetables.
- Serve pasta in plates topped with chicken.
- Garnish with parmesan cheese, parsley or red pepper flakes if desired.
Notes
- Chicken tenderloins are best for this recipe as they are forgiving and less likely to be overcooked.
- For a more lemony flavor add in some lemon zest. If you do not like lemon omit the lemon juice.
- If you feel your sauce is too think feel free to add more liquid ( broth, heavy cream, milk or even water) ¼ cup at a time.
- For more tips and notes check the post above.
- Please check the nutrition disclaimer policy.
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