This Slow Cooker copycat version of Olive Garden’s Chicken Alfredo Pasta tastes just as rich and delicious as the original restaurant recipe, but can easily be made at home without breaking the bank. Loaded with shredded chicken and tossed in a creamy Italian herb, garlic, and parmesan sauce, this pasta dish requires only 15 minutes of prep, and then the crockpot will do the rest of the work!
Easy Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo Pasta (Copycat Recipe)
I love a recipe that creates a restaurant-quality meal right at home; where I can simply set it and forget it and make enough to feed my entire family. That’s why this copycat version of Olive Garden’s signature chicken alfredo is proof that the easiest recipes can be the best ones.
The chicken is so juicy and tender from simmering in the slow cooker and our homemade alfredo sauce is creamy and savory. And when the flavorful rich sauce and penne are combined with the zesty shredded chicken, it makes a family favorite meal for a fraction of the price of a plate of this restaurant’s famous pasta.
While Chicken Alfredo may be the most popular dish at Olive Garden, mostly because of its cheesy sauce, it’s no wonder that the homemade version has taken over the internet and gone viral on TikTok. Not only is my homemade Alfredo deliciously flavorful, with just the right amount of garlic and Parmesan, but I also know that it contains no artificial ingredients, so I know exactly what I am feeding my family.
Easy-to-make comfort food can be so much more than an imitation pasta meal smothered with a substitute-of-a-sauce!
Looking for a stovetop version? Try our famous Copycat Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce made on the stovetop.
Why We Love This Slow Cooker Chicken Alfredo Pasta Recipe
- Quick to prep and easy to make.
- Restaurant quality meal made at home.
- Set it and forget it recipe that feeds an entire family.
- Better than Olive Garden’s Chicken Alfredo sauce!
- A delicious meal that is a fraction of the price of an original favorite.
- Perfect for a large family, a potluck, or a party.
Other Pasta Recipes
Ingredients / Shopping List
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Penne pasta
- Low-sodium chicken broth
- Packet dry Italian dressing mix
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Half & half
- Heavy cream
- Grated parmesan cheese
- All-purpose flour
- Unsalted butter
- Grated fresh garlic
- Dried parsley
- Fresh parsley, chopped (optional garnish)
Substitutions and Additions
- No Noodles: You can serve your Chicken Alfredo over rice, cauliflower rice or mash or zoodles instead of pasta.
- Add Some Veggies: Feel free to mix some vegetables into this dish, such as peas, spinach, kale, tomatoes, roasted red peppers, broccoli, or cauliflower.
- Make It Cheesier: You can make your sauce even cheesier by adding some goat cheese, cream cheese, ricotta, mozzarella, or cheddar.
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Slow Cooker
- Forks for shredding chicken
- Whisk
- Saucepan
- Measuring tools
See Full Recipe Card Below
Jump to RecipeHow to Make the Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo Pasta
This Slow Cooker copycat version of Olive Garden’s Chicken Alfredo Pasta tastes just as rich and delicious as the original restaurant recipe, but can easily be made at home. It takes only 15 minutes of prep and the crock pot will do the rest of the work.
- Add chicken to your slow cooker and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and Italian dressing mix. Pour chicken broth into the slow cooker, cover, and let it cook for 4 hours.
- Remove cooked chicken and shred it on a cutting board using 2 forks. Discard all but 1 cup of remaining liquid from the slow cooker. Place shredded chicken back in the slow cooker and add the seasoned cooking liquid. Turn your crockpot to WARM while you cook your pasta and make your sauce.
- Melt butter in a saucepan and whisk in the flour. Add garlic, dried parsley, salt, and black pepper to the saucepan and whisk with the butter and flour.
- Slowly add the half & half and heavy cream. Cook your cream mixture until it starts to bubble and thicken, whisking often.
Pro Tip: It is very important to whisk the entire time to avoid any lumps in your final Alfredo sauce. - Once cream mixture has thickened, turn off the heat and stir in parmesan cheese.
Pro Tip: To help make your sauce extra creamy, allow your cheese to come to room temperature before adding it to the sauce. - Add cooked and drained pasta to the shredded chicken. Pour Alfredo sauce over pasta and chicken and stir to combine.
Pro Tip: Alfredo sauce thickens while standing and thickens even more when added to the cooked pasta. If it seems too thin, resist the urge to thicken it as it will thicken once mixed with your pasta. - Top with chopped parsley if desired. Serve and enjoy!
Pro Tip: You can keep your crock pot on warm for 30 minutes before the pasta gets too soft and absorbs excess moisture.
Tips From Our Recipe Developer
- I love using crock pot liners because they make clean-up so easy!
- If you want to make this a very easy meal, you can substitute the homemade sauce for a good quality jarred alfredo sauce. I would recommend at least 2 (24-36-ounce) jars for this amount of pasta and chicken.
- If you prefer dark meat, you can use 2 pounds of skinless boneless chicken thighs in place of the boneless skinless chicken breasts. It will be equally as easy and delicious.
- You can use any short, sturdy pasta for this dish. I do not recommend elbow noodles or spaghetti noodles because they are not sturdy enough to hold up to this rich and creamy sauce.
Storage Tips
- To Store: You can store any leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To Freeze: I do not recommend freezing this dish since pasta and dairy does not thaw well.
- To Reheat: Reheat any leftovers in the microwave or stovetop. You can add a splash of water if it’s too thick.
Other Easy Crock Pot Recipes
- Crockpot Philly Cheesesteak
- Pulled Crockpot BBQ Chicken Recipe
- Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken
- Crock Pot Mac and Cheese {The Creamiest!}
- Slow Cooker Pineapple BBQ Chicken
- Crockpot Lasagna
- Slow Cooker Queso Chicken Tacos
- Crockpot Monkey Bread
Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Pasta
Serves — 8
This Slow Cooker copycat version of Olive Garden’s Chicken Alfredo Pasta tastes just as creamy, rich, and delicious as the original restaurant recipe, but can easily be made at home. It takes only 15 minutes of prep and the crock pot will do the rest of the work!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours 15 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds (3-4 pieces) boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 16 ounce box penne pasta
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 0.7 ounce packet dry Italian dressing mix
- 1 tsp kosher salt divided
- ½ tsp black pepper divided
- 2 cups half & half
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- 1½ cups grated parmesan cheese
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 10 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp grated fresh garlic
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped (optional garnish)
Instructions
- In the insert of your slow cooker/crockpot, place your boneless skinless chicken breasts. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ black pepper evenly over the chicken. Sprinkle the entire contents of the dry italian dressing mix evenly over the chicken as well.
- Pour the chicken broth into the crockpot with the chicken and spices. Cover with the lid and turn on HIGH for 4 hours.
- Once your chicken is done, remove it and shred it using 2 forks to pull it apart into bite-sized pieces.
- Pour out all but 1 cup of the excess liquid that is remaining in the pot. Return the shredded chicken back to the crockpot insert and add back the reserved 1 cup of the seasoned cooking liquid.
- Turn your crockpot to WARM while you cook your pasta and make your sauce.
- Cook your pasta according to package directions (8-10 minutes) and drain when done.
- In a medium saucepan, on medium heat, melt your butter. Once your butter is melted, whisk in the flour making sure there are no lumps.
- Add your grated garlic, dried parsley, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Whisk to combine. Slowly add the half & half and heavy cream, making sure that you are whisking the entire time. This is very important to avoid any lumps in your final alfredo sauce.
- Cook your cream mixture for 5-6 minutes, whisking often, until it starts to bubble and thicken. Once your cream mixture has thickened, turn off the heat and add your grated parmesan cheese. Stir to completely combine.
- Add your cooked and drained pasta to your shredded chicken, then pour your alfredo sauce on top. Stir to combine. You can top your slow cooker Olive Garden chicken alfredo pasta with the fresh chopped parsley at this time if desired.
Jenn’s Notes
Storage:
- To Store: You can store any leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To Freeze: I do not recommend freezing this dish since pasta and dairy does not thaw well.
- To Reheat: Reheat any leftovers in the microwave or stovetop. You can add a splash of water if it’s too thick.
- I love using crock pot liners because they make clean-up so easy!
If you want to make this a very easy meal, you can substitute the homemade sauce for a good quality jarred alfredo sauce. I would recommend at least 2 (24-36-ounce) jars for this amount of pasta and chicken. - If you prefer dark meat, you can use 2 pounds of skinless boneless chicken thighs in place of the boneless skinless chicken breasts. It will be equally as easy and delicious.
- You can use any short, sturdy pasta for this dish. I do not recommend elbow noodles or spaghetti noodles because they are not sturdy enough to hold up to this rich and creamy sauce.
- You can keep your crock pot on warm for 30 minutes before the pasta gets too soft and absorbs excess moisture.
- Alfredo sauce thickens while standing and thickens even more when added to the cooked pasta. If it seems too thin, resist the urge to thicken it as it will thicken once mixed with your pasta.
- To help make your sauce extra creamy, allow your cheese to come to room temperature before adding it to the sauce.
- The cheese will melt better when added to a bubbling cream mixture.
- It is very important to whisk the entire time to avoid any lumps in your final Alfredo sauce.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 822kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 47g | Saturated Fat: 28g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 210mg | Sodium: 1027mg | Potassium: 739mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1552IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 332mg | Iron: 2mg
We dipped my homemade bread into the sauce… and there almost wasn’t enough left for dinner. Delish!
So glad it was a hit!
Made this tonight… my boys loved it! I needed to make a second box of pasta, it was too saucy for only one box. (Would of been better with a box and a half!).
Is this recipe ok to leave on warm for 4 hrs for a babyshower?? Thanks!
I would like to see all your crock pit soups n.chicken Philly cheese all yoyr recipes