Pasta is always a favorite in my house, and when you add crispy chicken and buttery sauce to the mix, it’s sure to be a hit! I serve chicken scampi with a side of garlic knots and roasted broccoli for a complete meal.
I know that everyone’s heard of shrimp scampi, but have you ever heard of chicken scampi? It’s a dish at Olive Garden that’s super delicious. I made my own version of this recipe at home, and I feel like it’s a good representation of the original! It’s chicken, veggies and pasta in a garlic and herb sauce – how could you go wrong with that?
How do you make chicken scampi?
Place assorted sliced bell peppers and red onion in a pan, then cook until tender. Coat chicken tenderloins in flour, and sear them until golden brown. Remove the chicken and vegetables from the pan, and prepare the sauce which is made with butter, white wine, garlic, herbs and lemon. Pour cooked angel hair pasta into the sauce pan, along with the veggies. Toss everything together until it’s well coated, then arrange the chicken on top, sprinkle with parsley and serve.
What is scampi sauce made of?
The primary flavorings in scampi sauce are garlic and butter. Many versions also include other ingredients such as white wine, parmesan cheese, herbs and spices. This version uses a little bit of heavy cream to make the sauce ultra decadent.
Tips for the perfect chicken scampi
Chicken tenderloins are often just labeled as chicken tenders; my store sells them next to the boneless skinless chicken breasts. The original version of this dish uses red, yellow and green bell peppers. You can use just one or two colors if you prefer. I recommend using at least one red, orange or yellow pepper as they are sweeter than the green variety. This dish stays fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, although I find it’s best when eaten immediately. I typically minimize my time in the kitchen by following this process when making the dish: boil the water, cook the peppers and onions while the water is boiling, then cook the chicken, put the pasta in the boiling water and make the sauce while the pasta cooks.
Flavor Variations
While my version of chicken scampi is pretty close to the Olive Garden version, feel free to change up the ingredients to customize the dish to your tastes.
Protein: Instead of chicken tenders, bite sized pieces of chicken breast, shrimp, or even Italian sausage! Veggies: Feel free to add other vegetables to the pasta such as mushrooms, zucchini, tomatoes or broccoli. Pasta: While angel hair pasta is used in the restaurant version of this recipe, any long pasta will work such as spaghetti, fettuccine or linguine. Whole wheat pasta will also work just fine. Toppings: Serve your pasta with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese, olives or capers for extra flavor.
My whole family loved this chicken scampi – my kids had actually never had angel hair pasta before and thought it was fun to try it out. You definitely don’t need to be an Olive Garden fan to enjoy this dish, it’s a classic that will sure to be on repeat in your house like it is in mine.
More great chicken recipes
Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells Chicken Parmesan Pasta Cajun Chicken Pasta Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore Bruschetta Chicken
Chicken Scampi Video
This post was originally published on February 26, 2017 and was updated on July 28, 2020 with new content.
