This Olive Garden Chicken Margherita Copycat is inspired by Olive Garden's grilled chicken, but made easily in a skillet. This copycat recipe features juicy chicken breasts, a silky lemon butter sauce, melted mozzarella, and bright basil pesto. It's a bright, fresh, restaurant-style chicken dinner you can make at home in under 30 minutes.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- What is Olive Garden Chicken Margherita?
- Ingredient Notes
- Substitutions
- Variations
- Step-by-Step Instructions
- How Long to Cook Chicken Breasts
- Expert Tips
- Make Ahead & Storage
- Serving Suggestions
- Troubleshooting & FAQs
- More Chicken Recipes
- Olive Garden Chicken Margherita Copycat
- 💬 Comments
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Minimal ingredients: This chicken is the perfect weeknight recipe because you don't need any special ingredients - a few copycat recipe pantry staples are all you need. You will especially love this recipe on nights when time is running short.
Classic flavors: Mozzarella, basil pesto, and tomatoes: a flavor combination that is always a hit!
The perfect copycat: This recipe will transport you to the Olive Garden right from your kitchen. You'll love this, especially if you don't have an Olive Garden nearby!
What is Olive Garden Chicken Margherita?
Olive Garden's Grilled Chicken Margherita is a light, Italian-inspired chicken dish topped with:
- Lemon butter sauce
- Melted mozzarella cheese
- Basil pesto
- Fresh tomatoes
Unlike creamy chicken dishes, this recipe is bright, citrusy, and fresh.
What Sauce is Used in Chicken Margherita?
Unlike creamy Tuscan-style chicken dishes, Olive Garden's Grilled Chicken Margherita uses a lemon butter pan sauce made with:
- Fresh garlic
- Chicken broth
- Lemon juice
- Cold butter
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken breasts: Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. You can optionally use thin-cut chicken cutlets for quicker cooking.
- Mozzarella cheese: Fresh mozzarella (packed in water) works well. Pat slices dry to prevent excess moisture in the sauce.
- Basil pesto: Store-bought pesto is completely fine to use for this recipe. If you have homemade pesto on hand, feel free to use it.
- Grape tomatoes: Grape tomatoes have fewer seeds and water content, which is great for topping the cooked chicken.
- Chicken broth: Use reduced or no-sodium chicken broth for the sauce, to have full control over the flavors.
A full list of ingredients with measurements is located on the recipe card, below.
Substitutions
- Chicken breasts: Substitute with chicken thighs if you prefer. You can also use bone-in chicken breasts if you have them on hand, but the cooking time will increase slightly.
- Mozzarella cheese: Substitute with provolone or asiago cheese.
- Grape tomatoes: Use cherry tomatoes, roma tomatoes, or vine-ripe tomatoes.
Variations
- Spicy: Season the chicken with a pinch of chili flakes, or a spoon of Calabrian chili paste for an extra punch.
- Creamy: Add a splash of heavy whipping cream to the lemon sauce for an extra layer of richness.
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Step-by-Step Instructions
Prep Work Before Cooking
Collecting all ingredients: This will make cooking so much easier. Gather all the spices you will need, and keep them nearby.
Prep the tomatoes: Halve the grape tomatoes. If the tomatoes are larger, quarter the grape tomatoes.
Season the Chicken
Drizzle the chicken breasts with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Sear the Chicken
Heat a large skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat.
Sear the chicken breasts until golden brown on both sides. Remove the seared chicken from the pan.
Make the Sauce
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the minced garlic to the skillet and lightly saute for 1 minute.
Add the chicken broth and lemon juice to the garlic, and scrape the brown bits from the skillet. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 1-2 minutes.
Turn the heat off and add the cold butter to the sauce, and stir.
Melt the Cheese
Add the cooked chicken breasts back to the skillet.
Top the chicken breasts with sliced mozzarella and place the skillet under the broiler on high until the cheese is melted.
Finish the Chicken
Take the chicken out from under the broiler, and spread a layer of basil pesto on each chicken breast.
Top with halved grape tomatoes, and serve.
How Long to Cook Chicken Breasts
- Thin cutlets: 3-4 minutes per side
- Regular breasts: 5-7 minutes per side
Cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).
Expert Tips
Searing the chicken: Chicken breast can cook quickly and dry out easily. To keep the chicken juicy, do not cook the chicken more than needed.
Use oven-safe cookware: This chicken comes together in one pan, so be sure your skillet is oven-safe. If it is not, transfer the sauce and chicken to a baking dish before adding and broiling the cheese.
Regulate the heat: When making the lemon butter sauce, keep the heat low so that the sauce does not separate.
Cold butter: Add cold butter off the heat and stir continuously to create a glossy, emulsified sauce.
Make Ahead & Storage
- Refrigerator: Leftover chicken can be refrigerated for 2-3 days in an airtight container.
- Reheat: Reheat leftover chicken margherita in the oven at 325°F, in the air fryer at 350°F, or in a skillet on low heat with a splash of broth.
- Do not microwave: The microwave will cause the cheese and butter to separate when reheated.
Serving Suggestions
- Sides: Serve this chicken with any of your favorite sides, including Olive Garden's Fettuccine Alfredo, lemon caper pasta, Olive Garden giant cheese stuffed shells, or simple lemon garlic bucatini.
- Salads: A salad is always a great starter or side. Some of my favorites are a house salad with Olive Garden Salad Dressing, la scala chopped salad, Mediterranean farro salad, or avocado Panzanella salad.
- Bread: Wipe up any leftover sauce with Olive Garden's signature breadsticks, ciabatta garlic bread, or garlic parmesan bread rolls.
Troubleshooting & FAQs
Yes, you can substitute pesto with fresh basil, sun-dried tomato spread, or just balsamic glaze.
The sauce can separate if the heat is too high after adding the butter. Remove the pan from the heat before stirring in cold butter.
Yes, bake at 400°F until the cheese melts (about 5-8 minutes)
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If you love restaurant-style dinners without the wait, this recipe is part of my collection of quick and easy dinner ideas made with simple ingredients and ready in 30 minutes or less
More Chicken Recipes
Olive Garden Chicken Margherita Copycat
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Chicken breasts - boneless, skinless
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 16 oz Mozzarella cheese - fresh, sliced
- ¼ cup Basil pesto - storebought or homemade
- ½ cup Grape tomatoes - halved
- 4 cloves Garlic - finely minced
- 1 large Lemon - juiced
- ½ cup Chicken broth - low-sodium
- 2 tablespoon Salted butter
- Kosher salt - to taste
- Black pepper - to taste
Instructions
- Drizzle the chicken breasts with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.2 lbs Chicken breasts, 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, 1 teaspoon Black pepper, 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- Heat a large skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken breasts until golden brown on both sides. Remove the seared chicken from the pan.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the minced garlic to the skillet and lightly saute for 1 minute.4 cloves Garlic
- Add the chicken broth and lemon juice to the garlic, and scrape the brown bits from the skillet. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Turn the heat off, add the cold butter to the sauce, and stir. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.1 large Lemon, ½ cup Chicken broth, 2 tablespoon Salted butter, Kosher salt, Black pepper
- Add the chicken breasts back to the skillet, into the sauce. Top the chicken breasts with sliced mozzarella and place the skillet under the broiler on high, until the cheese is melted.16 oz Mozzarella cheese
- Take the chicken out from under the broiler, and spread a layer of basil pesto on each chicken breast. Top with halved grape tomatoes, and serve.¼ cup Basil pesto, ½ cup Grape tomatoes
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