Crockpot Olive Garden Chicken Pasta (Viral TikTok Recipe)

Name: Crockpot Olive Garden Chicken Pasta (Viral TikTok Recipe)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 180 min
Total time: 185 min
Ingredients: 1 cup Olive Garden Italian dressing (or any creamy Italian dressing); 1 cup chicken broth; ¼ cup parmesan cheese (freshly grated); ¼ tsp black pepper (freshly cracked); 8 oz cream cheese; 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast (thawed, 3-4 breasts); 8 oz cooked pasta

This creamy chicken pasta recipe is a mouthwatering combination of Italian flavors, cream cheese, chicken and pasta. It is prepped in only 5 minutes and cooks hands off in the crockpot.

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olive garden chicken pasta in a slow cooker

If you are a fan of chicken Alfredo or creamy pasta, then you’ll love this super delicious crockpot Olive Garden chicken pasta. This easy slow cooker recipe only needs 5 minutes of hands on prepping and then cooks to tender perfection all by itself. It is a great set-it-and-forget-it meal! Using only simple ingredients, Italian chicken and pasta is creamy, comforting and bursting with flavor. So if you are looking for a new easy weeknight dinner that the whole family will enjoy, then this is the recipe for you. It is the best copycat Olive Garden pasta ever! It even went viral on social media!

wooden spoon scooping crockpot olive garden chicken pasta

Table of Contents

What is Crockpot Olive Garden Chicken Pasta?

This viral TikTok chicken pasta dish is a combination of fork tender and juicy chicken with a creamy white sauce made from Italian dressing, chicken broth, parmesan and cream cheese. It is cooked to perfection in the slow cooker and then mixed with al dente pasta.

Notable: perfectly cooked pasta with creamy, cheesy white sauce and tender chicken
Main Ingredients: Olive Garden Italian dressing, chicken broth, parmesan cheese, black pepper, cream cheese, chicken breast, pasta
Cooking Method: Crockpot
Nutrients: great source of protein with 39g per serving
Cooking Time: prep time 5 minutes, cooking time 3-8 hours
Pairs well with: Italian Salad, Caprese Salad, crispy Garlic Bread
Special Equipment Needed: slow cooker, instant read thermometer

close up of olive garden chicken pasta with parsley on top

Ingredients

You may have all of these ingredients for this chicken and cream cheese crockpot recipe in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store! If this is your first time making this TikTok recipe you might want to read the possible variations before deciding on your ingredients.

Ingredients

1 cup Olive Garden Italian dressing
1 cup chicken broth
¼ cup of parmesan cheese, freshly grated
¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
8 oz. block of cream cheese
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, thawed (3-4 skinless chicken breasts)
8 oz cooked penne pasta

Optional Garnish

Fresh parsley
Parmesan cheese, grated

Variations and Substitutions

Italian Dressing: Substitute creamy Olive Garden dressing for any creamy Italian salad dressing.

Chicken: Substitute boneless skinless chicken breasts for boneless skinless chicken thighs.

Noodles: Use any type of pasta you prefer. Cook separately before adding to the chicken and sauce.

ingredients for olive garden crockpot chicken pasta

WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you loved this Italian dressing chicken pasta recipe, try our Easy Dump and Bake Meatball Pasta Casserole. You’ll love it because it is a quick and delicious one dish meal that the whole family will enjoy.

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Crockpot — This recipe requires a slow cooker. We use a 6 qt. basic Crockpot brand slow cooker. It works wonderfully. If you’re planning to take your Crockpot to potlucks you’ll want to check out this one that has a locking lid. A slow cooker has an inner pot called the crock. Neither the crock nor the lid are oven safe on most machines. Do not put them in the oven.

Instructions

This section shows how to cook Olive Garden chicken pasta in the slow cooker, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full step-by-step instructions, photos and nutritional information see the recipe in the recipe card below.

COOK THE CHICKEN: Firstly, spray the crockpot with nonstick cooking spray. Trim the excess fat off the chicken breasts and place them at the bottom of the slow cooker. Next, pour 1 cup of Olive Garden salad dressing and 1 cup chicken broth over the top of the chicken. Then, sprinkle ¼ cup parmesan cheese and black pepper over the chicken and dressing mixture. Afterwards, cut cream cheese into cubes and add to crockpot. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

Andrea says….

This viral TikTok recipe is usually made with 2 cups of salad dressing and no chicken broth. We found that created a final pasta dish that tasted like it was smothered in salad dressing.

pouring Italian dressing over the chicken breasts in the slow cooker

topping raw chicken and Italian dressing with black pepper, parmesan and cream cheese cubes

FINISH THE SAUCE: The chicken is done when an instant-read meat thermometer inserted at the thickest part reads an internal temperature of 165°F. Afterwards shred chicken with two forks or a meat shredder. Combine chicken, dressing, and cream cheese well. Let the chicken sit in the sauce for 10 minutes to absorb the flavor.

shredding cooked chicken in the crockpot with two forks

shredded chicken mixed in with cream cheese and Italian dressing sauce

TOSS WITH PASTA AND SERVE: Finally, add the cooked pasta to the slow cooker. Toss to combine. Sprinkle with parsley and parmesan cheese before serving.

adding pasta to the creamy chicken sauce

scooping ready to eat Olive Garden chicken pasta out of a crockpot

WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you love easy and healthy pasta dishes then you’ll love our Fettuccine Pesto. Fettuccine pesto pasta is a crowd pleasing meal with homemade pesto. Make it and toss with your favorite noodles and meat.

Recipe Tips

Follow these tips to make the best crockpot Olive Garden chicken pasta.

Tip: Trim the fat or any grisly parts off the chicken before cooking.
Tip: Let shredded chicken sit in the sauce in the warm slow cooker for 10 minutes to soak up more of the sauce into the parts of the chicken that had not previously touched the sauce. This will make the chicken juicier.
Tip: Cook the pasta al dente. Then gently stir cooked pasta into the chicken and cream cheese sauce.
Tip: Before serving, sprinkle the top of the finished creamy chicken pasta with chopped fresh parsley and more freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

What To Serve With Crockpot Chicken Pasta

We love to eat crockpot chicken pasta all by itself. But sometimes you need to serve it as a complete meal. Try one of these delicious recipes:

Bread: Serve creamy chicken pasta with crusty bread or soft dinner rolls. Garlic French Bread is made with fresh parmesan cheese and store-bought french bread. If you have extra time make Pizza Dough Garlic Knots. These delicious garlic knots are brushed with butter, seasoning and parmesan.

Salad: Pair this Olive Garden crock pot chicken with a fresh salad. A green salad like our fabulous Italian Salad or Antipasto Tortellini Salad. Or even a Caprese Salad with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. If you are serving this yummy pasta dish during summer, serve it with Stef’s incredible Peach Burrata Salad.

Italian Inspired Dessert: Serve a slice of Limoncello Loaf Cake for dessert. This sweet lemon quick bread is moist and fluffy and topped with a boozy limoncello glaze. It tastes even better topped with a scoop of Andrea’s Strawberry Sorbet.

Stef says….

I love this super yummy pasta dish, because it is very easy to fix and forget! You can cook for just 3 hours of on low for 8 hours while you work.

How To Store

Refrigerate: Let the creamy chicken pasta cool completely before transfering into an airtight container or ziploc bag. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Freeze: Crockpot Olive Garden chicken pasta leftovers can be frozen in a freezer safe container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Divide the pasta leftovers into individual servings before freezing, for easy portion control when defrosting.

Defrosting: Thaw in the fridge overnight.

More Pasta Recipes

Italian pasta dishes are always huge crowd pleasers in our family and they never get boring. Not only can you vary the pasta shape, but you can get super creative with sauces and what kind of meat or seafood you want to add. Some of our absolute favorites are Shrimp Fettuccine, Baked Ravioli and of course Lasagna.

How To Reheat

Reheat slow cooker chicken pasta leftovers in the microwave or in a pot on the stovetop.

close up wooden spoon stirring creamy chicken pasta

Common Questions

Is there a low carb version of this dish?

In fact, you can easily turn this scrumptious dish into a low carb meal by serving it over spaghetti squash or zoodles (zucchini noodles) instead of regular pasta. Moreover, you can serve creamy Olive Garden chicken over steamed or stir fried vegetables.

What kind of pasta works best for this slow cooker Olive Garden chicken pasta recipe?

As a matter of fact you can use pretty much any pasta shape you prefer. This amazing sauce works well with penne, bow-tie or ziti pasta, for example. However, you can use long pasta, such as spaghetti, fettuccine or linguine as well.

Are there any tasty add ins for this creamy slow cooker dinner?

In case you want to add some extra flavor to you creamy pasta dish, we recommend adding some Italian seasoning, chopped garlic or chili flakes, for example. Moreover, you can boost the flavor of your sauce with chopped sun dried tomatoes, sliced black olives or sliced and sautéed mushrooms.

5 from 1 vote