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Crockpot Olive Garden Chicken

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Crockpot Olive Garden Chicken requires just 5 ingredients and is a great dump-and-go easy weeknight dinner. It’s creamy, cheesy, flavorful, and sure to become a family favorite. 

You may be wondering if you’ve tasted this recipe at your local Olive Garden before. And the answer is probably not.

It’s called Olive Garden chicken because we are using the original OG Italian dressing that you can find at your nearest grocery store. 

shredded crockpot olive garden chicken on top of noodles on a white plate

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Maybe they do marinate some of their chicken dishes like this, but I can’t say for sure. I decided to test this recipe out because I needed a meal that would be ready by the time I got home from work without a ton of prep work and cleanup. And we all know the crockpot is a lifesaver when it comes to low hassle dinners.

I must say, just a disclaimer, I’ve been making this for quite a while but just realized it has gone viral in recent months on Tik Tok! If you’re into viral recipes like that, be sure to check out my Feta Tomato Pasta, Dalgona Cocoa (aka Whipped Hot Chocolate), Mini Pancake Cereal and Crunchwrap Supreme Copycat. Pretty sure all of these were trending at some point, but I just can’t keep up!

ingredients to make crockpot olive garden chicken

The 5 Ingredients You Need for Crockpot Olive Garden Chicken 

Chicken breasts – I used about 3-4 pounds of boneless skinless

Olive Garden Italian Dressing – the original flavor. I’ve included an affiliate link so you know what to look for at the grocery store.

Cream cheese

Parmesan cheese

Asiago cheese

How to Make Chicken in the Crockpot with Olive Garden Dressing

Apply a light coating of non-stick spray to the liner or use a disposable liner. After rinsing off and patting dry the chicken breasts, place them in the bottom of the crockpot. 

top view of steps 1 and 2 to make crockpot olive garden chicken

Place the cream cheese on top of the chicken. Then pour the Olive Garden Italian dressing in and secure the lid in place.

Cook on Low for 5-6 hours or High for 3-4 hours. 

top view of shredded chicken for steps 3 & 4 to make crockpot olive garden chicken

Shred the chicken with two forks or tongs (you can do this right in the crockpot). Stir to mix the chicken with the sauce.

Stir in the parmesan and asiago cheeses, and stir again to combine. 

And that’s it! Time to serve it up.

Is It Better To Cook Chicken on High or Low in the Crockpot? 

In my opinion, it doesn’t really matter. I usually cook chicken on High if I need it sooner or if I put it in the slow cooker too late in the day. When I prepare meals before work, I cook them on Low, so I don’t have to worry about overcooking the dish for 8 hours, and it’s ready when I get home. 

The major thing to remember is that the internal temperature of the chicken needs to be at least 165 degrees F before serving. If you do decide to cook chicken dinners on Low in the crockpot, use a meat thermometer to double-check for doneness. 

close up of olive garden chicken cooked with noodles

Can I Use Another Brand of Italian Dressing? 

Unfortunately, no. You must use Olive Garden’s Italian dressing for this recipe. It does not turn out the same if you use another brand of Zesty Italian dressing. That’s my personal take on it anyway.

Serving Suggestions

If you decide you want to serve the OG chicken over pasta, simply cook the noodles according to the instructions on the package. Then when it’s time to serve, top them with the chicken mixture. You can also add the cooked pasta to the slow cooker, mix it all together and then serve.

We’ve also enjoyed this recipe over rice and mashed potatoes. 

If you want to really feel like you’re at Olive Garden, make a salad and breadsticks like they do. For the salad, you’ll need a romaine/iceberg blend, black olives, onions, pepperoncini, sliced tomatoes, freshly grated parmesan cheese, and croutons. Then toss it in the Olive Garden Italian dressing (the same kind we used on the chicken).

As far as side dishes go, I recommend Broccoli Salad, Romaine Salad with Lemon Poppyseed Dressing or my Easy Vegetable Salad. If you’d rather have soup as an appetizer try my copycat version of their Zuppa Toscana.

And finish the meal with one of these easy dessert recipes: Cast Iron Skillet Cookie or No Bake Eclair Cake.

Tips for Storing and Freezing 

  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days 
  • You can also freeze the cooked chicken for up to 3 months. If you want to use it for lunches we highly recommend scoop out individual portions before freezing. It just makes it easier and more convenient. If you think you are going to make another family dinner from it, then freeze it in a single container. 
  • To thaw and reserve heat on the stove top over low or medium heat until it is warm. You could also place it back in the slow cooker on low for an hour or so until it’s warmed back up.

More Easy Crockpot Recipes:

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bowl of slow cooker Olive Garden Italian chicken with text overlay
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crockpot olive garden chicken shredded on top of a white plate with noodles

Crockpot Olive Garden Chicken

Crockpot Olive Garden Chicken requires just 5 ingredients and is a great dump-and-go easy weeknight dinner. It’s creamy, cheesy, flavorful, and sure to become a family favorite.
4.67 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Easy Main Dish, Main Dish, Weeknight Dinner
Cuisine: American, Italian
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 12
Calories: 264kcal
Author: Lori @ A Reinvented Mom

Ingredients

  • 3-4 pounds chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, (about 4 large)
  • 16 ounces Olive Garden Italian Dressing, 1 bottle
  • 8 ounces cream cheese
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
  • 1 cup Asiago cheese, shredded

Instructions

  • Spray the crockpot liner with a light coating of non-stick spray or use a disposable liner.
  • Rinse off chicken and pat dry. Place in the crockpot.
  • Top with cream cheese and Olive Garden Italian dressing.
  • Cook on High for 3-4 hours or on Low 5-6 hours. Make sure chicken reaches 165 degrees F.
  • Using tongs, shred chicken in the pot.
  • Add cheese to the crockpot and stir well.
  • Serve hot over cooked pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes.

Notes

  • Use freshly shredded cheese if possible. It melts (and tastes!) best.
  • Use a 6 quart or larger slow cooker for this recipe.
  • This recipe works best with Olive Garden brand Italian dressing. We don’t recommend substituting other dressings.
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  • To freeze: store in a freezer container for up to 3 months. Reheat over Low or Medium heat on the stovetop until heated through.
Tried this recipe?Mention @AReinventedMom or tag #areinventedmom

Nutritional Estimate

Calories: 264kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 103mg | Sodium: 471mg | Potassium: 461mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 418IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 222mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional information is provided as a reference, using an online calculator. We recommend verifying the information independently for accuracy.

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