Crockpot Olive Garden Chicken

Crockpot Olive Garden Chicken recipe 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. Maybe they do marinate some of their chicken dishes like this, but I can’t say for sure.

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

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. It’s also a great choice if you need to make food for a friend in need.

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!

Crockpot Olive Garden Chicken Ingredients

• Chicken breasts – I used about 3-4 pounds of boneless skinless
• Olive Garden Italian Dressing – the original flavor. I’ve included an affiliate link to the product 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 slow cooker liner or use a disposable liner. After rinsing off and patting dry the chicken breasts, place them in the bottom of the crockpot. 

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. 

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. 

Can I use a different 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.

What to Serve with Olive Garden Crockpot Chicken

If you want to serve the OG chicken over pasta, you can serve it over cooked noodles or add the cooked pasta to the slow cooker, mix it all together and then serve. We’ve also enjoyed this chicken 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 with Bacon, 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 Leftover Crockpot Chicken

• 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 scooping out individual portions before freezing because it makes it easier to thaw. If you’re going to make another family dinner from it, then freeze it in a single container. 
• Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stove top over low or medium heat until it’s 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:

• Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings with Canned Biscuits
• Slow Cooker Italian Beef Sandwiches
• Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
• Easy Slow Cooker Lasagna
• Crockpot Taco Meat Recipe
• Crockpot Mississippi Pot Roast