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This crockpot Olive Garden chicken is to die for! The juicy and tender chicken cooked with some pasta is insanely delicious! Plus, it’s super easy which is a total win-win!
I love an easy and delicious crockpot meal! If you want to try more meals like this, you should start with Soup, this Beef and Broccoli, and this amazing Lasagna!
Crockpot Olive Garden Chicken (with Pasta!)
I love a recipe I can whip up at the last minute and still taste delicious!! This Olive Garden crockpot chicken and pasta is the perfect meal! It only takes 5 minutes to put together! Then, it cooks all day, and you don’t have to do a thing! Cook up some Broccoli, Asparagus, or this delicious salad, and you have a meal to remember!
This recipe only uses 5 ingredients! And one is a bottle of Olive Garden salad dressing. The dressing is SO GOOD, and when you mix it with the chicken and cheeses, it takes it to a whole new level! I also love that you just throw in some cooked pasta again, and the meal is done! My kids go crazy over this and are so impatient that they want to just eat it straight out of the crockpot! Another delicious cheesy recipe you won’t want to miss is my creamy four cheese pasta!
Ingredients for Crockpot Olive Garden Chicken
This recipe only uses 5 ingredients…. yes, 5! If you don’t have time to wait for a slow cooker, make my Baked Olive Garden Chicken and Pasta. See the recipe card below for a list of exact ingredient measurements.
- Chicken breasts: Use fresh boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe.
- Olive Garden Italian dressing: This dressing is SO GOOD! Using the entire bottle will let you get all of that amazing flavor!
- Parmesan: I just used Parmesan cheese from the can! It’s super easy, and you probably already have it in your fridge.
- Cream cheese: This makes the sauce texture taste so creamy. And you can’t beat the tangy flavor of cream cheese!
- Pasta: Cook the pasta right before the chicken is done, then just throw it in and mix it up!
Let’s Cook Some Chicken!
This is a true set-it-and-forget-it meal. Just a few minutes of prep, then let the slow cooker work its magic! Love easy crockpot pasta recipes? Be sure to check out my Crockpot Million Dollar Pasta, and crockpot poppy seed chicken, too!
- Add chicken and dressing: Place the chicken breasts in a slow cooker laying flat. Pour the whole bottle or homemade olive garden dressing over top the chicken.
- Add cheeses and cook: Sprinkle parmesan over the top of the chicken and dressing. Place the block of cream cheese on top. Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 4 hours.
- Cook pasta: Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Shred the chicken, add pasta, and serve: Using 2 forks or shredders, shred the chicken evenly. Use 1/4 cup of Parmesan and sprinkle it over the top of the chicken. Add in the pasta and stir until well combined. Serve while hot.
Crockpot Cooking Tips
Using a crockpot is already easy. These quick tips make it even better.
- Keep the lid on: Lifting the lid lets heat escape and slows cooking. Trust the process and peek through the glass.
- Preheat first: Turn it on about 20 minutes before adding food. Do it while you prep.
- Spray it: A quick coat of cooking spray prevents sticking and makes cleanup easier.
Olive Garden Chicken Freezer Meal Instructions
Instructions:
- Add & Mix: Add the bottle of dressing and parmesan cheese to a gallon-sized, freezer-safe, sealable storage bag and mix well.
- Add, Coat, & Freeze: Add the chicken to the bag with the sauce and mix to coat the chicken in the sauce. Press out as much air as possible, seal the bag, and freeze it flat for better storage.
Reheat:
- Thaw Slightly: Pull the bag out of the freezer one hour before cooking to let it thaw slightly on the counter before cooking.
- Cook: Place the contents of the bag and the softened cream cheese into the crockpot. Cook on LOW for 6 hours or HIGH for 4 hours until the chicken is cooked through and shreds easily.
- Shred: Remove the chicken from the crockpot and shred it. Return the shredded chicken to the crockpot and mix to coat it in the sauce.
- Cook Pasta & Serve: Cook the penne noodles according to package instructions and drain well. Stir the noodles into the chicken mixture and serve!
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Crockpot Olive Garden Chicken
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds chicken breasts
- 1 (16 ounce bottle ) Olive Garden Italian dressing or homemade Olive Garden Italian Dressing
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 16 ounces cooked pasta
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts in a slow cooker laying flat. Pour the whole bottle or homemade olive garden dressing over top the chicken.
- Sprinkle parmesan over top the chicken and dressing. Place the block of cream cheese on top. Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook for 6 hours on low or 4 hours on high.
- Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Using 2 forks or shredders, shred the chicken evenly. Use 1/4 cup parmesan and sprinkle over top the chicken. Add in the pasta and stir until well combined. Serve while hot.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Store Leftovers
If you have some leftovers with this dish then consider yourself lucky! This crockpot Olive Garden chicken and pasta is so delicious the next day! Once the food has cooled them store it in an airtight container in your fridge. It will last for 3-4 days! When you are ready to eat, you can heat it up in your microwave for 1-2 minutes or until heated through!
More Delicious Crockpot Recipes
I love crockpot meals, they’re easy and always turn out juicy and delicious. My Crockpot Chicken Alfredo is a fave, but honestly, you’ll want to try them all!
It’s a Good concept but all I could taste was the cream cheese. It was incredibly sour for my taste. I used two lbs chicken which I definitely recommend. If I ever made this again I would cut the amount of cream cheese in half
Taste is ok but holy crap the sodium is RIDICULOUS and you can taste it. Maybe if you didn’t use the Olive Garden dressing which has enough sodium for like 5 people…seriously, I’m not kidding. It’s over 8,000 mg in the bottle. The cream cheese got weird and didn’t mix in just sat there and kind of browned/burnt. I’m not sure I would make it again.
TERRIBLE!!!! wasted nice pieces of chicken, extremely dry…. No sauce, ended up throwing it out… thought maybe if chicken broth added for some kind of juice…..
Could you make this in the Insta Pot?
I’m sure there is a way but I haven’t tried that before! I will put it on my list of recipes to make.
Yes, just put it on the slow cooker setting
I started making this, then I read the reviews. I was very worried it was going to be horrible because of what I read. Guess what? It was good! I would definitely make it again. Next time I will cut it down though. I had so much I gave some to my parents and they loved it too.
The negative reviews shocked me. I really love this recipe. I have made it several times already. This meal tastes so so good the next day. I eat the leftovers for days and never get sick of it. May be a lot of calories but it makes me happy ?
Dear melissa,
I was wondering since Iam not a itilan dressing fan, Can I use ranch parm instead?
Thanks,
Heidi Fuller
I haven’t tried that before but it sounds delicious! Let me know how it turns out!
I agree with the comment that said it tastes like tuna helper. I added two extra chicken breasts, a cup of water, asparagus, mozzarella, and lots of lemon pepper seasoning to make it bareable.
Not that great, 1280 calories added in the very tart dressing to begin with. Add the cream cheese and parmesan and wow, that’s a lot of calories to cook two stinky little chicken breasts in. I tried to tame all that vinegar tartness By introducing Greek yogurt parsley flakes, heavy cream and a crap ton more cheese. In the end it was only greedily devoured by the insinkerator. Those finicky humans took a pass! Hindsight being 20/20 I should have substituted the pasta with a head of lettuce.
All the bad reviews really surprised me! My daughter made this a few days ago and we ALL loved it. She added some heavy cream and extra cheese before adding the cooked pasta. So good that I’m making it tomorrow for family.
Sorry, this was just awful. This recipe really needs to come down from the internet and just go away!
Tried adding some chicken broth instead of all the salad dressing and added a bit more cream cheese based on prior reviews. I think one person nailed it when they said it tasted like tuna noodle casserole. Terrible flavor and consistency.
So gross. The whole thing went in the trash
Totally delicious will have it again easy to make
Delicious!!!!!!
Great easy recipe. I added mushrooms in mine and it was amazing. Will definitely be doing this again.
After reading reviews I didn’t think I would like this but it was very good! I didn’t cook it the same…I used the instant pot and browned the chicken on the sauté function and then I used about 1/4 bottle of the dressing (28 ounce bottle). Cooked the chicken on the poultry setting for 20 minutes and let it release the pressure naturally. I then shredded the chicken and added the parm cheese and cream cheese. I served it over garlic butter noodles. The only thing I would change next time would be to use 4 ounces of cream cheese instead of 8 ounces.
My family enjoyed it. I have one very picky eater who ate it. Not in love with it, but easy meal to make.