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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!
Hey,
You folks who threw the food out…you just haven’t been hungry:)
Great recipe!!!
Thank you:)!!!
I followed recipe but sauce was extremely thin and looked curdled. How do you thicken sauce?
This recipe was delicious, my finicky family loved it.
I was nervous because of some of the comments, so I only put in half a bottle of dressing and half of the cream cheese.
it was so simple, I’ll make it again for sure
This sounded so delicious, and I’m obsessed with Olive Garden dressing! But it’s a bit tangy and powerful to have every bite of a heavier pasta meal. I would say it was delicious for about 5 bites, ok for the next 5-10, and then I was checked out on that taste – it’s just overwhelming. I think it’d be better as a side pasta, not the entire dinner. I really wanted to like it, too! But we’ll be throwing the leftovers away.
My family and I loved this so much! It is one of our new favorites. I added a little cornstarch the last hour of cooking just to give it a nice rich sauce for the pasta.
Used 2 lbs chicken, 2/3 bottle Italian dressing (didn’t have Olive Garden do I just used what I had on hand- Wishbone) And threw in some cherry tomatoes cut in half. Cannot express how delicious this was!!!
We loved it but the next time I’ll half the recipe lol. Great meal with s green salad and bread.
Not sure why people are saying it’s salty..mines didn’t come out that way. I added rinsed diced tomatoes to mines. It came out super good & my kids loved it. Will make again!
Can you use mozzerella cheese instead?
I haven’t tried it with that but it should work!
I always finish mine off with mozzerella. I sprinkle it on right before it is done 🙂
Is there a way to make it less salty?
You could try using a little less of the Olive Garden dressing!
May I ask what size crockpot you use? I am looking to get one (and try your crockpot recipes since I love your other recipes!) and am not sure what size to look for.
I have a 7 qt and an 8 qt slow cooker that I use most often!
The Italian dressing tastes nasty with the chicken and pasta. All of it together made the recipe taste way too salty and just gross overall. We threw all of it out…
It was so salty once your taste buds adjusted it became palatable. but no I wouldn’t recommend nor would I make again.
This was extremely tangy. I had to add whipping cream to cut down on the tanginess. It was difficult to eat much of it. Super stimulating to the taste receptors. I will not make this again.
I just made this and wish I had read the comments about cutting back on the cream cheese. I thought it was good but the amount of cream cheese could be cut in half.
My daughter loves this recipe as is, but for me, I cut the cream cheese in half.
Made it exactly as directed. It was alright. Very strong flavored and rapidly overloads the senses making eating more than a few bites of it a challenge. Great for a side dish, not so much for serving as a meal. Mellow it out, though, and it’d probably be fantastic.
Agreed with Steve!