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    Grilled Chicken Margherita Olive Garden Copycat Recipe

    by Joseph Duff 23 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    This Olive Garden grilled chicken margherita tastes exactly like the one you'd get at the restaurant! It has juicy chicken covered in melted mozzarella cheese, a basil pesto, and lemon garlic sauce. 

    Played with two Olive Garden grilled margarita chicken breasts on it
    Table of Contents
    • The Best Chicken Margherita
      • Ingredients
      • How to Make Chicken Margherita
        • Step 1: Prepping The Chicken
        • Step 2: Cooking the Chicken
        • Step 3: Making the Lemon Garlic Sauce 
        • Step 4: Baking The Chicken
      • Storing & Reheating Chicken Margherita
      • Wrapping It Up
    • More Copycat Recipes

     

    The Best Chicken Margherita

    The grilled chicken margherita Olive Garden serves is a classic for a reason. It has so many flavorful elements that will seriously blow you away! 

    The juicy chicken and melted mozzarella combined with the basil pesto and lemon garlic sauce are a flavor combination that everyone is guaranteed to love. 

    And this grilled chicken marghertia Olive Garden copycat recipe brings all of the Italian flavors from the restaurant right into your own kitchen.

    Serve it with a side of this garlic bread or Italian cheese bread, and you've got yourself one delicious Italian dinner recipe. 

    And even though this recipe tastes like it came from Olive Garden, it's actually surprisingly easy to make. Just 30 minutes is all you need to whip it up.

    A fork with a piece of grilled chicken in the prongs leaned on a white plate has two pieces of grilled margarita chicken breast on it.

    Ingredients

    Now, the ingredients list may look long, but I promise you it's worth it. Not to mention, most of the ingredients you need you probably already have, or you can easily find at any store.

    Anyway, here's what you'll need:

    • 2 pounds chicken breasts, divided in 4 portions
    • 1 cup Italian salad dressing 
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
    • 6 tablespoons butter
    • 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
    • About ½ pound sliced mozzarella (1 slice for each piece of chicken)
    • ½ cup pesto
    • ¼ cup basil sliced thin
    • 1 cup grape tomatoes

    By the way, if you have to run to the store to pick up anything, grab some extra chicken breasts to make this Olive Garden chicken scampi or Olive Garden's chicken & shrimp carbonara next!

    They're both knock-out chicken recipes that taste like it's from they're from the restaurant and are sure to be a big hit.

    A plate of mozzarella cheese, a bowl of garlic, a plate with four chicken breasts on it, a plate with a butter slab on it, a bowl of pesto, above Italian dressing, in part of a bowl of grape tomatoes are on a white counter.

    How to Make Chicken Margherita

    From start to finish, this recipe takes only about 30 minutes to make.

    And half of that time is passive cooking. So it's a perfect busy weeknight meal to whip up for the family.

    And it's delicious leftover so you can enjoy some for lunch or dinner the next day!

    Now, enough delaying, grab the ingredients, and Olive Garden's grilled chicken margherita!

    Step 1: Prepping The Chicken

    First, place the chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap and then pound them lightly until they reach an even thickness. 

    Then, remove them from the plastic, cut the chicken into 4 portions, and transfer them to a bowl.

    Now pour the Italian dressing into the bowl and place it in the fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes.

    When the time is up, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175°C).

    Four chicken breasts being cooked in a skillet. The chicken breasts are surrounded by a plate of mozzarella cheese, a bowl of pasta, part of a ball grape tomatoes, and a plate with a slab butter on it on a white counter.

    Step 2: Cooking the Chicken

    After the chicken marinates, heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and add some olive oil to it. 

    Now cook the chicken for a few minutes on both sides until golden brown. Then, remove the chicken from the pan and reserve it for later.

    A hand holding a spoon that has pesto on it. The spoon is being held above three slices of mozzarella cheese on top of grilled chicken breasts in a white casserole dish.

    Step 3: Making the Lemon Garlic Sauce 

    Next, add the butter, garlic, and lemon juice to the same pan that the chicken just cooked in.

    Let these ingredients cook for a few minutes on medium heat until the butter melts and the garlic is fragrant. 

    Then, return the chicken to the pan with the lemon garlic sauce and toss it in all the buttery goodness.

    Pesto on top of three slices of mozzarella cheese on top of three chicken breasts in a white casserole dish.

    Step 4: Baking The Chicken

    And now all that's left to do is to bake the chicken!

    So, to do that you'll want to transfer the chicken to a baking dish and make sure there is enough room for each one to lie flat.

    Then, add the slices of mozzarella cheese on top of each chicken breast and pour the pesto sauce on top.

    Now, once it's ready, bake the chicken for about 15 minutes - or until the cheese bubbles. 

    Finally, top it with some fresh basil and sliced juicy grape tomatoes and serve.

    Enjoy!

    Two grilled margarita chicken breast and some sliced grape tomatoes on top of a white plate on a white counter.

    Storing & Reheating Chicken Margherita

    So, this recipe will make 4 chicken breasts or 4 servings. But if you need more servings, you can easily double or triple the recipe! 

    Then, if you have any leftovers, wait for the chicken to cool, then transfer to an airtight container, and it'll last in the fridge for 3-4 days.

    And then, to reheat the chicken without drying it out, you can either put it back in the oven, or heat it up in a skillet until warm.

    A grilled margherita chicken breast next to part of another grilled margherita chicken breast on a white plate.

    Wrapping It Up

    Well, that is how to make grilled chicken margherita Olive Garden style.

    If you serve this to someone, they'd have no clue it wasn't from the restaurant! 

    The freshness of the tomatoes and basil, metly mozzarella cheese, and flavorful lemon garlic butter combined with the juicy chicken is a meal that you'll want to make over and over again. 

    Anyway, I hope you love this grilled chicken margherita recipe as much as I do.

    If you make it, leave a comment below and let us know your thoughts!

    And make sure to check out our Youtube, where we post recipe videos weekly! 

    A fork with a piece of grilled chicken on it line on a plate that has two grilled margarita chicken breasts and a few slices grape tomatoes on it

    More Copycat Recipes

    If you like recreating dishes from restaurants in the comfort of your own home, we have a ton of other copycat recipes you can try next! 

    Here are some of our favorites for an easy dinner:

    • Olive Garden Chicken Marsala
    • Olive Garden Cheese Ravioli
    • Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo
    • Olive Garden Chicken Pasta
    • Olive Garden's Lasagna Fritta
    • Olive Garden's Giant Cheese Stuffed Shells
    • Ruth Chris's Stuffed Chicken
    • Ruth Chris's Lobster Mac & Cheese
    • Applebee's Bourbon Chicken & Shrimp
    Print

    Grilled Chicken Margherita Olive Garden Copycat Recipe

    A grilled margherita chicken breast next to part of another grilled margherita chicken breast on a white plate.
    Print Recipe

    ★★★★★

    5 from 23 reviews

    This Olive Garden grilled chicken margherita tastes exactly like the one you'd get at the restaurant! It has juicy chicken covered in melted mozzarella cheese, a basil pesto, and lemon garlic sauce. 

    • Author: Joe Duff
    • Prep Time: 30 minutes
    • Cook Time: 15 minutes
    • Total Time: 45 minutes
    • Yield: 4 servings 1x
    • Category: Dinner
    • Method: Oven
    • Cuisine: Olive Garden

    Ingredients

    Scale

    2 pounds chicken breasts, divided in 4 portions

    1 cup Italian salad dressing 

    2 tablespoons olive oil

    2 teaspoons minced garlic

    6 tablespoons butter

    1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice

    About ½ pound sliced mozzarella (1 slice for each piece of chicken)

    ½ cup pesto

    ¼ cup basil sliced thin

    1 cup grape tomatoes

    Instructions

    1. Place the chicken in between two layers of plastic wrap and pound them until they have an even thickness.
    2. Marinade the chicken for at least 30 minutes in the cup of Italian dressing.
    3. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
    4. Heat a non-stick skillet to medium-high and add the olive oil. Cook the chicken until golden brown on both sides, remove the chicken from the heat and reserve.
    5. In that same skillet, add the butter, garlic and lemon juice. Cook for a couple of minutes, until it's melted and fragrant. Return the chicken to the skillet and toss it in the butter.
    6. Transfer the chicken to a baking tray and top with mozzarella cheese and pesto sauce.
    7. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly.
    8. Serve with grape tomatoes and basil.

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1 serving
    • Calories: 788
    • Fat: 48
    • Carbohydrates: 12
    • Protein: 78

    Keywords: grilled chicken margherita, olive garden grilled chicken margherita, grilled chicken margherita olive garden, grilled chicken margherita recipe, grilled chicken margherita olive garden recipe, olive garden grilled chicken margherita recipe, how to make grilled chicken margherita, best grilled chicken margherita, easy grilled chicken margherita recipe, how to make olive garden grilled chicken margherita

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jamie

      March 25, 2022 at 12:11 pm

      Yum! This is my fav Olive Garden meal.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    2. Macy

      March 25, 2022 at 1:28 pm

      6/5 stars!!!!!!!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    3. Jill Fara

      March 26, 2022 at 2:44 pm

      My whole family truly loves this. It will be a chicken recipe that we circle back to frequently.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    4. Dale

      March 26, 2022 at 2:51 pm

      Made it for dinner last night and it was bomb!!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    5. Martina

      March 26, 2022 at 9:25 pm

      So good.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    6. Emily

      March 27, 2022 at 2:08 pm

      So easy & tasty too.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    7. Millie

      March 27, 2022 at 8:06 pm

      Delicious Delicious Delicious!!!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    8. Cynthia

      March 28, 2022 at 10:25 am

      The lemon garlic butter with the pesto is one of my fav combinations. This was excellent!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    9. Ryanr

      March 29, 2022 at 8:25 am

      Extremely delicious chicken breast recipe.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    10. Gabbriella

      March 30, 2022 at 9:50 am

      It was delicious!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    11. Jaqaline

      March 31, 2022 at 8:49 am

      The best chicken margherita that I have ever had. Usually it lacks flavor but this was filled with it.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    12. Bella

      April 01, 2022 at 1:01 pm

      All of the elements of this are terrific. I loved the dish.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    13. Tori

      April 03, 2022 at 9:36 am

      I'm bookmarking this recipe!!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    14. George

      April 03, 2022 at 3:25 pm

      Honestly, this is one of the best chicken recipes I’ve ever made.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    15. AJ

      April 04, 2022 at 6:56 pm

      Been looking for a new grilled chicken recipe and it's safe to say that I found it.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    16. Angela

      April 05, 2022 at 1:26 pm

      Superb grilled chicken recipe.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    17. Mike

      April 06, 2022 at 3:07 pm

      This was killer.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    18. Andy Perina

      April 07, 2022 at 7:48 am

      Every thing about this is stellar.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    19. Randy

      April 08, 2022 at 8:32 am

      Never making another grilled chicken recipe again this was too good.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    20. Alice

      April 10, 2022 at 2:12 pm

      I made this without the cheese but it was still delicious!!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    21. Mandy

      April 12, 2022 at 5:00 pm

      Oh wow this was so yummy

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    22. Susan

      June 05, 2022 at 9:11 am

      Without a doubt my family's favorite chicken recipe of all time.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    23. Randy

      June 20, 2022 at 12:03 pm

      Phenomenal dish

      ★★★★★

      Reply

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