Olive Garden Chicken Margherita features juicy chicken breasts topped with fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil pesto and a lemon garlic sauce. This is one of my favorite recipes and it’s super simple to make!
What You Will Love About Chicken Margherita
What’s not to love? I have so many fresh tomatoes – so it was a perfect excuse to use them – then you top it with homemade pesto and fresh mozzarella! The other amazing thing is that you can cook it in just 15 minutes.
Chicken Margherita Ingredients
There are definitely some short cuts you can make with this dish in terms of using a pre-made marinade and store-bought pesto. That said – I’ll give you options every step of the way! Here’s where to start:
- 2 chicken breasts – or 4 small chicken breasts – we all know some chicken breasts are ginormous and definitely enough for two people. I had purchased a bag of Perdue Perfect Portions chicken breasts – so with those – you’ll want to use four.
- 1 cup Olive Garden Italian salad dressing – short cut you can use store-bought Italian dressing or make your own
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 slices fresh mozzarella – don’t short cut this – buy a log of fresh mozzarella – the cheese pull is incredible and the flavor is much lighter!
- 1/2 cup pesto – You can make your own (recipe here) or just use store-bought
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half – I used some cherry tomatoes and some regular tomatoes here – use what you have.
- 3 tablespoons of butter
- 1 tbsp minced garlic – or use 2 cloves garlic if using fresh
- 1 lemon – use fresh if possible
How to Make Olive Garden Chicken Margherita
You will be cooking on the stove and in the oven for this – but it all goes very quickly! Let’s get started!
- Preheat oven to Broil (high)
- Chicken Prep
- If using large chicken breasts, pound chicken out between two sheets of parchment paper or in a ziplock bag. This flattens out the chicken so it cooks more evenly. Then slice each thin chicken breast into two pieces.
- If using small chicken breasts, just move to next step
- Place the chicken breasts into a gallon sized zip top bag. Add Italian dressing and marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
- PESTO – If you’re making your pesto from scratch, make the night before and refrigerate.
- Add olive oil in a large skillet. Cook the chicken on medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes on each side. Using an instant read thermometer, chicken temp should be approx 145-150º (It will finish cooking in the oven)
- AIR FRYER OPTION: place chicken breasts in air fryer and cook at 360º for 9 minutes
- Remove chicken from the skillet and place in a rectangular baking dish you’ve sprayed with non-stick spray.
- Add two slices of mozzarella cheese to the top of each piece of chicken. Add a tablespoon of pesto on top of the fresh mozzarella. Add sliced tomatoes to baking dish. Sprinkle tomatoes lightly with olive oil, salt & pepper.
- Place baking dish in the oven for approx 3-5 minutes, and broil until cheese begins to melt and brown. Be sure to watch this closely as broilers vary in how quickly they brown.
- While the chicken is cooking, on stove top over medium heat in skillet, add butter, garlic, and lemon juice from 1/2 lemon. Whisk together and heat thoroughly. Turn to low until ready to serve
- When cheese melts and starts to brown, remove baking dish from oven.
- Serve chicken and tomatoes and top with lemon butter sauce, extra pesto, fresh basil and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
Tips, Tricks & FAQs
There was an Italian Queen (Margherita of Savoy) that liked her pizza with the colors of the Italian flag (mozzarella, tomatoes & basil). That style of dish was named after her.
There are 540 calories in the Olive Garden dish – pretty darned good!!
Store leftovers in airtight containers and refrigerate up to a week – or freeze up to three months. Reheat in the microwave for 1:30-2 minutes.
Variations
- Chicken Prep – you can either pan fry, grill or air fry your chicken breast. I pan fried for convenience but would definitely choose air frying going forward.
- OG serves with grilled chicken breast
- Cheese – the recipe calls for fresh mozzarella – you can use regular mozzarella in a pinch – but it will taste differently
- Vegetables – the only vegetable is tomatoes but you could easily add mushrooms, zucchini or even saute peppers and onions with your chicken breast and add those. Keep in mind cooking time – if you wanted to add something like broccoli – it would likely partially roasted ahead of time in the oven.
- Pesto – Jarred pesto is delicious and so easy to just grab and use – but if you have an ample basil plant like I do – then making fresh is worth the extra 10 minutes
- If you don’t have an AeroGarden – you are missing out!!! I have fresh basil every day with no effort! I have tried growing herbs in pots and they always die. All I have to do is keep the water full and boom! Fresh basil all the time! I just bought a second one for lettuce!
What to serve with Grilled Chicken Margherita
More Olive Garden Recipes
Olive Garden Chicken Margherita
Equipment
- Le Creuset Oval Baker
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or 4 small chicken breasts)
- 1 cup Olive Garden Italian Dressing
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 8 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup basil pesto
- 1 cup grape tomatoes sliced in half (or cherry, regular tomatoes)
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 lemon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to Broil (high)
- Chicken PrepIf using large chicken breasts, pound chicken out between two sheets of parchment paper or in a ziplock bag. This flattens out the chicken so it cooks more evenly. Then slice each thin chicken breast into two pieces.If using small chicken breasts, just move to next step2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Place the chicken breasts into a gallon sized zip top bag. Add Italian dressing and marinate overnight in the refrigerator.1 cup Olive Garden Italian Dressing
- PESTO – If you're making your pesto from scratch, make the night before and refrigerate.
- Add olive oil in a large skillet. Cook the chicken on medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes on each side. Using an instant read thermometer, chicken temp should be approx 145-150º (It will finish cooking in the oven)AIR FRYER OPTION: place chicken breasts in air fryer and cook at 360º for 9 minutes2 tbsp olive oil
- Remove chicken from the skillet and place in a rectangular baking dish you’ve sprayed with non-stick spray.
- Add two slices of mozzarella cheese to the top of each piece of chicken. Add a tablespoon of pesto on top of the fresh mozzarella. Add sliced tomatoes to baking dish. Sprinkle tomatoes lightly with olive oil, salt & pepper.8 slices fresh mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup basil pesto, 1 cup grape tomatoes
- Place baking dish in the oven for approx 3-5 minutes, and broil until cheese begins to melt and brown. Be sure to watch this closely as broilers vary in how quickly they brown.
- While the chicken is cooking, on stove top over medium heat in skillet, add butter, garlic, and lemon juice from 1/2 lemon. Whisk together and heat thoroughly. Turn to low until ready to serve3 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp minced garlic, 1 lemon
- When cheese melts and starts to brown, remove baking dish from oven.
- Serve chicken and tomatoes and top with lemon butter sauce, extra pesto, fresh basil and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
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