Crispy Chicken Fritta (Olive Garden Copycat) 

Crispy Chicken Fritta is breaded and fried chicken served over dreamy, creamy fettuccine noodles made with an Asiago cream sauce. It’s a restaurant-quality meal that even the pickiest eaters will love!

If you are someone who loves going out to eat but would love even more to recreate that goodness at home–this is the recipe for you. 

Crispy Chicken Fritta is a crowd favorite at Olive Garden. It is tender, delicious chicken breast covered in breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese and fried to golden brown perfection.

This chicken is simple and delicious enough to be eaten all on its own or used in a wide variety of Italian cuisine. It is especially delicious when paired with homemade asiago alfredo.

This Crispy Chicken Fritta recipe is the perfect recipe for a busy weeknight or when hosting friends! It comes together in around 30 minutes and packs plenty of flavor and protein. 

Why Make This Recipe

1. Restaurant Quality for Less: You don’t have to go out to eat delicious chicken! This chicken is tender, crispy and sure to be a favorite for every member of your family or friends. When paired with a creamy sauce, it is one of everyone’s favorite dishes.
2. Versatile Recipe: This recipe calls for homemade asiago alfredo to pair with this fried chicken, but you could also make this parmesan crusted chicken to go on top of salads or any of your other favorite pasta recipes. It would also be delicious with this Italian Pasta with Palomino Sauce or this Instant Pot Alfredo Sauce.
3. Classic Favorite: This simple recipe is one that not many people will turn down. It’s fried chicken with a hint of crispy parmesan and the simple flavor is something the whole family can love! The deliciously creamy pasta just makes everything over the top delicious! 

What Do You Need To Make This Recipe

Ingredients 

1. Fettuccine Noodles: You can use just about any noodles you prefer, but I recommend long noodles for a cream based sauce. Fettuccine is common because the pasta’s fat shape allows it to hold up under the weight of a cream sauce. You could also use bowties or rotini for a substitute! 
2. Butter: I always cook with unsalted butter so that I can control the salt content of my food. If you only have salted butter, that works too! 
3. Heavy Whipping Cream: If you want the same creamy sauce, do not substitute milk. If you want a healthier option, feel free to try out half and half (though the sauce will be more liquidy!)
4. Garlic: Freshly minced makes a world of difference, but if you need to use the jarred stuff, no judgment here. 
5. Asiago Cheese: Use freshly grated cheese! Don’t use anything pre-shredded or your sauce may end up with a gluey texture. You can substitute parmesan if you need to but always grate it fresh
6. Chicken Breasts: Boneless and skinless 
7. Italian Style Breadcrumbs: You could also use plain breadcrumbs and add your own Italian seasoning
8. Parmesan Cheese: I used the pre-grated stuff for this step. Shh, I won’t tell if you won’t 😉 If you’re going to use the pre-grated cheese, use the high quality stuff for best results!
9. Vegetable Oil: I recommend using only vegetable oil for frying this dish for the best flavor. Olive oil has too high of a smoke point to use for frying. If you need a substitute you can also use sunflower oil. 

Tools

1. Meat tenderizer 
2. Shallow Bowls 
3. Large Skillet 

How to Make This Recipe

Step One: Cook the Pasta

Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the box. Set it aside.

Step Two: Prepare the Chicken

Slice each chicken breast in half thickness wise, making 4 thin chicken cutlets. Use a meat tenderizer to pound the chicken to about ¼ of an inch. 

Please 3 shallow bowls on the counter. In the first shallow bowl, combine the milk with the eggs and whisk together. Put the flour, salt, and pepper into a second shallow bowl and whisk to combine. In the third shallow bowl, place the Italian style breadcrumbs and the parmesan cheese. 

Dip each of the cutlets into the flour. Then dip them into the egg, and then, finally, the breadcrumb mixture to coat. 

Step Three: Fry the Chicken

Put enough vegetable oil in a pan so that it comes about halfway up the meat. Heat the oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Put the cutlet in the pan (fry them 1-2 at a time). Cook for about 3-4 minutes, then flip and cook for about 3-4 minutes on the other side or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Remove to drain on a cooling rack. 

Step Four: Prepare the Sauce

In a saucepot, add the heavy cream and the butter over medium heat. Stir until the butter melts and the heavy cream comes to a simmer. 

Whisk in the garlic, salt, and black pepper. Turn the heat to low or off, then whisk in the asiago cheese until completely melted. 

Add the alfredo sauce into the pasta and stir to coat the pasta in the sauce. 

Serve a pile of creamy pasta with pieces of Crispy Chicken Fritta on top. Enjoy! 

Cooking the Chicken 

Cooking chicken can be intimidating. Here are some of my best tips! 

1. GET A MEAT THERMOMETER! There is nothing worse than worrying you are undercooking your chicken so you overcorrect and end up with a dry mess. If you are going to cook chicken, get a meat thermometer! You know your chicken is done when the thermometer reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. For the most tender chicken it is important to give it time to rest. Rest the chicken on a cooling rack before and after cooking (but use a different cooling rack or wash the one you used!). Using a cooling rack as opposed to a plate allows the breading to stay on the chicken before cooking and keeps the breading crispy on the chicken after cooking. 
3. Do not overcrowd your pan during frying. This helps ensure the oil stays at the correct temperature and allows your chicken to cook more evenly.

Expert Tips

• It’s a good idea to cover your chicken with plastic wrap or a ziploc before you tenderize it to keep the juices from spreading.
• The sauce may taste on the salty side on its own, but trust the process and taste it with a bit of the noodles. Do not add salt to the sauce without tasting first.
• To avoid soggy chicken, allow it to cool completely before storing leftovers.
• This recipe is very versatile. Feel free to add extra herbs and spices to your liking. I recommend garlic powder, red pepper flakes and parsley for this parmesan-crusted chicken.

What Do You Serve With Chicken Fritta?

This recipe is excellent with a side of broccoli and garlic bread. You could also serve a caesar salad or garden salad with plenty of fresh vegetables to help balance out the carb-heavy meal.

You could also serve this chicken with other types of pasta. It’s great with your favorite marinara sauce, like Marcella Hazan’s Tomato Sauce, or eaten as chicken parmesan.

This chicken is also delicious as the main course without the pasta as simple chicken tenders. Serve it with your favorite dipping sauce, like this Homemade Yum Yum Sauce, and some homemade French fries. 

Why Did My Sauce Turn Gluey?

Alfredo sauce is made with such simple ingredients but it can be a little tricky to get the consistency just right. 

My first tip is to always use freshly grated cheese. Packaged shredded cheese is often coated with flour to help keep the pieces separate which has a huge impact in a recipe like this. If your sauce turned out stringy or gluey, you might want to switch out your cheese and make sure you grate it at home.

My second tip is to watch your heat. The grated cheese should be added at the very end. You could turn your stove to low heat or even turn it off completely when you whisk in the cheese. The hot cream and butter should be hot enough to melt the cheese to just the right consistency.

Storage and Reheating Instructions

How to Store

To store your Crispy Chicken Fritta in the refrigerator, allow it to cool completely to room temperature, then transfer to a ziploc bag or an airtight container. Because of the oil used in the cooking process, a glass container is preferable if you have one.

Chicken Fritta should be fine for up to four days in the refrigerator. This dish can also be frozen for up to three months.

I recommend storing the pasta separately. The alfredo sauce may not freeze well.

How to Reheat

Leftover Crispy Chicken Fritta is great for so many different dishes, but it can be a challenge to get back to the crispy deliciousness of night one.

To reheat, set your oven to 400 degrees and place the chicken on a baking sheet covered loosely with foil, to help keep the chicken moist. Allow the chicken to cook in the oven for about 20 minutes or until it is heated through and crispy on the outside.

You can also reheat Chicken Fritta in a frying pan. Place a few tablespoons of oil in a pan and heat it to 300 degrees. Add the leftover chicken and cook for one to two minutes per side.

Your final option is the air fryer. Place the chicken into the air fryer and fry at 300 degrees for about five to ten minutes. This is my personal favorite method. 

Frying Questions

How Do I Know the Oil is Hot Enough for Frying?

It takes patience to get your oil to the right temperature and without a thermometer it may take some guessing. To test the oil you can add a small piece of breadcrumb into the oil or dip one of the chicken breasts into the oil. You can also stick a wooden chopstick in the oil, perpendicular to the pan.

If the oil bubbles into action quickly, it is ready. Be sure and check your chicken after each batch. If it is not done in the center, you will need to adjust your heat. 

Can I Bake the Chicken Instead of Frying It?

Frying the chicken is really what makes this dish so delicious. There’s no other way to make the meat moist and the exterior deliciously crispy. 

However, if you really want to avoid the extra oil, you can bake the chicken. Spray them lightly with oil and bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Why Isn’t My Breading Crispy?

The biggest secret to crispy breading is making sure you prepare your chicken properly. It is very important to dry your chicken as much as possible before adding the breading. Pat the raw chicken with some paper towels to soak up any moisture.

If you want really crispy chicken you could also double fry the chicken breasts. Fry them once, allow them to rest for ten minutes, then fry again.

Did you enjoy this recipe? If so, make sure to check out these other recipes I picked out just for you: