Olive Garden Chicken Scampi

What if I told you recreating the famous Olive Garden chicken scampi takes just 25 minutes of your kitchen time?

Yes, that’s right! If you’re like me, and love Olive Garden’s irresistibly creamy and elegant chicken scampi, you’ll be hooked on to this easy, homemade version.  It packs in all the deliciousness and flavor and takes just a few simple pantry staples and your trusty Air Fryer to put together- perfect for all those occasions when you want to impress.

Recently, I’ve been trying out a lot of Olive Garden copycat recipes. It’s just something I like to do occasionally, to enjoy the flavors of my favorites from the restaurant in the comfort of my home. 

If you too, love everything it has to offer, check out my copycat recipes including copycat chicken parmigiana, copycat Olive Garden breadsticks, Air Fryer toasted ravioli and even the copycat stuffed ziti fritta. 

And of course, try making this creamy chicken scampi too! 

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• Kid-friendly: The flavors are subtle and creamy, which make this dish perfect even for picky eaters! 
• Affordable: The dish is actually pretty affordable too! You’ll be using chicken breasts and a few simple ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen! 
• Absolutely delish: The flavors are incredible- to say the least! The crispy and juicy chicken and the rich and creamy sauce taste irresistible together! 
• Quick cooking: The dish comes together super quick, all thanks to your Air Fryer! You’ll need just under 30 minutes from start to finish, making it a splendid weeknight meal option too! 

Ingredients For the Olive Garden Chicken Scampi Recipe

• Chicken: The traditional recipe calls for the use of chicken tenders, and if you have them, by all means, use them! I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts here, because that’s what I had at hand. I thinly sliced them until they resembled chicken tenders, and that’s it. 
• Eggs: For the coating and to help the breadcrumbs stick to the chicken. 
• Flour: I used regular all purpose flour. You can use gluten-free flour if you want to make gluten free chicken scampi. 
• Breadcrumbs: For that crispy coating on the chicken. Use gluten-free breadcrumbs if you want to make a gluten -free version. 
• Heavy cream: For the sauce. 
• Garlic: Use fresh garlic if you can, for the best flavor. Garlic powder can work in a pinch too.
• White wine: For that authentic flavor. 
• Cheese: I used Parmesan cheese here, shredded right from the block- not the pre-shredded version. 
• Seasonings: To season, I just used a bit of salt and pepper. Parsley: Freshly chopped, to garnish.

Variations & Substitutions

• For an extra bit of flavor, add some Italian seasoning in addition to the salt and pepper. 
• If you like a kick of heat, add some cayenne or paprika into the mix too! 
• To make a dairy-free version, swap the heavy cream with coconut cream, and use nutritional yeast instead of the Parmesan cheese. 
• Want to make a meatless version of this recipe? Swap the chicken with some portobello mushrooms and you should be good. 
• If you don’t want to use white wine, add a drizzle of freshly squeezed lemon juice to add a bit of acidity and citrusy flavor to the sauce, that ties all the flavors together beautifully! 

How to Make Olive Garden Chicken Scampi

Dredge time: Set up a dredging station with the breadcrumbs(mixed with Parmesan cheese), flour, whisked eggs and chicken in separate bowls. Coat each chicken tender with the flour, then dip in the beaten eggs and finally coat with the cheesy breadcrumbs and set them all aside. 

Preheat: To make the Olive Garden chicken scampi, start by preheating your Air Fryer and getting all the ingredients ready.

Air fry: Transfer the coated tenders to the Air Fryer basket and cook for 12-15 minutes, flipping them midway through the cooking time.

Make sauce: While the chicken is cooking, make the sauce. In a saucepan over medium heat, saute the garlic until fragrant, and then add in the white wine. Allow this to reduce by half and then add in the heavy cream, salt and pepper.

Serve and enjoy: Arrange the crispy chicken tenders on a plate and top them with a nice drizzle of the creamy sauce. Top with chopped parsley and serve! 

Tips & Tricks to Make Olive Garden Inspired Chicken Scampi

• If the chicken breasts are too thick, you can butterfly them first and then slice them into thin strips. 
• Try to keep the slices equal in thickness. Doing this will ensure they’re all evenly cooked in the Air Fryer.
• Don’t add too many chicken tenders to the Air Fryer basket. They won’t crisp up properly and might stay undercooked too. 
• If you don’t want to use breadcrumbs, you can skip them and do a double coating of flour to get a bit of that crispiness on the outside. 

Storage Instructions

Refrigeration: Store your leftover chicken scampi in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. 

Reheating: The best way to reheat it is to microwave it until it is nice and warm. You can also reheat it in a skillet over low-medium heat with a little splash of water to loosen up the sauce. 

Serving Ideas & Suggestions

This crispy chicken scampi tastes incredible when served with a simple pasta like my classic Instant Pot pasta carbonara or Air Fryer stuffed spinach pasta shells. 

I also love serving it with my Air Fryer garden focaccia or Air Fryer olive cheese bread to mop up all that delicious sauce. 

And if you’re making this for a special occasion, you might want to team it up with some Air Fryer Olive Garden fried mozzarella too! 

FAQs

The sauce is too thick. What should I do? To thin the sauce, you can add a dash of chicken or vegetable broth into it and let it simmer for an extra minute or two, until you get the right consistency. 

How do I thicken the sauce? If the sauce seems too thin, you can thicken it by adding a simple cornstarch slurry and letting it simmer for a few minutes, stirring continuously. 

More Easy Copycat Recipes

• outback steakhouse toowoomba steak
• Air Fryer Popeyes Fried Chicken
•  Air Fryer KFC Honey BBQ Wings
• copycat cheesecake factory reese’s peanut butter chocolate cake cheesecake
• air fryer mcrib sandwich copycat recipe
• air fryer copycat chick-fil-a waffle fries

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